Fenwick, John, 1618–83, Quaker colonist in America, b. England. Planning to found a Quaker refuge in America, Fenwick obtained (1674) Lord Berkeley's share of New Jersey in trust for the Quaker merchant Edward Byllynge. In 1675 he and other Quakers founded at Salem the first permanent English settlement in New Jersey. Conflict with Sir Edmund Andros over the administration of West Jersey led (1678) to Fenwick's imprisonment. After his release Fenwick became involved in an acrimonious dispute with the other proprietors. The dispute was not settled until 1682, when he gave up his proprietary rights to William Penn in exchange for 150,000 acres (60,703 hectares) of land.
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