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1755141

REYNOLDS HISTORICAL
GENEALOGY COLLECTION

Gc

*LLENCW,l^,»|Slffilliili

?1833 01U4 9664

Digitized by tlie Internet Arcliive

in 2010 witli funding from

Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

http://www.archive.org/details/historyofbucksco01davi

SU3

HISTORY

OF

BUCKS COUNTY

PENNSYLVANIA

FROV, I flH L.'lSCO\i:RV OF TMF DhLAW.VRF TO THH .['RFSFNT TiMH
WILLIAM vV. H. DAVIS, A.M.

l',eM,i.ni r.f ih- Burks Countv Hislork.al So.iclv. N!e,-,:|.fcr Tt tl.c Aii.<.ri.-:ui U.sioiicJil Socie'.y. tb". nisi..:!:.;

Sock oof P<-i.n-vlvania. li.r New Vi,:k r.,:iic.Tloci. al an<S Hiot-raphicl bociuiy, tr.c \\ eeitni R-'i.irie

'm'.f.ncal S.:.;itcv: Ai-.il.oi of '• El f.rit!;,-i. r.r Ne» Mr-xiro ;,nn Her People^ " " HiitOi.v ::f

<;<,ii V.lin lac.v.' "Thu Sp;i'ii>!: Con.i:i<,-[ of .\.-.v Mexiro; ■ ' Hiilory of -.he Cine

llui.nred ano. TourtM Pciiik> Ivaiila l<on:R-enf," -liisiMiy of ihf ilai' 1 amily,"

" Li!'^ u! Ce!!. Jphu Davis;' "History of the Doyltslowii Guanis:' "1 Vn

I'iifS I'ebcilion: " " History of Doyiestown, (Jlil anH Niw:' Ei^-.

SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED

\SlTil A

OtNFALOCICAL AND i^EKSONAl. HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

I'lep, ie.1 Vv.Aii- llie lidiioii.d Siii'cr\isi<in 'if

WARREN S. ELY

eiieii.'tiM. Mfi ■>■: .^i thi ll:-;tori.-.il "M.cietv •.' Honiwyhani.i. iiiul IJbrari.ii; .>r the Bu,
Coimtv lliM..ri.jl Soolety,

JOHN W. JORDAN, LL.D.

f 11 lliv K'>irii.c:il SdCietv •■! fViir.syivania.

2L?

\'OLr WE 1 "li.I USIRAIFD

XKW \OKK ri!IC.\i;i)

Til!'. I.I.UIS I'l'lU.lSiUN'i; rOMl'ANV

EMEKEL-' AcC'.'RDINC 10 Act Of CoN&hE;,-..

IN THi

l-'hFlCt (Jt 1 UK LlbK^KlAN Oh ("O.SGlJiSS, IN lliL Wak i tlO;

l)it- Ln.is Pt^t-cifHt.-ic Coiv;?

1755111

XDms t!5o[uine

IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO THE

OF TKt LATE

Iboiiorablc Ibciir-^^ Cbapniaii,

A DESCENDANT OF JOHN CHAPMAN.
THE FIRST SETTLER NORTH OF NEV.TOWN.

TO THE READER.

Soon ;!iitr the iuiblicaiioi, oi tlic fu^l edition of the IJi.slory ot Bucks
C.>i:ii!y, 1S71.. w- li.j-au c..'l!>LiinL,- r,i;.kTial for a. ..1011.1 o.hi;..n sli.niKI tliat
1)0 rociniro.l. To as-:ist in tliij woik, wo had one copy l... .un.l in two volumes
and uitcrloavod to niakc uur addiiions and conccliMns in. AVh.on the firft edi-
tion was exhausted. 1.200 cv\wi. nearly the whole 'if them -oins- to subscrib-
ers, we rnneluded to publish a second cdiliun and set abont the work. The
M'b'cnnlion price of the tu'-t edition was ?:;. b.'t -^'d as bi-1' as Sio to nuu-
^^i-l.^-ribers before it vras evban=!ed. Onr 'cron.l i^'sk \vas h-s= laborious Ihan
the Hist, as wo b.id Ihe printed levt of the Hrst edhion as -nide and a founda-
lion te; buiid upon. Our inei-a^e.l material eouipels' us ' to issue the new
rdilion in two volnmes, but the incre:'.r-ed rrice is wn in nropi.rtion to the addi-
tional labor and. ixix-nsc. \A'r iia\e aduled two ikw ehapiers, one, the history
of "nrid;.;-et<.n township."' orvani/cd ^inco the'liist editi-ii appeared; the Other
"Schools and ]".dncation.' ilie ii-o>t valuable eb.-.nter in the bock' to pcrscms
ai-a-cd with, o, interested in. the cause of cducaiion. The illustration?.' hl^-
tr-ric and ai^propriate. add to ilie value and inieresl. of the work and requiriiiE;-
several vears to eo.llret, were oil-inallv intended for a diffet-ent purro=e. The
'.Ter.nsburv jTou^e." the r.U(k< counlx honie of \\'-:Hiv.n Tonn. \vn< drawn bv
Addisun Ilutton. np-hilee*. T'iiii-Klelphia. from a written , description nf the
l,inldin<:, a'ler a careful ^tudv bv, the author, .'It is as. close approximation of
lli.^ oriuinrd Tmildinq- as can be reached after ip.'re tlyin a century. At the be>t
the manor house was a fir^t^ekiss colonial dwcllin--. and so far as we are aware,
this is ihc1lr-t attempt lo'Vepv'nluce it;" Our^ thanks are due to a number
•r.f persons, for the use of famih. records n:nd other data. 'and it afiVrds u-
pleasure t.-> make the ackuow ed:;ment. and espr-eialls to 'Aarren S. LI;.
Doylcstown, who a'-sisl^d us to unravel more tiian one knott>- point m cren-
ealoc^r. besides l'urn;phin£{ valuable informauo-.i; Tlie -catalo-i-.e of the Flora
of -Rucks conntv isTrom the ppu of Dr. O T). FreU. Fcller.sville ; tlio T'cirds and
^ramma^s bv Dr. T"<=eph Thnn a=.- Oi'^'-^ >•tov^■u : ar.l the elaKoralcUabl-. -ivincr
the declination or variation 01 the conipass needle, between t6Po and Toio,
,va= prei-arcd for this wo,k U the irnited. Staves Coaa Survev, and Geodetic
(nTicc, Wn.shii.s'.on, D. C, the second faveir of the kind extended to us. ...

S'eptemh'er i, t904: ■" ' ' " ' ' ' ' ^^'- ^^*' '^^- ^^-^'^^^^-

PREFACE OF 1876.

Thf writing cf tlie FJ!>lory of- Fiuck"? county \va.~ more a "Lahor of Lo\"c''
than of gain. It was undertaken fnini a desire to prcstrvo intcroslirii;- fact^
connected \\'itli its scttlcmcjU and liiriory that, in a few year?, would iiavc
been lost forever, nrd no i-ca<;onah!e compensation v.ould reward n- for
f!ic larior lioftowcd on it. W'c Laborcil under ni;mv (lilViridties. It.s slor-v' iiad
never been written, and ih:- malerird. in a .i,^reat mea'^'ire, liad to be first gatli-
: ered in isolated f;icts and ib.en woven i;ito the (bread ni bisi.Try. Tiiis was the
ir.ost difl'icu'i part of ■mh- t.i-lc. • In m"-t ca-es individ.ual? anil fainilies g:tve tip
their pa<<-r> for exaniin.iiir.n, wb.ich |>piv.-d of .threat assistance. With the lapse
of years the material tcri w upon onr hands beyond onr anticipation, and wc
could have written a !nrL::er liool;, bui are content tn .ci\e the result of our
labors in a volume not too lartje for convenient use. '3ur j^n-eatest difiicuitv
.was in collecting- matter re'alini^ to the settlement and early history of ilie
German townships. l)ec.T.=e tiiey were loss in the habit of prescrvinc^ f.Tuiily
and per^'Mia! records. We consulted ilie most re!i.d>le records and andiori-
lies to le readied, audi are .satisfied it contains as few errors as coidd rea-ivn-
ably hi- expected hi a "Aork <A the kind. .Vs a rule, we l!a\e given the rai^inal
spcllins; of th.c nan;i;s of h^th persons and [);a~es. which, iii many cases, win
be fov.nd to diiTer fr.' m the present spellincr. .-m.d. in <:-.nic instances, the name
is spelled in two wa\-~. This wns n!>.avr>idable. W'x- .acknowledije our obliga-
tions to many gentlemii:. r.< ; only f.-^r Jlie encour.'.ging interest they took in our
labor, but for informalii.n furnished, often nn;olic!ted. We also" acknovri edge
the assi-iasiee derived fr'T:n the small W'^rk .-'i» the c:.uiity publi.shed twenty
years au'.i. by Mi. Wili'. iir. J. iluck. nw.- .if sn-.r earliest a.nd most lafvjri^-'US local
hiiti^rians. Tlfe maps and en'.;ravingi are a proper aco.mpauiment of the work
and no doubt wdl interest '.lie rca<;cr. Tlie cata!os:iie of the I-'lora, Birds and
.\ia;ntf5.-i|s oi the Counry v^a^ prepared e.-q-rcssly for cur work by Doctors I. S.
Moye.-- :.r;'l los. ph Thi 'ct-. l;i (',>iM'.i;tu\v;i. jrd ar.- ttw rvsulf of v-v^w, •:-?

PRLiACii Of j.<;:^;. vii

carcf-.j! and laborious rv-carcli. T!ie information touching the variation of the.
compass needle was furnislie(i at the author's request by Carlile P. Patterson.
IC.-;t.. .Superintcmlent nf the I'nited States Coast Survey. The variation of
'Jic cor.ip.ifs r.crdlc, as slionn by ihe United States Coast Suive}' report for
tlie year 1855, jTiycs ^^i^, 313. has been determined more frequently at two
stations in this ncif;hb'-irhood than elsewhere within the limits of the United'
Stales. Early observaii'jns \\ere un.-^atisfactory, but being repeated at intervals
.iud merged in due time as first part; in a series ending with several accurate
'k'tenninatii ns, the law oi \-ariation, during the last two centurii^s. has been
cleJiiced for the vjcinit\- of F'h.ilatklphia. As applicable alsii to P.ncks count'.-.
and referable to early periods in tlie settlement, the value of the article on
variation in tins history will be a; parent.

(Signed) : W. W. II. DAVIS.

DovLESrowx P.\., September i, 1876.

CHAl^TKR I,

lilSCOVEUV Ol- in\l D};LA\VAlvr' to TSIF- Ak!M\ .\L u!- l.n',i.:^11 1.\1.\I[-

GR.IXTS.

lOU!) TO 10 7S.

Dii'.'ks .-i;! nrigi.ial (-•■niUy. — Size :niil sitiritioii. — I Li' J:> :a'.'s ■!•- :Tn\ tir-;.

lravc:>cil by Euri.jiLaiii. — H'ili;'.nd plants ^ettli-nv^-i-ts. — l-"ir.-t ;■ ,w AHu'ju.
— T;k- Swcclis arrivc.^The .EiiglUU apix-ar. — V;i:i Dcr D.-i'.k. — i.ui.i.-;r'.'in. — Di.lr'i

drive out Swedes. — Tlic English sei/.e the l\-iawai-c. — Governiner.l otabHsiied. —

Winiatu Tom. — Ovoriand coinmijiiicalion. — Richrirl Gur.>r.i i Loiii.i.:

viriii Po'auare. — George Fox. — Sir l-Mnminl Aiuhrs. — Wii. ii. — W in -

puDi. — Sonlei's arrive. --(■"■'r-t 'jr:'"' i:"-'.- -I '• ■;■■'. .;...■... ,

isla.'.d.

lUicks. uiii; ui ilif iiiife original
counties ;if }'cni!s\lvai.i:i. is Ijoui'.ilevi
I'll i!k' •,)iiilu-,'st and ?<iiH!!e;iit by ti;c
De-law. ■.:!". M'lilhwe.-l bv l'liiiai:l<-'l})hin.
ami .\!o;!i'_;;i.nieTy coiiiilies, aiul, on the
iuir;!i, ]:y LthiLrli t-.U''. Xt/rihamptnii.
■ " "■', The suiKico is U!ie-Ve'i! ar.'i roUiiiiC, the

si.il f'T'ii:'. It is ■:.:;<:-vx:d by several
tributa!;- ^ .•'• i'nc ]'>A::\\.aVc. the iirili^:;-
pal licinL;' th.c .VesliaMin) . I'ep.uyiiack,
I uiiue'ssi^iq;. Toliickiiii, aiul a lirancli
fi th.c I'crkiii-.sifii einiM>iti^ into th.e
>e-lmylkiii. I.iiiK-st.iiie. in la^jj^-c ([Uan-
litics. is f'juui! in the ex-niral rcjrion oi
tlio ciHintv. a!i<l valnahle' I'qHisits r,t
iron lire' in I'lK- norilieast. TIic inlialL-
lants ;uv al;ru>st cxeln.-ixely cni;)loyc.l
in airricultmal pnrsr.iu. in 1790 t!ie
poj.i'huion was J5.401 -. i>\>o. J7.400;
iSlO. ,^2..:571 : iSju. ,^7.S.i_»; 1S30,
iih.NKY 111 !>soN 43.745: 1840. 4.^107: 1S7U. 6.^.3^^6;

"iSSo. i.S.'>3i'; " I Si 11 1. 70.(115; I'.po,

7i.iwit. The lenuilr i> i'"it>. miles aiul awra^e' hreaihh lifleen. L:i\iii^- it an are'a

I't HI) square- iiiile.-. ei['.n\a!eul U> _^S'J.ikki ae-ro>.

iiis'iORY or /:rci<s ctnw'i')'

This vnliuiu; will c utain ll.c" I'.i^i' ■!">■ ui lliu-ks (.•uunly froni ilic (li.-covv.Ty
of llic JX-!a\varc n.i '.In- pri.:M-iU tiiiio.

Ik-iirv lliulsun,' ail Jii!yii>liii)aii in tlic si.i"\icL- of llie Dutch lia'^i-Iiulia
conipanv, 'clijcuvciv.l Dilawaic I'.ay iho _'8lh of August. lOoo. but ma.U' no
altcmiii to ascend the ri\c!'."- I ajitain Curnolins Jacobson May ascenucJ the
rivc-r .-•■uio ili-iaiuv, in 1014. aif!. two \cars afterward, Captain iio;Klricksc.n
discnvcR'd iiic- i'cht\\lkili. \'<'r a number of years llie hiilury of the cof.ntry
watcrid by llie Delaware,- i.s a relaii.m of the struggles of llolland, i^wcden
and England for cnij)iri.- on its banks, and will engage little of our attention.
It was abof.t this period thai Knck.- cnnity was th-t traversed by Enn-peans.
In lOiO three Dutch iradcr.s selling out from l-'ort Nassau, now Alkny, to
exj'li re Ihc interior, struck acn>s< t.) liu: licadw atens of the Delaware, and
traveled down it to' the Sehu\iui!!. lure they were made prisoners by tb.e
,Minqnas, but re-eue.l by t/aj.iain i lemlrickson at tlie mouth of the river. He
was sent round from .Manhattan in the Kolless, and, landing on tiie west l)ank
of the Delaware, aiiovc the n-u-uth uf the Sclniylki'd, ransomed the DuLchr.ien
bv giving in exchange lor llum ■'kelsKs, beads and other niercb.andise." .\s
the iuteri. r of the country was whciUy unexijl'ircl. it is not ])ri.ibable tiiese
waiidcrer.- wniM leave ti'.e bank-, of a great river and trust their steps to an
inik'ni'wn wiiiierness.

We have but a brief record of the success of the Hollan ler- ]i!nr.iiiig
settlements on the Delaware. Tiiey and the jM-ench carried on a |)ni-.ii:iliic
trade with the Indians ;iS early as ii">2r. an<l n.o doubt, now and then one of
tliem inished liis way ini" ' ■. ' ' i- '■ ■ I'.iieks county to tra(i and trade. In
iOj^-"- the Dutch We-t-i ited a fi.'rt where Gloucester, Xew

ler^ev. stand.-, but affair> :■ • r ■ ■ : ihiug on the Delaware it was aban-

.Xb'Ui 10J4-J5 the \Ve<i-India CMiipany e.-t;iblisbed a trading liouse on
a small island, called 'A ' ;-i;ii;d." after William X'urhuisi. director

of Xew Xetherlanil. !:•::■• ■ 're <-i the Delaware just below Trenlon

falb. and li'cated \:\' •' ■• ' ■ familie-, of l-"rench \\'ai!oon.-. Tlie i)Ost

wa> broken x:\> alf - • ' A;..l!oi.ns retvu-nei! to Xew ^'ork. but a

small \i ■■•■'. \.a- r^ • in kee|) up the fur trade. Tliis i-land,

opp

sjiinc which- Gabriel Th.:i:nas called

.Miss l.i7/ie 1.1

itv. Ii:l.5 t'.ie s.-i.sH Win; bv 11o!iry Uuil-

riviT cmpiii-. V. I
Stn>h:itm- iii.ii;!
iiv( r lliat \\;(- ■ .
Jn'ttr rivir !■> '■

■Mackcri-kiit-.n
By till- Vh-u-h i:
-riv.r. 1 lie .'^W"
knruMl ;is tl:c !
)t-> ircii'K-'irx-.
<■ ..-Ml. ■yriii.Uy. .■
y- . .Sir l>

;■- ■•f IKiiry Vluilson." thai l[uil<..in was

' •'■.I' its niinuli. aiid liay iiil... wliicU the ■

■ . .;!*1, 1513. Jt is also elaiiued iliat '

Wrrazaiia aiitl Ji<ciiv<rcd a lar.tje |

- - 111 .-inie ar;4iiniein lii iirove l!iii; 'j

i !,■■ Iniiiaiis ealled it Nfari-fiUCt.Dn,

'.. i.r liie .-treani et tiic Lciiapo.

■I. I'iin>-e i f 01 1(1 rick's, .-itid Charles

^' : ' ih. l".ni;iisli it was Seiie,-al)y

i|.;i. -.d di-eovorer. The Ditu-h,

::r . cidicd i( Paiilaxat. 1 lcy!:ii. lu his

'. r at ihc Hague.

IIISTORV 01- nCCKS COLWT]-

"Slacic's island" sixty \i.ars laur, and iiuw known a,s "I'airvicw," is only a
sand bar, cor.Uiiirii;^- al>ait y^ acres — with a lislK-ry iq.'!! ii. J'itly years ayo
il was used as pasu-.re L;iMr.nd. The setilemeni vn this i>iand wa? un< linibiei.il v
till- e;nTe>t in this e";ir:ty and state. There is lui dunlit haui^in^- eieer !t< Inca-
tiun. Jn Aiarcli. i'.iS5. I'eter Lawrensen stated in a dei'Ositiun boiore GovernLH"
Duii.i^an, New V(.irk-, vr.va he cair.e inti; U'.at piin-iuce ti ser\ain. ni the \\ est-
Jndia conijiany, I'ljS; ll;,a. ii>,?'. '"^ • widi se\ei; c.ll'.eis. was .-ent U> the Dela-
wai'e, where the conii'any luul a tradini;- house, w itii ten ur twelve servants
attached to it: that he ,~a\v ihein seitletl there. That he also saw tlie place on
ihe island, near the /a.Iis, an.d near ilie west hank, wliere the cuuipany iiad a
trading- housi,- three or i'mir xeai's hel'ure; that three ur i"ur families of W'al-
liiinis were settled there, hut had then left.' A cmisideraljle he"l_\- of Waidenses
and liuguenots were sent to tlie Delaware, i65()-iO(.>3,' but a is luU kn.jwn wh.aL
became of them.

Jf the sti.iry of Now Albiun be other than an historic myth, the J^nglish
v\ere among the earliest adventurers and settlers on the JJelawa.re. J'.elweeu
]0_\^ an<l 1,634 — for .-everal dates arc mcntiiinod — Idiaries I granted an exlen-
si\e territor}- to Sir .Kditunid i'lowden, cnbracing Long li^land, all oi Xew
jersey, l.xdaware. an.d ]>ru"l^ of .Maryland, X'irginia and i'eiinsylvania. who
formed a cC'inpany of n>ii.i!emen and gentlemen under tiio title of "The All.ii.jn
Knights." The IXiawa.re \va.> the elKisen ground to settle, and. tlie conipariV
(iledged itself to inti'odnce 3.000 trained men into the colony. Cuioni>ts were
actually iiitrodiieod and made their luMiie on the Dela\vare. Vmt neither the
numljer nor ex.act hjcali^n can he'tnld. I'lowden was Lurd I'rt.prieteir and
C'ajitain General, \vhile i')nc l!e;uK-hani]) I'lantagenei wa.s m;ide agent of this
con'i])any nf knigiitlv settlers. I'knvilen and I'lantagenet were here seven years,
and, l.iecame well acquainVed with tlie country and Indian tribes. .\ y.ivern-
nieiit was fran'ed. an.i the machini-ry of ci\'il admin.istratimi ]iiit in up^ ration,
but its dm'ati'iu i< t'.i:knin\n. A history of the colony, publishctl Hj+S. con-
tained the letter of ..ijc ■■.XIa.-ter iv bvri Evelin" addressed to Lady I'lowden,
aft<.r his retr.rn to l/.r.g'an.l. lie was f 1 an' years i..n the Delaware, arid in his
iitier st;;tes ll'.at "Cai'tn'n C.'l.i\ In 'uni. fuurteen years there trading." sustains
wlcai he says uf the C'.'inury. iCveiin e\idently sailed np tlie river to the falls,
tor be mentions the streams emjitying into it; nanle^ of the tribes li\-ing
,di>ng it and their strLiigih. with some description of the C'lnitry and its jiro-
liuciions. .*-'i.\ leagui s be!''W the falls he speaks nf "twei fair, woody i.-lan.dis.
\"erv pleasant an 1 ft t" : jiarlss. one of i .noo acres, tl'.e i^ther of 1.400, or there-
abouts." Tlie,-e were probably r.iulinglc:in and Xewbold's islands. Xear the
falls hi' says i> an isle fit for a city; all the materials tltere \.o build: and. above,
the river fair an-l navi'::;;!Me, as th.e Indians inforniedi me, foi- 1 went but ten
nnles higher." The "isle fit for a city" refers, donlnless. to Mom's island, or
the one abrem nf Mirri^ville. It i-; IkhvIv po.-ssible he fell into the po])nlar
error of some e.xploiers of the jK-rind, that the Deiaw.ire br;ineheii at the falls,
the two branches farming a large i--i;m,l .ab..ve. lie sa\ > that a >hip of 1^0 t.-ns
CI .111 I ascend til ilu' fall.-. ;iud that "'tc'ii leagi;es hiL;lier are lead mines in ston\-
bills." At the f;ills he locates the lndi;m town i.f KiMurpy, with ■'clear ficl<ls
to p!:uit .■'ind sow :ind n.ear it rn"e >weei, large meads of clover or honey.suckle."
The leiter spv.-iks of the abundant sture of tish in ilse river: of water fmvl that
■^w, im u])i-in its surface. ;md the game, fruit and ntus to be fi imd in the wood.s
diat line its lianl<s, ini'l nf the iu:i''nilicC'nt forest trees. l'".ve!in must ha'iC trav-

.-, (.;:iiiru-l llu.iii;.-. .[ Win IVr Doiik,

iiisiukv Of Jsi'CKs coi'xry.

olcil wrll intM llir iiU'.'rini- niiil tlinniL;!! puni.nih (jf HiR-ks c<ninty. lie sijl'li'ks
of the iK'u tiiwn ni tlu' Su~(|iulianiii_ick> a? a "rare, iK-allliy and rich place, aiul
witli a crystal, bri'.ni ri\cr." 'I'his inu>i refer U> tlse .Sus(iuehanna, ami the
tribe fr.-m which it ttikes its name.

W hat hecame of I'l'jw ilea's culuiu \V(iiil(l he an iiiterestiiiL^ inquiry, if we
liai! the lei>ure tn ]nir-ne. i r the ilata nece.'--sar\' to solve it. The late William
Rawle. l'h)lailel])hia, \\1m |.;a\e the siihicet a careful aiiil intelli,L;ent. invesli;.,'^a-
tion, helie\eil thai snuie. who welconuil renii lo the shi q-, > of the Delaware,
were the siir\i\'or> of the Albi'jii Kniyhts. liistory offers no C)ediinis to solve
the ni_\ stery.''

llown to Ki^S the llritch held tindisiiiHe'd sway on the Delaware, hut, for
the next seventeen wars, and tintil the ICugiish di^placed them hoth. ll':ey
enjoyed a joint occupancy with the Swedes. In April, I'eier .Minuit |)ianted
a Sweelish colony near where \\'ihnint;tou stands, namiu'.;- tile creek Chri.-lina.
after the }Oiithful (Jueen of .Sweden. They were reinforced, Hqo, and ayaiu,
1642, under Lieutenant John I'riiitz, who came with full ])o\vers to put thi;
machinery of iLjovernment in o[;eration, an^.l li\ed his capital on Tinicum island,
just behjw rhiladelidiia. Tin Dutch li.-id failed to make a permanent si ti\-
nicnt on the west hank ul the Delaw.ire, iii^r had the\ purchased a foiit of
ground, except a small tract nearl\ i;|>])osite (iloucester, Xew Jersev, ahinil the
nioutli of the ."-Schuylkill. Shortly after his arrival, Minuit ]iurchased of tiic
Leimi Leiiape ludi.ans all tlie land on the w<;st hank of the Delaware from (^'ape'
Henlopeii io Trenion I'alU, extendin^^ inland to the Susqtiehrmna, and st/.kes
ant! otiier luark-s were set v.[) to designate the houndaries. This was the ihst
jiurchase. h\ iun"oiiean-. of the Imlian- in the limits of I'.ncks cmnUw 'Die
Dutch called t!',is pmchaM- in question, liui il was as \alid as an\ of thai jierio:!.
Th.e time anii p'!;;ce of hinli C'f John I'rint/. th'j tir>t to administer justii.'c on
the west h.ink of the Delawa.re. are n^it known, lie was enoliled !u!v 2'). 1(14:1,
attained the rank i--i (.'olouel in ih.e Thirty-twn ^T-ar-.' wa.r, and was arrested,
tried and disnu's-ed tlie --er\ice for surrenderiup' his post without authurite. lie
was appointed i;ovi'rnor of Xew Sweden, i'mj; returning;- lionie, 1(153, lie was
a]iiiOinted Colonel auii ( io\-ernor of th.e h uk-pinc;, and died, n'l'^vv wi'hout
male issiie. He huiit the iirst lliur mill in I'enn-ylvania, at " Karakmiij." near
the J!h;e I'lel! tavern, Delaw.are count}-. It is iie.--crili(.d as a "rme mili, which
Qr'i'.'iUd lioth coar.-e :md fine flour."

Th.e h.ii^iish. de-liued to he the governinc;' race on the iJelawarc, frr'iu it,<;
nii.utli to it> .-.lurce, d,id not niake their a[ipearance until 1040. Jn 1^30 some par-
ties, from .\e>v ll.aveu. pairch.L-ed enough kmd of the Putcli and Swedes for
several farms'''- and colonists were sent out the lolIowinLf \ear: hut hoth nations

5 St IM:'.i-.\iirl I'lowiiiii ua- :• '-;n.at-:4raniUeii ,1; IMuiniui !".n'.viK-n. tlit: juri-t. .•Vliout
lOto he- niarriol MiJul. .lau-liur -t IVter Maoixr. la i(o,j. Ik iKii;i.nK-(I Khv^ Cliarks
f'lr a yr.mi ni \:\;,i\ on the .\l;amic coa-t .u' .Xiii.rica. and July .'4, s.uiu- year, an order
wa- i-n-.-d f..r Uwr- p.ateiit !.i Sir I'.ilui.iinl I '•■.■,■. 4. 11 f-r I.m,- IrLlaml and 40 lc,e.ines
S'l'iarc , f tin- adiacui! cnlinent. 1.1 i>o hoid^n ".i- 01' .nir cinwn ..T Ir.l.cMd.' liy th.e name
fl "Xew .Mhi.ei" In i'04. Capl.iiii >'eiuir_; aivl hi- pepheu. k. her: h'.wiyn, imnnieneed
to oxi>l.'re t!-e Delaware and nihir part- of the pnninee of Xew .Vhiicm. lie rcliinieii tu
En^jiand. I'..;? 'lluy a-emded ihe Del.iuare in .\-;t;r,-i. X'.M. and ..n the Jotli eair.e L.
sh'.al water !" ' -'.e I'r.r.tiii h.ill- lie reiurned to Anur.ea. I'l;,-. In K'lJ I'loudeii ua-
re-'uiini; in \'ir;j;iM.v and ii>4S relnnied i.i l"ni;l,incl ei.i llnNdm. and the s.iine ye.ir ]r.;h-
h-lud a <'..-, o.pt!,.n nf Xew .Mh^.n !li. will i, .l.Ced Jin> Jo. 1051. and lie die.! II".;.;.

?'.• latter- fr. in eonrt at Xew Haven t.. thi- Sv.edes on die Delaware.

H/STORV or lU'CKS COLWTV.

tlinw every [lossihle ob>tacle in their way. Several additional families came
cnt the frillnw iiig- year. Tlie-e attempts not beiuQ' successful, failed in giving
tlie l-^nglish a fnothokl on the river. In iG^C-,. .\ndreas Hudde. a Dutch Com-
missioner on a mission to search for minerals, ascended the Delaware to the
falls, hut the Indians wmiM n"t allow him to g^ higher. Xe\ ertheless. he drove
in a stake with the Dutch cuat-oi-arms upon it. claiming the cciuntry for Holland.
.\t this time there was n.it a wliite settler above the Schuylkill, and. prior to
I04J5. there was not a white femrfle west of the Delaware." Adrian \'an Der-
Dnnk. a Dutch traveler, visited the Delaware. 1642, and, .on his return to tlol-
!and. puljli>hed a book about the country. The favorable 0].)inion he entertained
"f .\\\v Xeihcrland brought it into notice, and induced many to immigrate. He
>:i;.s; ".\bo\x- the falls, the river divides into two large ljoatal)le streams,
which nm far inland to place-^ unknown ti") .us.'" On examining his map we tind
how little til!.-' early ex])l'jrer knew of the stream he wrote about. The river
is made to divide a few miles above Alorrisville. The left, or Delaware branch
prii]ier. trends to the west in aliout its natural course, then inclines to tlie east
and unites \\ith the Hudson in what \"an Dcr Donk calls "Groote Esi_^pus river;"
tin other branch, which never had- an existence except in the imagination of the
authiir. nms in a jnore direct course and unites with the main branch near
F.s'ipus — tile tuij liranches fdrming a large lake. Campanius. a Swede, who
came to this country. 164J. wrote an interesting account of the Delaware.
.\bout the falls he found walnuts, chestnuts, peaches, mulberries, a variety of
pinm trees and .grape vines, hemp and hops. The calabash was here first met
^\ith. PAvl the rattlesnake, "a large and horrible serpent."

