During the American Revolution, Samuel Tucker, the state treasurer, fleeing the British advance on Trenton, removed the money in his care to hide at the home of John Abbott II. The location of the funds was betrayed by Mrs. Mary Pointing, who led a 500-strong detachment of British troops to the house.
”The John Abbott II House was built circa 1730"
In ransacking the home, the soldiers discovered Tucker's trunk with his personal effects and £1500 in unsigned paper money. However, the specie money was hidden by the family in the bottom of tubs in the cellar, covered with broken dishes and household utensils. The tubs escaped close inspection and the money was kept from British hands. The house is currently home to the Hamilton Township Historical Society and is open to the public.
”The John Abbott II House Barn ruins"
The following account of the house's role in the Revolutionary War is from Helen Almy West's History of Hamilton Township, written in 1954:
"It was in the latter part of the year 1776, and the British were advancing upon Trenton. Samuel Tucker, the State Treasurer, hearing of the British advance, wanted to save the State's money and his own. On November 30, 1776 he took his personal effects and those of the estates of which he was executor, along with the unsigned public money, to the home of John Abbot. The British arrived in Trenton on December 8, 1776, and on that day Mr. Tucker took the signed public money, amounting to more than fifteen hundred pounds, and a thousand pounds he held in trust, and secreted it with other moneys in the Abbott home.
"The British were told of the hiding place by a Mrs. Mary Pointing, of Trenton, and she led a detachment of British troops, about five hundred strong, to the house of John Abbott. They raided the house and captured Tucker's black trunk, containing deeds, etc. and the unsigned paper money.
"When the British arrived at the house, the family pretended they were getting ready to move, and they had placed the money in the bottom of tubs, and over it placed dishes and broken household utensils of various kinds and carried them to the cellar. The soldiers ransacked the house from top to bottom, found the tubs, but were heard to mutter that they contained nothing but 'old trumpery' and did not search them. The soldiers took Tucker's trunk with his papers and the unsigned 'shin plasters' but did not get the money.
"Several days after this raid Samuel Tucker was returning to his family in Trenton when, near White Horse, he was met by twenty mounted Tories. Their leader, John Leonard, pointed a pistol at Tucker's breast and told him he had orders from the British to take him prisoner. Robert Pearson, twin brother of Isaac Pearson [see Issac Pearson House entry below], appeared at the scene and gave his parole that Tucker should stay with him until he was wanted by the British.”
This cache is one of "The American Revolution Geo~Trail" caches throughout New Jersey. These special geocaches are hidden at many historic locations which have a connection to important New Jersey's American Revolutionary War history. To participate in the optional Geo-Trail, after you find the geocache, locate the secret code and record it into your passport which you will print from this website. Information at njpatriots.org
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