The purpose of this site is to provide access to the documentary history of the Brotherton Indian Reservation (now Indian
Mills, Shamong Twp.) and the nearby Indian community of Weekping (Coaxen) located to the west of present-day Vincentown.
The bulk of these documents come from a hitherto untapped archival source, the Foster Collection, of the Historical Society
of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia. Josiah Foster, like his father William before him, was an Indian Commissioner
for New Jersey during the 18th century. His papers, consisting of original documents written by the Indian inhabitants
of Brotherton and Weekping (and elsewhere), and copies of his responses provide a unique glimpse into the living conditions
of Brotherton and to the general status of the Delawares who chose to remain in their ancestral homeland.
Other documents come from the Quaker Collection at Haverford College, PA and the N-Y Historical Society, and elsewhere.
The Documents
The documents have been indexed and abstracted. Over the course of several months, I transcribed and typed them
and put them in chronological order. I have refrained from making editorial comments, other than to place each document
within a broader context.
Other documents are taken from the New Jersey Archives, county records, etc. In many instances, these documents
have been transcribed by others, and are copied here to provide as complete a collection as possible.
This is a work in progress. As documents are copied and/or found, they will be added to this site.
Richard S. Walling
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