Tn i!"i54, I'eter Lindstrom. a Swedish engineer, surveyed and mapped the
l)elawnre fri'in its mouth to the falls. Tn his treatise, .accompanying the map,
he speaks of the products of the country: "]*Iaize, or Indian corn, grows of
various colirs — white, red. Iilue, lirown, yellow and ]iied. It is planteil in,
hillocks nnd squares, as the Swedes do hi:>i'S. In each hill.ick they sow six
or seven grains of corn, which grow so high as ti 1 ri>e an ell above a mnn's
bed. Eich. stalk has six or seven cars, with long, slen'ler and pointed !ea\cs,
uh'ch are of die same color ^\■ith the corn. Each ear is one and a h.alf (iifrier, .
iuit mostly half an ell long. In some parts they are as thick as the thickest
Tnan"s arm. in others smaller. They have ten. twelve, nay. fourteen row- .if
grains from the bottom t(_> the top, wdn'ch, with ("iod's 1)lessing, make a th'iusand
fold increase. When these are iu>t rij-ic, and the\- are broiled on hot coals, they
are delightfid t'l eat. Out of the white and _\elli.w mai/e thm make I'rcail, but
the blue, brown, black an'! jiied are brewed into beer, -which is very strong, l)nt
lot renia.rkabl\- clear." Ti 'bacco grew wild in .great C|uantiiies. and -was also
cultiv.itcd. The map. while not entirely correct, proves the Swedes to have
ben frni'liar with the river and the countr\' on bc'th -ides a few nn'les iidand.
Tbi n,une> of the streams, which ajipe.ar to be ;i mixiu.re of Indian. French,
.'■nd iM-ob;d)!v ."-^u edi.-h. can not all be made ■■vt. The i'oi|ue---iug is called
/'<.)(c/,/»i'.«f;.',;'/( : the l'ennepad<. PiJiickf-ncha: tlie falls at .Morr!sville. f.a
i'\Tlciiict (/' .Isiiif'iitk: the ehannvl between the niaini:iiil and an islnid i'^^t
bel'.w the fa.lls. Lo Riricr i/c Scli.iiiuits. and the i-land it-elf. Kciithiitri-k. The
next island below is MoiaJiiilccju'lc, and the channel iin tbi^ >i le f.a Riricr ilc
S'liu-khiikoii. What was afterward Welcome creek", on who-e bank William
I'enn built tiis m.anor house, is La Riricr ,jf S!parssiiii;z-l\yl. and I'.urlinglon
'.-Ian.!, opposite llristol. Mrchaiisio fiVlaiul. 'J'he Xeshamin\ is called the river

HlS'luKY OF BUCKS COUXTV

of Inckus. This map hkiI.Ics u^ lo fix tlic falls at Morrisville as identical \\'\\.h
Aluiii;iii::!^liJ In Srpu ir.lcr. i'<^^. in the absence of Gn\'crnor Printz, the
Dutch Liovernor of .\\.\\- \ "y\: sent a llect of seven vessels and seven hunched
men into ilic Delaware, wliich rcduci-d the forts and took possession of the
setllcnicnts. 'J'his put an end {■ 're\er {<> Swedish empire on the river. Although
it was a hlo.jdk^s conijuv-t. the captmed Swedes were treated with severity.
'Jdie Dutcli auihorities divid.edi the western l,>ank of the river into two jurisdic-
tions—the West-India coniiianv and the City of Amsterdam — the latter extend-
ing from about Wilmingt'.n Ui the falls, at Trenton. While the Dutch retained
control immigration w;is encourai;ed, and an occasional vessel arrived from
Amsterdam with settlers. Ai the time of the conquest the population on the
river was about 400, n!.o^lly Swedes.' The home government sent out horses
and catt'.e iri considerable luniihers, on condition the settlers were to return them
in four years v.ith one-half the increase.

In taking- leave of the Swedes wc confess to a kindly feeling toward this
, amiable people. Although few in number, they made their mark upon the
future of the state, an;_l their descendants are among our most respectable citi-
zens. The^' subsisted prinoijni!ly l)y hnndng. tishing and trading witli the
Indians, and lived in the simple.-t mann.er in lug cabins of a single room, low
doors, and holes cut in tlie sides for windows, with sliding boards. The chim-
ney, of stone, cla>' anil gra.ss, occupied mie corner of the room. The men
dressed in vests and brcecdics of skins; the women in jackets and petticoats
of the same material. Tlieir bedding was likewise of the skins of anim;ils.
Thev tanned their leather ami made tlieir own shoes. Their condition was
improved after the arrival ''•f the l'!ng!i>h. We are inilebiel to the Swedes
for the introduction of domestic animals and the varinus luiropcan grains.
They had stables for their ca:i'.e licf'Te the l^iiglish came, but, after their
example, allowed them tn rini at large all winter. They were the first to lay
ax to the forest. Gordon sa_\s : ".Many improvements were made by this
industrious and temperate jiei.r'le from llenlop.en to th.e falls." They built the
earliest ch.iu'cli, and iniro'lnoej. (jui^trm wnrship into the wilderness west of
the Delaware. The first mini-tor 'f ilu- gospel on the Dcla^vare was Reverend
Reorus Torkillus. a Swcdi-h ]:>'U:^^-ir ir^.m ( ii.tienberg, who died. 1643.

jac'd) Alricks. a trade- on ih.e I )e!-,v.-;ire, was one of the earliest Dutch
\"icc-] )irectc 'r-. comnnssii .ned ti>37. He w.as accimpanied by his wife, who
soon died a victim to the climate. His nephew. Peter Alricks, a native of
Groningen. Iloh.uid. wli-. jirobabiy came m America with his inicle, was llie first
known landh' Mcr in i'.iiek- cunty, but jirob.ably never lived here. He became
pnmiinent in. public affairs. l'.e;;inning life a.- a trader, he was Coniniissary of
a fort i-ear Iteuleipei!. \i>yi: th.e tirst !>.ai!iiV .-ind magi:-trate of Xew Castle and
sett!(.nx^;it> on ihc river, his ji'ri--.'.iction extendinc: t.' the fails-, Couimandant of
the (.'"lonies iinder tlie l-'.ng'i-h. ^(<~;^: ''iie of ibe lir-t ju.-tices ci^mmis>;ioned
hy Penn after r.is arrival: member of the fir-t .\vsi^nibiy. h.eld at Philadelphia.
I('.S;5. .nrd v.:'- repeatediv a nitniher of th.e iVovin-ia! Council. Me livcl at
Xew Castle, and h.-id a l.irge laniilv nf chi'-Iren. He owned an island in the
Delaware below the momh •'{ Mill Creek, llri-i'l. near tie western shore, winch
bore bis nan'e n-anv years 'u'.l iv. lon-^'er e\i-!s. [t w.as senarated from the
main-lauil by d v::rTrw channei that .Indi'i-d a swamp exteni'ini: uj) the creek.
TIk- i-'.md w.'.- u'-:''"'''! '*' A'riek-i. bv ( ;.,veT-ii.r Xirolls. K'.r',- ; bv Alricks to

msTORV 01- nrcKs colwtv

S.t:;iucl riordc'ii, loS^. and to Samuel Car]Hnt(.T. id^S. 'I'hc last conveyance
iiiciiulcs two islaiiils on the \ve>l siilc oi the Delaware. "al)i}Ut s' lUihwest from
Mntiiiniiconk ( I'.iirlingtonj i-lan.l" — the l:'.rye>i. once known as "Kinii's island,"
a.nd ti\' tlic Indian name of Kaoiiiciuilcnu-L^iiicl:. \\a< a mile long by a half mile
wi'ie: and ihc smaller, to the north of the larL^cr, half a mile long by a quarter
\>. ide. \o dordjt tlie.-e i.-lands have hoih been joinei''. to the main-land by drain-
ing ihe swamp, and now form the valuable meadows below I'.ristol. In 1679
Alricks" island was occujjied liy a Dulchni.m named Parent, llern.ianns Alricks,
I'inladelphia, grandson of i'eler Alricks, wlien a young man settled in the
Cimilic-rland valley, abruit 1740. When Cun'.berland comity was organized,
1740-50. he was a member of the lirst Legislature. He tilled the ottices of
Kegi.-tcr. Recorder, Clerk of the Courts and justice to liis dcatli. about 1775.
lie married a voung Scotch-Irisli girl .nan^xl West, whose brother, Francis,
w a- the grandfather of the late Chief Tnstice Cibs'.ui. Hermanns Alricks had
several children, all of them born in Carlisle, the youngest, James. December,
1701). Tile late Hamilton Alricks, Harrijhurg. was a descendant of I'eter
Alricks, as probably are all v.ho bear the name in the state.

L'n .March 1.2, 1664. Charles H granted to his brother, the Duke of York,
"a.I! Xew England from the St. Croix to the Delaware,'' and directed the Dutch
ic> be diisposscssecl. An expedition sailed from Portsmouth in July, and arrived
bef.'re Manhattan, now Xew York, the last of August. The town and fort sur-
rendered Se[)t. S, and a bloodless conquest was made of the settlements on the
l.Vlaware. Oct. i. Among these who took the oath of allegiance to the conqueror,
were Peter Alricks, a Hollander, and Andrios Claeseii and Claes Janzen,
S\-. e.'.es. There was no violent shock when ixiwer passed from the hands of
liie I'litch to the English. Sir Robert Carre was made Commander, with his
seat of government at Xew Castle, and he was assisted by a temporary council
of six, of wiiom i'eter Alricks was one. The laws established were substantially
the same as prevailed in the other English colonies ; the magistrates were con-
liu'.Kd in orVice on taking the oath of allegiance, and the inliabitaiits were prom-
i-e ! liberty of conscience, and ])ri'tection to person and property. In a few
eases Carre coniiscared the goods of the conquered Dutch, to reward his favorite
t'^i! iwers. The settlers received new deed.s from tlie authorities at Xew "^'ork.
1 i:t Some refused tl'.cm. iireferring h^ trust to the Inrliaii grant in case their titles
Were called in queslir.n. Tiicre was but little change in altairs for several years,
:'.!!. 1 but few immigrants arrived to swell the popidation. Colonel Richard
Nio"lls. the first Governor, was a mild ruler, but his successors, Lovelace and
Andros, were nn^re severe. Lovelace believed "in laying such raxes on the
peijj-.le as might not give them liberty to entertain any other thought but how
('"• ilischarge them." He imposed a tax of ten ];er cent, on all goods imiiorted
into, or ex])orted from, the Delaware, the t!r--t taiiiT enforced oti tb.at river.
l"''e rent of that <lay wa.- a bu-liel oi' wlieal l>.r every hundred acres. 'I'he
'.!:b;!bitants livcel in great quiet and indolence, and there was neither agriculture
'' <r triide lieyond what was necessary to snbsist tlie sparse population.

c''a^ \\'illiam 'J'l^m was otie of the earliest English officials

/;WfY ^/P2. '^^''''' o^ercised authority in I'.ucks county. He came to
■^ America in the king's servi(-e. probalilv with the troojis that

r'-'':'-.i-ed the iVnch. In \('ii,i> lie w;is appoMited Conmr'.-sary t-n the Delaware.
^'iid in I'j'o. ci.'ikei.ir of (]i!ii-reni>. his juri^diet!"n in bnth ca>es extending to
the I'ldl-. The killing of two of his 'servants, on nurlington island.'' by the

9 Dd'.vii I'I ;i iiiMi-li i.itii- peiiiKl Purlin.:;!!!!! i~i;i!iil was in L!iiol<s cnuitv.

II/SIORV OF I'rCKS COUXTV.

Indians. n'V'iS or i'Vk), c:\uv near pnicliicin;^" an Indian war, and was the first
blood shed liy Indian.-- in lluek- county.

Jn 1671 W'aher Wharton was ap-
/^^ pA-X yl^ifT^ ' / i">ir.led sur\ev..r on the west liank (jf

(£^Cf^b'^ a/^ /l^/^^fVTi ili^' Dehiware. He married a .laush.-

,_---— -T'-^-T : ^I " 3————' — ^L ^'^■'" '^f ("'overnor I'rintz ; was Jndtce

" :_=:m.---.-' - ,,(■ j]^^^, (-imrt yi \ew Castle, and dieil,

1679. He was succeeded liv Richard Xol)le,"' a settler and landdinlder of
Bensalein ti iv.'n<hi])."

An overland C' iniinimica.tii .n from the Delaware to M;inhattan, via Tren-
ton falls, was i:i])ened simn after the river was settled. Tiie rontc was up the
river in Ijoats. or, more freipiently, alon^^- the. western l.iank to the falls, where
the stream \vas crossed, and tlience thriinL,di the wilderness of Xew Jersc\' to
Elizabiih. and to Manhattan by water. The trip occupied two or lliree da}s.
In iC^ifi the captain i^f a Swedish shi]) came cjver the route to ^"et pertnissii>n of
the Dutch autlvirit'e- to land pa<^enc;ers and j^jochIs in the Delaware. The ?ame
year, en--ii;n Dirck Smitli came overlar.d with a small jiarty of soldier^ ti qiull
a (listurl.iance with the Indians; and .\piil, 1^^157, Captain Kryger, with a Ci'in-
pany i.jf forty soldiers aiul a few .-ettler>, ci-i>s>ed at the falls and cjntinned
down tlie river to Xcw Am.stel. These parlies passed down tlirouijh the woods
of r.ucks cor.nty. It wa.s lil-:ewise the mail route of the Dutch authcjritics. aiul
frequent letters were sent across b_\' Indian nnmers. This overland route was
continued Ijv the Hn>^li-h as tjieir riiain cijaimel of Cdmnnmicatimi with the
gfovcrnnient at Xew \' ^rk.

I'y l''ro civil government had beciani.' so well estalilished on the Delaw.ire.
and the cou-.urv was fiunid tu be so attractive, strangers began to come in and
take up land with a view t.i j)ernianent settlement. In the ne\t ten ye.ars a
number of immigrants located ih.emseKes alnng the river between the l'ot|nes.^-
ing and the falls. In !C")7o-7l Richard Ci'rsi:ch |iatenied a considerable tract in
the sonthwe-it i.iart of I'.ensaiem. and in what is no\\ Philadelphia coinit\-. ev-
tending fnim the I'emiepack acruss the I'n(|ue^^ing. and north to a creek the
Indians crdled ( jniatciiiuik. li'lieveil to have been the Xeshaminy. C,nverni>r
Lovelace di-[. 'S-es-e,! Cr.r-ncli of this liaci. for in August. 1^172. he ordered
his Survevrr- General to ^• :ii and clear the kmd for hi.-- nwn use. Lovelace, \\lio
succeeded Xicol's as (li'vei nur. May. 1007, c.ame o\erland to visit the settle-
ments on the Delaware. .March. 167.2. accompaiued b\ rni escort and se\eral
private ]iersons. and Cajitain Jolni Carland. with three men. was sent ahead
to make ;'.rrang"ments fur their entertainment. He prubably struck the river
at t'le falls, and followed il uvn the ea>t b.ank to abwiit r.n-t.'I. where be cros^ol
t(i the we-t bank, and cuiiiiiroed clijwn t'.' the lnuer si-itlenunts. Duriii!:; ilie
war between I'.ni;!and and Holland, which brnke nut. i(i7_', Xew York and the
Delaware a^a.in fell into the hands of th.e 1 »uteii. which t!ie> held about eighteen
inontlw. but restored posse--ion to the r.ngli--li at the coiicln-ion of peace. 1074.
Due of the earliest l-~.ng!i--li travelers .'oun the Delaware was (icorge b'ox,
the eminent Lriend. the ia.ll of 107J. on hi^ way from Lou'^- Lland to Mar\iand.
StartiuL;- from .Middletown barhor. Xew ler.-ev, be traveled through the woods,

10 Ci'niiiiis<i.iii (Intefl M;uvii 15. 1670.

11 At liii< tiim- tlic -.'.tU-nieiit^ "n tlu' \\c-,t I. .ink i.l tlu- Di-l;iuaro e\-toiu1r,l up the
ri\.T -'\;y MiiK- .-I'linc .Ww l.",i-.;lc. and win.' nio-ily ..f Sucili.-.. Diiicli ;iiul l'inii> —
(Ma>-,iehn-i-.t~ lli-'oriril C..11.-oli.>ii )

HISTORY 01- BUCKS COUXTY

pil-lol 1)\ Indians, toward the Delaware. He rcaclicl the river the evening of
September lo: staiil ail n:E::it t Ue h.-'se nt I'eter Je-.m. at I.easy Point, and,
the next ninriiinsf. crossed over to nurhn,i;tiin ishuid. and then li> tlie main-land
\::-t alio\-e llristol. Himself and friends were taken over in Indian canoes, the
lic/rses swimming'.

-Maj'ir. afterward Sir Ivimnnd. Andros succeeded Lovelace as Governor,
hi'v II. 1674. and remained in office until William Penn became Pro])rietar_\',
loSi. In his proclamation, assumino; the duties of his otiice, he ciiniirmed all
previous fjrants of land, and all judicial i)roccedings. Sir Ednnuul was born at
l.ondon. September, 1037. His father was master of ceremonies to Charles I,
and the son was brought up in the royal family. He beg-an his career in arms
(Uiriiig the exile of the Stuarts, and. at the Restoration, was appninted gentle-
man in ordinary lo Elizabeth Stuart, queen of Uohemia. He bore a distin-
ijuislied part in the Dutch war that closed. 16^7. and. i(')72. commanded the
!jic:lish forces at Parbadoes. At the death of his father. i()74, he succeeded
\<> the oftice of bailitt of Guernsey. The same year he was commissioned to
receive the surrender of Xew York fmm the Dutch, and appointcil Governor-
'"■.eneral of the colony. He reiru'iined here until 16S1, when he returned to
l-".n-l:ind. ami was knighted by Charles II. He was aiipninted tn the governor-
.-hip of ^la-sachu.sctts, i6?6. where he had a stormy and unsuccessful adminis-
tration, n: d in T()y2. was appointed Clovernor of \'irginia and Maryland. Sub-
sequentlv he held several other posts of trust. He was married three times, and
die.l. without children, 1713. Andros introduced reforms in the courts, and we are
iii'V-bted to him for the introduction of English jurisprudence on the Delaware.
I iuvernor Andros visited the settlements on the river, the rir.st time. May. Tf)75,
accomijanied bv a numerous retinue. He caiue overland to the falls, where he
wa^ met bv Sheriff Cantwell on th.e 4th. Here he crossed the river and traveled
through the woods of Falls, Bristol and Bensalem townships, down to Xew
Castle, where he held court on the 20th. During the session of the court 11 was
'■rdere I that some convenient way be luade passable between town and town,
the first road law in the state. A ferry was established at the falls, on the we-t
-■ide fif the river, a horse and man to pay two guilders — twelve pence, cur-
reiK-v — and a man ten stivers. At this time there was no place of reliu'ious
^\"r.-hip higher up the river than at Tinicum i.-land. and the cuirt ordered a
church to be built at W'iccacoa. to be paid for by the peoiile of "Pa^syunk and
so upward." but Peiin's arrival prevented this bad precedent.

In 1073 and n'c'i ^\'illiam Piidmonson. a traveling l-Vieml from Trehnl,
made a religious, visit to th.e brethren on the Delaware, and his journal gives
"•"'tne account of his ii'jurnev through the county. In it he says: ".\hout nine
in the morning, bv the good haml of God. we came to the falls, and. In- his
Pr i\idei'.ce. found an Indian man. a woman and ahoy with a canr.e. We hired
ii'ni f.ir s"me wampumpeg to help us (jver in the cmioc ; we swiim our horses.
: t'<! thorch the river was br'Cid. vet gut well '.ver and. by the directions we
■■■ 'ei\-ed trim I'riend^, travele 1 loward Delaware town'"- alniig the we-t si.le
"I the river. When we had rode some miles, we baited our horses and refreshed
"Urselves with such i>r(ivisions as we had. fi ^r :is yet we were not yet come to
'■■\\\ iiiliabitant-i. Here came to us a T'inland man. well horseil. who could speak
l.;i'.;lish. He soon pcrceivefl what we were an<l gavi- us an account of several
I'rienls. His homo was as far as we could go that da\ : he took us there and

^\'h^■ro was "DeLiuaro idwn'

iiis'iORV oi- BUCKS coiwry

loilgcd us kiii(ll\." The iK\t ihiy Air. lulmnnstin aiul party proccciled down
tlic rivLT tn I. 'plan. 1. 'I lu- l-'inn. will) wli.iin ihcy tarried over nii,du. probably
lived in Uristd '.r l'.LM--a!fni, and the "several Friends," of whom he spoke,
livo'j in tliai secli'ju i.f the ermntv.

At the tiiiic <■{ ill'- L-.n'_;li-!i eMivniest tlie eircnh'.tir,'^ nie.'iiuni on tl'.e Dela-
ware uicluded bea\ers. the y<i\ernnieiit value Liein.!.:; lixed at 8 guilders each —
equal to S3. 20 ctirrenoy. ll'anipuin passed as nioiicy almost down to the arrival
of I'tun. at established values. Ivlglu white, or four black wampums were
worth a stiver, and twenty of tlieni made a guilder, equivalent to 40 cents. The
fir-^t land fax wc.-t of the iX-Iaw are was laiil by tlic Upland court, November.
1677. It \vas called "poll n-iniiLV," and 26 guilders were assessed against each
taxable jierson. which ciild In' paid in grain iir prijN'isions, at fixed prices.

The systematic adniini.->tr;uiMn nf Gen ern. u" -.Vndros invited immigration
to the Delaware, and cousideralile land was taken tip wliile he was in office.
In 1675, the Governor [nircliased uf funr Indian chiefs — Mamarackickan. Anrick-
ton, Sackofiuewaii.). and Xanneckus — for the Duke of York, a tract on the river
extending from just alK.ve l!ri<tc>l to .-ibout Taylcrsvillc, embracing the best lands
in the townships of i',ri>tMi, balls, and Lower Makefield. It is described as:
"Beginning at a creek next tij tlie Cold spring somewhere above }ilattinicum
island, al.oul ei'.4ht or nine nr.le^ be'i^w the falls, and as far above said falls
as the other is below then, or fintlier that way, as may be agreed upon, to some
remarkable place, for mere certain bouruis; as also all the islands in Delaware
river within the above limit- above auil below the falls, except only one island
called Peter Alricks' island." It inckuled ^vhat was afterward Penn"s manor.
The deed was exeeuteil ( )eti"iiper 10. and witnessed b\- twelve white men. As
nolhiiig fin-ther is knnwu uf this purchase, it was probably never consumn'.ated.
The next \ear Kphraiin lleriiian wa> aiipointed clerk of L'pland court, wb.ither

/

!?/ -^A/J^^^^^^.

tlie :

<pi:ir

Gi .V.

Ian I

d.v.v

in w

iler

an.i

nati

fad

ew iiiii.'ibitan;- '<\ r.'iek-«.C"r.:!'. \ re>'iiiid {•
.er aL;i'. In lu-'j i'.e ;!:;irrii-.l Klizabetll \'
niir f\ Cuiici'.i. an i-land in llic Caribbean .'
ir. ni .\ew \'. rk U> l!-e falls, wl^ere a Iim::
d bet

r ir>nce, iwn centuries and a

I'.iki .leiiburg. daughter uf the

•a. lie brought his bride ovcr-

n:< t him and, C'''n%eyed them

1 the river, lie abaii'l. .;ied her --iKirtiy after and joined the Pabadists. a

reli.4i''Us -eet l.s'eK >j'ru!!g \'.\>. bnl npeiiud :>.n.i returned to jiis family.

man wa^ I'Ue '-i the c'limii-'^inniTs 10 deliver tin- jirovince to William Penn,

held i.thor places •■{ public iru-t. \\,- was the ><^<n of Augustus Herman, a

Prague, lH.h.i;nia. and can^e !■> .\ew .\ni-terdam ii'>47, a> clerk, or

thi brotl'.er « ..;bri. in i'.;.. ]•■.• v..-.- -.uc .^! the Selectmen nf .Manhattan.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COCXTV

Ik- attcrwnrd settled in Maryland wl'.ere liis son was burn. 1654. The wife of
L;i.n«-dict Arnold was a descendant of Herman's daughter, Anna j.Iarj^aretta,
through \'anderhu_vden, whom she married, and of Edward Shippen, whom her
tlaughter married. Thomas Story, proricient in Greek and mathematics and
sWiiied in music and fencing, studied law l)cfore convng to Philadelphia and
marrying a daughter of Edward Sliippen.

We liave no record of settlers coming into this county, in 1676, but. the
f. .!!r,\ving year, there was some addition to inur sparse population, and a little
land t;iken up. In the fall of 1677 the onirt at Upland made the following
grants of land in this county, whicii, nC' donljt. was authorized to be made by
the authorities at New York: 300 acres, each, to Jan Claescn, and Thomas
Jacobse, on the east side of the Xe^haminy two miles above its mouth, Bristol
township; 417 acres to James Sanderlam.l, probably tlie same whose mural tab-
let stands in Saint Paul's church, Chester, and Lawrence Cock, extending a
niile along the Delaware above the mouth of Pociuessing.. and called "Poquessink
(latent :" 200 acres next above on the river to Henry Hastings, and called
"Hastings' Hope;" 100 acres, to Duncan \\"illiam5on,^- Pelle Dalbo. Lace Cock,
Thomas Jacobse and William Jeacox. on the soutli side of the Xcshaminy. in
]'.<.i!.-alem, and 100 acres to Edmund Draufton and son. \\'iHiamson and Drauf-
10:1 \\erc members of the jury at Upland court, Xovember term, 167S, the first
jurymen known to have been drawn from th.is county. The authorities at Xew
YiTk directed the Upland court to purchase a tract reaching tVvO miles along
the river al)Ove the falls, and Governor Andros authorized sheriff Cantwell and
Ephraim Herman to, purchase of the Indians all the land below the falls, in-
chuiing the islands, not already sold, but we hear nothing more of them. Xo-
vember 23. 1677, a number of Swedes petitioned the court for permission "to
settle together in a town at the west side of the river just below the falls." They
represented they were natives of the country and brought up on the river and
parts adjacent, and asked for 100 acres each, with a fit proportion of r.iarsh.
and a suitable place to lay out a town. \\'hat action was taken on the petition
is not known.'' Cn^vernor Andros ma<le easy terms in the purchase of land.
-\ctual settlers, with families, were allowed 30 acres to each member and a
paient was issudl on the certificate of the court, appnn-ed l.iy the Governor,
and quit-rent on all newly seated land was remitted for three years. If the
land were not settled upon widiin that time it vitiated the title. Tlie earliest
lands survevc'I in this county extended back a mile from tlie -river. When
An.lros came into authority tlie whites, who had purchased land of the Indians
alirnit the f.-^dls, were in arrears for iiurchase money. It was found to amount
t'> "fixe guiis, thirtv hoes, and one anker of rum." which the Governor ordered
t" be paid, forthwitli. The earliest receipts I't quit-rent r_>n the Delaware that
wc l'a\L- -cen are — one dated i6''iO. signcii by Gi'ivenirir T,ove!.-ice. and another
by l-'phraim Herman. April 27, -1670. Otto Ernest Cock, who paid quit-rent.

12 Hl- wa-; kr...w!i as Dmik Williams, but tlic iiisoriptl^.n on his tombstone was
''■.ni(-a:i W'il'iani'^on.

I.~, T!ic follir.viii.u' are ilic .•i.-mics f-f tlii> fK-riiioner^ : Lnwreni-c 0''ck. fsracl Helm.
M";mis Cock. Andre.!-; rV;iic';snn. Epbraim Herman. Camper Herman. Swon Loon. John
H;lbo. Jasper I'isk. Han; ^toonsc.n, l-"re<leriek- Rnoniy. Eriek M;:elk. Gunner Rambo.
'1!!. :-!a^ Harwon,!. Eriek Oek. Peter JnekiiHi. Peur Coek. Jr.. Jan .-^'.ille. Jon-^ Xielson.
Oolf Suen-ons, Jatnes Samleriins, ^b'ltliia- M.atbias. J. [>e\.'s and Wi'i'.iani Oriam

■I-' HI STORY OP BUCKS COCXTY.

and a rttU' scluiu.; nr wIh.-u ' '"'^'"'"' '"' ""^' '«''' ^' 'l^'i^-™^t of on.

nnd s^Ide^tTh'';:';:; h';;:;mv^\;"'""^'^"- 't '"■'•" ^^^'-^^^ '-^°---

I'is wife, as enrlv -, n" "nr , u ^'";T " '^IT'^^^ ''■"'" ^^oti^^X. uith

settled in li.nsalen,. ,r,-- ,, ,' ,: , h in ,"^' ' '"""'• "''■ ^^'^ I^™"^^'^'^-

tract, ,.f ThM,„a. 1 ■-,!,•, .Vn ,• ' f i '^ "^ =''''''■ '"^^'j"'""^? his former

bought „f XX-illian, iu ;:", P ;; Hi;;;r;?:r'-r! %^-- --^ Fair,.a„

:s^rori-:!l^-;'r:y^;^

and wa. proved Jatn n ^ >', - . •'•" ^^ '"'^ •'" '' 5''''f^-'l Demnlxr 15. ij.n.
will book' Xo. , "',„^;- ';,n.i. V"""; " "■'"'""' "Wil!inn,.,„- ,n the
left a widow and "e ^.^^ ^ ^IX^^'^^ ^T u-'n'"'- ^^" "'" ^^■""^■"
the ,Tcat-.rrand..n „■ I .n.n : ■\"^-'''-^'"- :''';'■ ^^ ''ham a„,l IVter. IVter.

han, Head. died, in S.leh; rv.' S ":; , \^r; , "'niT ,"'" '!— '.-:^'-

pc.terit ■ live ■■, 't h- S , . ^. ""!""" =^'"V"=''>y ^'^'^^T-^- A lar^e nn-.nber of Irs

fortvV^. r;;;;^';i;;;<:. :;;. ;tv:';;; '---v-ery ^.wiv. ,. ,nd no. ..en

habitants in ail .f Pp^ >d e^, u >/ ' , ' ^^'^^''^"S^'"'^. '''"^ -^'"'^ ^^^ in-
200 of which re.wkd --n w! -a^ ,;,- '"''"' "'' "'^' '"■^■^■'' ^'^ '''■^••■"O" ^^'■

ffnilders to he pa, 1 |. .r . ,ch ^-a'-. h- 1 '- • ' ^'?"'^ aulhnri;ccd fortv

setting of tiftv-iu,, -. Jf I ' ;. ' "^'""'V/^ ^^'"-^^ the conrt ordered the

i.i'i TIkt,- 1 1

ah.... as „u„:), ,:,,.,■.■ /.J,. J li :;:;:'::r, ■";!/" /"""^ 'V "-^ ^•— "- '-^

ian,.r,„/- n.hor. -Uvi,..,,., ■ W l.-r !i-' \ , ''-^■-'.''•""^ calh„g thomselves ••Will-
Moon. Jr.. Tr..„:,.. a .u-,..,,,: , 'i ' ;::, 'ri;,;^:::,,;- ^rr '"'"'' "^■^- °"-

or the .;!„r,a IV, CU^.-.u p..,..,.. , ' . ,™^- ^ """^^"'- ^^ '"' "„,„,, wore n,on,I.rs

settler v.a. l!u. i-,,. |,,./, \- U.'' '■'■ ', '..' r """■' """'' ''--^-'"'■'"t of the t^rst

Tall, t, :wn,hi,>. tl,',. e„u,.> ' '^ '' "Mlhonauv „f PhiIa,leI„I,ia, a native of
l-l Dr. Snirl.

