In the early 1800's, John Nelson operated the Yardville Hotel. records show him there in 1825, but he doesn't appear on the Hamilton Twp taxables in 1820 nor on any 1830 census in the area. In December of 1829, Andrew Nelson wrote a will leaving $5.00 to his son John. The bulk of the estate was divided between 'my beloved wife Phoebe' and the children of Andrew's son Elisha, who are individually named. Elisha, while named as the father of those children, is not left anything except the use of one half the real estate (the wife got the half with the house) until the youngest child should be of age, when the property would be sold and divided equally among those grandchildren.
from History of Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men” by Major E. M. Woodward & John F. Hageman, 1883.
found on line at http://www.rootsweb.com/~njmercer/Mun/HamiHis.htm:
'YARDVILLE, on Doctor's Creek, near its junction with Crosswicks Creek, on the southern border of the township, is a station on the Amboy Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and, though comparatively small, has long been a place of some local importance. It was formerly known as Sandville, and received its present name from John Yard, the first postmaster there, who was succeeded in 1858 by Robert C. Hutchinson. Clark Hutchinson, the present postmaster, was commissioned in 1859.
The first hotel was opened many years ago by John Nelson, as is supposed. After occupying it four years, Nelson rented the building to John Longstreet. In 1833, John Ginglen bought the house, and in 1848 sold it to Moses Johnson, who has since kept it.' Hoever, deeds found in Burlington County show us that the property was sold to John Ginglen by James Nelson & wife Susan (Hutchinson), not by John.
