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Lamington Black Cemetery Cemetery, Lamington, NJ

The Lamington Presbyterian Church purchased this cemetery in 1857 from Martin Kline for $55. Kline is  listed on the deed as residing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The next owner of the cemetery was James Henry, who owned two people, Bill and Joe (whose gravestones are not present today in the Lamington Cemetery.)  There are a minimum of 97 graves in the cemetery, 36 known and 61 unmarked.  The unmarked graves were confirmed by a radar survey made 15 years ago by archaeology students from Rutgers University, directed by Dr. John L. Seidel.  Those with surnames Traphagen, Field, Lane, Kennedy that matched the surnames of the original slave-holding families, are now at rest in the old churchyard across from Lamington Presbyterian Church and in the Bedminster Cemetery.  Carved on some of the stones are passages from the Bible: A sleep in Jesus, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; and A sleep in Jesus Blessed Sleep.

Here are a few of the residents at the Lamington burial site:

William H. Van Horn, d August 30, 1887, age 58, Private Company H, 43rd Regiment, US Colored Troops.

Samuel Field 1834-1906.

William Dodd 1828-1908, flag present, 8th Regiment, USCT.

Betsey Traphagen, Colored, died March 18, 1874, age 72.

Jacob Pierson, born June 8, 1779, died February 27, 1864, wife Mary Pierson, born July 8, 1782, died June 29, 1856.

Martin King, died March 25, 1867, aged 72 years old, enslaved by Henry Blackwell of Bedminster, manumitted on June 17,1830.  Kings daughters, Susan and Harriet are also buried here.

George Henry, died June 1, 1863, aged 80 years old, enslaved by James Henry of Bedminster, manumitted on April 16, 1825.

Nancy Kennedy, died July 26, 1868, age 38 years

Nancy, wife of Jacob Vandervoort, born 1806, died 1869.

Dian, wife of Benjamin Somerset, died March 18, 1865 age 66 years.

Somerset and wife Caty were enslaved by Aaron Longstreet of Bedminster, and manumitted on December 16, 1837.

Agnes S., daughter of Rheuben and Hannah Craig, died March 16, 1889 (new surname of parents).

Oliver C., son of PC and Lydia Lane, died December 9, 1889, age 15 years.

Savilla Ann Bray, died November 26, 1868, age 57 years.

Abraham Bray, died May 9, 1866, age 38 years

WILLIAM DOBB 8TH REGT. USCT (1828-1908)

William Dobb, a Black Union Army veteran of the Civil War, was a private in the hard-fighting 8th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), an outfit in service barely four months when it went into action at Olustee, Florida, on February 20, 1864.  In this battle,  310 Union troops were killed, wounded or missing out of 550 engaged.  The 8ths Color Company (flag bearers) entered the battle with 43 enlisted men and all but six were the first New Jersey African-American troop casualties in the war.

WILLIAM H. VAN HORN & GEORGE LANE (USCT)

William H. Van Horn was a private in the 43rd Regiment, USCT, that led his divisions charge at the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia, in July 1864, pushing past a disorganized division of White troops.  He died August 30 1887, at the age of 58.  George Lanes obelisk marker tells all thats known about him:

Died from disease contracted while in the service of his country June 16, 1861, Age 21″

THOMAS HURLING AND MARGARET HURLING (1777-1856)

Thomas Hurling, a New Jersey-born African American, is buried in the Lamington Colored Cemetery, as is his wife, Margaret Hurling.  There is considerable evidence that Margaret was a full- blooded Indian, perhaps a member of the Lenape, one of the tribes of the Algonquin Nation.  Two, and possibly four, Hurling sons served in the United States Colored Infantry during the Civil War.  The two knowns were Richard Hurling, 25th Infantry, U.S.C.T., and Martin Hurling, 41st Infantry, U.S.C.T.  Although not definitely confirmed, available information tends to indicate that Jeremaiah V. Hurling and George Hurling also were members of the United States Colored Troops.  Thomas Hurlings familys headstone bears the following inscription:

Thomas Hurling (Father) Born 1777  Died Nov. 27, 1856, age 70 years Margaret Hurling (Wife) Born ?  Died 1844

Samuel Hurling (Son)

Born May 10, 1834  

Died May 17, 1871, Samuel owned a house and lot on Cowperthwaite Road, Lamington, NJ.  

Richard Hurling  (Son) Born Jan. 5, 1813 Died April 14, 1881, Richard owned a house and lot at the Cowperthwaite Road, Lamington, NJ.

Charles Hurling (Son) Born 1822 Died?

George S. Hurling (Son) Born 1818 Died?

FAMILY TREE OF THOMAS AND MARGARET HURLING (1777-1881)

Thomas and (Wife) Margaret Hurling, Father and Mother

Sons: Samuel, Richard, Charles and George Hurling

Samuel and (Wife) Jane Hurlings Children:

Killborn Killg, dob Aug. 1, 1835

Charles, Sept.  ?

Richard, Sept.  ?

Emaly, Sept. 8, 1839

Sammuel, Dec. 26, 1841

Margaret Ar., July 27, 1849

Dillian W., Aug. 13, 1851

Joseph Fine, May 31, 1853

Sarah E., Nov. 1, 1856

Sammuele, April 29, 1858

Thommas, May 29, 1860

Richard and (Wife) Leah Hurlings Children:

William, McDonald, (Date ?)

Margaret, F., (Date ?)

Charles and (Wife) Cornelia Kennedy Hurlings Children:

Catherine Ann, Aug. 8, 1842

Aaron, May 6, 1844

Martin, Jan. 2, 1848

Samuel, Aug. 8, 1849

George and (Wife) Sarah Hurlings Children:

Geoganna, Nov. 7, 1843

Jeremiah V., Aug. 12, 1848

 

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