HISTORY OF BVCKS COUXTY

I'.uiiin,i::tnn i<Iaii<l. in tlio Delaware n]i]i(.sitc Bristol, came early into notice,
h was recoL^nizcil as belonging to the \\e--t shore from its iHscovery, and was
inchuled in Markliani's first purchase. The Indians called it ALattinicouk,
which name it generally bore down to I'enn's arrival. It is so called on Lind-
>irom'.s map, i')54. W hen the English seized the_ Delaware, 1064, it was in
the iiossessi<.in of Peter Alrick.s, but confiscated with the rest of his property
and restored, 166S. by oriler of Goverudr Lovelace. During the confiscation
it got into the possession of Captain J(}hn Carre. '^ probablv a brother of Sir
Robert — and, for a time, was called Carre's island — in cdnsidcration of his
"good conduct in st'jrmii:g and reducing f(.irt Delaware." The earliest public
use made of the island was the establishment on it of frontier trading and mili-
tary j)Osts. In a letter of Governor Lovelace to Captain William Tom, who had
charge (jf affairs on the Delaware, written (jctober (i, Kiji, he recommends "a
good work about .Mattiniconk house, which, strengthened with a considerable
guard, would make an admirable frontier." It was liere that .Vlricks' two Dutch
servants, Peter \'elts Cheerder and Christian Sanuiels. were murdered, 1672.
The expense of burying the two Dutchmen, 106 guilders, was paid bv Jonas
Xiels(.in. but the Upland cnurt refused to refimd it.

Xovember 14. I0-^;, Sir Ednunid .Vnilriis leased the island for seven vears
to Roliert Stacy, brother of r^lahlon, one of the first ti.' settle West Jersey, and
Sheriff Caiitwell put him in possession two weeks after. Stacv and George
Hutcliinson, w ho appears to have become associated with him in possession, con-
\eyed the island to the town of liurlinyttni, but he onlv conve\Cil liis title imder
the lease. The tleeil could never be found. Danker and Sluvter, who passed
dowtt the Delaware. H'JO, say of Burlington island: "This island formerly
belongeij to the Dutch CuAcrnor, who had made it a pleasure grriund. or gnrden,
built good houses upcpu it. and sowed and planted it. He also dxkeil anil culti-
vated a large piece of lueadow ov marsh, from which he gathercil niMrc grain
than from any land which had been maiie from woodland into tillable land. The
iMigiish Governor, at the Manhattons, now held it for himself, and had hired
it out to some Ouakers. wh.o were living upon it. at present: It is the best and
largest island in the S"Uth river."

Anuing the eariie>t acts of .\ssembly of Pennsylvania after the organiza-
tion of the Province, was one confirming this island to Burlingtiiu, "the proceeds
to be a|)plied to nuiintain a free schriol for the education of \i.mth in said town."
In 1711. the l^■gi^lativc council of Xew Jersey authorized Lewis Morris, agent
of the \\'e-t Jersey society, to take up th.is island for Honorable Robert Hunter,
the warrant for wliich was granted. 1710. It was surveyed by Thomas Gardner,
and found to contain 400 acres. Hunter purchased ii the same vear. The
people of Burlington in olden times resorted to it for recreation, ^\■]le^ Gov-
ernor Burnett. Xew "S'ork, occujiied it. I7_'_', he cau>ed vi-tas to be cut ihrougli
the timber from a point on it to Burlington. Bristol, and uii and down tlie river.
In lJ2'j Peter I'.ard ani! James .\le\ander went tii Burlington ti-i e.Kamine the
tcjwn's tith.; t'> the island., and reported it n.ot a good >.ne. The iidiabitants of

15 A record ?as^ that Cvernor Lovclnct ^ir.TntLil tlie i-la;ul to .-Vndrow Carre, .tiuI
Marg.Trct, his wito. 111 i(''i.); who .a<>ii;iu-(l it to .\rn.iliUi> dt' i.i tiraii^e. Id;-'; in 1(^84
tlicy (granted 11 to Chri~l..|i!!rr T,ay]..r. who >.iid it t.i Kaliih I-'rctui-ll. Iti.'<5, wlio djid ill
Barhadoci .May 17, Kjoj. GiHiLTt Coiic say-,_this i:oiux\ance rcfcT^ to Tniiciuii Island,
ill Delaware cmnuv.

14 II !S TORY OF DUCKS COi'XrV

Burlington ousted Hunter, ij^n. When Governor Gooken, Pennsx'lvania.
was about obtaining- the grant of tlie islands in the Delaware to this state, it
is said the Lords of Trade excepted this as not being on a footing with tlie
other islands.'''

i6 Gilbert Cc'pe wrote the author ;i5 fijllows, touching his reference to Mattiniconk:
"Thtro appears io bo iome contusion respecting tlie island of Matinicouk, and wiiether
Burlington l.-!and was known liy that name I have not examined, but your note, pp. 32. ,^j
(tirst edition), refers to Tinicuni island las since called) in Delaware county. Pennsyl-
vania. I have by nie the old court record of 1683, giving an account of the suit of
Arnoldus De La Grange to recover possession from Otto Earnest Cock, who purchased
from Lady Xormgard Prince (Printz), who had sold it to the father of De La Grange,
but the money not being a'.l paid, she recovered it in a suit against Andrew Carr and wife
(widow of De La Grange). The plaintiff, showing he was under age and in Holland
at the time of the last mentioned suit, obtained a verdict in his favor. Israel Taylor, son
of Christopher. sub.=equcrt owner of the island, stylus himself', in liis will, "of Multini-
cunk Island. Cchiurgeon."

CHAl^TER II.

ENGLISH IM.MIGRAXTS COXTIXUE TO ARRIVE.

lere to lot-^i.

English settlers arrivc^ — Saniiicl J-iliss. — Danker and Shiyter, — Lionel Briiton. — Samuel
Clift. — William Warner, — Arrival of English ships direct. — William Dungan. —
Liquor sold without license. — William Biles. — Settlement of east bank ii£ Delaware. —
Fort Xassau. — Division of New Jersey. — London and Yorkshire companies. — Settle-
ment of Burlington. — Chygoe's island. — Arrival of the Shield-. — Benjamin Di^iricid- —
Thomas Budd. — Mahlon Stacy. — His account of the couniry. — WilliaTii Trent.—
Priife^Mir Kahii's account of Trenton. — Early mills.

The west bank ot tlic Delaware grew more into favor and ii'itice, and ininii-
grnnts came to it. There were several grants of land by Sir Edmund AnJros
ill 1670. among which were 200 acres to Thonias l-'airman in r!en>a;ent. below
Xeshaminy, and 309 to William Clark on the same .stream. In the stunmer of
1679 and spring (.if i6."^o, several English settler^ t'.'jk iiji land on the riser bank,
just below the falls: Jcb.n Ackeniian ami sdii. 300 acres: Thomas Scb-.^iey, 105;
Robert Scoley, joO : (iilbert Wheeler, a fruiterer 'it London, who arrived with
wife, children and servam.-.. in the Jacb and .Marw .-September I2tli, J05, includ-
ing an island in the river: William I'.iles. ^ni), fnmi Dorche.-ter. in County
l~)orcst,' arrived Jtine I J. w.th wife, seven children and two servants, and died,
1710. He was a man of talent aiid intluence. an'l a leader. Governor Evans
^lied hint l^r ?lanilor for saving of liim. "lie is hut a /'.m.' lie Is not lit to be our
Cozi-yiior: wc'ii L'icL- liuii out: Wf'il kich liiiii out." and recovered £300 dam-
ages, but failed to cllect them, altli'mgh he caught i'.iles in l'hila<lelphia. and
imiirisoned him a muntli. The Governor ?aid of him. "He very intich in-
iluences that debauched cnuiit\ yi T.ticks, in which there is now scarce any one
man of worth left;"' Sair.uel S\cle. possibly .^kkel ui the present generati'Mi,
218:, Richard Ividgeway. 218. from W'elford in ih.e c unity of P.ucks. who ar-
rived in the Delaware .\pril 27, i(>'(j, wiib his wife and two cb.ildren. and
Robert Lucas. 145 acres, a fanner of 1 )f\ or:ii!. Lou-hbridge. county of Wilts,
vvho c;it'ie with ii:^ wife and eii^ht children, in Septenibrr. n'No. John W'c-od.
of .AxevcHf, couin\ of N'ork, f.irmer. the onlv known 1-jiLrlish settUr in litis
c. itmtv. in 107S. arrived in the Shield, with five chiMreii, and took up 478 acres
opposite the falls. Tlie~e tracts geiier;illy joined each otiier and ran b;ick from

t I'ri.hali'v a mi-^p'iiiiiii'.

l6 HISTORY or nCCKS COUXTV.

the rivir.- At this ilnu- Saimifl ' r.li>> was tlic owikt of a considcrahlc :racL
in tin.- an--!r tMnix-.l h\ Miil i.th-1; aiul llic Delaware, and covering the site of
Bristol. There was a ^euler near the mouth of Scott's creek, in Falls — proh-
ahly a ^iniatter — and \\ e>i Kiekels \\a^ near the nioiitji of Scull's creek, north
side. In the fall .a' ii>j'). a liiile real e-^t.ite changed hands in Ducks county,
James .Samlerhng and Lawrence Lock con\e\ing a lew acres, in Uensalem, to
Walter, John and James l"ore.--t, and Henry Hastings conveyed "'iiastings'
Hope" to the same pa.rti.es. 'I'he I'orests ])robably became residents of the
county aljoul this time, coniing from near L'pland.

Jasiier Danker and iVter Shi\ier. leading nieniliers of the Labidi;ts, of
Holland, \ isited tlic JJelaw.are in the fall of 1O79, going <lo\\ii the ri\er in a
boat to Xew Castle, their horses following them by land on. the west bank.
At the falls they staid all m-lii w ith Alahlon Stacy. They describe the houses
of the English along thi riser as iiuilt of clapb'jards nailed on the outside of
a. frame, but "not u>nall'." laid so clo.se together as to prevent _\ou from sticking
a finger l^etween them." The best people plastered them with clay. They call
the houses built by the Swedes "block houses." but from the wav they were con-
structed, were imly the l"g cabin fenuid on tile frontier at the present (.lav. Some
of the niT're careful peop,ie planked the ceiling, and had a glass window. The
chimney wns in tlie crner. ami the do. .r-- low and wide. ()ur travelers break-
fasted with the I'rien'l' at lliirlington. whom they denominate "tlie most
worldly of men in all ibeir de]jortmeiil and con\'crsation." Thev went hence
in a shallop to L'jilan.l, stopping at Takany (Tacony). a village of Swedes and
Fins, where they ilr;ink g' od beer. On Tinicuni island they saw a "Ouaker
projihetess who tra\eled ilie C'.nr.try o\er in order to ([iialce." On their return
up the river they stoj.ped o\ er ni:.,l.t > >n Alricks' island, then in charge of
Barent. a DiUch.man. wlio lia.i f^r l!i'iisekee])er the Indian wife of an English-
man of \'irginia. 1 'ne of her eliilclren was sick with the small-pe\x. prevalent
on the river this year, .and now mentio)ied for the first time. The Dutclnnan
consented to pilot tlieni Tie\t day to tiie falls for thirty guildeVs. Landing tlieni
from his canoe where Hri-tol stands, he conducted them bv a footpath tliroug;i
the woods and acre:-s die n:a;!.>r. -trikiiig the river at William Diles's planta-
tion, where they re--ted ;m 1 were reire-lud. In the afternoon he rowed them
across the river. l.an.iHng on ;iie site "f I'.'ir.lenlown. and th.ence th.roiii;li the
woods to .Mahlon .-^taey's. :ind on .acro^^ Xew Jer>ey to Manhattan.

Of the arriv.ais in the Helaware. mSo. several made tli-eir homes in Bucks
cotmtN : among the-n were Lyoiiel Brilton. Samuel and William Darke and
George i'.rowii.'- Ihitton, a l''riend an.l ))l:icksmith. from Almw in Bucks. Eng-
land, tile lirst t'"" arri\e. -eltled "n jo_^ acres in tlu- lien.d of the rixer at the upper
corner of the manor. u!::ch William I'nin p.atented to him, UiS^. A daughter
(lied on the way up ll.e r:\er .and w:i- iiuri( d at r.in-lin-l. .n. .\nother daii-liter.
^L^ry, born Jmie iv loS,,, v.a^. ^o f.ar as i- known, the lirst child .if l-jiglisli
pareiUs born ni I'.uck- c..-.int\. "T i.v'b.alily in the state.' Uritton's name is
found on the p.anel .-f the iirst grand jury drawn in Kiieks county, June ro..
1685. He i.roliably left ih.is county and. removed to I'hiladelphia, idSS, con-

2 Tluir iKiiiie-i are ue.vii >'ii tile -.li:i[> I'i I'.iv.ki-r ciiiil .^hiyur. 1080.

^ It i- iv.--i!.!e lii It r.n.wii iirrivo! it! u.,-'), 1. r he \v;i~ rcM.lni:,' .iIkhu tlio falh in
ll'k-io. an.l w.is .1 iu-licc "i lIU' pr.u-i-.

4 Tlu' ree..r.l ..i M .is Knn.-n'-. ljlr;!i i< i:i tlu- Kei^i^ter'- eUiec. D.iylest.-.ssii. in die
Iiniuissri'.u.u ..I riime - I'.r ■■ :■• ■>'.

HISTORV OF DL'CKS COUXTV. i;

vi-\inLr his real estate in Vidh tx Stephen Jieakes. fur cpiie thiiusaiul duUars. He
i> ii'teil, in our earl_\- annals. a> the first cmivert to Catholicism in the state.
lie assisted in reading public mass in riiiladelpliia. 1708, and was a church
warden the same year. Britton died, 1721, and his \vidc>\v, 1741.^ Sanitiel
] >;irke, a calcndrer. London, arrived in the ship Content, in October, with two
M-rvaiits, James and Mar} Craft>. He married ^\nn Knight, 4, 7, 1683, who
diL 1 S, 13. 1O83. and then married 2\lartha Worrell, 12, 16. 1O8;. \Villiani
J larke, probably a brother of Samuel, a grocer from Chiping, County of Chester,
was 5S years old and his wife, Alice, 03. He arrived in the Content June,
ii.i'^'o. and his wife, August, 1*1^4. with a son of 17. He settled in the neigh-
borhood of Fallsington.

In 16S0 Sir Edmunil Aiidros conveyed to Samuel Clift, a Friend living at
r.urlington, a tract of 21 >2 acres, covering the site of Bristol, ^'-i who probably
then, or soon after, became a resident of the county. It was bounded by Mill,
then Bliss's, creek, the Delaware and Griffith Jones's land. When the latter
came into the county is not known. It was sur^■eye(.l by Philip i'ocoek at the
purchase; but again under a warrant in 1683. when it was found to contain
J74 acres. Clift could ni.Jt wrue his name, but made his mark, thus:
Lin the first of June Richard Xoble. surveyor of L'i>land county, laid
out 552 acres to Ephraim Herman and Lawrence Cock, at a place called
Hatacirockon, "lying on the \\est side of the Delaware, and on the south
side of a creek of the same name." Un the 8th of the next ■March, 25 acres
of marsh land were granted tei each of these parties, and to one Peter
\'an Brug. or \'an Bra}", at "Taorackon." ■■l}ing in ye Mill creek,
op])osite liurlington, and toward ye head thereof." This places the
i^raiit about Pigeon swamp and to the north of Bristol. There has
been a question as to the location of this graiit, placing it below Bristol,
probabl}- because the marsh land is on Mill creek. \\'e think there is no doubt
tiie main grant was in Perm's nianor. on what is now Scott's creek. There is
no creek between Mill creek and the Xeshaminy. nor is one laid i.lown on any
of the old maps. ( )n Lindstreni. tiie region afterward Penn's )ilanor. called
"ilackazockan.'' and "Hataorockon.'' or "Taorackon,'' is onl}- a corruption of
tile Indian name. The course of tlie creek Hataorackon, its southwest boundary,
i< nearly identical with that of Scott's creek. This tract was probably never
seated, and the authority of the Duke of York coming to an end soon after,
no further mention is made of it. October 28 (16S0), Erick Cock was appointed
an additional constable between the Schuylkill and Xeshaminy for one year,
and John Cock and Lassa Dalbo overseers and \-iewers of fences and high-
N'. ays.

At this time ilic ileputy-jlu riff of L'pland crjunty was Wiliiam Warner,
will', a jurisdiction to ihe falls. He was probably the ancestor of the large and

5 Lioiiel Britton was tl;c owner of con^iderahlo land in Delaware eoiuity, as we

■ ■-.irn from the rec'irds. Deed I'.'i'k O, pa.^e i''iO. -W u Cattle County, cmr.an.is a deed
•I March 2S, 175,?: Fhi!i;) liready t.' ^hlthe\v Lriwher. with the ti>HM\yinu: recital:
■■V\'i!lKini Penn. prcpritinr. etc.. to Tv liert l!ett< ;md Jnhn KiiiL,', 16S0. about 6oo acres";
I'^y ill [704 to Lionel llrittoii. he with ilMnia.'; riii.^Iand. uh<i claimed a riirhl therein, to
f'i:ihii Koariuy ami Miclwui Keaincy, ■■>.>ii-;-iM-la\v of >aid Lionel I'.riUi'n," 1718. Philip
Kearney, son and heir of Michael, conveyed ilie same 10 Alisaioni Morris, 1746, and

■ M -.d,-ni M.rris to I'lulip Proaily,

5'. Wiiat became of S:iniiiel l'.Ii^s's tale wliieh covered part of Ciift's grant is not
^iiuun.

2

jS HISTORY 01' inXKS COUSTV.

Tcspectnljle f;miily of llic name "in this county. The time of his arrival, and
whence he came, are iiot definitely known. Watson, the annalist." says he was
one of the earliest pioneers on the Delaware; that he was a "caijtain imder
Crtimwell, and was olilit^etl to leave Iui|j;land at hi> death, i'')58; that he came
from i'ljdcklev. in Worcestershire, and ya\ e this name to the township in
■which he lived in Ihiladelphia count\.'' He is known to have been here
1677, and bought 200 acres in rjIockle_\', and, about the same time, he an'!
William Orion bought 1000 acres of the Indians f(jr three hmidred and thin\-
five t^uilders. In the e.\[)lanalions to Reed's map of 1774, he is denominated
"old Renter," a term applied t<j those here before I'enn bought the Province.
He died in 1706. Thiinias Warner, late of WVightslown, said the W illiam War-
ner from whom he descended, immigrated with his brother Isaac from Draycott.
Blockley, where the ancestral homestead is still in the possession of a Warner.
Hazard does not give credit to the arrival of William Warner at the time
specified, as he is not mentioned by contemporaneous statements, because of
the jealousy of the Dutch and Swedes. He may have left England at the
time mentioned, and mn come to the Delaware imtil after it fell into the
hands of the English, 1664. After that period there was no occasion "to shield
ihis movements from ohscrvation." He was a man of note in his day ; a mem-
ber of the first .Assembly of reimsylvania ; justice of the peace; deputy-sheriff,
Arc, &c. When lie was deputy-sherilT it was the custom of the court to defray
.the charge for "meat and ilrink" for the justices, jirobably their only pay, and
■.to raise the necessary funds Warner was ordered to collect 2S. 6d. on every
judgment.

The first immigrants, win;) sailcii direct for Pennsylvania, left England in
August, ]68i, in the shii) John and Sarah.. Captain Henry Smith; the Amity,
Captain Richard Dimon, and the lui^tol I'actor, Cajjtain Robert Drew. The
John and Sarah was the first to arrive, and I'.er passengers were called the
"first landers" by those who followed them. Among them we find the follow-
ing, with their families, who came int'i Mucks county: Xathaniel Allen," who
settled in Tlensalcm. above the mouth of the Xeshaminy ; John Otter, near the
head of Xcwtown creek, where he took u]) 200 acres, and Edmund Lovett.
Falls. In the sanie ship caiue several servants of Willi;mi Penn. The Amity
was blo-wn off the ooa-t. and <iid not laml her passengers until the ne.Kt spring:
■wliile the Factor, v.hich arri\-ed 'iiiiio-ite Chester, December nth, was frozen
Ai]) that night, and her passen.L;ers v. inlered there. .\11 these brought inimi-
•granls lor Pucks c>>unty, but it is inip' i<sii)le to gi\e their names. The same
year arrived Gideon C.-imbell. from C"uriiv Wili>. .>later, an<l William Clark:
and, about the same time c:une l',dv.;ird Pennett. who took up 321 acres in
Northampton township: John I'.eniiett, 5(1 acres, and William Standard. 274
acres. .All of these >etller> purch;i>ed !:m<l ^f Sir F.rlmund .Andros, at the
quil-rt 111 of a bushel of .wheat the luunlred acre>. Their lands were re-snr-
veyed and conlirnie'l to them b\ a ^ereral warr.uit 'U" the Proprietary. June
14, I'i8;v .\bout this time Willi:uu I nm-an. iirohuMy from Kliodc Island, and
of the familv of l\e\ereiid Thiin);i> l)ini_;.-m. the i'.;nitist minister at Cold Spring.
settled in Prist^'l t.-,wii.-hip. Hi> warr.mi was d.ited Augu.^t 4, 10S2, nearly

6 W:it<'''ii -:i\- I'.c f.it \\'\- iiilMriiK-iii- 11 fr^.m "Wi.lnv \\ .Truer," ubo iln-d :!t the .it;

.of ci.uluy. iS4,i. aii.l wliu d.-iiineil tn W 11 ik-t-i-n.laiu 1 l' Willi.-im Warner. She live
^-)ii tlie l.rinca^ler lurninke. a mile we,t cI .M.irlvel stre.-t hri.l;^e.

■) ()iu- of [Vim's Cniiiini^si'.iicr-i. •

HISTORY OF HL'CKS COi'XTV.

19

two months before Pcnii's arrival, and the patent July 2n, 16S4. In the sum-
mer or early fall, 16S2, the Upland court appointed William "noyles,"' William
IJiles. who lived below M(.irrisville, surveyor and overseer of highways from
i.lie falls to I'oquessiiig- creek, the boundary between lliicks and I'liiladLlphiu
ci'inities. He appears to iiave I»een constable at the same time, and informed
the- court against Gilljert Wheeler, for selling liquor to the Indians without
license, and was fined fi'ur pounds. This appointment is said to have been
ihc last official act of the court imder the Duke of York, and immediately
Infore the territory was turned over to the agents of William I'enn.

The history of Bucks county would be incomplete without a notice of the
settlement of the east bank of the Delaware, peopled by the same race, and
under similar circumstances as the west bank. Their interests were so closely
connected in the early da)s, it is impossible to treat of the one and not the
otlier.

The first colony on the east bank was planted at, or near, Gloucester Point,
where fort Nassau was built, about 1623. The fort was destroyed by the
Indians, but repaired and again occupied by the Dutch, 1639. In 1643 ^^'^^
.Swedes erected fort Elsinborg, four miles below Salem creek. An English
colony from Xew Haven, sixty strong, settled near Salem in 1G41, but were
'Iriven away by the Swedes and Dutch, and this race made no further attempt
to colonize the east bank of the river until Xew Jersey fell into possession of
the Duke of York. It was .subsequently conveyed to Lord Berkeley and Sir
George Carteret, the interest of Berkeley passing into the hands of the assignees
>if Edward Eyllinge. It was divided into East and West Xew Jersey the
fallowing year, by a line drawn across the country from Little Egg Harbor
to the mouth of Lehigh river. The first settlers for West Xew Jersey arrived
111 the ship Griffith, of London, in 1675. after a long passage, and landed near
Salem. Among the passengers were John Fenwick. his two daughters and
several servants ; Edward Champness, Edward Wade, Samuel \\'ade, John
Smith and wife, Samuel Xicholas. Richard Guy, Richard Xolde. who sul:ise-
■ liiently settled in this county; Richard Hancock, John Pledger, Hipolite
I.efevre. John Matlock, and others with their families.

Among those wJio purchased land on the river were two companies of
f i^riends. one from London, the other from Yorkshire. In the summer, 1677,
thfse purchasers sent out John Kinsey, John Pemford. Joseph Helmsley,
Ivihert .'^tacy. Benjamin Scott. Richard Guy and Thomas Foulke. joint Com-
r-iissioners to satisfy tl-.e claims of the In<lians. They came in the Kent with
-.SO immigrants, landing at Xew Castle, August 16th. The settlers found
temporary shelter at Raccoon creek in huts erected by the Swedes ; while the
• "inmissioners j^rocccfle'l to the site of Burlington, and purchased of the
Imiians all the lanil Ix-twceii the .\s^anpink and Oldnian's creek, fijr a few
vCims. petticoats, hoes. &c. The Yorkshire Commissioners made choice of the
■'•I'Per. and the Londou of the lower, half of the tract, but they joined in settling
what is now Burlington, for mutual defen.se. In laying out the town the main
-trect, running back frrmi the fiver, was made the dividing line between the
C'linpanies. the Yorkshire men being on th.e east and the Londoners i>n the
wt_-t .-ide. r.ut ijiie .itiier ^treet was laid out, that ah ng the river front, and
•1 market h"ii-=e \vas I'vated. in the miildle of the main struct. The tr.wii [ilot
v. ;ii surveyed bv Richard Xi ^le. The head lines of the river lots were orig-
niall;,- run. i}i 111^7. wlvn their cmirses. respectively, were west and iiiirtinvest.
Ihiy were :igain exaiiiiiu-d and run liv Jcim Watsmi. jr.. wf this ciuinty. I'eb-
ruary _:;. 175'). wlio ii.auil the ci'Ursi- ilun WL>t, three degrees nurtherly. being

HISTORV OF BUCKS COU'XTY

a variation of three licgrcca in ,si\ty-nine years, or one degree in twenty-tlirLv
years exactly. To begin the settlement ten lots, of nine acres each, were lai.i
out on the east side of tiie main street, and, in October, some of the Keiii'^
passengers came up and settled there. Among the heads of families, wh. .
came in the Kent, and settled at Lurlington, were Thomas Olive, Daniel W iiU,
William Peachy. William Ci.'iyi<in, John Crips, Thomas Eves, Thomas Har^':-
ing, Thomas Xosilcr. Thr'uias Fairnsworth, Morgan Drewet, William iViit. n.
Henry Jennings, William liibes, Samuel Lovett, John Woolston, Wil'.ia:;-.
Woodmancy, Christopher Saunders and Robert Powell. • Among them was a
carpenter, named Marshall, v.lio was very useful in building shelter. At tir-t
tliey lived in wigwams and had mainly to rely on the Indians for food, whu
supplied them with corn and venison. The first house built was a frame. Ir
John \\'oolston, and Friends' meeting was held imder a sail-cloth tent. Tl-.c
town was first called Xcw Deverly, then llridlington, and afterward changLi'
to its present name. Although this is the accepted history of the names I'.ur-
lington has borne, we doubt its correctness. The original draught, as laid out.
167S, bears tb.e name of Burlington, and, on the map of Danker's and Sluvtcr.
1679, it is called "Dorlingtowne." This was a year after it was laid out. ar. I
the misspelling is not to be wondered at in a foreigner. The ^lartha, of Hull.
arrived October 15. in whicii came a number of passengers with their
fatnilies, who settled on the Yorkshire purchase: Thomas '\\'right, William
Goforth, John Lyman, Edward Season. William Black, Richar<l Dungwortb.
George Miles, William Wood. Thomas Schooley, Richard Harrison. Thomas
Hooten, Sanuiel Taylor, Marmaduke Horsman, \\'illiam O.Kley,- William Ley
and Nathaniel Luke. In the same ship came the families of Robert Stacv.
Samuel Odds. an. I Thomas ICllis and John Eatts, servants. The Willing Mii'ji
arrived in Xoveniber, several of her passengers settling at Burlington and other>
at Salem, among tb.e latter being James Xevel, Henry Sahcr, and George
Deacon. The following spring the settlers at Burlington began to cultivate
and provide pn-'vi^ions for their own support, and build better habitations. In
one of these vessels came JiF.n Kin=ey. a youth, son of John Kinse\", one of rlic
London Commi>si(>ners. Hi- father dying on his arrival, the care of the faniilv
devolved on the sun. wh" n. 't rmly (lischarged the duty, but reached several
positions oi (list netiun : his sun became Chief Justice of Pennsvlvania.

