creditably filled. His life has been singularly smooth and uneventful, yet in his quiet, unobtrusive way he has exerted considerable influence in his community, more, possibly, than the majority of men in their walk through life. JEHU P. APPLEGATE. The Applegate family is one of the oldest and most honored ones of the east. They trace their lineage back to 1674, when Bartholomew Applegate applied to a council assembled at Fort William Hendrick for permission to purchase land from the Indians at Middletown, near the Navesinks. A patent was granted him for this land, which is located on the Raritan Bay, at what is now known as Applegate's Landing, a portion of the tract being now owned by W. T. Conover, whose wife, Annie Cooper, is a descendant of Bartholomew Applegate. On the maternal side our subject is descended from the Rev. John Bray, a Baptist minister from England, who, about the year 1688, organized the first Baptist church at Holmdel. During the period of the Revolutionary war the ancestors of our subject were supporters of Colonial independence and were valiant soldiers in that terrible struggle for freedom. His great-grandfather, John Patterson, was a judge of the circuit court and a relative of William Patterson, one of the signers of the constitution of the United States and a resident of New Jersey. James Patterson, the grandfather of our subject, was in the New Jersey senate for many years, and he left several sons, who held high and honorable offices and were leaders in the politics of the county and state. Their names are Jehu, John H., Samuel, James H. and C.Ewing, but all are now deceased with the exception of John H., ex-keeper of the New Jersey state prison, and C. Ewing, formerly clerk of Monmouth' county. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Joseph S. and Ann (Bray) Applegate, followed agricultural pursuits and were much esteemed for their true worth of character. Joseph S., the father of our subject, was born at Nut Swamp, in Middletown township, on the 25th of August, 1824, and was there married, on the 12th of February, 1851, to Margaret K. Patterson. Unto this union have been born the following children: Joseph S., Jehu P., Allen P., Margaret (deceased) and Lydia P. John S. Applegate, the father, is a successful and practical agriculturist and now resides on a farm of one hundred acres of choice land. He has also been honored with public office, having served as school trustee and as overseer of highways. His straightforward course in life has won for him the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens, and he and his estimable wife are now enjoying the comforts of life at their pleasant country home. Theirs has been a long and happy married life, and in 1900 they celebrated their golden wedding. Jehu P. Applegate, the subject of this sketch, was born in Middletown township, December 21, 1853. He prepared for college at Red Bank, |