Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Yes. In 1674, Lord John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, sold his proprietary share of the colony of New Jersey—specifically the western portion—to two prominent Quakers:
Berkeley and Sir George Carteret had received the colony as a grant from the Duke of York (1664). Financial difficulties prompted Berkeley to sell his half (West Jersey) for £1,000.
Fenwick acted as agent for Byllynge (who faced bankruptcy) and led the first Quaker settlement at Salem (Fenwick's Colony) in 1675. Byllynge's trustees (including William Penn) later established the West Jersey Concessions (1677), a remarkably liberal constitution guaranteeing religious freedom, trial by jury, and elected assembly—foundational for the colony's Quaker character.
This sale directly led to the establishment of a Quaker haven in West Jersey, preceding Penn's Pennsylvania charter (1681).