Burlington was built u.p-n an island now joined to the main-land, and. tw
centuries ago, V.ore the name of Chygoc.- How early it was settled by
Europeans we cnnn^t tell. but. before !'»>, three Dutchmen, Cornelius Torrid-
sen, Julian Marcelis and Jan Claessen had jiurchased all or part of it, and built
a house or two ..n it. 'I'liey sold to I'etcr Jegou. who owned 1700 acres in a!'.
In a note, apjieuded t.' tlu- permit. Govennir Lovelace gave to Tegou. 166S. it
is .stated certain 1 )utch;iuii -etiiol there long before the countrv fell into tl.c
hands of the l"ngli-h. le-..u li i;-ht part ..f Ins land of the Indians. Ho
gave the n.-mu- to the i>l.uid. "Chygoc'' being oidy a corruption of his own.
and not tl;;;i .1 :in Imii.-ui ehiei', a- stated by son)e authorities. In all our researcii
no n.ame ai>pr.'ael!ing it ha- bei-n fonnd. In 1670 Jegou was driven from hi-
land by Indi.ms an.! remair.ev! a«ay >iveral vears. When the Friends settle:
at Burlington. iv\o ,if iluin, 'lli'mas Wright :md Godfrey Hancock, entere'i
upon Jegou's land aii.l .Kcuiiied it. They refnse.l to vacate when notified, an.'
suit brought in the L'pland tonrt: it was tried December, 1679, ^^'tli a verdict

I? It wa- .-.lUi.l !•>• till- In>l;,iii- T".'5cliicli.>ii;icki, -i-niis ipi; //;,• nldcst f'ljiitrd ;r
Tie IV;.u\:;rt- -.ifl liicir !ir-l -rti\-n;.-iit <•> i':ir i.i-t \v.i< on tlii-: i>!;m(J.

HISTOR]' OF BUCKS COCXTV.

i'.r Icc^ou'. He sold out to Thomas Bowmaii, Bowman to Edward Hunloke,
i'.'jriington, ami Hunloke to John Joosten and John Hammell. The latter sale
•A..~ cunrirmed by the town council of Burlington. In November, 1678, Jegou
■,\;!s a deputy froin the Delaware river portion of New Jersey to the Assembly
-t Kli^abethtown.

The point of land made by Assiscunk creek and the Delaware on the Bur-
;;r,.,'t';.n side, was called Leasy's point, at the period of which we write. It wa.s
:: ni-ited place on the Delaware. In 166S, Governor Carteret granted permission
:■> IVter Jegou to take up land here on condition that he would settle and erect
.; li..use of entertainment for travelers. This he agreed to do, and at the point
l-.c opened the first tavern on the river, a famous hostelry in its day. \\'hen
('■■jvernor Lovelace visited the Delaware, 1672, it will be remembered that
i^aptain Garland was sent forward to Jcgou"s house to make arrangements
iV.r his accommodation, and persons were appointed to meet him there. The
r,.:]verncDr crossed the river at this point. George Fox, wdio visited the Dela-
ware the same year, likewise crossed at Leasy's point into Pennsylva-
nia and thence continued on to the lower settlements. The house was subse-
f;n:;ntly called "Point house," to which Governor Burnet opened one of his
vi,-tas from Burlington island. There is some evidence in favor of Lcasy Point
being on the east side of the creek, but the weight of testimony places it on the
V. r^c. Here the land is firm down to the water's edge, while on the east side
;!'cre is a marsh which prevents access to the point. Some antiquarians have
!;il!cn into error by locating it on the west side of the Delaware, in the neigh-
lurhixid of Bristol, but there is not a particle of evidence to sustain it.

The favorable accounts written home by the first settlers in West Jersey
•-tinuilated immigration and soon there was an accession to the population.
The Shield, of Hull, Captain Towes, arrived November 10. 1678, the first
Lnglish vessel that ascended as high as Burlington. A fresh gale brought
h.or up the river, and during the night she was blown in to shore where she made
f i-i t'l a tree. It came on cold, and the next morning the passengers walked
.T-li'ire on the ice. .-\.s the Shield passed the place wdiere Philadelphia stands,
••he passengers remarked what a fine place for a town. Among them were
Mahlr>n Stacy.'''- his wife, seven daughters, several servants, his cousin Thomas
i\'--vi-!. and William Pmley."' with his wife, two children, and four servants. The
pr.^songers by the Shield, and other ships, that followed the same year, settled
at Burlington, Salem, and other points on the river, a few finding their way
i:i'o Bucks county. Among those who came with the' West Jersey settlers, in
i'''78, was Benjamin Dufheld. the ancestor of the Pennsylvania family of that
'■ame. By the end of 1G7S it is estimate.! that William Penn had been the

'I'Tlio jurisdiction of tlie courts wt-t of the Delaware was extcudcJ into West
'■ r ry. m, the iirouuil that the •;o\ ercii;iity of that c.juntry did not pass to Carteret and
'• 'In '■•>■. wlu-n they purclia-ed the soil of the Duke of York.

■/- Mahlon .Si.icy.— '^on of John of Rallil'icld and Cinder Green. Yorkshire, and
■ •!:iry. d.augliter of J.'liu and Mary darland. Fulwood, his wife,— married Reliecca Ely,
'•I Mansfiekl. 20tli, 5th r,v>.. lUi--^. Wheiher ?\Iahi.>n Stacy was .1 Friend is n.u definitely
(-■■.'•uu, I)ut it is "-uppo^erl he u.is, from the fact that his marriage was entered of record
in pl.Tin lanijuatce. and his hroth.cr Thomas and sister were cunvened to I'rieuds" helief
'y Georsrc Fox's prenchini;. The wife of Mahloii Stacy was a -ister of Jo-hua lily,
^•■■-•-nor of the Fly f;nin!y of r.ncks. who died at Trenton. I70_'.
10 I'r.ihahly .Maidon .'^tacy's hroihcr-in-iaw. — Cope.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COiWTV.

means of scrnlintj sonic tiglit humlrcd settlors to this country, mostly F'riends.'"'
(_)f the Ens^'iisli settlers who came into the Delaware, 1677, under the
auspices of tlie tru^lces of West New Jersev, we know of hut three who settlecl
in this county: Daniel Erinson, Membury, county Devon, England, who ar-
rived the 28th of Seiitember, in the Willing Mind. He married Frances Green-
land. East Jer^ey, October 8, 1O81. John Pursloir, from Ireland, a farmer.
arrived in the rinenix, Captain Mathew Shaw, in August: Joshua Bore, ur
Boar, of Brainfield, Derbyshire, farmer, arrived in the Mardia, in September.
His wife. Margaret, of Horton Bavent, in Wiltshire, came in the Elizabeth
and Sarah, May 2y. 1C178. A son was borit to them June 29, 1681, and a daugh-
ter August 31. 16S5. Bore owned land in Falls and Middletown, but we are
unable to say in which township he lived. I'enn confirmed his patent [May 9.
1684. At the close of 1678 Govern(jr Andros appointed Feter Pocock surveyor
on the Delaware, who surveyed considerable land in Bucks county for the
immigrants, who arrived in 1679. Among those who arrived and settled at
Burlington, 1678. \\as Thomas Budd. who became a leading nian in the prov-
ince. He was thrice elected to the Assembly, was one of the chief promoters
of the erection of the meeting house, and in 1683 he and Francis Collins were
each awarded one thousand acres "about the falls." on the Xew Jersey side of
the river, for building a market and court-house at Burlington. Budd removed
to Philadelphia in 1685, where he died, 1698. He traveled extensively in Xew
Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in 1685 published iiT Eondon, "A true account
of the country." Among his descendants were Attorney General Bradford and
Lord Ashburton.

Mahlon Stacy, said to have descended from Stacy de Bellefield, a French
nfticer who accompanied William the Conqueror to England. 1066. a tanner
from Yorkshire, became interested in West Jersey. 1676, and. with four others,
purchased a tenth of the province. He took up eight hundred acres " on the
Delaware, covering the site of Trenton, and built a log dwelling at South Tren-
ton, and a log grist-mill, 1680, on the south bank of the Assanpink.'- Ab(iut
the same time Thomas Oliver built a mill on the Rancocas, and, for several
years, these were tlie only grain-mills in Xew Jersey. Stacy's mill, the first
along th.c Delaware, ground the grain of the early settlers of Bucks county.
and was carried across the river in canoes. He sold the mill to William Trent.
the founder of Trenton, 1690, who erected a two-.«torv stone mill on the ^ite.
This was undermined by the flood, 1843. and half of it carried away. iMahlun
Stuc> maile his mark on the Delaware and acquired large wealth. He was
meiiiher of the As>emlily, justice of the peace, and an active minister among
Friends, (in meeting days he paddled his canoe across the river, walked
to l~,-d!singto.n and un'.teil with l-'rieiids in worshiji. and continued it to his
death, T704. He left one son. and five daughters — one of whom married Joseph
Kirkbride, I-'alls : and his granddaughter, Rebecca Atkinson, was the ancestress
of the F.udds, of r.urlington, in the female line. From the testimony of two
earl\- travelers'-- on the Delaware, Stacv's dwelling was neither comfrrtable

lo'i Clark--oii.

II Tlie tsno ;icrc lr:u-t w.is 011 bntli sides ni \hv .\~s:nipink. and embraced tlu-
torrit.iry between dre.-n it reel ;in(! the OeLiware. and Suite anil I'erry street*, extcndnig
intii uhat l^ now llainiltiin t'lwnslnp, si.nth of tlic Assanpink

IJ The nil!! had the ^alile to the street, and .-.toi.d where MeCall's paper-mill stand-.
or sliM.d, if !..rn di wn.

1,1 Hankers and Slinier, 1671).

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. ■ 25

nor spacious. Thtv state, in their journal, they staid over nijjht at his house,-
and, altliough too tired to eat they were obliged to sit up all night, because there
was not room enough to lie down. The house was so wretchedly constructed
that unless they were close enough to the tire to burn, they could not keep
warm, for the wind blew through it everywhere.

In 16S0 Mr. Stacy wrote a letter to his cousin. Revel Stacy, of England,
in vin;!icat!on of the country on the Delaware. Ht; gave a glowing account,
but no doubt a true picture, of the fertility of the soil, health fulness of the
climate, and of the various productions of land and water. At that early day
there were apple orchards laden with fruit ; peaches, of the finest tlavor. hung
on the trees "almost like onions tied on ropes ;" forty bushels of wheat were
harvested for one sown : "great store" of wild fruits and berries : cherries,
strawberries, etc. ; the river swarmed with fish, and the woods were alive with
game. There appears to have been nearly everything the heart of man could
crave. "

14 The following is the text of Mahloii Stacy's letter: "■.^s to the strange rep^irts
you hear of us and our country, I affirm they are not true, but fear they are spoken in
envy. It is a country that produces all things for the sustenance of man in a plentiful
manner, or I should be ashamed of what I have heretofore written ; but having truth on
my side, I can stand before the face of all the evil spies. 1 have traveled through most of
the settled places, and some that are not, and iind the country very apt to answer the
e.xpectations of the diligent. 1 have seen orchards laden with fruit to admiration, planted
by tile Swedes, their very limbs torn to pieces with the weight, and most delicious to
tlie taste, and lovely to behold. I have seen an apple tree from a pippin kernel yield a
barrel of curious cider, and peaches in such plenty that some people took their carts a
peach-gathering. I could not but smile at the sight of it. They are a very delicate fruit,
and hang almost like our onions that are tied on ropes. I have seen and known this-
summer forty bushels of bold wheat harvested from one sown. We have from the time
called .May to Michaelmas, great stores of very good wild fruits, as strawberries, cran-
berries and huckleberries, which are much like bilberries in England, but far sweeter;
the cranberries much like cherries fiT color and bigness, which may be kept until fruit
comes in again; an excellent sauce is made of them for venison, turkey and great fowl;
lliey are better to make tarts than either cherries or gooseberries; the Indians bring them
to our houses in great plenty. My brother R.-.b^-rt had as many cherries this year as
would have loaded several car;>. From what I have cib.-,erved. it is my judgment that
fniit trees in this country destroy themselves by the very weight of their fruit. As for
venison and fowls we have great plenty ; we have brought home to our houses by the
Indians seven or eight fat bucks of a day. and sometimes put by as many, having no
occasion for them. My cousin Revel and I. with some of my men, went last Tliird-month
(5th-month. X. S.) into the river to catch lle^nng^, for at that time they came in great
shoals into the shallows. We had no net, but after the Indian fashion, made a round
pinfold about two yard.-^ over and a f<"it lui;li. but left a gap fcpr the tish to go in at. and
made a hush to lay in the g.Tp to keep the tish in. When that was done, we tcok two
long birches and t:ed tlieir t'lp- together, and went alMiul a stone's cast above our said
pinfold. Then hauling these birch bduulis down the stream, we drove thousands before
us, and as many got into our traps as it would hold. Then we began to throw them on
shore as fast as three < r four of us could by tw(3 or three at a time, .\fier this manner
in half an hour we could have i-lled a three bushel sack wilh as fine herring as ever I
saw." .\fter petting thriiut;li with his ("ishin.g party, Mr. Stacy g"t.s on to -ay: ".\s to
beef and pork tlKre is :i great pknty ..f It ;iit<l cheap; alsr, g.jnd sheep. The cciinmon grass
of the Country f.-cds beef verv fat. 1 have seen last f.iil in I'.urlington, killed, eight or

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV

William Trent, the fnunder of Trenton, a successful merchant of Phila-
deliiiiia, settled on the east bank of the Delaware oppo.-ite tlie falls. He pur-
chased, of .Mahlon Slacv, the younger, his tract of eight hundred acres inherited
from his father, lying un both sides the Assanpink, 1714. He removed thiilier
soon afterward and laid out a town, which increased rapidly and became tb.e
seat of the Supreme Court, 1724. Before the town was called after its founder
it was kn. iwn as ■Little Worth." William Trent died December 29, 1724.
His first wife, who was a sister of Colonel Coxe, died in the slate-rcof house.
Philadelphia. The first Presbyterian meeting house was erected in Trenton.
1712, and the countv of Hunterdon laid out, 1714, reaching from the Assan-
pink to the northern extremity of the state. In 1694 the Assanpink was made
the northern boundary of r>urlington county. Trenton was constituted a bor-
ough, 1746, but a post-oftice was established there as early as 1734. The paper-
mill on Green street, built 1741, on the site of iSIahlon Stacy's log mill of i6?o.
rebuilt by \\ illiam Trent, of stone, 1690, and converted into a cotton mill eighty
years ago. ^vas torn down about 1874. and the Assanpink will now flow "un-
ve.xed to the sea." The old mill and its surroundings are classic ground, for
imedintelv in front of it the tide in Revolutionary affairs took a turn that led
10 \ictory.

Professor Kalm describes Trenton, 1748, as "a long, narrow town, situate
some distance from the river Delaware on a sandy plain." It had U\o churches,
one Episciipal and the other Presbyterian; the houses were partly built of stone,
though most of them were of wood or planks, two stories high, with cellar
underneadi, and "a kitchen under ground close to the cellar." The houses
stooil apart with gardens in the rear. The landlord, with whom Kalm stopped.
told him that when he first settled there, twenty-two years before, there was

nine fat oxen anil cows un a market day, all very fat." Referring to the fish in the
Dehiuare again, he says; •■Though I have ■spoken only of herruig (lest any should
think we ha\e little other sorts), we have great plenty of most sorts of fish that ever I
saw in England, besides several other sorts that are not known there, as rock, cat-fish,
shad, ^heeps-head and sturgeon; and fowls as plenty, ducks, geese, turkeys, plieasants.
partridges, and many other sorts. Indeed, the country, lake it as a wilderness, is a brave
country, though no place will please all. There is some barren laud, and more wood than
some would have upon their land, neitlicr will the country produce corn without lab^^r.
nor is cattle got wuhi.ut SMUKthing to buy them, nor bread with idleness, else it would
be .1 brave cnintry indeed : I iiuestion not, but all then would give it a good word. 1-or
m> part I like it so well I never had the lea^t' thought of returning to England except
on acc.'imt of ira.ie." Under the same date he wrote to William C'>oU, of Sheffield, ami
otlurs of his friends at home: "This is a most brave place, whatever envious and e\ 1!
spies may -ay of it; I could wish yon all here. We have wanted nothing since we canu-
hither Imt the company oi onr good frieiuU and aot|uaintances. All our people are very
well, .ind ill a b..pefu! way t.. live much better th;!n ever they did. and not only sr.. but
to pn.vidc well fur tb.eir po>teri;y. I know not one amnng the people that de-ires to be
in England again, -ince.seiiled. I wond.cr at our Yorkshire pe-p!e that they bad rather
live ill scrviturle. w\'rk bard all the 'year and n^t be three jience the better at the ye ir s
end. than to stir nut of the chimney-corner and transport themselves to a place where,
wiih the like pains, in two or three ye.ars they might know belter things. T live as well
to my content and in as great plenty as ever I did. and in a far more likely way t.i set
,111 estate. I Signed 1 : "Maiiio.v St\.v

■■|"rom the falls of the Delaware in We-t Jer-ey. the JOth of 4th-moiuh, lO-i'

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY. 25

• l;ar.ily more than one house," but at this time there were about one hundred
'.'.u-^e-'. Their chief Ljain consisted in the arrival of numerous passengers pass-

• i../ between Philadelphia and Xew York. At that time this was the
.>reat thoroughfare for goods between these points, transported to Tren-
",',n" on the "river bv water, and thence across Xew Jersey by land
i-.-irria-e The price' of passengers between Philadelphia and Trenton,
i.v walcr, was a shilling and six-pence Pennsylvania currency, and extra for
la-:gage.'and passengers provided their own meat and drink. From Trenton
t.Vxew Brunswick the price was two shillings and six-pence, and the baggage
extra. Trenton, now a handsome and thriving city of 50,000 inhabitants, is
the capital of the state.

While there is no question :^Iahlon Stacy's was the first gristmill on the
,- >t bank of the Delaware, it is impossible to locate the first mill west of the
ri\er, in this countv. Its building could not have been long after the arrival 01
William Penn. for'mills were a prime necessity. It is less difficult to fix the
lir-t mill built in the state. This was erected by the Swedes in 1643 or 1^44 on
. ,.!>!)•. creek, near the Blue Bell tavern. Delaware county, but it is not known
..,1 which side . f the stream it stood. It is said to have been a '•fine mill, which
err. .iind both fine and coarse ilour. and was going late and early." It has long
since passed awav. but the spot about where it stood is well known. To itall
the settlers, who did not care to pound their grain into flour, took their grists
;.. be ground. In that earlv dav there was a path through the woods from up
'.lie Delaware, north of Xeshaniinv, down to the mill, along which the settlers
traveled back and forth. The court at Upland, in 1678, decided to have another
mill built, which one Hans :\Ioenses put up shortlv on MM creek-,
i!oar the present site of Marvlandville. In 1683 Richard Townsend and otners

■ ■rected a corn-mill on the site of the Chester ^lills, on Chester creek. ab_ove
I'pland. He was one of a company, formed in England, of which \\ ilh.am
I'eim was a member, in 1682. The mill was erected under the care of Caleb
I'nsev. and the materials brought from England. A mill to grind flour was
i.uilt'at Holmesburg in 1679. and we believe it is still standing and m pretty
f-xxl condition. \Vhen the British occupied Philadelphia they used it as a
I'arrack. but after their evacuation, it was again used as a mill and has been
ever since. The walls are thick and strong, and it shows very little signs r,t

■ ivcav. In i(>:;8 permission was given to Joost, Andriansen & Compaiiv to
build a saw and grist mill below "f urtle falls," the site for which they obtained
frei;n the Dutch^commissarw but we have no evidence these mills were ever
biiilt. The te^U to be taken bv the corn mills was regulated by law. 1675. ^"^
I'.S^ Richard Townsend erected a grist-mill on what is now Church lane, Ger-
numtown. for which he brought the machinery and most of the wood work from
l-.ngland. For -everal vears this mill ground the grists of the settlers for many
r.-.des rr.und. Thev carried the grain to the mill on their back, except one
It'.ckv Bucks cnuntian who made use of a tame bull for this purpose. The miU
changed hands manv times, the last owner being a son of FIngli Roberts, wno
'•■-■ught it. 1S35. The Frankford mill, late Duftield's. was used by the :>wedes
a> a mill before Penn's arrival.

I'crris. in a note to his "Original Settlements on the Delaware, says:

■ Tliere is an account preserved bv .-onie of the families descended from Isaac
'!.irri,.tt. Bristol. Pennsvlvania. that when Friends' yearly meeting was held at
Burlngton. Xew lersev. about the vear i(',R4. the family wanting '^ome hue
'! ur. fsaac t.",k u h.eat '■ -n h..r>ebaek w be gTMund at a mill JO iriles from his
o -deuce."

W-ii-,i»jJ4W».p»»^WMfiMlJ|l.liH<l|tW!|yWJW.^Jti,^;*l|^gM^^^

^■'^

[i,--'<klJ^liH^rJ^', Oii^ ttiiMttA^^aVa?ii.r^ 'S^^..'*^^^. ^tiiA\A.'>l~^<.

WILLIAM lEXN, AT THK .V.Ii Ol^ TWHXTV-TWO.

Frnm oriiinal in p..
Penn^.^lvania,

n of Historical Society or
e<i fr. ni lit,- in \(*'A.

CHAPTER III,

WILLIAM PEXX BECOMES PROPRIETARY OF PEXXSYLVAXIA.

1673 TO 1GS2.

William Pcnn first appears. — Sketch of life and character.— Grant of Pennsylvania. —
Why so named.— Penn writes a letter to the inhabitants. — Markham appointed deputy
governor. — Transfer of government.— Site of Pennsbury chosen. — Commissioners tc-
purchase land.— Silas Crispin and Thomas Holme— Site for Philadelphia selected. —
Immigrants of 1682. — Henry Paxson, John Brock, William Yardley, et al. — Races that
settled Bncks county.- English, Germansf Scotch-Irish, Welsh, Hollanders.— Indian
occupants. — Lenni Lenape. — Their treatment of children. — Tammany.

^\'il!iam 'Penn hr^t appears, in crmnoctiiin witli affairs in America in i'V'3.'
West Xew lersev was then held by Lonl Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, but,,
in March of that vear. Berkeley conveyed his interests to John Fenwick in trust
for Edward Bylliuire ; btit, some difficulty occurring between them. Willam
Penn was chosen arbitrator. In 1674 he was appointed one of the three trustees,
into whose hands the entire management and control of West Xew Jersey
[lassed. Through this agency he became the chief instrument in the settlement
nf tliat country, which attorded him an excellent opportunity to collect valttable-
infurmation concerning it. Xo doubt he directed his attention especially to the
west bank of the Delaware, and we have every reason for believing the favora-
ble accoiuits of it induced him to take the necessary steps to plant a colony of
I'rieuds here.

The founder of Pennsylvania, the son of Sir William Penn. an Admiral in
the luiglish navy, was born in London. October 14. 1644. His mother was a
daughter of Jnim Jasper, a merchant of Rotterdam. He was educated at
' >\fnrd. a classmate of John Locke, and noted for his talents and diligence in
study. While a student he attended a meeting of Friends and listened to a ser-
n-.'in preached by Thomas Loe, wliich made a deep imiiression on his mind. ( ""n
his return home his father tried to persuade him to give uji his religious con-
victions: this he refused and was driven from the house with blows; but his
fathvr relenting, thnu'igh the intercession of his mother, he was restored to favor.
He was nov,- sent abroad with persons of rank, in the hope that gay scenes and

1 Wlun the territory we.-t of the Udriware ciine uitr. Penn's pos-cs-,ion, lOXi. the
Swedes. Finns and Dutch settled alont; the river wert.- estiniate<l at .^.000. few in P.ucks
'""'inty, and fewer ICn^li-h

28 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

wordly company would drive religious tliuughts from his mind. He spent two
years in France, where he applied himself to the study of the language and
theology, and acquired all the polish of that polite nation. On his return to
England, 1664, he was entered a student of law at Lincoln's Inn. His religious
■convictions returning, his father sent him to Ireland, where he spent some time
at the gay court of the Duke of Ornioiid, and in managing his father's estates
there. \\"hi!e thus occupied he had an' oi)portunity of again listening to the
preaching of Thomas Loe. which interested him so deeply he became a con-
stant attendant at Friends' meeting. In the autumn, 1667, he was arrested, with
others, at a meeting at Cork, but was released. He now became closely identi-
fied with the Friends, which, reaching the ears of his father, he was ordered
home to England. Every persuasion and entreaty were used to induce him to
give up his connection with the despised "Ouakers," but in vain. Finally, his
father begged him, to at least take oft his hat in the presence of the king, the
Duke of York, and himself — hut he declined to accede to the request as it in-
volved a principle. He was again driven from home, but his mother, the ever
faithful friend, remained true to him, and often relieved him in great need.
Penn now became an open and avowed advocate of the religious doctrine of
the Friends, and the following year began to preach. He did not immediately
adopt their plain costume and speech, but, for some time, continued to wear
his sword and courtly dress. In time these were cast aside, and William Peim
identified himself, in all things, with the despised sect with which he had cast
his lot. and endured with them all the pjins and penalties the bigotry of the times
inflicted. He was only reconciled with his father at the latter's death-bed, when
he told William that he had "chosen tlie better part."

William I'enn was n'.arried, 1672, at the age of twenty-eight, to Gulielma
Maria, daughter of Sir Wdliant Springett, who lost his life in the civil v,■ar^,
a woman beautiful in person, and of great merit and sweetness of disposition.
He now gave himself wholly to the work of the ministry, making several relig-
ious journeys to different jiarts of Great Britain and the continent. At his
father's death he was left w ith. an income of not less than £1,500 a year.

The ajipearancc and ]iersonal character of William Penn are illy under-
stood by the world. The outlamlish painting, by Benjamin West, of the apocry-
jihal Elm-Tree Treaty re])reseiits him an old, broad-faced, very fat and clumsy-
looking man. as if he had been born, and brought up, in an ancestral broad-br.m
and shad-belly. Th.is picture is brought to the attention of I'ennsylvanir; chil-
dren in their early youth, and n<ver leaves them. William Penn was an entire-
ly different sort of- person. He was an accomplished and elegant gentleman;
polite and refined, and conversant with the usages of the most polished society
of that time. He was reared amid luxury; surrounded with all the appliances
of wealth, educated to all the refinement of that polished age. He wore a
swnrd like a true cavalier, anrl his portrait at the age of tweitty-three shows
him to have been a very handsome young man. He is said to have excelled in
athletic exercises. When he came to P'ennsylvania he was only 38, hardly in
his. prime; and. in.-tead of lieing the dumpy figure West p)aints him, he \va> ta!!'
and elegant in p^-r-on. with a handsome face and polished manners. Neither
was he an austere ascetic, luit indulged in the innocent pleasures of life, and
relislied all the giw.d thin-- that < l^d plnced at his hand. He was. in the truc-t
sense, a Christian gentleman and enlightened law-giver, tar in advance ';>f his
day and generatimi.

.\t the death of Admir.d IVnii the British government was foun^.l indLbte 1
to him, for >ervices rendered and on account of monev loaned about £16,000.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUMV. 29

In lieu of the nifnev William Pcnn propu^ed to receive land in America north
ui Marvland and west of the Delaware. He presented a petition to Charles II,
in Uine 1680 which uas laid before the privy cuuncil. A long and searching
course of proceednigs was had on the petition, and, after many vexatious de-
Iivs liis praver was cjranted, and a charter to Penn signed and issued. The
letters patent are dated .March 4th. loSi, The charier specifies that the grant
sliould be bounded bv the Delaware on the east, from a point twelve miles north
of New Castle to the forty-third parallel of latitude, and to extend five degrees
westward from the river, embracing ; — , , , ■

••-Vll that tract or part of land in America, with all the islands therein con-
tained as the same is bound on the east by Delaware river from twelve miles-
distant northward of Xew Castle town unto the three and fortieth degree ot
northern latitude, if the said river doth extend so far northward, then by the
said river so far as it doth extend, and from the head of tlie said river the east-
ern bounds are to be determined b^- a meridian line to be drawn irom the head
of the said river unto the three and fortieth degree, the said lands to extend
westward five degrees in longitude from the said eastern bounds, and the said
lands to be bound on the north by the beginning of the three and tortieth de-
gree of northern latitude." , , t-, ■

Penn and his heirs were constituted the true and absolute Proprietary ot
the countrv ; and he was empowered to establish laws, appoint officers, and do
other acts 'and things necessarv to govern the country, including the right to
erect manors, ^\■hen it became necessarv to give a name to the country covered
bv the o-rant Penn chose that of Xew VVales, but the king objected. Penn then
siV-cst^'ed "Svlvania," to which the king prefixed the word "Penn,' in honor
of Ins father, and thus the countrv was given the name it bears— Pennsylvania,
which means the high or head z.'ood-hvids. The king's declaration. ann..uncing
the grant and letters patent, was dated April 2, 16S1, and the deea ot the Duke
of York to William Penn was executed August 31."

William Penn's first act, dated -\pril 8, was to wnte a letter to
the inhabitants of Pennsvlvania. and on the loth he appointed his cousm
William Markham Deputv Governor and Commander-m-chiet ot the Irrovuice,
clothing him with full powers to put the machinery of the new governinent in
operation. At what time Markham sailed for America is not known but ne
find him in Xew York, with the king's letter, in June, ^vhlch, with his com-
mission, he laid before the Council and Commander in the. absence ot Covernor
Andros On the 21st the authorities at Xew York addressed a letter to the jus-
tices and other magistrates on the Delaware notif>ing them ot the change^

2 W-iUiam Pcnn, under date of 5th of i£t n.o., i(.8i, wrou- as follows to his fncnd.
Rc.hcrt Turner, eoncerning the name of the ne\v province (;ee Hazzard's Annals, y.>o1 :
■This dav nn- enuntrv was conlirnied to me under the great seal ot England, with large
powers and privileges, bv the name of Fennsylvania, a name the kmg would give it m
honor of mv fallier. I chose Xew Wales, being as this, a pr.tty hilly country, but Pent,
lein- Welsh for a head, as Pennanmoire in Wales, and Penrith in Cumberland, and
I'cnn in Buckinghamshire, the highest land in England, called this Pennsylvama, wh.cli
is the high or head woodland; for I propose<l, when the secretary, a Welshman, reiused
to have it called Xew W ak-s. Sylvania, and they added Pum to it; and though I was
much opposed. to it. and ueut to the king t,^ have it -truck ont and altered, he said it
was past and would take it upon him: nor could twenty guineas move the under secretary
to varv the name ; for I feared lest it should be looked on as a vanity in me. and not
as a respect m the kmg, as it truly was, to my father, wh.om he often memions with
praise.

