Who Are the Greenwich Tea Burning Daughters

Members of the Greenwich Tea Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR),​ are women a lot like you. Our common bond is our lineal descent from Patriots of the American Revolutionary War. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove this lineage is eligible to join. For more information about membership in this historic and vibrant organization check out Become a Member on the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution website. We will be pleased to assist you with the membership process and help you find ways to document your lineage.
Greenwich Tea Burning Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution held its annual
​American History Event  at the First Presbyterian Church.
 American Historical Theatre, presented a program, “Hercules: Free At Last,” about the life of George Washington’s chef and slave. The chapter presented local volunteers with the Daughters of the American Revolution Certificate of Award
for their decades of volunteer conservation efforts.

What We Do

New Jersey Daughters, descendants of ordinary women and men who achieved extraordinary things, share a common bond of ancestry and are proud of their heritage and the role of their ancestors, who risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor in establishing our great country. We honor their sacrifices through the volunteer work of our members in the mission areas of DAR.

Patriotism

DAR members volunteer in Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers and non-VA facilities, offer support to America’s active-duty service personnel through care packages, sponsor programs promoting the U.S. Constitution, and participate in naturalization ceremonies. Learn more about how DAR members support patriotism.

Education

​DAR members are passionate about education through the promotion of the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.), DAR Good Citizens, and Junior American Citizens. The National Society DAR and New Jersey State society DAR also provide scholarships and awards to outstanding students, teachers, and members who work tirelessly to support their local schools. Learn more about how DAR members support ​education.

Historic Preservation

DAR members support historic preservation efforts through awards, grants, and contests.
Members participate in various projects to help preserve the cultural heritage of the United States, including preserving documents, buildings, and placing markers at locations of historic significance; most importantly our state house the Isaac Watson House. Learn more about how DAR members support historic preservation.​

Become a Member

The members of the Greenwich Tea Burning Chapter, NSDAR, welcome you to attend our meetings whether you are a visitor or a prospective member.
The Greenwich Tea Burning Chapter, NSDAR,​ celebrated the 125th anniversary of the organization and the president of the New Jersey Blue Bird Society, was the honored guest.
​He was recognized for extraordinary volunteer work in the field of wildlife conservation.

About the Greenwich Tea Burners

[From "History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey, and of the currency of this and the adjoining colonies," by Lucius Q.C. Elmer, Bridgeton, N.J.: George F. Nixon Publishers, 1869]
​
"Those familiar with the history of the English colonies in North America, will remember that it was the persistence of the British government in taxing the people, without allowing them to be represented in Parliament, that brought on the Revolution, and hastened their Independence. In 1773, all those taxes were repealed but the duty on tea, which our forefathers not only resolved not to sue, but which they would not suffer to be landed and offered for sale. The East India Company, which then had the monopoly of this commodity, was encouraged to send it to this country, and was allowed a drawback of all the duties paid in England, it being supposed that the cheapness of the article would tempt our people to purchase largely. Cargoes were sent to all the large seaports; but at some places the tea was not permitted to be landed, and at others it was stored, but not allowed to be sold. In December, a party disguised as Indians boarded one of the ships in Boston harbor, and threw the tea into the water.

A brig, called the 'Greyhound,' bound to Philadelphia, with a cargo of tea, the captain of which was afraid to proceed to his place of destination, in the summer of 1774 came into the Cohansey, landed his tea, and had it stored in the cellar of a house standing in front of the then open market-square. This house is not now standing, and the market-square has been enclosed as a private property. Imitating the example of the Bostonians, a company of near forty men was organized, with the concurrence of the committee of safety of the county, of which Jonathan Elmer, the royal sheriff, was an active member, who disguised themselves as Indians, and on the night of December 22, 1774, broke into the store-house, took out the boxes of tea, and burned them in a neighboring field.

The owners of the tea commenced actions of trespass against such of the disguised Indians as they thought they could identify, in the Supreme Court of the State, Joseph Reed of Philadelphia and Mr. Petit of Burlington, being their lawyers. Money for the defense was raised by subscription and Joseph Bloomfield, then residing at Bridgeton, George Read of New Castle, Elias Boudinot of Elizabethtown, and Jonathan D. Serjeant of Philadelphia, all eminent counsellors, were employed on behalf of the defendants. No trial, however, ever took place. The plaintiffs were ruled to enter security for the costs, which being neglected, a judgment of non pros was entered at May Term, 1776, but at the succeeding term security was filed, and the non pros set aside. The new constitution of the State, adopted in July, having displaced the Royal Judges, and their places being filled in the succeeding winter with Whigs, the actions were dropped, and no further proceedings took place on either side. 

Philip V. Fithian, one of the "tea burning" participants, made this note in his journal, Friday 23 -- Last night the tea was, by a number of persons in disguise, taken out of the house and consumed with fire. Violent and different are the words about this uncommon manoeuvre among the inhabitants. Some rave, some curse, and condemn; some try to reason; many are glad the tea is destroyed, but almost all disapprove the manner of destruction."

The names of most of the participants appear on the granite monument erected in their memory at Greenwich, New Jersey, in 1908, by the State of New Jersey.
The bronze tablet on the Greenwich monument states:

IN HONOR OF THE
PATRIOTS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY,
NEW JERSEY
WHO, ON THE EVENING OF
DECEMBER 22, 1774
BURNED BRITISH TEA NEAR
THIS SITE

TEA BURNERS

(On the east side is)
(On the west side is)
EBENEZER ELMER
ALEXANDER MOORE, JR.
TIMOTHY ELMER
EPHRAIM NEWCOMB
​JAMES EWING
SILAS NEWCOMB
​RICHARD HOWELL
CLARENCE PARVIN
JAMES EWING
DAVID PIERSON
THOMAS EWING
​STEPHEN PIERSON
JOHN HUNT
HENRY SEELEY
JOEL FITHIAN
JOSIAH SEELEY
ANDREW HUNTER, JR.
ABRAHAM SHEPPARD
​PHILIP V. FITHIAN
 HENRY STACKS
JOEL MILLER
SILAS WHITEKAR
AND OTHERS
Do you have a American Revolutionary War Patriot in your family tree? 
Guests and prospective members are warmly welcomed at our meetings. If you are interested in attending, please contact us.
The content contained herein does not necessarily represent the position of the NSDAR. 
Hyperlinks to other sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters. 
Photos are courtesy of members and Patrice Hatcher Photography  
7Webmaster | Update: January 27, 2026