The History of Newark, New Jersey. By Joseph Atkinson. Page 13. (https://archive...
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The History of Newark, New Jersey. By Joseph Atkinson. Page 13. (https://archive.org/stream/historyofnewarkn00atki#page/12/mode/2up/ ) Atkinson's penchant for florid language does not inspire confidence in the reliability of this source. "Now came the decisive moment, the casting of the die. Now came the day, the hour for action — for sundering of friendships, ties, associations — all those growths, affiliations and surroundings of life-long location — of birth, of marrying and intermarrying, and of social and business intercourse. Despite the powerful incentives impelling a complete change ofbase and living operations, it must have required the courage of stout hearts and strong heads to tear up the roots of a generation or more and move off anew into the unknown and untried wilderness,there to begin again the battle of life — and all, or nearly all, for a matter of conscience sake. But the men of 1666, like those of 1776, were men indeed, fit stuff for pioneers, paviors on life's roadway for their own and the welfare of future generations. And so, as has already been stated, these noble sons of not more noble sires came and saw and conquered the difficulties thrown in their wayby hostile circumstances. In the spring of 1666 the men of Milford moved, to the number of some thirty persons. According to tradition the first of the Milfordites to set foot on Newark shore was Elizabeth Swaine, a fair young girl in her nineteenth year, the daughter of Captain Samuel Swaine, and the affianced bride of Josiah Ward, whose gallantry secured for her the honor of first landing — sothat woman's proper rights to positions of honor and distinction in Newark are not the growth of yesterday."