30 HISTORY OF Bi'CKS COUXTY.

goveriinu-iit. In a tow ilays Cohjiiel Markliam repaired thither to enter u].m:,u
his duties, bearing with iiini I'enn's letter to the iniiabitants, assuring them
they should be governed by laws of their own making, and would receive the
most ample protection to person and property. Markham was authorized to
-call together a Council nf nine, which met and organized August 3, from which
time we may date tlie establishment of a civil government for Pennsylvania.
There was very little interference in the established order of things and the
people found a mild ruler in the Deput\- (Governor. The seat of government
was fi.xed at Upland, the present Chester. The old court closed its session Sep-
tember 13, and the new Court opened the next day. Among the business trans-
acted was the appointment of William L'.iles and Robert Lucas, who lived at
the falls. Justices of the Peace, and pounds, shillings and pence were declared
to be the currency of the country. But it was difficult to get rid of the guilders
after the\- had been so kmg in circulation. Cn November 20, the Deputy Gov-
ernor sat upon the bench and administered justice for the first time. It does
not appear that any immigrants accompanied him to Pennsylvania.

iMarkhani was instructed by William Penn to select a site, and build for
him a dwelling, and it was probably he who chose the spot whereon Pennsbury
house was erected in Falls township. We can imagine him prospecting along
the west bank of the Delaware for a suitable location for the home of the
Proprietary that afterw ard became historical. We have no doubt he came over-
land from Xew York, and possibly, as he traveled along the western bank of
the Delaware, or sailed down its broad bosom from the falls, he was struck
■with the extensive and fertile tract still known as "the manor,'' then covered
"with a growth of giant timber, and returned thither to fix the site of Pennsbury
house. To hasten the work on his arrival, he brought the frame with him and
mechanics to put it together.

September 30. i68r, William Penn appointed William Crispin, John
Bergar and Christopher Allen, Commissioners, to go to Pennsylvania with
power to purchase land of the Indians, and select a site for, and lay out, a
great city. About the same time he appointed James Harrison his "lawful
agent," to sell for him any parcel of land in Pennsylvania of not less than 250
acres. Penn. in a letter of Septemljcr 4. iTiSi, gives the cinnlitions upon which
land is to be sold, and the quantity, to each purchaser. Settlers were to receive
fifty acres fiir each servant they took out, and 50 acres for each child. Those
tori pour til Iniy could take up land at a rent of one penny an acre, 200 acres to
each head of a family, and 30 acres to each servant at the same rent. The rent
of poor servants was afterward reduced to one-half penny per acre. Penn
agreed to buy the passage of those too poor to pay their own, but they must
pay double rent. William Penn pledged himself that this rent should never
■be raised, and it was not.

It is current histrirv that Penn appriinted his cousin. WilHam Crisjiin,^ the
first ."survexor-i ieneral nf iIk- Cnl-iuv. but no proof of this has been found, his
onl\- known comniiss'on being fi t "Cnmmissioner." It is said the vessel he
sailed in, was lilnwn off the Cape of DeLiware and carried to the West Indies
-where he tlied. Ibiwever this may be. Captain Thomas Holme was appointed

3 Capt. William Cri-ipiii inarriftl lir^t, 1650. Annie Jasper, dausjliter of John Jasper, a
merchant of RiHtertlani, H'lllanil. ami a sifter iif Margaret Ja<;per, the Wife of .\ilniiral
Penn, and nTither <>t WilUain Pi-i;n Si.iiie aiulinrities slate that John Ta^pir was a
n.-iti\e i.f RoUcnhini. anil riiher.~ tliat he ua- an En^lishnian liy liirlli. Had Captain Crispin
livr.l Penn inteii'led app. lui'.inv,' hini Chief Jii-tiee.

HISTORV OP BUCKS COUNTY. 31

I-,!- successor April iS, 1682. He was a native of Watert'ord, Ireland, and
ulicii a youiiij man, hafl served in Admiral Penn's fleet in the West Indies. He
\\a> accompanied to T'ennsslvania. liy his two sons and two daughters, Silas
I'rispin. son of .his predecessor and John, eldest son of James Claypole. There
In a dispute as to the time Captain Holme sailed. He resided in i'hiladelphia
b;it owned land in P.ristol township, though it is not known he ever lived there.
His two sons died in his life time, tlis daughter Esther married Silas^ Cris-
pin. wJio came with him to America, and their daughter, Eleanor, became the
ancestress of the Harts, of Warminster, the Davises of Southampton, iJlackfans,
Houghs, and other county families in the female line

Among the earliest acts of INlarkham and the Commissioners was the
selection of a site for a great city resulting in the founding of Philadeljjhia.
Tiiey were instructed by Penn to make careful soundings along the west side
of the Delaware and creeks, to ascertain "where most ships may best ride,
of deL])est draft of water." It is not known how far up the Delaware was ex-
amined, but there is a tradition that Pennsbury, at one time, was selected as the
site for the capital city, but it was finally fixed where it stands, between the
Delaware and Schuylkill- We are told that within a few months Philadelphia
contained eighty houses and cottages, and more than three hundred farms were
laid out and partly cleared. In the summer, 1684, the city contained three
lumdred and fifty-seven houses, many of them large and well-built, with cel-
lars. In 1685 the houses had increased to six hundred. Within little more than
two years from its settlement, ninety ships had arrived, bringing seven thousand
two hundred passengers. Oldmi.xon says that in 1684 Philadelphia contained
i\\(,> thousand five hundred inhabitatits.'

Pefore I'enn left England, many persons had purchased land in I'enn-
sylvania to whom deeds were given, the surve_\s to he made after their arrival.
-Markham and the commissioners issued a number of warrants for the survey
of land, which may be found by consulting the records. The oldest deeds on
record in Bucks county are those of I'enn to Thomas Woolrich, of Shalford,
county StatTord, ior one thousand acres, dated April i, iCiSi ; and from Penn
to James Hill, of Peckington, county Somerset, shoemaker, dated July 27,
H'Si, for five hundreil acres. In each case it is mentioned that the r|uit-rent
i> one shilling per one hundred acres. It is not known that either of these pur-
cliasers settled in this county.*'-

.4 The ■following, on the subject of the location of Philadelphia, i5 from Watson's
Annals: '■Samuel Preston says of his grandmother, that she said Phineas Pemherton
-urveyed and laid out a town intended to have been Philadelphia up at Pennsbtiry, and
'■iat tl-.e people who went there were dissatisfied with the change. On my expressing
'I"Mtit> of this, thinking she might have confused the case of Chester removal, Mr. Preston
vun further declared, that having nearl> forty years ago (.about 1786) occasion to hunt
through the trunks of surveys of John Lukens. Surveyor General of Pennsylvania, he and
I-'.'.kcns tlu-ii so:.' 3 gnnind plat for the city of Philadelphia, signed Phineas Pemberton,
>i:r\ey.ir-General. that fully .appeared to have been in Pennsbury manor; also another
lor tlie present town of Bristol, called P.uckingham." The theory of Samuel Preston is
'■riMly overturned by tlie two facts, that Pemberton did iiot reach Pennsylvania until after
l':nlailelphia was laid out, and tli.n he was never "Surveyor-General."

4'j The deed of John Hart, ancestor of the author, in the female line, is a case in
V '■ t. Penn executed a deed to liitn tor a thousand acres at Worminghurst, England, in
1'''"^!, and after his arrival. ui<j. lie lo^-ated live hiuiilred in P.yberry. and the same in
^\ arminsier township. Puck-- county. 'I'lu author has the deed.

32 lUSrORV OF BUCKS COUXTY

Several immigTanti arrived in ioS_>, previous to William Peun, and settlcJ
in Bueks county. Am )tij:;; these were Richard Amor, Jiuckelbury, Berkshire:
Henry rax.-;on, Bycot !iou.->e. jjarish ot Slow, county of Oxford. He embarked
with his family, hut his wife, sun, and brother Thomas died at sea, and his
daughter Elizabeth only survived to reach her father's m^w home on the Dela-
ware. He Settled in iMiddletown, and married Margery i'lumle}' August 13,
1684; Luke Brinsley, of Leek, county Stafford, mason, arrived September js.
and settled in Falls. He was probably a servant of William Penn, for he was
in his employ as "ranger;" John Clows, jr., Gosworth, county Chester, with his
brother Jciseph, sister Sarah, who married John Bainbridge. 1685, and servant,
Henry Lingart, and settled in Lower IMaketield. Clows died, 10S3. and Lingart
soon after his arrival. Another immigrant, named Clows, arrived about this
time bringing three children,' Margery, Rebecca and William, and servants
Joseph Chorley, Daniel Hough and John Richardson. Clows married Mary
Ackerman, August 2, 16S6; John Brock, or Brockman, Stockport, County Ches-
ter, with two servants, one named Eliza Eaton, and followed by a third in an-
other vessel, who settled in Lower IMakefield. tie was possibly the ancestor of
the Erocl:s of Doylestown. One authority says he came from Braniall, Chester.
He had two grants of land, one for one thousand acres, dated I\Iarch, 16S1.
and another March 3, 16S1, the acres not mentioned; William Venables, Chat-
hil. County Stafford, came with his wife Elizabeth, and children Joyce and
Francis, settled in Falls and died December, 16S3; George Pownall and Eleanor
his wife, Laycock, County Chester, farmer, with five children and three ser-
vants, John Breasly, Robert Saxdor and }.Iartha Worral. Pownall ^\•as killed
by the fall of a tree, the first accidental death known in the county, one month
and two days after his arrival, and a son, George, was born twelve days after-
ward. These and other immigrants came in the ships Sanuiel, and Frienils"
Adventure. The servants, who accompanied them, were indentured to serve
four years, and, at the end of the time, each was to receive his freedom and fifty
acres of land — the condition of all indentured servants brought from England
at that period.

The settlement of \\t\w countries is governed by a law as well defined as
that of commerce or finance. From the time the human family first went abroa<l
to found colonics to the present day, civilization has traveled up the valleys of
rivers and their tributaries, while the wealth, developed b>' labor and capital.
has as invariably flowed down tliese same valleys to the sea. This law was ob-
served by our ancestors. Planting themselves upon the Delaware tli^y grad-
ually extended uj) its valley and the valleys of the Poqucssing. Pennypack and
Ncshaminy and penetrated the interior. At the end of the second year after
Penn's arrival, we find settlers scattered here and there through the wilderness
as high up as Wrightstown. Warringtiju and L'pper ^Lakeficld.

Bucks county was settled by three distinctly-marked races, whose peculiari-
ties are seen in their descendants — the English, the German, and the Scotcli-
Irish. A fourth race, the Welsh, followed tlie other three, and settled some
portions of the middle and upper sections of the county. Init their descendants
are not so distinctly marked. They were generally Baptists, and, while they
did not introduce that worship into the county, they added largely to its coni-
niunion and strength. This mi.xture of peoples gives our populatiiui a very
composite character. The first to arrive were the English, mostly Friends, \\lio
immediately preceded, came with, or followed William Penn. and settled in the
lower parts of Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks. They were the fathers and
founder.-, of the commonwealth, and have left their lasting impress upon our

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 33

society and laws. They were followed by tlie (jernians, who transferred the
l.iiiguag'e and customs of the Rhine to the Sclniylkill, the upper Delaware and
the Lehigh. They were of several denominations, the Lutherans, Reformed
and Mennonites predominating. The Germans came close upon the hcelb of the
English Friends, who had hardly seated themselves on the banks of the Dela-
V, are before the language of Luther was heard on the Schuylkill. As early as
iM>^_'-83 a few settled where Germantown stands, and to which they gave the
name. They were followed by a number of German Friends, from Cresheim,^
near Worms, 16S6, having been convinced by William Ames. They came in
considerable numbers soon after 1700. In the fall of 1705, two German agents
came to view the land, and \\-ent pretty generally through the country, but re-
turned without buying. In the winter of 1704-5, Penn writes to James Logan
tliat he has an hundred German families preparing to go to Pennsj-lvania, which
will buy thirty or forty thousand acres of land. In the summer of 1709 Penn
announces to Logan the coming of the Palatines (Germans), and charges him
t.j use them "with tenderness and care ;" saVs they are "a sober people, divers
.Mennonites, and will neither swear nor fight" — a great recommendation with
tlic founder. Tender and considerate William Penn I — he wants these strangers
treated with tenderness and care when they come to their new" homes in the
wilderness! Between 170S and 1720 thousands of Germans arrived from the
I'alafinate. About 171 1 several thousand, who had immigrated to New York,
left that Province and came to Pennsylvania because they were badly treated.
.\fter this no Germans would settle there. In 1717 James Logan deprecates
the great number oi Germans that are coming, which he says "gives the country
sume vmeasiness." He writes, in 1714, that Sir ^\'illiam Keith, the governor,
while at Albany, two years before, invited the New York Germans to come to
I'ennsylvania to increase his political influence; fears they may be willing to
usurp the country to themselves ; and four years later he is glad the influx of
>trangers will attract the attention of Parliament. There may have been gen-
uine fear on the ]iart of the authorities, which complained of tlie Germans as
l"'Id and indigent, and seized upon the best vacant tracts of land without paying
fur it. To cUscourage their coming here the Provincial Assembly laid a tax of
~<i>. a liead on each newly arrived ser\ant. The grivcrnment had become so
jealous of the Germans and other immigrants, not English, by this time, that
all attempts at naturalization failed until 1724, under the administration of
Giuvernor Keith.

The third race to arrive was the Scotch-Irish, as they are generally called,
but properly Scotch, and not the offsiiring of the marriage of Gael and Celt,
riiey were almost exclusively Presbyterians, the immigration of the Catholic-
Irish setting in at a later period. The Scotch-Irish began to arrive about 1716-
i"'^- Timid James Logan had the same fear of these immigrants he had of the
' 'vrnians. They came in such numbers, about 1729, he said it looked as if
"Ireland is to send all her inhabitants to this Province," and feared they would
make themselves masters of it. Fie charged them of possessing themselves of
'■•'•e Conestoga manor "in an audacious and disorderly manner," 1730. The 20s.
liead-tax laid the year before had no effect in restraining them, and the stream
i!"\ved on in spite of unfriendly legislation. No wonder — it was an exodus from
a laml of oppression V^ one of civil and religious liberty !

The Scotch-Irish have a history full of interest. In the sixteenth centur>'
the Province of Ulster. Ireland, which had been nearly depopulated during the

5 Tl-.L njime "Crcsheiiii" is spelled in twn, if not, tbrec, ways.

34 HISTORY Of BUCKS COUXTV.

Irish rebellions in the rei5;n of Elizabeth, was peopled by imniir;;rants from Scr.t
land. The otter of land, and other inducenients. soon drew a large population
distinguished for thrift and industry, across the narrow strait that separates
the two countries. They were Presbyterians, and built their first church in
County Antrim, 1613. The population was largely increased the next fifiv
years under the persecutions of Charles II. and James II.. in their eltori 1}
establish the church of England over Scotland. There has been but little inter-
marriage between the Irish and those Scotch-Saxons, and the race is nearly a>
distinct as tiie day it settled in Ireland. In the course of time persecution fcl-
lowed these Scotch-Irish into the land of their exile, and, after bearing it a-
long as it became men of spirit to bear, they resolved to seek new homes ii;
America, where they hoped to find a free and open field for their industry aiii]
skill, and where there would be no interference with their religious belief.

Their immigration commenced the first quarter of the eighteenth century.
six thousand arriving in 1729; and it is stated that for several years, prior V:
the middle of the century, twelve thousand came annually. A thousand fair.-
ilies sailed from Belfast in 1736, and it is estimated that twenty-five thousaii>; ;
arrived between 1771 and 1773. Nearly the whole of them were Presbyterian.-. ;
and settled in Pennsylvania. .Many of them came into Bucks coimty in ques;
of homes, and, in a few years, w^e find them scattered over several section-
from Xeshaminy to the mountains north of the Lehigh. They were the found-
ers of all the old Presbyterian churches in the county. A\'c had no class of
immigrants that excelled them in energy, enterprise and intelligence.

A considerable number of Hollanders settled in the lower section of thv '
county in the first quarter of the eighteenth century, principally on the Xe- '
shaminy and its branches, but their descendants have quite lost their character- ;
istics of race, in the hotch-potch of many peoples. These several races came t-
the wilds of Pennsylvania for a two-fold object, to better their worldly con-
dition, and for freedom to worship God. Religious persecution in Europe drove
to the new world the bc-st immigrants that peopled this county. The Catholic-
Irish, now found in large numbers in the county, began their migration at .'.
much later period, altliough from the earliest time an occasional Irishman maac
liis home in Penn's new Province.

Before the arrival of Europeans, Bucks county was occupied, and the s"i'
owned by Indians known as the Lenni Lenape, or original pcol^lc, who dwelt
on both banks of the Delaware from its mouth to its source, and reaching t
the Susquehanna in the interior. They were divided into a number of m-w '
tribes, sijcaking as many dialects of the same common language. The Engli^! ;
called thent the Delaware Indians because they lived upon that river. Tli'"
greater portion of those who lived within the jiresent limits of the county were
known as Xeshaminies. probably from the name of one of our largest and nio-'-
beautiful streams. The Lenni Lenapes originally came from the valley of tii'-"
Mississippi, whence they were dri^■en by more powerful neighbors, and sougi''-
a quiet home on the banks of the Delaware. Europeans found them a nr.l-:
amiable and kindly-disposed people ; and. on their first arrival, the Indians as-
sisteil to feed them, and in some instances, the early settlers would probabl;-
have starved without the friendly help of their red neighbors. Gabriel Thoma-.
in his early account of Pennsylvania, says of the Indians: —

"The children are washed in cold water as soon as b(jrn. and to harder.
them they are plunged into the river. They walk at about nine months. '1!'-'
boys fish until ab^ut lifteen when they hunt, and if they have given proof <'.
their manhood bv a large return (u' .skins. the\- are allowed to niarr\', usuallv • '

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

33

about seventeen or eighteen. The girls stay with their mothers and help to hoe
the ground, plant corn and bear burdens. They marry at about thirteen or
fourteen. Their houses are made of mats or the bark of trees set upon pole'^
not higher than a man, with grass or reeds spread on the ground to lie upon
They live chiefly on maize or Indian corn roasted in the ashes, sometimes beaten
and boiled witli water, called hominy. They also eat beans and peas. The
woods and river furnish the greater part of their provisions. Thev eat but
two meals a day. morning and evening. They mourn a whole year, but it is
no other than blacking their faces." Proud says : "The Indians along the
Delaware, and the adjacent parts of Xew Jersey and Pennsylvania, so far as
appears by the best accounts of the early settlement of the provinces, when
clear of the elTects of the pernicious poison of strong liquor, and before thev
had nnich imbibed, and, to their, unnatural depravity, added such European
vices as before thev were strangers to, were naturallv, and in general, faithful
and hospitable." ' *175514l'

Before the settlements along theDelaware fell mto the hands of the Eng-
lish, the Dutch authorities prohibited the selling of powder, shot and strong
lifiuors to the Indians, under pain of death. Isaac Still'' was a celebrated Indian,
of good education, and the leader of the last remnant of the Delaware tribe
adjacent to Philadelphia. His only son, Joshua, was educated at Germantown.
In 1771 Isaac Still moved up into Buckingham where he collected the scattered
remains of his tribe, and in 1775, he, with 40 persons, started off to the ^\'abash.
These were mostly females, the men having gone before. He is described as a
fine-looking man." wearing a hat ornamented with feathers. The women
inarched off in regular order, bareheaded, each with a large pack on her back
fa>tened with large straps across the forehead.

Among the prominent Indians, natives of the county, were Captain Har-
''.son, born in Buckingham and intended for the Delaware chieftain, and Teedy-
uscung, a man of superior natural abilities, who spoke English and could read
and write. The bones of the great Tamany, the affable, are said to repose in
the valley of the beautiful Xcshaminy. Captain Plarrison refused to leave his
aged mother when she was seized with the small-pox, and he fell a victim to it.
and was buried on the Indian tract. In 1690 there were several settlements of
Indians in Buckingham and Solebury, on the Fell, Pownall and Streaper tracts.
They were peaceably inclined and sometimes supplied the settlers with meats
and vegetables. Their children and those of the whites played together. On
tlie farm of the late Henry Beans, Buckingham, is a spring that still bears the
name of "Indian Spring," from the fact that Indians encamped about it many
\ears after the country was well settled. Peg Tuckemony, who lived on the
.^!ri-et road above Sand's corner, and employed herself making baskets, is said
to have been the last of her race in Buckingham. She is remembered by the
present generation, and she made a school basket for the late Simon Meredith,
Doylestown. when a school-bov. Isaiah, her husband, died about 1830.

6 In 1679 the following Fi-dian chiefs were living along the Delaware from Cold
Spring up to about Taylo'rsville: Mapierakickan, Anrichtan, Sackoqnewano, and Xan-
neekos.

7 Samuel Pre>toii.

CHAPTER IV

PEXX SAILS 1-OR HIS NEW COLONY.

1G82.

Pent! sai'= for .Pennsylvania. — ArrivL\s at Xew Castle. — Meets the inhabitants. — Visits
Philadelphia. — The Fir.-t Assemhly ^oes to New York. — The Welcome passengers,
John Rowland, Thomas Fitzwater. William Buckman, Nicholas Wain, John Gilbert.
Joseph Kirkbride. — Condition of the country. — First purchase from the Indians. —
Penn buys more land. — Treaty of i6S6. — The Walking Purchase. — Tamany. — Lands
Granted. — The Great Law. — I'oinilatinn nn Penn's arrival. — Assemlily of 1683. — Seal
of Bucks county. — House of Correction. — The county court. — Sumptuary Laws. —
Marking cattle. — Ear marks. — Ov.ni.r5 cf cattle in Bucks county, 1684.

William Penn embarked fcr Pennsylvania in the \\'elconie. the Quaker
Maxliuwer, of 300 tons, Robert (.".reeiiway, master. September i, 16S3. He was
accomiianied by 100 immisjrant.s, mostly Friends. They had a long and tedious
passaqe and their suffering was aggravated by the smallpox breaking out. 01
which 30 passengers died. Penn was assiduous in his attention to the sick.
and greatly endeared liimselt to all. The vessel entered the Capes of Delaware
(Jctobcr J4 : arrived before Xcw Castle the 27th. wlien l^enn received possession
of the country and stibmission of the inhabitants, lie was at Upland the 2ytli
and from there sent word to some of the leading inhabitants to meet him at
Xew Castle on Xovember 2, to settle the question of jurisdiction and other mat-
ters. At this meeting he took occasion to address the people, explaining the
nattire of his grant, etc. He desired them to bring, at tlie next court, their
patents, surveys, grants and claim >. to have tlicm adjusted and confirmed. C>n
Xovember 2. Penn visited Philadeliihia. with a number of Friends, to attend
Quarterly Meeting. Traditi.on tells iis he came np the river in a boat and
landed at the mouth of Dock creek, near a building then being erected, and
afterwanl known as the "I'liie .Anchor Tavern." He convened an .\ssembly
at L'pland. the 4th (-if December, at which were (iresent from P.ucks county.
Christopher Taylor. (^rlBrih Joiu-s and William Vardley. It continued in ses-
sion four days, passing about one hundred laws nt pressing importance, in-
cluding the act of I'ninii which imitcd the territories nf Xcw Castle and Kent
to Peniisyhania. .An election was ordered for the 20th of February, 16S2.'

I Old style.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

for members of Council and Assembly, to meet at Philadelphia the loth of I\Iarcli
following. In the proclamation, addressed to "Richard Noble- high sheriff of
the county of Bucks,^ he was required to "summon all the freeholders of thy
bailiwick to meet at the falls upon Delaware river" ;■* when William Biles,
Christopher Taylor, and James Harrison were elected to the Council, and Wil-
liam Yardley, Samuel Darke. Robert Lucas, Xicholas Walne, John Wood, John
Clows, Thomas Fitzwater, Robert Hall, and James Boyden, to the Assembly,
whose names are signed to the Great Charter.^

After giving some directions about the building of Philadelphia, we next
find William Penn making a visit to New York. We know nothing of his jour-
nev, but no doubt he took the overland route, going up the river in a boat, to
the falls, stopping on the way at Burlington to visit the Friends' settlement,
and view the site Alarkham had already selected, and upon which he was erect-
ing his manor house, and thence on horseback across New Jersey to Elizabeth-
town Point, where he took boat for New York. This was probably the first
time the great founder set foot in Bucks county.

Of the one hundred immigrants the Welcome brought to the wilderness
west of the Delaware, the heads of families were generally persons of standing
and intelligence. About one-half of all who arrived with Penn settled in this
county, and their descendants are found here to this day, many of them bearing
the same names and some living on the ancestral homesteads. Of the Welcome
passengers who settled in Bucks, we are able to name the following :

Thomas Rowland, Billinghurst, Sussex, husbandman, with his wife Pris-
cilla, and servant Hannah ^vlogeridge, who settled in Falls and died 1705.
John Rowdand, a brother, came at the same time ;

Thomas Fitzwatcr, Hanworth, county of ^Middlesex, near Hampton Court,
husbandman, with sons Thomas and George, and servants John and Henry.
His wife and two children died at sea, on the passage. He was a member from
Bucks, of the first Assembly, and died 1699;

William Buckman, parish of Billingsliurst, Sussex, carpenter, with Hilary
his wife, and children Sarah and Alary. He patented three hundred acres in
tiie lower part of Northampton township, 16S6, which he sold to John Shaw,
and bought a tract in Nev.'town. on the Neshaminy, of Robert Webb, 1695, and
died diere. Fie was the ancestor of the Buckmans still living in Newtown. The
'ic^cendants of ^^'iIliam Buckman are supposed to number two thousand souls.
Jacob Buckman, ^^•ho died near Aloorestown, N. J., 1S69, was lineally de-
scended in the seventh generation ;

Cuthbert Hayhurst, Easington, Yorkshire, with his wife and four clul-
dren, wdio took up a tract of five hundred acres near Rocksville, Northampton
township, the farm of the late Alordecai Carter being part of it. He was a
Friend and belonged to Middletown meeting, dying Alarch 5, 16S3, at the age
of fifty. He was one of the earliest Friends in his native county, and was ini-
prisrined, 1654-1666, and at other times. His daughter Alary married William
Carter ;

2 First sheriff of the- cmir.ty.

3 By namiiig lliis cnunty "Bucks"' in the first proclamation William Penn issued
sfter his arrival, it wnuhl seem lie had lixcc! upnn tlic name, pnssilily before leaving
Knffland.

4 The first election held in the county.

5 It was drawn by James Harrison and Thomas Fitzwater, both Bucks county men.

38 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

Richard Ingals, or Ingols, settled in Wa.shington, but we hear nothing
UtrthiT of him ;

Thomas Walmsly, with Ehzabeth his wife, Yorkshire, settled in North-
ampton, where he died soon after his arrival. He had bought land before leav-
ing England, and brought with him irnn^, and other articles, to be used in the
erection of a mill. His wi(lo\s- married Juhii Purslone ; and his eldest sou,
Thomas. Mary, daughter of W'illiaui Jr'axson, and settled in Bensalem, lOgS.
The youngest son married Marv Searl. i()99. and settled in Southampton:

Nicholas W'alne. with wife aiul three children, of Yorkshire, settled in
Middletown, but owned land in Northampton. He became prominent in our
history ; was a member of the first and subsequent Assemblies, and died Au-
gust, 1721. He has numerous descendants in Philadelphia:

Thomas \\'rigglesworth and wife. Yorkshire. He died, 1686:

Thomas Croasclale, wife and six children, and Thomas Stackhouse and
wife, Yorkshire, who settled in .Middletown, and Ellen Cowgill and children
from Yorkshire ;

John Gilbert came. 16S2. and is thought to have been a Welcome [ias-
senger. although his name is ni_>t on the list examined by tlie author. He settled
in Bensalem, but removed shortly to Philadelphia, where he became a prominent
merchant, and died, 171 1. The name of Thomas Gillett'''= is on the list of \\'el-
come passengers, but it is possible the Bensalem settler should be Thomas in-
stead of John. James Claypole, a relative of Oliver Cromwell, through his
daughter, who married Lord General Claypole, purchased land in this count}',
but never lived here. He became a merchant of Philadelphia, and was a part-
ner in the Free Society of Traders. He was accompanied by his daughter.

Among the Welcome jjassengcrs was Joseph Kirkbride," a youth of nine-
teen, son of Mahlon and Magdalene, of the quaint little town of the same name.
Cumberland. One account sa_\s he arrived in the John and Sarah, 16S1, lea\--
ing England in August. The family records state that he came in the Wcl-
come. He ran away from his master, and started for the new world with a
little wallet of clothing auil a tiail. He was first employed at Pennsbury, but
soon removed to \\ est Jersey. He married Phebe, daugliter of Randall Black-
shaw, March 14th, 108S, and at her death. Sarah, daughter of Mahlon Stacy,
December 17th, 1702: she died in three years, leaving a son, Mahlon. and tun
daughters, who married .\bel Janney and Reuben Pownall. Joseph Kirkbride
lived to become an influential an<l wealthy man, and leading minister ami.ing
Friends: was a magistrate and member of Assemblv. He went to England,
1699, returning 1701, visiting lii^ oM master in Cumberland and paying him
for the services he had deprived him nf, seventeen vears before. He died, 1738.
at the age of seventy-five. Fr'>ni his sou Mahinn have descended all that bear
his name in this county, and u'.any elsewhere, and a numerous posteritv in tl'.e
female line. He married Mary, ilaughter if John and Mary Sotcher, favorite
servants of William I'enti. at the age ni twenty-one, and settled in Lower Make-
field, where he Iniilt a stone mansion tliat stood until 1855, when torn down
by a grandson of the same nan:e. Colonel Josepli Kirkbride, who lived opposite
r.orflento\\ n. .■uid w.'i- prouuniiit in the count\' during the Revolutionary
struggle, was a grand-on of the first Jo.-(.ph. and son of the Joseph who

5' J This n.iiiK- i^ |).'v^i!i!y ii);---](elli •!.

