Revolutionary War record (what does it mean?).

Question

I found my ancestor listed as a Private during the Revolutionary War (October 1776, in New Jersey), but I don't understand the meaning of the three Pounds money being collected.  It says some men had paid the "fine", so is this a fine for not showing up for service?

Here is what it says:  " You are hereby required to make Distress and sale of the Goods and Chattles of the persons names hereafter mentioned Privits in said Company to the value of three pounds money...persuant to an ordinance of the Convention of New Jersey passed ye 11th day of August" (1776).

Comments

Where did you find this record? Was there a title, source, or other context you haven't described here?

It does sound like this might be a penalty for not showing up for training or for service.

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There are a lot of Shotwells listed (many of whom were Quakers), so maybe it was a "Quaker fine" for not serving.  But Quakers apparently would forbide its members from paying such fines, so the fines had to be seized (or goods seized to be sold to collect the fines).   

However, I'm not sure all the "Privates" on this list were Quakers.  If they never served would they still be classified as a Private?  You can see it here:   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WB-9T3J?i=184&cc=2068326

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Several of the names have the remark "sick" by them.  This would hint at the idea that the fine was for being AWOL or not showing up.

Answer 1

Any time you didn't appear for militia muster you were fined.  It doesn't mean that the ancestor wasn't otherwise in good standing with the military, sometimes you missed a muster because of a sick family member or crops that needed tending.  Often, these "fines" were issued and waived when the militia member came to the next drill and had a good reason.  But monthly drills weren't always recorded because they were "ordinary," and often, we only have remnants from the past for events that were not ordinary.

If you could post a link and/or the full text and title of your record it would help us to understand it better.

Comments

The odd thing is that everyone being fined is apparent a Private (no Corporal, Sergeants, etc.).  Three of the Cole brothers are listed, and my ancestor's brother David Cole is listed as having paid the fine.  I don't think they were Quakers though, and if David was a Quaker, I think he would get into trouble with the Church for paying such a fine.  And I haven't yet found any other records showing them on Muster Rolls in the Revolutionary War.

Here's a link:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WB-9T3J?i=184&cc=2068326

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I could be mistaken but I believe that the Quakers blessed the paying of fines to avoid military service.

There are many on the list who did not pay.  I believe that on first muster, those who didn't show - maybe to test if it would be enforced - showed after they were threatened with fine.  It seems that most didn't pay the fine, they probably took the warning and thereafter began to turn out for muster.

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If you left click the photos a few to the left, you'll get to image 182 and it gives a good description:

A list of names of men in Capt. William Garthwait's Co., Col. Edward Thomas Battn., New Jersey Militia, in which Capt. Garthwait directs any of his Co. [Company] Sergeants to make distress and sale of the goods and chattels of his men persuant to a N. J. ordinance passed Aug. 11 - the list being dated Oct. 24, 1775 and list of names with property distrained.

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Here's what I found on the subject of Quaker military fines in one source ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quakers_in_the_American_Revolution#cite_note-10): 

Additionally, Quakers rejected not only the conflict itself, but also refused to pay any taxes or fines that supported a militia. The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of 1776 outlined this rule for its constituents:

It is our judgment [it laid down] that such who make religious profession with us, and do either openly or by connivance, pay any fine, penalty, or tax, in lieu of their personal services for carrying on war; or who do consent to, and allow their children, apprentices, or servants to act therein do thereby violate our Christian testimony, and by doing so manifest that they are not in religious fellowship with us.

Answer 2

Although your post was from a couple of years ago, you may be interested in the "Journal of the votes & proceedings of the Convention of New Jersey." Here is a link to the page where the text of the ordinance begins. The part about paying three pounds is at the top of page 95. https://archive.org/details/journalofvotespr00newj/page/92/mode/2up?q=%22three+pounds%22

I've been researching Captain Benjamin Laing's Company of the First Regiment, Essex County Militia, New Jersey and there is a James Coles whose name appears on a Pay Roll: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:3_Dec_1780_to_1_Jan_1781_-_Pay_Roll_of_Captain_Laing%E2%80%99s_Company%2C_First_Regiment%2C_Essex_County_Militia%2C_New_Jersey

In reading pension applications of soldiers from what at that time was Essex County, they served under numerous captains during the period of the war and sometimes a different captain from one month to the next.

Quite a few of the names on the list you posted appear in either a pay roll or muster in Captain Benjamin Laing's Company. Here is a list of all the people who are known to have served at some point in his company: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Members_of_Captain_Laing%E2%80%99s_Company%2C_First_Regiment%2C_Essex_County_Militia%2C_New_Jersey

You'll notice there aren't any Shotwells on the list. In fact, there is not a single Shotwell listed in Stryker's Official Roster of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War. https://archive.org/details/officialregiste00projgoog/page/n413/mode/2up?q=shotwell

So I would say that the list includes both people who didn't show up for muster on that particular day as well as Quakers who refused to serve in the militia based on their religious beliefs.

Do you have a James Cole that you think served under Captain Benjamin Laing? My goal is to try to link the names to WikiTree profiles from this page https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Members_of_Captain_Laing%E2%80%99s_Company%2C_First_Regiment%2C_Essex_County_Militia%2C_New_Jersey .

Comments

Thank you for the information.  I don't have an ancestor James Cole in that time period, but my Jonathan Cole did have a cousin named James Cole (born in 1744).  And the wife of that James Cole was supposedly Elizabeth Frazee (perhaps a sister of the some of the Frazee men appearing in your list of men serving under Laing).  Here is a weblink to his wikitree profile: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cole-26830

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Thank you! Are you familiar with the Revolutionary War Index for New Jersey? https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/175573?availability=Family%20History%20Library

You have to be at the NJ State Archives or a Family Search affiliated library to view the records https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/

It gives a very nice summary of the person's known service.

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My Jonathan Cole was married to Dorcas Waller, and her brother Richard Waller appears on your list.  He is member of Captain William Garthwait's Company in 1776 and then again appears in 1777 in your list for Captain Laing's Company,  Richard Waller was born in 1754 so his age (23) is a perfect match.  Here is the weblink to my wikitree profile for Richard Waller: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Waller-3893