Chatham Township, New Jersey incorporated as an independent borough and its former village boundaries were expanded between 1891 - 1899 with annexed portions of rural lands that had formerly been within the township. The settlement of Chatham had been established in 1710 as "John Day's Bridge" and, in 1773 when New Jersey was an English province, adopted the name of "Chatham" to honor William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, a British supporter of the colonial cause. This village also had been within Morris Township and it was an active community in the Revolutionary War. On August 19, 1892, Chatham seceded from the new township
1970 Chatham Cup with Nelson United becoming the first South Island team to play a (pre-final) Chatham Cup match in the North Island, Western Suburbs FC becoming the first North Island team to play in Christchurch, and Stop Out being the first North Island team to play in Dunedin. Caversham was the only regional qualifier to make it as far as the semi-finals in the National League's first year, beating two league teams (Christchurch United and Stop Out) in the process. A further boost was given to the competition though Gillette, who became the Chatham Cup's first naming-rights sponsors. The competition was to