6 A J. <^\>\\ KirklTiiIc c:i!i!c i;i tin- iW\<>,\ F.ivtnr. landing it.s passengers in tl.c
Dtlauari.-, 10 nn)., II, Hj."^!.

HISTORY or BCX'KS COUXTV. 39

ir^arrii-d Sarah Fletcher, Abington, 1724. The Liritish burnt Colonel Kirk-
|..iile's mansion. 1771^-' Mahlon Kirkl)ri(le, Lower .Makefiekl. had in his pos-
-;'^<i>>n, and which came from the I'enns throusjh the Scotchers. a brass candle-
vuck, an oaken chest, and the remains of Letilia Penn's cradle, in which most
(,! the voung Kirkbrides were rocked. Probably other Welcome passengers
-■.ttlcd in this county, but in the absence of a list entirely correct, it is impos-
-'lilc h> say who they were.'*

(Jnr readers must not lose sight of the actual condition of the country when
IVun and his immigrant Friends planted themselves on the Delaware. If we
exce]5t the clearing of an occasional Dutchman, or Swede, or the few English
>e;t!ers who had prcceiled the founder, what is now a cultivated and pleasing
landscape, was then an unbroken wiklerness. The river swarmed \vith fish of

LETITI.4 HCNN S CRADLE.

exrollent flavor, and the forest was filled with game of various kinds and much
will! fruit, while the Indians roamed unrestrained. These exiles, from com-
I'Tiable English liomes. sat down in the w<:iods seeking the friendly shelter of
a tree, a cave, or otherwise as best they could until a rude cabm could be built;
ami wild game and native corn, both the gift of the red man. often fed them
and their family until trees were felled and crops raised. Those who located
near streams had a never-failing supply of fish. Mills were rare and at a dis-

7 As early as 171S tlie a>seniMy o-tablislicd a forry at Kirkbride's laiidiiii;, which
wa^ afterward known as llordi-ntown ferry.

t^ The first settlers hrou.qht with them certihcatcs of good character from the meet-
iniTs they belonged to. which, with the names of their parents, children and servants,
the vessel they came in, and the time of their arrival, were entered in a book kept for
'he purpose by Phinea.s Pemlierton. clerk of the court. .XinoiiK the early settlers there
is observed an almost entire absence of middle names. They had not yet come into use.

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUXTV

tance, and some even carried grain on their back to the Schuylkill.'-' The coun-
try was without roads, and those who traveled followed bridle paths throng'.;
the woods, or in canoes along riie streams. Life was a stern, hard struggle, the
present generation, living in at'lluence and plenty, cannot realize. At tirst thcv
were without plows, using hoes instead, to break up the ground. In 16S7 the
crops failed on both sides of the river, and the settlers were put to great stre.-s
for food, some living on herbs iniiil their necessities were relieved by the arrivr;!
of a vessel with corn from Xew England. Wild pigeons were in such abun-
dance they furnished a supply of food, on several occasions, when other source-
failed.

William Penn was very favorably impressed with the Swedes he foun'i
inhabiting the Delaware and its tributaries, and wrote to England flattering
accounts of their treatment of himself and the English colonists. He say;
they were principally given to husbandry, but had made a little progress in the
propagation of fruit trees ; they were comely and strong of body ; had fine chil-
dren and plenty of them : and he sees "few young men more sober and indus-
trious." Some have contended there was a "Swede's line," running from Up-
land through Philaf'elphia and part of Bucks, half a rnile from the Delaware,
marking the western boundary of land the Duke of York confirmed to tb.e
Swedes, and wliich Penn reconfirmed. Penn recognized every grant by the
Duke of York, but we have not been able to discover any evidence of a con-
tinuous line that bore this name. Wherever .mention is made of the "Swede's
line," has reference only to the line of the land owned by one of that race, or.
as we might say, the "Dutchman's line," or the "Englishman's line."' It wa;
merely local to those places where the Swedes owned land that joined the lau'I
of other settlers. Holme's map sliows no such line, nor have we ever met with
-4t except when mentioned in an occasional old deed.

The virgin Pennsylvania must have impressed W'illiam Penn as a most
charming land when he arrived upon its shores. 16S2. Daniel Pastorious write>
that Penn found the air so perfumed, it seemed to him like an orchard in full
bloom ; that the trees and shrubs were everywhere covered with leaves, and
filled with birds, which, by their beautiful colors and delightful notes pro-
claimed the praise of their Creator. A few years later Erik Biork concludes a
letter by saying the countrv mav justlv be called "the land of Canaan." Wliile
William Penn's impressions of his new Province were not so highly wrought,
they were equally significant. PTc is particular in his description of the fislic--
in the Delaware, and their excellence and abundance, stating that si.x thousanii
shad were taken at one draught, and sold at the doors of the settlers for a hali
pence eacli : and ovsters two shillings per bushel. If to these accounts be added
that of Gabriel TlV.mas. who arrived in 1681, in the first vessel after the pur-
chase, and the letter of Mahlon Stacy, written 16S0, the most credulous will be
satisfied that Penn's new Province was a most charming country.

It was William Penn's policv, from the beginning, to extinguish the Indini'.
title to his grant of Pennsylvania hv jnirchase." The price was insignificant
when we consider the value of the land, nevertheless it was such as was paid

9 It is tho;!5l;t liad it not lieop. for the Swedes an.l Hollanders, wl'.o preccdul
William Penn and his immicrants. some of whom had considerable farms, it would h.ive
been ditticult for tlie t'.rst comers to subsist at all. The Friends owed much to them.
who were the true pioneers.

10 Cha'-les P. Kriih. in a "Syn'opsis of Pennsylvania History," published in the
October, 1000. number of "The Pennsylvania Magazine of History," says that "Henry Conip-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 41

at tliat day. Although he had no authority, WiUiam ^larkham made the first
purchase of what is Bucks county, July 15, 1682, three months and a half be-
fore Penn's arrival, for which he paid a little wampum, a few blankets, guns,
ki:ttlc>. beads, fish-hooks, etc. This tract had the following metes and bounds :

"ijeginning at a white-oak, on the land now in the tenure of John Wood,
and by him called the Graystones, over against the falls of Delaware river, and
from thence up the river side to a corner spruce tree, marked with the letter P.
at the foot of the mountains, and from the said tree, along by the ledge or foot
of the mountain west, southwest, to a corner white-oak marked with the letter
P. standing by the Indian path, that leads to an Indian town called Plawicky,''
and near the head of a creek called Towsissink or Towisinick, and from thence
westward to the creek called Xeshamineh, at the high rocks ; and along by the
said Xeshamineh to the river Delaware, alias }vIakerickhickon (or }vlakerish-
kitton), and so baunded by the said river, to the first-mentioned white-oak, in
John '\\'ood's land, with the several islands in the river," etc.'-

These boundaries are well defined by nature, and easily traced. The place
of starting was the riverside at 3.Iorrisvi'lle, where John Wood owned land and
lived ; the tree at "the foot of the mountain," which marked the first corner,
stood 104 perches above the mouth of Knowle's creek, which runs through
Upper Z^Iakefield and empties into the Delaware below Brownsburg. The
"mountain" followed in a southwesterly direction was the rocky ridge, now
called Jericho hill, which extends nearly across Upper ^^lakefield in a general
southwest direction. When the course leaves the "mountain" it diverges to
the westward, and runs in nearly a straight line to a corner white oak that
stood on the land late of Moses Hampton, near the head of a creek about three-
fourths of a mile northeast of \\'rightstown meeting house.''^ "Towsissink"
creek is a branch of the Lahaska, crossing the Pineville turnpike a little below
the .\nchor tavern. From the white oak the line runs west to the high rocks
on Xeshaminy, about half a mile below Chain bridge, crossing the Durhim
road near where it is intersected by the road from Pennsville. This purchase
included all of the townships of ISristol, Falls. :\Iiddletown, Lower, and the
greater part of Upper Makefield, Xewtown, and a small portion of Wrights-
town, the line running about half a mile from its southern boundary.

The next purchase of lands in this county was made by Penn in person, the
2,v! of June, 16S3, when the chiefs Esscpenaike, Swampoes, Okkettarickon
and Wessapoak. for themselves their heirs and assigns, conveyed to him all
their lands, "lying between Pemmapecka" and Xeshamineh creeks, and all
along upon Xeshemineh'^ creeks, and backwards of the same, and to run two
days journey with a horse up into the country." The same day the chief
Tainanen^"^ and }vletamequan released to Penn and his heirs the same territor>',

ton, Bishop of LoiuJon, advised IV-nii to I.uy the country of tlio Indians like the Dutch and
S-,vcdes."

11 The exact location of the Indian town of "Plawicky" has not been defi-
ne:. ly fixed. Dr. Smith, in his notes on Wrightstown, says that tradition has located its
^;'.e on the land of Thomas Smith in that township, on the north side of the pubhc road
near the residence of Jsaac Lacy, and above the line of the purchase. Here are two larjre
and never-failing springs, and numerous Indian relics found in the neighliorliood tend to
C'liitlrin the tradition.

12 Tlic islands mentioned in this purchase are Mattiniconk. Sapassinck and Oreskows.
T.? Dr. Charles W. Smith.

i-l I'ennypiick. 15 Xeshaminy. 16 St. Tamany.

42

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

omitting tlie two days jouriic}-, but July 5, 1697, they confirmed this grant,
including the "two days jouino}." The latter deed was acknowledged in open
court at I'hikidelphia. This purchase included the townships of Bensalcni,
North and Southampton, Warminster, Warrington, and all west of the ma;ii
branch of the Xeshaminy. The purchase by Thomas Holme, 1685, did not em-
brace anv part of Bucks county, but probably touched us on the southwestern
border after leaving the I'ennypack, up which the line ran from the Delaware.

It is alleged that a treaty was made with the Indians August 30, 1686, sai^l
to be the foimdation for the "Walking Purchase," but such treaty or deed has
never been found. By it, it is said the Indians conveyed to Penn : —

"All those lands lying and being in the Province of Pennsylvania, begin-
ning upon a line formerly laid out from a corner spruce tree, by the river
Delaware, and from thence running along the ledge or the foot of the mountain-
west northwest (west southwest) to a corner white oak marked with the letter
P. standing by the Indian path that leadeth to an Indian town called Play-
wikey, and from thence extended westward to Xeshaminy creek, from which
said line, the said tract or tracts thereby granted doth extend itself back into
the woods, as far as a man can j^o in one day and a half, and bounded on the
westerly side with the creek called Xeshaminy, or the most westerly branch
thereof, and from thence by a line to the utmost extent of said creek one day
and a half's journey to the aforesaid river Delaware, and thence down the sev-
eral courses of the said river to the first mentioned spruce tree."

The Walking Purchase treaty was begun at Durham, 1734, where John
and Thomas Penn met two of the Delaware chiefs, but nothing was done and
they adjourned to meet at Pennsbury in May, 1735." Here several other Dela-
^yare cliiefs met the Proprietaries — but nothing conclusive was arrived at.
In August, 1737, the negotiations were resumed at Philadelphia, and on the
25th and 26th was concluded what is known as the \\'alk!ng Purchase treaty,
about w^hich there has been so much controversy, and which, afterward gave
great dissatisfaction to the Indians. This treaty confirms and ratifies the terms
of tiiat of August, 16S6, and provides for the walk to be made by persons ap-
pointed for the purpose. The treaty was executed by four chiefs, and witnessed
by twelve Indians and several whites. The purchases made under these various
treaties included the present territory of Bucks county, with a greater part of
that within its ancient limits. One -of the signers to the Walking Purchase
was Lappawinsoe, whose portrart hangs in the room of the Historical Society
of Pennsylvania, painted in this State in 1737, and presented by Granville John
Penn. Logan speaks of him, 1741, as "an honest old Indian." He was classed
among the chiefs at the Forks of the Delaware, and Hackewelder says his
name means "he is gone away gathering corn, nuts or anything eatable."

The traditional account that Janney gives in his life of Penn, that the
Proprietary, accomjianied bv some of his friends, began to walk out a purchase
that was to extend up the Delaware "as far as a man could walk in three da\s ;
that when they rcaclied a spruce tree in a day and a half, near the mouth oi
Baker's creek, Penn concluded he would want no more land at present, ami

17 Under date of 26th, 2d 111. >.. 17.?;, Steel writer tn Xathan W.atson, "tliat lie \v.'i.>
disappointed tii.Tt be had not already hmi.tilu two tat eattle and some gnoj sheep." I'or
the Indians to a;'ienil>le at tlic tre.ity at Pennslniry — and advises tliat he now sends him.
by William Smith, "thirty pounds to buy two good midlin' fat cat:le. a score of gorrd tat
wether sheep, and some ewes and lamhs," and direct him to send them to Pennslmry
before the fifth dav of next month.

HISTOrs^y OF BUCKS COUXTV. 43

rni a line from thence to the Xeshaminy : that they walked leisurely, after the
liiJian manner, sitting- down sometimes to smoke their pipes, to eat biscuit and
iKi--e, and drink a liottle of wine, is a pure myth, havint;- no foundatiun in fact.
We present two autographs of the great
Tamanen. or Tamany, which gives ns some
idea of the chirograph \' of one of our lead-
ing aboriginal ciiicflriins. The first was
made in 1(183, '*"'■' '* the chief's signature to
the treaty of June 23, which I'enn negotiated
{•>r the purchase of the land between the Pennypack
anil Xeshaminy. The second is attached to the treaty
of Tune 15, 1692. In the meantime probably the
chieftain had changed his writing master, and had
been taught a more modern signature.

Bv virtue of the Royal Charter, Penn and his heirs were the absolute lords
■ ■I the soil, after the Indian title was extinguished, and the officers of the land
office were his agents. Large quantities of land were disposed of before he
left England, to be surveyed afterward. One hundred pounds were paid for a
ii;!l share, of five thousand acres, and 50s. quit-rent, which entitled the holder
t' < one hundred acres in the city plat. Those who could settle si.K families were
1- get their land for nothing. In the conditions agreed upon, between Penn and
the original purchasers, July 11, 1681, it was stipulated "that in clearing the
trround care should be taken to leave one acre of trees for every five acres
I'icared, especially to preserve mulberry and oak for silk and shipping." Before
ifix) the usual method of granting land was by lease and re-lease, and the
riiit, generally, was a penny sterling per acre. The patent was to be issued
when the purchase money was paid. The price of land increased as the country
became more settled, and the quit-rents were slightly raised.

Technically speaking, there were never any manors in Pennsylvania, tliis
name being given to the tenths set off for the Proprietary, and other large
-nrveys made for his use. There was never any attempt to enforce the customs
'■i manorial courts, which would hardly have been tolerated by the court or
the settlers.

Penii's Great Law of 1682 abolished the English law of primogeniture,
and allowed the real estate of an intestate to be divided among all his children;
aiul authorized the right of disposing of real estate by will, attested by two wit-
nesses. But over and above all the other blessings of civil government that
William Penn established west of the Delaware, was the absolute freedom to
''\"rship God, which stands out in marked contrast with the policy of the Puri-
tan fathers. In the Great Law. was the following declaration : "Nor shall he
' r she at any time be compelled to frequent or maintain any religious worship,
r'ace. or ministrv whatsoever, contrary to his or her mind, but shall freely and
Hilly enjoy his or her Christian liberty in that respect, without any interruption
'•r refiection."

The population on the Delaware, at Penn's arrival, mostly Dutch and
.Swedes, and a few Finns, was estimated at three thousand. It rapidly increased.
In all of 1682, twenty-three ships arrived, loaded with immigrants, and before
'he end of the next year, over fiftv vessels came freighted with passengers. By
'bis time, societies were formed at Frankfort-on-the-Main. Louisberg, Bremen,
I-'ibec. and other places in Germany, to open trade and send immigrants to Pcnn-
^'•Ivnnia. The guiding spirit of this movement was Pastorius, of the free city
"I \V'indsheini, who brought over a number of German immigrants, in October,

44

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

1683, and settled them at Germantown. The full fruits of the German mo\c-
ment will be seen in subsequent chapters.

The legislative branch of the new government was to consist of two hou.-t-
both elective by the people, the upper one of three members from each count..
and the lower of six. Penn said to the settlers, "you shall be governed by jaw .
of your own making, and live a free, and, if you will, a sober and industrior,
people."

At the first provincial assembly held at Philadelphia, in March, 16S3, a
number of acts were passed necessary to put Peim's government in operaiij-;.
The country was divided into three counties, Pliiladelphia, Bucks and Chcsur.
and their boundaries lixed, those of Bucks beginning "at ye river Delaware, ri:
Poaquesson creek, and so to take in the Easterly side thereof, together with ye
townships of Southanipton and W'arminster, and thence backwards." Tlio
county was not called Bucks until some time after its boundaries were estab-
lished. In a letter to the Free Society of Traders, written August 6th, 16S3.
six months after it had been formed, William Penn calls it "Buckingham."
The name "Bucks" probably gradually grew into use in contradistinction t^
Buckingham. The boundary between Bucks and Philadelpliia, which then in-
cluded Montgomery, was about the same as we now find it. On the 23d ui
^larch the Council ordered that the seal of Buck-
County be a "Tree and Mne." A house of correc-
tion was ordered for each county, 24x16 feet, thai
for Bucks being located at Bristol. The poor, who
received relief from the county with their familie>.
were obliged to wear the letter P. made of red or
blue cloth, with the first letter of the name of the
place they inhabited, in a conspicuous place upr.n
the shoulder of the right sleeve. In that day. it
seems the unfortunate poor had no rights the au-
thorities were bound to respect. At the same ses-
sion several sumptuary laws were passed, fore-
shadowing the desire of the new Commonwealth t"
regulate personal matters between men. The countv court was authorized t"
fix a price on linen and woolen cloth: justices were to regulate wages of ser-
vants and wnnien ; a meal of victuals was fixed at seven pence half-penny, aii'l
beer at a penny a quart ; the price of flax was fixed at Sd. per pound, and hcii'i'
at 5d. By act of i6'^4, flax, liemp, linen and woolen, the product of the count},
were received in i:ia\ment of debts. Each settler of three years was to sow .1
bushel of barley, and persons were to be punished who put water in rum.

Marking cattle was a subject that early engaged the attention of the ne-.'.
law-makers west of the Delaware. Ear marks of cattle were recorded in Uplar.l
court as early as June, 1681, before the arrival of William 3,[arkham. As then
were but few enclosures, and the cattle were turned loose to graze in the wood-.
it was necessary each owner should have a mark, to distinguish his own iv<xv
his neighbor's. The law obliged every owner to have a distinctive mark, an I
the alteration by anotlier was a ptmishable oft'ence. These marks were entere;.
in a book kept for the purpose in the RcL;-ister's office. In this county Phineas
Pemberton. the Register, prepared a book''' and entered therein the ear an!
brand marks of the early settlers. The registr\- was begun in 1684, and ali

BUCKS COUN'TY SEAL.

18 Thi.s ciiriou:; old record lieli.nging to tlie Register's office, Doylcstowii. hns ht
deposited in the Pennsylvania Historical Society for snfe keeping.

HISTORY or BUCKS COUNTY.

45

aro :ii his hand writing but the last one, and all but a few were entered that
M-ar. It contains the names of one hundred and five owners of cattle in Bucks
c>>niitv. The first entered is that of Mr. Pembcrton, and reads, "The marks of
!i;v cattle P. P. the lo, 6-mo., 16S4." Among others is the entry of the earmarks
. : William Penn's cattle, as follows:

•■William Penn Proprietary and gounir of Pennsilvania And Territorys
1 hereunto belonging."

"His Earmarke

Cropped on both

Eares."

"His Brandmarke W p*
on the nearror
Sholder." p> Q-

Delow there is the following entry:

".Vtt the fall of the yeare 1684 there came a long-
b'dyed large young bb cow with this earcmarke. She was
very wild, and, being a stranger, after publication, none
i.wning her, James Harrison, att tlie request of Luke Erind-
!ry. the Rainger. wintered her, and upon the 23d day of the
7tli month, 16S5, sd cow was slaughtered and divided, two
tliirds to the Gournr, and one third to the Rainger, after
James Harrison had had 60 lbs of her beef, for the wintering
■ 1! her att jof." (10 shillings sterling.) In only one in-
-t.ince is the number of cattle owned by a settler stated in the record, that of
i'l'iiieas Pemberton ; "one heifer, one old mare, one bay mare, one horse some-
v.liat blind, one geld:r.g, one red cow."

We insert the following engravings of earmarks as fair samples of the
uhole number, and belon^.r.g to families now well known in the county.

.\.\TUu.N'V CURTOX.

WILLI.\M YARDLEV.

HEXRY P.\XSON.

'.I.\S STACKHOUSE.

JOHX E.-\STBOURN.

46

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

The following arc the names of the owners of cattle in Bucks county, io^^4.
accor'linf; to the entr\ in the ori,L,Mnal record : Phineas Peniberton, John Ack. r-
maii. Thomas Atkinson, Samuel Allen, William Ijiles, Nicholas Walne, Thonia,
Brock, (.j. Wheeler, Joshua i;(.)are, Daniel Brinson, James Boyden, Jerenii;:!;
Langhorne, John Brock, Randall Blackshaw. H. Baker, (jeorge Brown, Lyoiicl
Brilton, Edmund Bonnet, Charles Brigham, Job Bunting, Walter Bridgnian.
William Brian, Henry Bircham, William Buckman, Anthony Burton,' SteplKr,
Beaks, Charles Biles, William Biles, Jr., Abraham Cox, Arthur Cook, Philii.
Conway, Robert Carter, Thomas Coverdell, John Cowgill. John Coatesi Ed-
mund Cutler, William Crosdell. John Crosdell, Edward Doyal. Thomas Duii-
gan, William Dungan, Samuel Dark, William Dark. Thomas Dickerson, An-
drew Eliot, Joseph English. John Eastbourn, Joseph Ffarror, Dan. Gardner,
Joseph Growdcn, John Green, Joshua Htxips, Thomas Green, Robert Lucas.
Kdmund Lovet, Giles Lucas, John Lee. Richard Lundy, James ]\Ioone, Henry
Margerum, Joseph .Milncr, Hugh ALarsh, Ralph Milner, John Otter. Johr.
Palmer, Henry Paxson, William Paxson, James Paxson. Ellenor Pownal. John
Pursland,'" or John Penquoit. Henry Pointer, Richard Ridgway. Francis Ros-
scll, Thomas Rowland, John Rowland, Thomas Royes or Rogh, Edward Stan-
ton, \\'illiam Sanford, Thomas Stakehouse, Henry Siddal. Jonathan Scaife.
Thomas Stakehouse, Jr.. John Smith, Stephen Sands, William Smith. John
Swift, Thomas Tuncclif. Israel Taylor, John Town, Gilbert Wheeler, Shad-
rack Wallcy, John Webster, William Wood. John Wood. Abraham Wharley.
Peter Worral. Thomas Williams, William Yardley, Richard Wilson, John
Clark, William Duncan. David Davids. William Penn and John Wharton.

19 Probably Purslonc or Purslaiid, afterward changed to Puree! and Pursel.

CHAPTER V.

SOME ACCOUXT OF EARLY SETTLERS.

1682 TO 1683.

Holme's map. — Townships seated. — Some account of settlers that followed Penn. — Ann
ililcomb. John Haycock, Henry Marjorum, William Beaks, Andrew Eliot. Thotna^
Janney, John Clows. George Stone, Richard Hough, Ann Knight, John Palmer,
William Bennett. John Hough. Randall Blackshaw. Robert Bond, Ellis Jones. Jacob
Hall, Sarah Charlesworth, Richard Lundy, Edward Cutler. David Davis, James
Dillworth. Peter Worrell, William Hiscock, Christopher Taylor, George Heathcote,
John Scarborough, Thomas Langliorne. Thomas Atkinson. William Radcliff. James
Harrison, Phineas Perabtrton. Joshua Hoops, and Jo^eph Growden.

Thomas Holme commenced a survey of the west bank of tlie Delaware
soon after his arrival, in 1681, and in 1686 or 1687 published his map of the
I'rovince, in London, giving the land seated, and by whom. Of what is now
r.ucks County this map embraced Bensalem. Bristol, Falls, Middletown, South-
p.nipton, Xorthamptoii, the two }v[akefiekls. Xewtown, W'rightstown, Warwick,
and Warrington. There were more or less settlers in all these townships, and
their names are given, but the major part were in those bordering tlie Delaware.
Some of the names, doubtless, were incorrectly spelled, but cannot now be
corrected. Among them are found the names of some of the most influential
and respected families in the county, which have resided here from the arrival
of their ancestors, now nearly two centuries and a quarter. Several who pur-
chased land in the county never lived here, others not even in America, which
."iccounts for their names not appearing on our records. At that earh' day not
a single township had been organized, altliough the map gives lines to some
nearly identical with their present boundaries. All beyond the townships of

~>ewtown. Wrightstown. Northampton and Warrington were terra iiicO};iiifa.
'lonel Mildway appears to have owned land farther back in the woods, but
of him we know nothing. The accuracy of iHolme's map may be questioned.
James Logan says when the map was being prepared in London. Holme put
'!own the names of several people upon it to oblige them, without survey of
'and before or afterward, but other parties were permitted to take up the land..

Ihis accounts for some names of persons being on the map who were never
known to have owned land in the county.

More interesting still, than the mere mention of the names of the settlers,
IS a knowledge of whom and what thev were, and whence and when thev came.

< ;

... >

o

^' o
C
Z

I -"l ,-

Q

o

C2

y-

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;^^|^^.:l>/l|, if

^^^■^'■^>^^^S^v - :•:"/'■' r'i^l'- i'^-4Ss :5-!^ /:=^ H 'i

X

Part of West N£.\\c>v^^<vJarsev

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 49

\Vc h:ive already noticed those who preceded William Penn, and came with
him in the Welcome, now we notice those who arrived about the same time, or
soon afterward, and previous to 1684,^ viz. :

Ann Millcomb. widow, of Armagh. Ireland, arrived in the Delaware. loth
month, first, 1682, with her daughter Aviary, and servant Francis Sanders, and
settled in Falls. There was an Ann Milcomb living in the county about this
time, whose daughter Jane married :\Iauris Listen, August S, 1685, and settled
in Kent County on Delaware. ■

John Havcock, of Shin, county Stafford, farmer, arrived 7th month, 2Sth^
1O82, with one servant, James ]\Iorris, settled in Falls, and died November 19,
16S3.

Henry Marjorum. County Wilts, farmer, arrived 12th month, 1682; with
him, wife, Elizabeth; had a son born September 11, 16S4.-

William Beaks, of the parish of Baskwill, in Somerset, farmer, came with
Marjorum, 'and settled in Falls. He brought a son, Abraham, who died in
16S7.

Andrew Eliot. Salter, of Smallswards, in Somerset, his wife Ann. and
John Roberts and }.Iary Sanders, arrived in the Factor, of Bristol.

Thomas Janney. of Stial, Cheshire, farmer, and wife Margery, arrived
7th month, 29th, 1683. and settled in Lower ]\Iakefield. He brought children,
Jacob, Thomas, Abel and Joseph, and servants. John Xield and Hannah Falk-
ner. He was a preacher among Friends, and returned to England in 1695,
where he died February 12, 1696, at the age of 63. He was several times in
prison for his religious belief."^i

John Clows, of Gawsworth. Cheshire, yeoman, Margery his w.'fe, and chil-
dren Sarah. [Margery and \Mlliam. and four servants, arrived with Thomas
laniiev and settled in Lower 3.1akeheld. He was a member of Assemblv, and
died, 1 688.

George Stone, of Frogmore, in Devon, weaver, arrived in ]MarylaniJ, 9th
month, 16S3, and came to the Delaware the following month, with a servant,
Thomas Duer. He was Stone's nephew and complained of him in 1700, for not
fulfilling his agreement.

Richard Hough. ?vLacclesneld, Cheshire, chapman, arrived 7th month, 29,
1683. with servants. Hannah Hough, Thomas Woods, and Mary his wife, and
James Sutton. He settled in Lower !Makefield, and married a daughter of John
Clows the same year. He became a prominent man in the Province ; repre-
•^ented this County several years in the Assembly, and was drowned in 1705, on
liis way down the river to Philadelphia to take his seat. When William Penu
heard of it, he wrote to James Logan. 'T lament the loss of honest Richard
Hough. Such men nnist needs be wanted, where selfishness and forgetful-
ness of God's mercy so much abound." The original name del Hoghe. N'omian
1 rcnch. was changed to Plough in the sixteenth century. -'-

Ann Knight arrived in a ship from Bristol, Captain Thomas Jordan, 6th
uionth, 1682, and 4th month 17th, 16S3, was married to Samuel Darke.

I It must be constantly borne in mind that all these dates are old style, the year
fniniencing the 35th of March.

- Some account of the Marjorum family may be found in Lower Makcheld, where
ilicy settled, nn<! arc ^ri'.l n.[)n.<eiite(l in botli ilii- male and female lints.

2j^ See Janney, Vol. lil. this work.

-;! .' See Hough. Vol. Ill, this work.

50

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

John Palmer, of Yorkshire, fanner, arrived yth month, loth, 16S3. with Iii,
wife Christian, and settled in Falls.

William Eennet. of Hammondsworth, in Middlesex, xeoman, and his wife
Rebecca, arrived November, 1683, and settled in Falls. He died Alarch 9th,
1CS4. .\n Edmund Eennet settled in Xorthatnpton, and married Elizahetii
Potts, lotli month, 22(\, 16S5. and his name is also among those who settled in
Bristol township.

