The Township of Toms River is a large township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, and the county seat of Ocean County. On November 7, 2006, voters approved a change of the official name from the Township of Dover (or, Dover Township) to the Township of Toms River, effective November 14, 2006. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 91,239, representing an increase of 1,533 (1.3%) from the 89,706 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census, with the township ranking as the 8th-most-populous municipality in the state in 2010 (after having been ranked 7th in 2000) and the second most-populous municipality in Ocean County behind Lakewood Township, which had a population of 92,843.

What is now Toms River Township was established by Royal charter as Dover Township on March 1, 1768, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. Dover Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to from Jackson Township (March 6, 1844), Union Township (March 10, 1846, now Barnegat Township), Brick Township (February 15, 1850), Manchester Township (April 6, 1865), Berkeley Township (March 31, 1875), Island Heights (May 6, 1887), Lavallette (December 21, 1887) and Seaside Heights (February 26, 1913).

The Toms River, formerly Tom's River, is a 41.7-mile-long (67.1 km) freshwater river and estuary in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States.

The Toms River rises in the Pine Barrens of northern Ocean County and flows southeast and east, fed by several branches, in a meandering course through wetland area and empties into Barnegat Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. The lower 5 mi (8 km) of the river is a broad tidal estuary navigable within the community of Toms River. The lowest reaches of the river provide convenient locations for marinas and yacht clubs and excellent points from which to go fishing and crabbing. Canoeing and kayaking are also popular pursuits on the Toms. The river can be paddled for 21.7 miles (34.9 km) from Don Connor Boulevard below Route 528 all the way to Barnegat Bay.

In the 1960s, the lower river was found to have been polluted for many years from the open discharge of waste from a Ciba Geigy dye manufacturing plant. Recent public-private coalitions to restore the river and to purchase and preserve the wetland areas near its source in the Pinelands have resulted in an increase in water quality.

Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band. He has also released two solo albums: Stranger in This Town in 1991, and Undiscovered Soul in 1998.

Sambora was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of Joan, a secretary, and Adam, a factory foreman. Sambora is of Polish and Italian descent and was raised Catholic. He grew up in Woodbridge, New Jersey and attended Woodbridge High School there, graduating in 1977. He began playing the guitar at the age of 12 following the death of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix in 1970. From his early days Sambora was strongly influenced by blues and 60s rock 'n' roll. His most important influences were Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Joe Kmiecik, and George Harrison. He was also influenced by Spanish classical music and began a life long love of the Spanish guitar. Furthermore, he has stated that psychedelic soul singer Janis Joplin crept into his heart very early in the late 60s and early 70s, having a big influence on his musical style. Classical music directly inspired several of his songs, such as The Answer which was originally written on piano.

Commodore Jacob Nicholas Jones (March 1768 – August 3, 1850) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812.

Jones' birthplace was on a farm about one mile in a north-westerly direction from the town of Smyrna, in Kent county, Delaware. His father was a farmer of exemplary moral and religious character and his mother was of a family greatly respected. She died when he was an infant. His father soon followed her to the grave and at four years of age he was an orphan. It is not clear how he became a doctor. Educated in medicine and practicing as a doctor, he was later appointed as Clerk of the Delaware Supreme Court. He was married to Anna Matilda Sykes, daughter of James Sykes (the 15th Governor (Delaware)), she died before he joined the United States Navy.

Jones joined the United States Navy in 1799 at the age of 31, very old for the times, when a midshipman could be as young as 10. Some think after the death of his wife, he joined the Navy because of grief. He spent 22 months as an acting midshipman.