r/northjersey

Every October, we hear the same Pine Barrens campfire tale: a stormy night in 1735, a dark cabin in Leeds Point, an exhausted Mother Leeds, and an unholy 13th child that sprouted wings, hooves, and horns before vanishing up the chimney.

It’s iconic South Jersey folklore. But if you dig into the contemporary 18th-century paper trail—specifically colonial Quaker meeting minutes, early almanacs, and land patents—you won’t find a cursed newborn.

Instead, you find a venomous religious smear campaign, an ugly printing rivalry, and Benjamin Franklin essentially trolling his South Jersey business competitor into mythological monster hood.

Here is how the archival paper trail actually breaks down:

1. The "Occult" Stigma (1688–1700)

Daniel Leeds settled land around Great Bay (now Leeds Point) in the late 17th century. A prominent surveyor and early settler, Daniel ran into immediate trouble with his local Quaker community. He published an astrological almanac that the Burlington Friends Meeting condemned as "heathenish and ungodly."

According to Burlington Monthly Meeting minutes, the Friends actually seized and burned his copies. Daniel broke away from the Quakers, aligned with the royal governor, and published blistering criticisms of his former community. In response, the local Quaker majority branded him an apostate, a turncoat, and an evil occultist. The family name was tainted in the region before the 1700s even began.

2. Enter Ben Franklin’s Long-Running Prank (1732–1738)

Decades later, Daniel’s son, Titan Leeds, inherited the family trade, publishing the top-selling American Almanack.

In 1732, a 26-year-old Benjamin Franklin launched Poor Richard’s Almanack. Franklin needed market share, so he turned to satirical character assassination. Under his pseudonym Poor Richard Saunders, Franklin publicly "predicted" the exact moment of Titan Leeds's death: October 17, 1733, at 3:29 PM.

When that date came and went and Titan stayed very much alive—and furiously blasted Franklin in print as a liar and a scoundrel—Franklin pulled off a legendary bit of satire. Franklin deadpanned in his next issue that the real Titan Leeds had, in fact, died right on schedule, and that the person writing angry rebuttals was an imposter, a ghost, or an evil specter haunting the colony.

Franklin kept the "Titan Leeds is a walking phantom" gag going for years, cementing the idea in popular Philadelphia and Jersey print culture that the Leeds house was associated with the undead.

3. The Family Crest and Visual Literacy

Early colonial land patents and surveys at the New Jersey State Archives reveal that the Leeds family seal featured three wyverns—mythological winged dragons with serpent tails and talons. In an era when most common laborers and baymen couldn't read, visual marks mattered. An ostracized, "evil" family whose paperwork literally bore images of winged reptilian monsters was all the oral tradition needed to anchor the visual description of a "monster."

By the early 19th century, the political ghost, the Quaker heresy charges, and the winged crest had fully fused in the Pine Barrens into the "Leeds Devil."

I’m an educator and researcher with a background in archives (MLIS), and I recently launched a new project called The Archival Detective on Substack to dig into historical cold cases through actual primary sources, finding aids, and repository records.

If you want to see the citations, meeting minutes breakdown, and the full research methodology, you can read the complete write-up here:

https://thearchivaldetective.substack.com/p/case-file-0-how-ben-franklin-and?r=93bc5i&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Has anyone else here ever fallen down the rabbit hole of colonial South Jersey records or the Leeds family papers?

Growing up in the digital age, my cellphone has been a critical part of my life—more than just a device for calls or texts, it is a lifeline, a portal to knowledge, and a tool for safety. Unfortunately, existing NJ state laws prohibit the use of cell phones in public schools 24/7, severely restricting our freedom and leaving us vulnerable in scenarios where communication is crucial. We must come together to address this issue and ensure that students and parents alike have the rights and safety they deserve.

In today’s increasingly connected world, cell phones are indispensable; they are vital tools for instant communication and access to information. Whether it’s a research topic needed for class, or a quick call to confirm after-school pickup plans, cell phones allow students to organize their academic lives efficiently while simultaneously keeping parents informed. This law, which blanketly bans these essential devices, places an unnecessary hurdle in the path of both educational and personal safety.

Consider emergencies that can arise both inside and outside of school grounds. From unforeseen natural events to personal crises, having a cell phone provides students with direct access to emergency services and their families. The current law effectively strips this avenue away, leaving students isolated in moments they might need quick assistance most.

Moreover, the educational landscape is evolving. Many educational apps and platforms are accessible via smartphone, supplementing learning in real-time with interactive and multimedia-rich content. Teachers can harness these tools to enhance classroom engagement, making learning a more dynamic and innovative experience.

Proponents of the current ban may argue that cell phones are a source of distraction, but with proper guidelines and responsible use, these devices can be integrated into the curriculum to support and not detract from the educational experience. Consider schools in states across the country that have successfully balanced phone usage policies with student privacy, allowing cell phones and maintaining environments conducive to education.

It’s time for legislators in New Jersey to recognize the evolving role of technology in education and revise outdated laws. Let’s advocate for policy adjustments that ensure our school environments are safe, cutting-edge learning spaces.

Please join me in signing this petition to repeal the restrictive NJ state law and allow our students the ability to carry their cell phones in all public schools. Together, we can make our schools safer, our students more informed, and our education system more progressive.

[effacé]

went in for a haircut today and this is right next door. i don’t know what about nj in October gives Miami but trust the process i guess