John Hough, of Hough, county of Chester, yeoman, Hannah his wife, with
child Tohn, and servants. George and his wife Isabella, and child George,
Nathaniel W'atmaugh and Tliomas Hough arrived 9th month, 1683. \\'b.at
connection, if any, there was between him and Richard Hough is not known.
Randall Blackshaw, of Holinger, in Chester, and wife Alice, arrived \v.
^larvland. 4th month, 16S2, and came to Peimsylvania with child Plitiebe, nth
month, 15th, 1682. His wife came with the other children, Sarah, Jacob, Mary.
Nathaniel, and ^Martha, ami arrived 3d month, 9th, 1683. One child, Abraham.
died at sea, 8th month, 2d, 16S2. He brought several servants, some with fam-
ilies, and settled in Warwick. In the same vessel came Robert Bond, son of
Thomas, of Wadicar hall, near Garstang, in Lancashire, about sixteen years
old. He came in care of Blackshaw and settled in Lower 3.rakefield : died at
James Harrison's, and was buried near \^'illiam Yardley's. The following
persons came at the same time in the Submissive :

Ellis Jones, of county Denbigh, in Wales, with his wife and servants of
William Penn, Barbara, Dorothy, Mary, and Isaac; Jane and Margery, daugh-
ters of Thomas \\'inn, of Wales, and mother ; Hareclif Hodges, a servant :
Lydia Wharmly, of Bolton ; James Clayton, of }iliddlewich, in Ch.ester. black-
smith, and wife Jane, with children, James, Sarah, John, Josiah and Lydia.

Jacob Hall, of Macclestield, in Chester, shoemaker, and Mary his wife,
arrived in Maryland 12th month, 3d, 1684; came afterward to the Delaware,
where his family arrived 3d month, 2Sth, 1685. He brought four servant-.
Ephraim Jackson. John Reynolds, Joseph Hollingshcad, and Jonathan Evans.
Sarah Charlesworth. sister-in-law of Jacob Hall, came at the same tinie.
with servants, Charles Fowler, Isaac Hill, Jonathan Jackson, and James Gib-
son. John Bolshaw and Thomas Ryland, servants of Hall, died in Maryland,
and were bnried at Oxford. Joseph Hull, William Hasclhurst. and Randclj'ii
Smallwood, servants of Jacob Hall, and Thomas Hudson, who settled in Lowi-r
Maketickl, arrived 3d month, 28th, 1685. Other ser\-ants of theirs arrived July
24th, and still others in September. Among them were William Thoma>.
Daniel Danielson and \'an Beck and his wife Eleanor.

Richard Lundy. of Axminster, in Devon, son of Sylvester, came to the
Delaware from Boston. 3d month. 19th, 16S2. Fie settled in Falls and cail'-d
his residence "Glossenberry."' He married Elizabeth, daughter of \\"iilia:r.
Rennet, August 26, 1684.. Flis wife came from Longford, in tlie county <.!
]Middlesex, and arrived in the Delaware, 8th month, i''S3.

Edmund Cutler, of Slatcburn, in Yorkshire, wchstcr. with his wife Isabc'.
chililren Elizabeth, Thomas and William, and servants, Cornelius Xetherwo'->i.
Richard Mather and Ellen Wingreen, arrived Slh month, 31st, 1683. He wa-
accompanied by his brother. John Cutler and one servant. William Warlle:
also James, son of James Molincx, late of Liverpool, about three years of age.
who was to .'ierve until twcutv-one. Joim Cutler retm-ncd to England, on a
visit, 1688.

David Davis, surgeon, probably the tirst in the county, son oi Richanl. ''•
Welshpool, in .M. putgi .mery, arrived 9th month, 14th. if')83. and settled in

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

Miildletown. He married 2^Iargaret Evans, March Sth, iOS6. died the 23d, and
was buried at Nicholas W'ahie's burying place.

fames DilKvorth, of Thornbury, in Lancashire, farmer, arrived Sth month,
22i\. 1682, with his son William and servant Stei^hen.

Edward Stanton, son of George, of Worcester, joiner, arrived Sth month,
lodi, 16S5.

Peter Worrell and Mary, his wife, of Xorthwich, in Chester, wheelwright,
arrived in the Delaware Sth month, 7th, 1687.

William Hiscock settled in Falls before 16S5, and the 23d of loth month,
same year, he was buried at Gilbert Wheeler's burying ground. His will is
<lated the Sth.

Christopher Taylor, of Yorkshire, arrived in 1682. He was a fine classical
scholar, and a preacher among the Puritans until 1652, when he joined the
Friends, and suffered much from persecution. He was of great assistance to
William Penn, and he and his brother Thomas wrote much in defence of
Friends in England. He was a member of the first Assembly that met ai Ches-
ter, in December, 1682, and died in 1696. He w-as the father of Israel Taylor,
who hanged the first man in Bucks county. He settled ';n Uristol, but took up
a tract of five tl'oiisand acres in Xewtown toward Dolington. He had t\M-i
sons, Joseph and Israel, and one daughter, who married John Buzvy.

George Ileathcote, of Rittilife, in Middlesex, was settled in the bend of th.e
Uelaware above Bordentown before 16S4. He was probably the first Frierid
who became a sea-captain, entering the port of Xew York as early as 166 1, a;ul
refused to strike his colors because he was a Friend. He was imprisoned 'l>y
ihe governor of Xew York in 1672 because he did not take off his hat wIku
presenting him a letter. He sailed from Xew York in 1675, and was back
aL^ain the following year. In 16S3 he was fined in London for not bearii'.g
arms. He followed the sea many years, and died in 1710. His will is en file
ill Xew York city. By it he liberates his three negro slaves, and gave five hun-
dred acres of land, near Shrewsbury, Xew Jersey, to Thomas Carlton, to be
called "Carlton Settlement." He married a daughter of Samuel Groom, of
N<-w Jersey, and left a daughter, who married Samuel Barber, of London, and
i>\'> si-sters. In 1679 Captain Ileathcote carrietl Reverend Charles Wooly home
tw England, who does not give a flattering account of the meat and drink fur-
li'.-hed by the Quaker sea-captain, and says that they had to hold their noses
V. lien they ate and drank, and but for "a kind of rundlctt of ^ladeira wine" the
::"Vcrnor's wife gave, it would have gone worse with him."

John Scarborough, of London, coachsnfith, arrived in ii''i82. with his son
J'-'hn, a youth, and settled in iMiddletown. He returned to lingland in 1684. to
bring his familv, leaving his son in charge of a friend. Persecutions against
tb.e Frierids ceasing about this time, and his wife,-who was not a member, not
earing to leave home, he never returned. Pie gave his possessions in this county
■' his son, with the injunction to be good to the Indians from whom he had
r-vfcived many favors. Paul Preston, of Wayne county, has in his possession a
Uiink that John Searboriuigh probalily brought with him from England. On
!'--e top, in small, ri.nnid -brass-lieaded nails, are the letters ami figures: I. S.
i"7i.

Ellen P'earjon. of Kirklvdam, coimt\- of Yt'rk, aged fiftv-four, arrive' in
!...^4.

.Ann Peacock, of Kilddale. C(iuntv of York, arrived in the Slfield with John
' hapnian ami Ellen Pearson, in 16S4.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV

Abraham W'harlcy, an original sfttler. rcnuived to Jamaica in i6SS, an^I
died the next year. .Xathan Harding also returned to England.

Thomas Langhorne. of Westmoreland, arrived in 16S4. He had been
fre([uentlv im[)risoned. and in 1662 was fined i5 for attending Friends' meet-
ing. He'represented this county in the first Assembly ; was the father of Ch'ef
Justice Jeremiah Langhorne. and died Uctober 6, 1687. Proud styles him "an
emminent preacher." He settled in .Middletown.

Thomas Atkinson, of \ewby, in Yorkshire, became a Friend in early liic,
and was a minister before his marriage, in 1678. He arrived in 1682 with wiir
Jane and three children, William, Isaac and Samuel, settled in Northampti m
township and died October 31st, 1687.

James Radclitf probably born in Lancashire, was imprisoned as early as
his fifteenth year for his religious belief ; came to America in 1682, and settled
in Wright;town. He was a preacher among Friends, and died about 1690.

Ruth F.uckman, widow, with her sons Edward, Thomas and William, and
daughter Ruth, arrived in the fall of 1G82, and lived until the next spring in
a cave made by themselves south of the village of Fallsington. The goods the\
brought were packed in boxes, and weighed nearly two thousand pounds. It
is not known whether her husband was related to William EucRman who settled
in Newtown.

Among the immigrants who arrived about the same time, but the exact
date cannot be given, were William and James Paxson, from the parish of
jMarch Gibbon in Bucks ; Ezra Croasdale, Jonathan Scaife, John Towne, John
Eastbourn, Yorkshire, Thomas Constable and sister Blanche and servant John
Penquite, Walter Bridgman from county Cornwall, and John Radclift, of I.an-
caster. Edward and Sarah Pearson came from Cheshire and Benjamin Pearson
from Thorn, in Y'orkshire.

James Flarrison, shoemaker, and Phineas Peniberton, grocer, Lancashire.
were among the most prominent immigrants to arrive, 1682. They sailed in
the ship Submission from Liverpool, 6, 7 mo, and arrived in ^laryland 2, ctmo.
being 58 days from port to port. Randall Blacksha\\- was among the passen-
gers. Pemberton, son-in-law of Harrison, brought with, him his wife Phoebe.
an;l children, Abigail and Joseph, his father. ~2, and his mother 81. I^Irs. Har-
rison accomjjanied her husband with several servants and a number of friends.
Leaving their families and goods at the home of William Dickinson at Chop-
tank, ^Id., they set out by land for their destination near the falls of Delaware.
On reaching the site of Philadelphia, wdiere they tarried over night, not being
able to get accommodation for their horses, they had to turn them out in the
woods, and not finding them in the morning, the new immigrants had to go up
to the falls by water. They stopped at William Y'ardley's, who had already be-
gun to build a home. Pemberton concluding to settle there, bought three hun-
dred acres, which he called '■("■rove FMace." They returned to .Maryland where
they passed the winter, and came back to Bucks county with their families in
May, 1O83. FIarris(5n's certificate from the Hartshaw monthly meeting, gives
him an exalted character, and his wife is called "a mother in Israel.''

James Harrison was much esteemed by \^'illia!n Penn, who placed great
reli."vnce on him. Before leaving England Penn granted him five thousand acres
of land, which he afterward located in Falls, Upper }i[akcfield, Xe^\town and
WriglU>town. He was ajipointed one of the Proprietary's Commissioners of
property, and the agent to manage his personal affairs. In 1685 he was made
one of the three Provincial judges, who made their circuit in a boat, rowed by
a boatnuin paiil hv the Province.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

53

Pemberton probably lived with liarrison for a time, but how long is not
l.iiown. He owned the ""llolton farm." Bristol township, and is sujjposed to
have lived in Bristol at one time. Ble married I'hcebe Harrison a few years
},(f.ire leaving England, and had nine children in all, but only three left issue:
Israel, who married Rachel Kirkbride, and Mary Jordan, James who, married
M.innah Lloyd, Hilary Smith and }iliss Morton, and Abigail, who married
Stephen Jenkins. Israel became a leading merchant of Philadelphia, and died
in 17=54. Of ten children, but three survived him: Israel, who died in 1779;
lames in 1S09, and John in 1794, while in Germany. Phincas Pemberton was
the first clerk of the Bucks county courts, and served to his death. No doubt
\hc I'embertons lived on the fat of the land. His daughter Abigail wrote him
in i('v7. that she had saved twelve barrels of cider for the family, and in their
letters frequent mention :s made of meat and drink. In one he speaks of
"a goose wrapped up in the cloth, at the head of the little bag of walnuts."
which he recommends them to "'heep a little after it comes, but roast it, get a
few grapes, and make a pudding in the bell\'.'' Phineas Pemberton's wife died
in 1696, and he Alarch 5th, 1702, and both were buried on the point of land
opposite Biles' island. James Logan styles him "that pillar of Bucks county,"
and when Penn heard of his death he writes : "I mourn for poor Phineas Pem-
bertijn, the ablest, as well as one of the best men in the Province.'' He lived in .
g'i.nl stvle ; had a ""sideboard" in his house, and owned land in several townships.

Phineas Pemberton," who settled at first in ^Makefield, did not remain
there very long, but removed to Falls township, where he spent his useful life
of twenty years He was the son of Ralph Pemberton and Margaret, his wife,
daughter of Thomas Seddon, Warrington, England, and were married June
7. 11148. She died September 2, 1655. They had issue Phineas, born January
30, 1650, married first Phebe Harrison, daughter of James Harrison, and by
luT had issue, Ann, born October 22. 1677. died July 3, 16S2 ; Abigail, born
June 14, 16S0, married Stephen Jenkins, November 22, 1750 ; Joseph, born
May II. 16S2. died November. 1702: Israel, born February 20, 1684. married
I\;ichel Reed, died January 14. 1754: Samuel, born February 3, 1686, died
January 23. i<:92; Phebe. born February 26, 16S9. died August 30, 169S ; Pris-
ciila. born April 23, 1692, iTiarried Isaac Waterman ; Ralph, born September
20. i''>94. died November 18. 1694: Phineas Jennings, born April 17, 1696. died
'7'>i- On the death of Phineas Pemberton's first wife he married Alice Hodg-
.-"U, Burlington, by whom he had no children. Ralph Pemberton had a second
-'-■:i by his wife Margaret Seddon. Joseph, born April 12, 1652. died August 3,
I' '35. Phineas Pemberton acted a prominent part in the new Colony: he was
a member of Assemblv from Bucks countv for several terms, and chr-sen
^leaker, 1698.

.As early as 1675. four brothers. Nathaniel. Thomas, Dancl and William
'Gallon, from Eyberry, England, settled in that township, in Philadelphia
county, which they named after their native town. They came on foot from
•^t \v Castle, and lived in a cave, covered with bark, several months : and two
'I them returned thitlier for a bushel of seed wheat, fifty miles. The eldest
brother joined the Kei'thians. in 1691. but afterward united himself with All

,^ Li^uer. in his "Patronymica Brittanica." states that the family name of Pcmbvrt'-vn
' '!' rived from the chapclry of that name in the parisli of W'igan, in the hundred of Wc-t
- n'hy. l.ancn»hire. England, and it is certain Pcmbortons are found at a very early
f" rii.d a<; lords of the manor of Pemberton, in Wigan, within a few miles of Aspul.

54

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY.

Saints" church. At what time tlie W'altons came into Bucks county is ii._,t
known, but earlv, a.> a son of Nathaniel was teaching school in Falls town>lii[],
where he died in 1759.*

Joshua Hoops, the ancestor of lhc family of that name in Chester countv,
of Cleveland, Yorkshire, arrived 9th month. 1G83, with his wife Isabel, am.l
children Daniel, }vlargaret and Christian. He settled in Falls, and his wife
died April 15th, 16S4. He took an active part in affairs. His son Daniel re-
moved to Chester county, in 1690, married Jane Worrilow, settled at Westtown,
and had seventeen children.^

Like the W'altons, the Knights came into this county through Bybcrr\.
where Giles with his wife Mary and son Joseph, arri\'ed from Gloucestershire..
in 16S2. They lived in a cave on the Poquessing creek, where he built a hou?c.
He kept the first store in the township, and died in 1726, at the age of seventy-
four. Dr. A. W. Knight of Brazil, Indiana, the fifth in descent from Giles,
owns the gun his ancestor brought from England. They had nineteen children
in all. Joseph marrying Abigail Antill, in 1717, and settling in Bensalem. He
died in 1799, was a man of influence, and filled several public stations, and was
an elegant and imposing man in appearance when in full dress. A descendant
of a half-brother of tlic first Giles was a senator in Congress from Rhode Island.
There were upwards of twenty of the name of Knight on the Revolutionary
pension roll.**

Joseph Growden, the son of Lawrence Growden, of Cornwall, England,
came to Pennsylvania, 1682, with wife and children, and settled in Bensalem,
where he took up ten thousand acres for himself and father. His first wife,
Elizabeth, dying in 1699, he married Ann Buckley, of Philadelphia, in 1704.
He died in December, 1730, leaving two sons, Joseph and Lawrence, who in-
herited most of his real estate, and three daughters. He held many places i>t
public trust in the infant colony ; was member of the Privy Council ; member of
Assembly and several }ears Speaker of that body; he was frequently upon the
bench of this county, and ajipointed a Supreme Judge in 1705. His son Joseph
was less distinguished than the father. He was one of the first persons of now.
in Philadelphia, who allowed himself to be innoculated for the smallpox, in
1731. At his death, the landed estate of the Grawdens passed to his brothfr
Lawrence: who, d\ing in 1769, left it to his daughters Elizabeth and Grace,
the latter receiving that in this county as her portion. She married Joseph
Galloway, of Philadelphia, and Elizabeth. Thomas Nicholson, of Trevose.
England.

Notwithstanding the first English settlers of this county began to marry
soon after they came, our countv records sIkiw but twenty-three marriages the
first four years after Penn's arrival. In the books of the Friends' monthly
meeting there is a nuich fuller and miire reliable record, including births, mar-
riages and deaths.

4 Born in Bucks county, 16S4.

5 Gilbert Cope.

6 Dr. Kniglit. mcntiopcd .ibove.' wlio wria lir.rn in Rucks county. September 5. if^o;.
died at V.r:iA\. Indiana, December 5, 1S77, ]le yradnatcd at tlie JetYerson Medical
ColleRe. Philadelphia: married .-Vcbsah CroaMlale. March 4, iSjj; went to Ohio that
fall, but removed to Indi.ma. He became a pmniinent man and at his death left a
widow and live children.

CHAPTER VI

PEXN AXD PEXXSBURY.

16S2 XO 1600.

Markham and Harrison select a site for manor house.— The situation,— Description of
house.— Gardens and lawns.— Written m.strnctions.- Penn's horses.— Furniture of
house.— Table ware and plate.— Penn did not live there at first visit.— Letter post
established.— Bucks county a Quaker settlement.— The ileeting was supreme, but
discipline lax.— Discountenanced the use of strong drinks.— Penn returns to Eng-
iand.— Population— Schism of George Keith.— Wages.— Farm produce.— Stock.—
Great rupture.— Dress.— Quit-rents hard to collect.

Deliglitful metnories linger about Pennsburv, the Bucks countv home of
the founder of Pennsylvania. This was his rural residence, whither he
retired from the cares of state to spend his time in the bosom of his familv,
and where he intended to fix his permanent home and live and die in the pur-
suit of agriculture, his favorite occupation ; but Providence interfered with his
(lesigns, and instead of closing his eyes amid the peaceful shades of Pennsburv,
he died in England, far away from the home of his affections. As we remarked
m a previous chapter, William :Markham and James Harrison were commis-
■Moiied by William Penn. before they left England, to select a site and build him
a residence. Markham pr<)l)ably selected the site, as he was the first to arrive,
but it is possible this was done by William Penn himself after his arrival in 1682.^
■liie erection of the dwelling was commenced in 10^2-83. and cost from five
to seven thousand pounds; It stood on a gentle eminence, about fifteen feet
above high-water and one hundred and fifty from the river bank, while Wel-
come creek wound its gentle waters closely about it. There is not a vestige of
tile building 'remaining, and of all its beautiful surroundings there are to be
seen only a few old cherry trees, said to h.ave been planted by Penn's own hand,
standing in the Crozier lane, Penn probably did not live there until his second
visit, Tf.MjQ, when he made it his home,

Lnfortunately, no drawing has been preserved of Pennsburv house, if one
were ever made, nevertheless we are able to approximate its true size, arrange-

I This location was prohahly fixed up^n, because it was near the flouri.-hing Friends-
settlement at Burlington, and also contiguous to the fails.

ry-.'/v^ .1

.'- . -J i

KiiWi-iiii:

fri! _-»;

PENNSBURY MANOR.

merits and surroundings." The main edifice was sixty feet long by thirty feet
wide, two stories high and stately in appearance, built of bricks probably burnt
on the premises,^ as a bricklayer was sent out from England in 1685, and a
wheelwright in 1686. The dwelling faced the river. There was a handsome
porch, front and rear, with steps having both "rails and banisters." On the
first floor was a wide hall running through the building and opening onto tlie
back porch, and in which the Proprietar}- received distinguished strangers, and
used on public occasions. There were at least tour rooms on this floor. On
the left was a parlor, separated from the large eating-room of the servants back
of it b_\- a wainscoted jiartition, and there was probably a room on the opposite
side of the hall opening into the drawing-room. There were likewise a small
hall and a little closet. There were four chambers on the second floor, one
dennminated the "best chamber," an entry, a nursery, and a closet which seems
to have been exclusively Mrs. Penn's. In the third story were at least two
garrets, and the stories were nine feet. The back door of the hall Penn styled
"two leaved." and, after hi« return to England, he ordered a new front do'ir
because "the present one is vao>i ugly and low." The roof was covered with
tiles from the Province, and 011 the top \\-as a leaden reservoir, to the leakage of
which i'i niainlv chare^ed the destruction of the mansion. '■'-

2 Consider.ible light h.is been tiiruwn on the subject by the researches of the late J.
Francis Fisher, a close stu<ient of lucal hi'^ttry.

3 Kc (hrectetl bricks to be uscJ wlierever it were possible, and when not. go,,,!
timbers cased with clapboards.

3'j The en.Ljraving of Pcnnsbiiry House, accompanying this chapter, was projected
and drawn under the supervision of Addison Huttoii, architect. Philadelphia, from tb-:
most exact description and mcasurehients that could lie obt.iined. even to the "shiitt^"
that were ordered about the time the house was fini.>hed. The unsightly reservoir on
top of the roof, and the cause of tlie mau'^ion's destruction, was omitted. So far as our
inlormation extends, there never was any altenipt to draw, or otherwise reprodu.-c.
Peun^bury House in the time oi its owner or subsequently, for the reason, doubtless,

HISTORY OF BUCKS COCXTV.

57

Xear the house were the necessary out-huilJings, about which he gave
.l-.rcctions in a letter to James Harrison, August, 1684. He writes: "I would
have a kitchen, two larders, a wash-house, a room to iron in, a brew house,* and
a Milan oven lor bakin.LT, and a stabling for twelve horses." The out-buildings
\^cre to be placed "uniform and not uscit;" were to be a story and a half high.
tl'.e story eleven feet. The dwelling remained unfinished for several years, and
ill May, 1685, Penn writes to Harrison, "finish what is built as fast as it can be
.ione." No doubt there was considerable ornamentation about the building, for,
in 16S6, Penn again writes, "pray don't let the front be common." The brew-
house was the last to yield to the tooth of time. It had long been in dilapi-
dated condition, but was not torn down till the fall of 1864. It was twenty by
thirty-five feet, and eleven feet to the eaves; chimney and foundation of brick;
the sills and posts were ten inches square ; the weather-boarding of planed
cedar, and the lath split in the woods. The fire-place was the most generous
kind, and would take in a sixteen-foot backlog.

Among the mechanics who worked at the building, and the material men,
the following are mentioned : E. James, who was "to finish the work which
his men had begim ;" bricks were furnished by J. Redman, and deal-boards were
g^it of John Parsons. Hannah^ Penn writes to James Logan that her husband
i>^ dissatisfied with E. Jaines, "he's too much of a gentleman" and "must have
two servants to such a job of work." Henry Gibbs is called "the governor's
carpenter."

The house was surroun(ied by gardens and lawns, and vistas were opened
through the forest, affording a view up and down the river. A broad walk was

-•?!!«-,

I 'G:^: f,i=^5--\' (: ■;f

PENX'S BRLW l!oL.

'■'■at Friends of that dny did not approve of such things. \Vc believe the picture here
prevented to the reader is as near a counterpart of the original as can be produced; a first-
ciass colonial dwelling of ilic period.

-} Galiriel Thomas.

5 Second wife of the founder, daughter of Thomas Callowhill.

58 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

laid out frcni the house down to the river, and in the fall of 16S5 pojilar tres.'^
eighteen inches in diameter, were planted on each side of it. The ground .:■
front was terraced with steps leading to the grounds below. The surroundii!,-
■woods was laid out in walks at Penn's first visit, and he gave direction to lia\r
the trees preserved, as he contemplated fencing off the neck for a park, but wr
have no evidence it was ever done. Gravel, for the walks, was taken from the I'i:.
near the swamp in the vicinity, as Penn would not allow that from Philadelphia
to be used because it was red. Steps led flown to the boat-landing in front < \
the house, and Welcome creek was bridgeil in several places. By Penn's dirii--
tions great care was bestowed upon the gardens, and several gardeners wlvi-
sent out to take charge of them, also various kinds of shade and fruit trLi.-.
shrubbery, and the rarest seeds and roots were planted. In iMaryland he pur-
chased many trees indigenous to that climate, and caused the most beautiful '.;
the wild flowers to be transplanted into his gardens. A well of water supplied
the several- offices, but how tlie tank on the roof was filled is not knowi).

All his letters to his steward prove Penn's great love for rural life, an^i
his desire, as he expressed it, to make his children "husbandmen and house-
wives." iHe continually looked forward, almost down to his death, to establi--h
his permanent home at I'ennsbury; and, after his second return to England.
gave instructions to have the improvements go on." He directs his fields kii>i
out at least twelve acres each. He paid considerable attention to agriculture.
and took pains to introduce new seeds at Pennsbury. We are probably indebted
to him for the introduction of clover and other grass seeds into this county.
He writes to his steward in 1685, "Haydusf from Long Island such as I sowed
in my court-yard, is best for our fields." Again : ''Lay as much down as you
can with haydust." In the first twenty years there were less than one hundred
acres of the manor cleared for cultivation.*' Penn appears to have located n
tract of land in the same section for his children, for. in a letter to Williani
iMarkham, in 1689, he writes: 'T send to seat my children's plantation that I
gave them, near Pennsbury. by Edward Blackfan.""

William Penn was as fond of good stock as of trees and shrubber>'. 1 *ii
his first visit he brought over three blooded mares, which he rode during hi>
sojourn litre, a fine white horse, not full blood, and other inferior animals, fir
labor. At his second visit. 1699. he brought the magnificent stallion C'lr.
"Tamerlane." by the celebrated Godolphin F.arb. from which some of the be.-t
horses in England have descended. His inf|uiries about the mares were a-
frequent as aljout the gardens. In his letters he frequently speaks of his ho^^e
"Silas," and his "ball nag Tamerlane." It is quite likely these horses were
kept at Pennsbury from the first.

The manor house was furnished with all the appliances of comfort an''
convenience known to persons of rank and wealth of that day. The furniture
was good and substantial, without being extravagant. In "the best chamber,
in addition to the bed and bedding, with its silk quilt, were "a suit of satin
curtains," and "four satin cushions.'' There were six cane chairs, and "tw"'

6 He writes from England in 1705: "If renii-lniry has cost me one penny, it \y--~
coii nic above £5.000. and it \va< with an intention to settle there, tliough God lias h' i
pleased to order it otherwise. I sliiuild have returned to it in 16S6, or at farthest, in i6^!q.'

7 Grass seed, no doubt.

S Forty acres were cliared l\v 17OT. and an atlditiona! forty acres the following year.
9 .-^ncestur of the Bucks county Blackfans.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 59

with twiggen bottoms." In the next chamber was a suit of camblet curtains,
"with white head-cloth and testar," and a looking-glass in each. The nursery-
had "one pallet bedstead" and "two chairs of Master John's/" Penn's little son
Inirii at Pennsbury. In the best parlor the entire furniture was "two tables,
line pair stands, two great cane chairs and four small do., seven cushions, four
of them satin, the other three green plush ; one pair brasses, brass fire-shovel,
t' ings and fender, one pair liollows, two large maps." In the other parlor was a
leathern chair, which, no d'Hibt, was occupied by William Penn in person. In
the great hall was a long table at- w'hich public business was transacted, and
"two forms of chairs"- to sit at the table. In Mrs. Penn's closet were four
chairs with needle-worked cases, and in the little closet below were four flower
basins. The table furniture was handsome and included damask tablecloths
and napkins ; a suit of tunbridge ware, besides white and blue china. W hile
]u-\\ter-ware was in commoi-i use. the Proprietary's family possessed a consid-
erable quantity of plate, including silver forks and a tea set. The tables and
chairs were made of oak or other suitable wood, as mahogany had not then
ci-«nie into use. Carpets were little used in Europe, and probably there were
none at .Pennsbury. A tall, old-fashioned, clock stood in the house, which now
stands in the Philadelphia Library. Penn brought the greater part of the
furniture from Europe, and our list of articles is made up from the inventory
left at Pennsbury when the family sailed for England, November, 1701. Xo
d'lubt some of the most valuable articles were taken along. After they sailed
the goods from the town-house were sent up to Pennsbury. In 1695 Penn
writes to James Harrison, in charge of the manor house: "Get window shutts
(shutters) and two or three eating tables to flap down, one less than another,
as for twelve, eight, five (persons). Get some wooden chairs of walnut, \vith
long backs, four inches lower than the old ones, because of cushions."

William Penn did not reside at Pennsbury, during his first visit, because
the mansion was not in condition to live in, but he was frequently there to
gixe directions about the work. He probably made his home with some of the
!->ieiids already settled along the Delaware below the falls, for he is known to
have been in the county at various times and places, holding court, attending
meetings, etc. He had not been a year in his new Pro\-ince. when he established
a letter post to convev intelligence from one part to another. In July, 16S3, he
"nlered a postoHice at "Tekony," and appointed Henry Wady,"'- postmaster.
.\mong his other duties he was "to supply passengers with horses, from Phila-
delphia to New Castle, or tlie falls." The rates of postage were, letters from
the falls to Philadelphia. 3d. : to Chester. 5d. : to New Castle, jd. ; to :\Iaryland,
od. The post went once a week, and the time of starting was to be carefully-
published "on the meeting-house door, and other public places." This post was
O'Htinued until some better arrangement was niade. The falls, the starting
]>lace of the niail, was an inipprtant point in the young Province.

We nuist not lose sight of the fact that Bucks was a Quaker county, and
Pennsylvania a Quaker colony. Outside pressure had intensified their religious
convictions, which they carried into politics and family. Their social and
domestic government was practically turned over to the church, which enforced
a discipline that would not be tolerated now. It prcscriljed the rules for dress,
arid marked out the line of personal behavior. In 1682, male and female, old
and \(iung..are adz'iscd against "'wearing supcrlluity of apparel," and, in 1694,
"to keep out of the world's corrupt language, manners, and vain, heedless

O'i Probably Waddy.

