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A well known section lying just north of High Bridge has long been known as Silverthorn. With what records he has found available, F. Hodgekins Silverthorne of New York has written a short history of this locality, which his ancestors settled. As it is of local interest, The Gazette is pleased to print Mr. Silverthorne's history as follows: Situated on the hill just north of High Bridge is a district which has been known for the last century and a half as Silverthorn, but unfortunately, it is gradually losing its identity. Time, of course obliterates many things and in order to partly preserve, at least, the name of what remains of this quaint old settlement, the following historical facts have been gathered and compiled: About 1746 William Silverthorn and his family moved from Bethlehem ( now West Portal) to a new home which he established a short distance above the present town of High Bridge, where he erected substantial buildings and took up farming. He was considered "well to do" and took an active part in church and local affairs. His family was composed of three sons and six daughters: John, William, Sarah, Susanna, Thomas, Ann, Hannah, Mary and Elizabeth. The family were members of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at New Germantown (now Oldwick) and among their close friends are mentioned the Okesons, who previously had settled below, near Union Furnace, and the Albertson Family. The settlement on the hill grew as other families joined it and soon became known throughout the county as Silverthorn.
About 1750, feeling the need of a school in the settlement, one was constructed of stone. This was torn down and replaced a great many years later a frame building, which also was rebuilt. The school was known as Silverthorn, District No. 60 and served the community continuously up to but a few years ago. William Silverthorn died in 1795. In 1786 two of his sons, John and William who had previously married Sarah and Nancy Okeson, moved with the Okeson family to Juanita Co., PA where they purchased land. These two families were also brought closer together through the marriage of Nicholas A. Okeson and Susanna Silverthorn. William's son William Silverthorn died in Pennsylvania in 1792. His brother, John whose wife also died there, moved his family back to New Jersey about 1807, purchasing a farm in the southeastern part of what is now Blairstown Township, not far from the old plantation on which his uncle, Thomas Silverthorn, and family resided, 1750 to 1782.
An item of history referring to John Silverthorn and Nicholas Okeson, states: during the early days of the Revolutionary War an order was issued by an officer of the British Army to the pelple living in Hunterdon County to go out under the command of a detailed officer to repair the roads and bridges in that part of the colony for the passage of the main army. Among those thus called out were John Silverthorn and Nicholas A. Okeson then lads around 17 years of age and particular friends and chums. Young Okeson received an order which he did not willingly obey, not being in sympathy with the army of the king. The officer who had charge of the work struck him with the flat of his sword. An active engagement at once took place between the officer and the two lads, the officer getting the worst of the encounter. John and Nicholas quickly fled and as fast as their horses would carry them, made their way to the arm of General Washington on Long Island, where they both enlisted for the war, just a few days before the battle of Long Island, in which they took part.
Going back one generation, it is found that Oliver Silverthorn (father of William mentioned above) was the founder of the Silverthorn family in America, having settled in Bethlehem (now West Portal ) previous to 1735. ( His cousin William Silverthorn arrived in the Virginia Colony before 1657 at 23 years old). They came from Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire, England. In 1735, leases were granted by Lewis Morris, Jr. to 98 families residing on West Jersey Society Lands, in what is now Bethlehem township. Oliver Silverthorn was granted a lease on 200 acres. In the village of Bethlehem he conducted a cooperage shop, manufacturing casks and barrels. He was born in England about July 1686 being baptized 1 Aug 1686 Amesbury Parish Church Records. His ancestors were among the yeoman and gentry of Wiltshire, residing in the Parish of Steeple Aston. Old English records state that the name Silverthorn ( often spelled Sylverthorn and Silverthorne) was taken from the "Whitethorn" tree, more commonly known as the "Silverthorn" tree and numerous in western England, where the family resided for decades. The old family coat of arms has on it's crest a white dove with wings expanded, on a sheaf of barley; the motto is "Truth Feareth Nothing." Oliver Silverthorn was a yeoman and a member of the " Corporation of Zion" formerly a religious organization of the Church of England, probably under Lord Cornbury. Members of this organization, no doubt, founded Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at New Germantown ( now Oldwick). The exact date the church was built is not known, but it was previous to 1750. Oliver Silverthorn died in 1746 and in his will names his wife Mary and sons, John, Thomas, George, and William. The witnesses were Thomas Silverthorn and Edward and Anna Rockhill. In the inventory of his estate is mentioned the old log house wherein he resided in Bethlehem, the cooperage shop and a book of accounts containing the following names: Kemp & Palmer, Ganet VanWagenen, Dr. Edward Stevenson, John Bodine, Joseph Applegate, Andrew Reed, Charles Clark, David Martin, sheriff; Bartholomew Kelsey, Robert Coborn, Joseph Parks, Samuel Hill and John Mullen.
Members of the Silverthorn family who served in Washington's Army were: Thomas, George, Henry, Oliver, Joseph, Robert, William, and John Silverthorn. William Silverthorn, formerly state senator from Warren County, was one of the many descendants of Oliver Silverthorn, who now number over 1,500 and are found throughout the entire country and Canada. Nothing remains of the old original dwellings at Silverthorn, the oldest house standing there today being the one put up by Moses Waters about 1838, nearly 90 years after the first settlement. The Waters home, built of stone with walls about a foot thick, is now in the possession of Miss Helen Arnott, who conducts the "Silverthorn Camp" for girls. The old deed of Moses Waters is now in the possession of this grandson, Robert J. Moore.
