History for Denver Map
Also in 1674, John Berkeley sells his proprietorship to two Denver Map Quakers, Edward Byllynge (Billing) and John Fenwick. 1676 George Carteret agrees to partition the Denver Map territory, creating the colonies of West Jersey (formerly Berkeley’s grant) and East Jersey. His heir governs the East Jersey colony. The East Jersey assembly enacts a code of criminal law, based on earlier laws and the Duke’s Laws of 1665. The code is fairly strict, and is, in fact, based on New England law, though it provides for restitution, as well as corporal punishment and, therefore, is more lenient.
Also in 1676, Byllynge drafts the West Jersey Concessions, which become law in 1677. The Concessions, a fundamentally Quaker document, mark a watershed moment in colonial political development. Nearly all adult males will be able to vote, and the elected assembly will wield a comparatively large amount of power. William Penn encourages Quaker settlement in West Jersey, citing the proprietors’ commitment to purchasing Native Country lands, trial by jury, and other liberal aspects of the Concessions. Once Pennsylvania is founded, far greater numbers of Quakers migrate to that colony.