6o HISTORY Of DUCKS COUXTV

thing's, and fashions in apparel, and immoderate and indecent smoking,' . :
tobacco." In 1719 the\' advaticed a step furtlier, and adi'lscd all who accn--
tom themselves, or .suti'cr their children, to use "the corrupt and unscriptnr;,;
languacjc of \oh to a single" person, to be "dealt with." In 1744 it was deem. •';
a. "fault" not to take a certificate when removing from one meeting to another.
The I'riends, in some rc>pecls, ignored other denominations, and held ther,,-
sclves aloof from colonial gentiles. In 171 1 tliey were e.xhorted not to atteii 1
the funerals of those not in communi(jn with ihem ; nor to go into any of their
"worship-houses," nor hear their sermons. They were very strict in the matter
of courtship and marriage. In 1705 the Bucks quarterly ordered those inlen'i-
ing marriage to acquaint the overseers of monthly meeting before they declare
their intentions ; and the man and woman were not allowed to dwell in the
same house, from the time they begin to be "concerned in proposals of mar-
riage" until its consummation.^"

In spite of this strict discipline^ private morals were far from being
unexceptionable. A favorite author,^^ writing of the first twenty years of tlie
eighteenth century, says, "cases of immoral conduct were common at this
period," which happened principally among those who "were in the practice
of mingling with, and following, the fashions and customs of the people of
the world." The poor colonial gentiles are made the convenient scape-goat.

In some respects the disciphne was lax. The meeting countenanced the
supplying of liquors at funerals and marriages from the first settlement, no
doubt a practice brought from England. Nevertheless, when they saw it wa;
hurtful, they took steps to correct it. In 1729 the yearly meeting recommended
that strong licjuors be served round but once at funerals, and only to those that
came from a distance; and in 1735. the same authority declared that "greatei
provision for eating and drinking are made at marriages and burials than i?
consistent with good order." In 1750 the meeting recommends the appoint-
ment of overseers "to prevent the unnecessary use of strong drink at burials."
A Quaker author, writing on this subject, says: "The custom long prevailed
of converting the solemn burial service at the house of mourning into a noisy
bacchanalian festival. "'-

The early Friends were alive to the demands of "melting charity," and.
from their first appearance on the Delaware, cared for their own poor. Neither
man nor woman, within the fnlds of the meeting, was allowed to want. .\.-
late as 1801, the Aliddleto^\•n meeting contributed $447-85 to poor Friends in
Great Britain and Ireland.

William Penn sailed on his return to England, from his first visit, June 12.
16S4, having been in his new province about twenty-one months. In this brief
period he succeeded in organizing a great Commonwealth, laying its foundations
of civil and religious liberty so broad and deep that tyranny, from church r,r
state, can not jirevail against them. He committed the management of public

10 A cnrioii'; raarriaye custom prevailed in this province ;it tli.it d.iy. tli.Tt of \vi<lou-<
being married i-;: cln>ncse to screen the second from the first husband's debts. -Kahn
says it was a conmion occurrence when the first husband died in debt. The Friends dis-
countenanced such marriages, which were performed by ministers of other denominations

n Michener.

12 In t6S,?, the yrand jury of Philadelpliia made presentment, "Of ye great rude-
ness and wib'lnrss of ye youths and children in ye town r.f Pliiladclphia, tliat then daily
appear up and down ye streets, gamincc and playing for money, etc."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 61

.iiTairs, durinef his absence, to his Lieutenant-Governor and the Council and
A-'^embly, while James Harrison, liis agent, who resided at Pennsbury, looked
.liter his personal intere>t. At this time the Province and territories annexed
^ iitained a population oi seven thousand.

The first great trouble that came upon Friends on the Delaware was the
icliism of George Keith, 1690. He was a preacher of great note and influence
in the Society. Born at Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1638, and fellow student of
I'.i^hop Burnett, he joined the Friends soon after he left the university. He
settleil in East Xew Jersey, before Penn's arrival, of which he was Surveyor-
(ieneral, and in ifiSg was called to take charge of the first public grammar
scliool in Philadelphia. At this time he commenced the agitation that led to
a division in the Society. They split nn ihe rock of the snfRcicucy of zchat cz'ciy
vhiii has ivithin himself for the ptirf^ose of his ozun sakvtion. His followers,
known as Keitliian Quakers, numbered about one-half of the Yearly Meeting,
incluiling some of its most considerable men. Pie established meetings in
vari(')us parts of the Province. Among those who joined him in this county
were John Swift, Southaiupton, and John Plart, who moved from Byberrv to
Warminster about this time. A Keithian meeting, the germ of the Southamp-
t~.n Baptist church, was held at_ Swift's house, and he and Hart both became
llaptist ministers. Thomas Rutter, a Quaker of Philadelphia, who joined
Keidi, married Rebecca Staples, of this count}-, at Pennsbury, nth month, loth,
1685; and was baptised at Philadelphia by Rev. Thomas Killingsworth, in
I' '17. He began to jireach and baptised nine persons, who united in comniun-
i'^i. June I2th, 169S. and appointed }.Ir. Rutter their minister. The society
u:is kept up until about 1707.'" Keith returned to England about 1695. his
fullowers holding together for a few years when most of them joined the
I.laptists or Episcopalians. Among the signers to "the testimony" against
Keith from this county, were Xicholas Walne, William Cooper, William Biles,
William Yardley and Josejdi Kirkbride. and was dated June 12. 1692.

The rate of wages in this county, and elsewhere in the province, at
that earlv dav. cannot fail to interest the reader. From the first English set-
tlement, down to the close of the century, carpenters, bricklayers and masons
received from five to six shillings a day; journeymen shoemakers two shillings
per day for making both men's and woman's shoes : tailors twelve shillings
p'-r week, with boarrl ; cutting pine buanls six or seven shillings the hundred;
weaving cloth a yard wide, ten or twelve pence a yard ; green hides three half-
pence, and tanners were paid four pence per hide for dressing; brick at th.e
kiln twenty shillings per thousand; wool twelve to fifteen cents per pounil ;
plasterers eighteen cents per yard. A good fat cow could be bought for
almut three pounds, and butchers charged five shillings for killing a beef, and
their board. Laboring men received between eighteen pence and half a
crown per day, with board ; between three and four shillings during harvest,
anil fourteen or fifteen pounds a \car. with board and lodging. Female
Servants received between si.x and ten pounds a year, and their wages were
higher in proportion because of their scarcity, usually getting married before
tliey were twentv years of age. Gabriel Thomas tells us there were neither
beggars nor old maids in the county.

The farmers raised wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat. Indian corn, peas,
beans, hemp, fiax, turnips, poiatnes and parsnips. Some farmers sowed as
high as seventv and eightv acres of wheat, besides other grain. A consider-

13 Rutter b.iptizeii Evan Morgan, in 1697.

62 HISTORY Of BUCKS COLW^V

al)le iuinibt.'r of cattle was raised, individual fanners having as high as forf,
or sixty head, and an occasional one from one to three, hundred. The countr-.
was faviirable to stock raising, the woods being open, /ften covered with gra>-,
and the cattle roamed at will. The wheat harvest was finished before tin
middle of July, the yield being from twenty to thirt\ bushels to the acre. The
f:irmers used harrows with wooden teeth, and the grc^und was so mell'i-,'.
that twice mending plow irons sutticed for a year. The horses commonly
went unshod. Land had increased considerably in value, and some nt:ir
Philadelphia that could be bought for six or eight pound the hundred acre-.
when the country was first settled, could not be bought under one hundrci
and fifty poumls at the close of the century. This province was a liaj^py
commonwealth : bread and meat, and whatever else to drink, food, and rai-
ment that man required, were cheaper than in England, and wages were higher.

Among the notable events along the Delaware, before the close of th<.>
century, was the "great land flood and rupture" at the falls in 1687, which wa<
followed bv great sickness. There was another great flood in the Delaware
in April. 169:2,''' when the water rose twelve feet above the usual high-water
mark, and caused great destruction. It reached the second story of some 01
the houses built on the low ground at south Trenton, and the inmates were
rescued by people from the Bucks county shore, in canoes, and conveyed to this
side. Several houses were carried away, two persons and a number of cattle
drowned, and the shore of the river was strewn with household goods. This
freshet was known as the "great flood at Delaware falls. "^•' Phineas Pembcr-
ton records, in 16S8. that a whale was seen as high as the falls that year.

At that day people of all classes dressed in ])lain attire, conforming to
English fashions, but more subdued in deference to Friends' principles. Even
among the most exacting the clothing was not reduced to the formal cut 'if
the costume of a later period. The wife of Phineas I'emberton, in a reply to
a letter in which he complains of the want of clothing suited to the season,
says : "I have sent thee thy leather doublet, and britches, and great stomacher."

In the cotirse of our investigations we have met with several refere;v:e-
to the dil^culty William Penn had in collecting cpiit-rents in this county an^l
elsewhere. In 1702, James Logan wrote him: "of all- the rents in lUicks
county I have secured but one ton and a half of flour." He says. "Pliilmle':-
phia is the worst. Bucks not much better." On another occasion Logan writes:
"Bucks, exceedingly degenerate of late, pays no taxes, nor will any one in the
county levy by distress." The county is again meni'iined in 1704. as beini;
"slow in i)a\inij her taxes."

14 Pembertoii says "the nipiiirc" occurred the JOdi of May. and .some siippii?c i:
refers lo the separatinii of tlie island rijipd-ite Morri.s\ille from tlie main-land. Thi- 1-
nn erri^r. as the island referred to was Wirhnlsten's i-!and. where the Walloon fainilie-
had settled nearly three-quarters of a century before.

15 When the first settlers, about the falls on the Xew Ter>ey side, built their home-
on the lov.- ground, the Indian- told them they were liable to be damaged by I'.'e
freshets, but they did not heed the advice.

CHAPTER \'ll.

THE ORGAXIZATIOX OF TOWNSHIPS.

FALLS, 1602.

<Jrganization of townships. — Reservation. — Jury Appointed. — Five townships ordered. —
I'alls.— Its early importance. — First Scalers. — ^John Acreman. — Richard Ridgeway. —
William Biles. — Meeting established. — Fir.-t marriage. — Meeting house built. — The
discipline. — Crewcorne. — Pennsbiiry. — Mary Eecket — Thomas Stewardson. — The
charities of Falls. — Earliest ferry. — The Croziers. — Kirkbrides. — General Jacob
Crown. — His appointments. — Fon: Hunter John Brown. — Anna Lee. — Manor Baptist
church. — Falls library. — Old graveyard. — Cooper homestead — Charles Ellet. — Joseph
White.^Isaac Ivins. — The swamp. — Indian held. — Roads. — Villages. — Surface of
township. — Crow scalps. — Population. — Bile's island.

Tlie organization of tlie townships, with some account of the pioneers who
-ctt'ed them — transformed the native forest into productive farms, opened roads
.nd Iniilt houses, with a sketch of their gradual expansion and growth in civil-
i.'aiion. are tlie most interesting portion of a county's history.

It is stated in one of Penn's biographies, that when he sailed, on his return
vi'\age to England, 16S4. the Province was divided into 22 townships: but this
c.-;nni.it have reference to Bucks county for her boundaries were not yet fixed,
ii"r were townsliips laid out until eight years after.' There is evidence that
\\ illiani Penii intended to lay out tliis county, according to a system of town-
-hips. that would have .given them much greater symmetry of shape than they
u' >w possess, and bounded tlicm by riglit lines like the three rectangular townships
"n the Montgomery border, with an area of about five thousand acres eacli. In
"'1^7 he directed that one-tenth in each township, with all the Indian fields.-
-hould be reserved to him: but tliis reservation was not observed,' and the plan
"1 laying out right-angled townships was abandoned. There were no legal
s;ii)divisions in this comity earlier tlian 1(392. although for the convenience of
''"Meeting taxes, and c>ther municipal purposes, limits and names had already
'txn .eiven to many settlements. At December tenu, i('»)0. the following pcr-
^ons were appointed overseers of highways for the districts named: "For

I -Ml the informaliou cncerninc; tlie laying out hi tnur-hips was obtained ir
ori;;inal records in the (Juarler Scsii..ns otiice, Doylcstnwn.
- Patches of land cleared by the Indians.

C4 histokj' of bucks couxtv.

above the falls, Reuben Pownall ; fur below the falls, Joseph Chorle\- ; fi.-r •_■
lower part of the river, Richard Wilson; for the lower part of Neshamii-.,:;.
Derrick Clawson : for the upper part of Nesliaminah, William Havlnirst ; t'
middle lots,"' John Webster; for the lower end of Nesliaminah, on the sou-.
side, \\'alter Hough and Samuel Allen; for above, south side, Thomas ilar -
ing." Some of the present geographical subdivisions were called towiislii, .
and by the names they now bear, several years before they were so declared 1
law-. Southampton and Warminster were so called as early as 1685, in •'
proceedings of council fixing the line between Bucks and Philadelphia counti -
Newtown and Wrightstown are first mentioned in 1687. The names of oit
early townshijis were the creatures of chance, given by force of circumstan.j:
or location. .Falls was called after the falls in the Delaware; Newtown becar.-
it was a ncz^' toicn or settlement in the woods, and Middletown because it w,;-
midway between the uppermost inhabitants and those on the river belr.w .
Others again were named after the places some of the inhabitants came fri:",
in England, w ith which they were acquainted or where their friends lived.

The first legal steps, toward laying off townships, were taken in i6'io.
when the Provincial Council authorized warrants to be drawn, ' empowering:
the magistrates and Grand Juries of each county to sub-divide them into liur--
dreds, or such other divisions as they shall think most convenient in collectin_'
taxes and defraying county expenses. Bucks did not take advantage of tl::-
act until two years later, when the court, at the September term, 1692, appointi.- 1
a jury, consisting of Arthur Cook, who settled in Northampton and was aii-
pointed a Provincial judge in 16S6; Joseph Growden, John Cook, Thonui--
Janney, Richard Hough, Henry Baker, Phineas Pemberton, Joshua Hoops.
William Biles, Nicholas Walne, Edmund Lovet, Abraham Cox and Jamo>
Boyden, and directed them to meet at the Neshaminy meeting-house, in Mi!-
dletown, the 27th, to divide the county into townships. They reported, at the
December term, dividing the settled portions into five townships, viz: Make-
field. Falls, Buckingham, now Bristol, Salem, now Bensalem, and ^liddletowi;.
giving the metes ami bounds. Four other townships are mentioned, but tlic;>
are not returned as geographical subdivisions.

The following is the text of the report: ''The uppermost township, bein:,'
called INIakefield. to begin at the uppermost plantations and along the river t"
the uppermost j/art of John Wood's land, and by the lands formerly belong-
ing to the Hawkinses and Joseph Kirkbride and widow Lucas' land, and so
along as near as may be in a straight line to in Joshua Hoops' land.

■'The township at the falls being called is to begin at Pennsburv and

so up the river to the upper side of John Woods' land, and then to take in the
Hawkins. Joseph Kirkbride and widow Lucas' lands, and so the land along
that creek, continuing the same until it takes in the land of John Rowland ami
Edward Pearson, and so to continue till it come with Pennsbury upper land.
then along Pennsbury to the jjlacc of beginning. Then Pennsburv as its laid
out.

"Below Pennsbury its called Buckingham, and to follow the river from
Pennsbury to Nesliaminah, then up Neshaminah to the upper side of Robert
Hall's plantation, and to take in the land of Jonathan Town, Edward Lover.
Abraham Cox, etc., etc., etc.. to Pennsbury, and by the same to the place of
beginning.

"The middle township calleil Middletown to begin at the upper end of

.1. Midflletown.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 65

Ki.bcrt Hall's Irnid, and so up Xcshamiiinh to Xcwtown, and /rem thence ta
lake in the lamJs of John Houj^h, Jonathan Scarle, the Paxsons and Jonatlian
Smith's land, and so to take in the back part of White's land, and by these
lands to tlie place of beginning.

"Xewtown and Wrightstown one township.

"All the lands between .\'eshaminah and I'oquessin, and so to tlie 'upper
side, of loseph Gnnvden's land in one and to be called 'Salem.'

"Southampton, and the lands about it, with Warminster, one."

It was a feature of the townships of Bucks county that they were formed
in groups, at shorter or longer intervals and as the wants of the settlers called
fur them. Subsetiuent groups will be treated, as they present themselves, in
i!ie chronological order of our work. .\t present we have only to deal with
the hve townships formed at Xeshaminy meeting-house, more than two
centuries ago.

Falls, of which we first treat, is. in some respects, the most interesting
township in the county, and may be justly called the mother township. Within
its borders, at "the falls of Delaware" the first permanent settlement was made,
and there the banner of English civilization was first raised in Bucks, there
the great founder had his Pennsylvania home, and there his favorite manor
spread its fertile acres around Pennsbury house. The feet of many immi-
grants pressed its soil before thev took up their march for the wilderness of
Middletown, Newtown and Wrightstown. A few settlers had gathered about
the falls years before the ships of Pcnn entered the Capes of Delaware, and tlie
title to considerable land can be traced back to Sir Edmund Andros, the Royal
("iDvcrnor of Xew York. The overland route from the lower Delaware to
Manhattan lay through this township when it was only traversed by Swedes,
Hollanders and Finns ; anrl, while neighboring townships were trodden only
by the feet of Indians, its territory was explored bv travelers and traders, and
an occasional pioneer seeking a home in the woods. For a time its history
was the history of the county, as found recorded in the interesting records
of Falls Meeting.

It will be noticed, that tlie report of the jury, to lay out these townships.
Ic.Tvcs the name of Falls, blank, a matter to be determined in the future. Piut
the location gave it the name it bears, and for vears it was as often called "the
t'lwnshin at the Falls." or "The l-"alls township." We doubt whether its orig-
i!i:d limits have been curtailed, and its generous area, fourteen thousnnd eight
Iniudred and thirty-eight acres, is probably the same as when first organized.

(~)f the original settlers* in Falls, several of them were there before tl.ie
("i>untry came into Penn's prissession."' They ])urchased the land of Sir Ed-
nuind Andros, who represented the Duke of York, and were settled along the

4 N'anies of orhjinal set»lcr<: Joslmn H'-nps. Jnlin Pnlnier. John CoMins. William
^.n.l Charles Bilc<. William I'arkt-. John Haycock. John Wheeler, Jonathan Witscard,
John Par.'sons. Andrew Ellet. William Beaks. William Venahlcs. John Luff. Jeffrey
Hawkin':. .-Knn Millcomh. James Hill. John ami. Thomas Rowland, Thomas .-\tkiiison,
Th'Mnas Wolf, Ralph Smith. John Wood. Daniel I'.rind-ly, John Acrenian. Joslnia Unarc,
!-''hcrt Lucas, Gilhcrt Whecier. Samnel Darke. Daniel (Gardner. Lyoncl Britton. Cicorye
'■rown, James Harrison and Gtori.:c Hcatlicote.

.=; Of tlic Kn;j;li>li sctller> who came into the Delaware, 1677. hut three are known
t'l l;.-ivc settled in Bucks comity: Daniel r.rm^rm. Devnii. [Ciicjland. S<ji)lenil)er 28: Ji.iIut
i'urslone. Ireland, ,\ugr.st ; and Jc'->liua Bnare, Dcrhy>hire. Septeni'Der.

66 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Delaware from the falls down: John Acrenian. Richard RidgAvay, the tailor.
probably llic tirst in the county, William Biles, Robert Lucas, George Wheekr.
and GcoTLje ]!rown, whose lands bordered on the river. Lucas came tro>:i
Dcverall, Loui;hbrid;,,'e, Wiltshire, and arrived 4ih mo., 4th, 1679, with William
I'.iles in the ship Llizabeth and Sarah from Dorchester. These grants were nni'i,-
in iTi^Sor 1(171), that of I'.ilr,, rinbracing three hundred and twenty-seven acre-,
for which I'enn's warrant is dated 9th. 8th mo., 16S4, surveyed 23d, samemoutl;
and patentol 31, i ith month. William Biles was one of tlie signers of the cele-
brated "testimony" against George Keith, and went to England on a vi^i;,
1702. Biles became a large landowner. He sold five thousand acres in thi-
<:ountv, near Xeshaminy, to William Lawrence, Samuel and Joseph Thorni-.
John Tallman, an<l B. l-'ield, but the purchasers could find only two thousand
acres. In 1718 James I^ogrin i.-sued an order to survey three thousand addi-
tional acres, not already settled or surveyed. Gilbert Wheeler called his hou.~:
"Crookhorn," a name long forgotten. In the bend of the river below Bile'-.
island, Lyonel Britton" and George Heathcote seated themselves, both Friends ;
the former an early convert to Catholicism, probably the first in the state, while
the latter was the first Friend knnwn to be a sea-captain. Thomas Atkinson.
Thomas Rowland and John Palmer, names yet well known in the county,
settled in the western part of the township. James Harrison, Penn's agent.
•owned land in Falls, adjoining the manor, ami in Lower Makefield. His son-
in-law, Phineas Pemberton." who likewise settled in Falls, was called the father
of Piucks county, and he and Jeremiah Langhorne, of Middletown. and Josepli
Cirowden. of Bensalem, were relied upon as the staunchest friends of Williaip.
I'enn, For some years the men of the I'alls controlled the affairs of the infant
county.

We learn fnMU subsei|Uent research, that the little settlement below the
falls was given the name of "Crewcorne," priibably after the market town and
]jarish of Crewkerne. S(jmer.-<etshire, near the border of Dorset, England. In
iC)Ro official papers speak of it as "Ye new seated towne." and the first cour:
in tile county was held there, caMed the "Court of Crewcorne (spelled Creeke-
horne) at the Falls." April 12, 1680, the inhabitants settled aljout the fall-
addressed the following petition "to ye worlhv governor of Xew York," viz.:
'A\'liereas we ye inhabitants of ye new seated Town neare ye falls of Delawar.-.
called Crewcorne. finding ourselves agrieve'l hv the Indians -when drunk, i!;-
formetli that \\c be and have been in great (langer of our lives, of our hotui'-
burning, of our gixxls stealing; and of oiir wives and children attrighting, etc."
and desire that "ye selling of brandy and other strong li(|Uors to ye Indians
may be wholly suppressed," etc. This |)etition was signed Wm. Biles, Samuel
Grit>ield, Robert Lucas, Thomas Schooly, William Cooper, Rich. Reynersoi;.
John Acrenian, Robt. Schooly. Darius Brinson and George Browne.

On .-\pril 2(. Wm. Piiles. "member of the new Court at the falls of the
Delaware." appeared at Xew York and nn that day obtained a warrant to
summon (iilbert Wheeler "to npjiear here for >elling drink to Ye Indians."
The same day a jjetition from "the inhabitants at tJic falls." daterl the J 2th
and a return from the "LiMirt of Creekhonie at the falls," sendinir in the name-

6 .Sf|iti-i;iInT i,i. i.'iSi.. P.rilti.M jii:nril wiili ntluT- in |icti[ioniiig tliL' cmirt at Nf^^'
York, cliarsiiik' (iul)tTt \Vhi-c!er with bcllmij rum to Indians.

7 May, i')S5. I'ciiil.crt.in cnm[jlaini tn th.- cun.-il thac tlie Imliaii- are killiiiK' li"4-
al'.Hit the falls.

HISTORY or BUCKS COi'XTV. 67

Hi four for magistrates, "according to order" was read before tlie Governor and
C'-tincil, whose names are given in the record of these transactions. September
13 fullouing. 1680. the petiti.-.n of the "inhabitants of Crewcorne on the Dela-
ware" was received : They charge Gilbert Wheeler with selling rum to the
huiians and state they suspect William Kiles to sell rum himself. This petition
was signed, by Robert Lucas, Geo. Browne. Samuel Griftield, Xancv Acreman,
Richartl Riilgeway. Lyonel llritton and Robert Schooly. The petitioners were
ail resideiits of Bucks county. .As the jurisdiction of Xew York govenmicnt
only extended from the west bank of the Connecticut to the east bank of the
Delaware, jurisdiction was assumed over all who lived on the west bank, and
was obeyed because there was no other authority to look to. In trudi. at that
time the settlers in Bucks county lived "nowhere" so far as legal jurisdiction
•was concerned.

When Ave recall to mind the first English settlers, on the Delaware,
were men and women of strong religious convictions and had left the homes
of their birth to worship God in peace in the wilderness of the new world, we
appreciate their early and earnest effort to establish places for religious meet-
ings. Before Peim"s arrival, they crossed the Delaware and united with their
lircthren at Burlington, who met in tents and where yearly meeting was first
l-.eld. 168 1. Friends probably met this side the river at each other's houses
for worship as early as 16S0. and attended business meet'ngs at Burlington.
The first known meeting of Friends, in this county, was held at the house of
William Biles.* just below the falls. May 2. 16S3. at which were present, be-
sides Biles. James Harrison. Phineas I'emberton. William Beaks. William Yard-
lex. William Darke and Lyonel Britton. This was the germ of the Falls Meet-
ings. The first business transacted was the marriage of Samuel Darke to Ann
Knight, but as the young folks did not have the "documents." they were told
"to wait in patience." This they declined doing and got married in a "dis-
orderly manner" out of meeting. They were probably "dealt with." but to
what extent has not come down to us. Thomas .\tkinson. of Xeshaminy'
asked help to pay for a cow and calf and got it. The first Quarterly Meeting
was held at the hoiise of Thomas Biles. l\Iay 7. 1683. The first meeting house,
^uiit about where the present one stands, on a lot given by \\"illiam Penn. i'iS3,
was finisheil .\priL i('«)2. The size was 20 bv 25 feet, of brick burned by
Randall T'.Iackshaw. Th.e carjienter work was done by contract and cost £41.
It had a "gallery below with lianisters." and one chimney lined below with
sawn boards'". In iC)Sl'). Thomas Janney gave an additional lot. "on the slate
pit hill," 30 yards square. .\ stable was built and a well digged. 1701. The
meeting house was partly paid for in wlieat, 9s. 3d. per bushel. It was en-
larged in i('K;r,-i7oo. by adding a lean-to of stone, and repaired. 1700. .V new
house was built. 1728. at a cost of about t'looo. and the old meeting house was

8 It is tliouiiln the lionic ot Andrew Crczier. on the river ro.nd helow >[r,rr:-ville.
was huilt by William Bile-;, of hrick imported from England, and in it w.is held the first
Friends' meeting.

0 MiOd!eti \vn.

10 .-X letter from Friends in Penn-ylvani.! to brethren in F.iml.ind. dated ^^ar^.■h 17.
t^«^J, says: "Thrre is one niee'in^ .it KalK. one at the Ri.vern.T's l-.rine, rftmslmry, and
^ne at CoIc!ie-tcr river. ?.U in Bucks county." The author plead- liini trance of the I cation
"f "Colchester river" in Bucks countv.

68 HISTORY Of BUCKS COU.XTV.

fittcil up for a schuiil-housc, 1733. In 1758, a (Iwellinjj was erected fur li'..
school-master, a secoiul story added to the meetiuc^ house, and an additiun i
the north end. I7'>.v -'^ "horsing hlock" was got for the meeting, 1703."

The mother meeting of Falls watched over its flock with jealous care, a;,
looked after both secular and spiritual atYairs. Their discipline was nece>s:ir;!.
strict. In 16S3 Ann .Miller was "dealt with" for keeping a disorderly hi/.;-...
and selling strong licjuor to English and Indians, and her daughter Mnr.
for "disorderly walking," and \\'illiam Clows, John Brock and \\'illiam Eeak-
and their wives, for "being backward in coming to meeting;" William Slui'.l-
cross for his "extravagant dress and loose conversation;" William Gofor;ii.
"who had frequently engaged in privateering;" Isaac Hodson for "loaiiir,.;
money at 7 per cent., when the lawful interest was only 6 per cent. ;" Henr.
Baker "for buying a negro;" and William Moon "for marrying his cnu.-i;;
Elizabeth Xutt." This strictness in discipline was offset by "melting charity. '
In 1695 the meeting contributeil £49 toward repairing the loss of ThonKi.-.
Jannev by fire;'- and. in 1697, £15. 6s. 6d., no mean sum at that day, for dis-
tressed Friends in New England. When John Chapman, of Wrightsto\\!).
was "short of corn," in 1693, he applied to the mother meeting, and no dur.l't
got it, for it was not their habit to turn the needy away empty handed. Tlu-
first year but one couple was married in Falls meeting — Richard Hough av. .
I^largery Clows ; and 523 couples in the first century.

Penn's favorite manor of Pennsbtiry, containing about eight thousai^l
acres, lay in Falls townshi]j'". It is now divided into nearly three hundre*;
different tracts, ranging from three hundred and eighty to a few acres ; the Ian :
is among the most fertile in the comity, the farms well kept, and the bu;lclin,»
good. Tullytown is the only village on the manor, in the southwest corner.
near the line of Bristol, and it is cut by the Delaware division canal and tl'.c
Philadelphia and Trenton railroad. In 1733, Ann Brown, of New York,
daughter of Colonel William Markham, Penn's Deputy Governor, clainu' i
three hundred acres in the manor. The claim was rejected, but, out of regar .
to her, Thomas Penn granted that quantity to her elsewhere. Richard Durdin.

11 The earliest known title coiU'cying property to Falls monthly meeting bears il.i'"
the 4th of 4th nio.. ihgo, liy ciced of Samuel Burgess, for six acres, then supposed to i'
the same now occupied by Falls meeting house and other improvements at FallsmL".
but by some unaccountable mistake, the bearings and distances mentioned in the Jct .
embraccii a plot of ground entirely beyond the ea.stern boundary of the intended C"".
veyance. This oversight was a source of annoyance for years, and not corrected ur'.'
17J4, when Daniel Burgess, who had inherited his father's real estate, conveyed •-!■••
originally intended six acres to the trustees of Falls monthly nrceting, subject to tin-
j-early quit rent 01 one grain of Indian corn. — "George W. Brown's Historical Sketchc-

12 The name of the tieneticiary and amount were both wrong in the first editi'':i.
according to the original minute book of Falls monthly meeting, which reads: "At a
monthly meeting at ye meeting house, ye 5th 12th mo., l6g5, Henry Baker reported to thv
meeting ye loss yt Thomas Canliy had by his licjuse bemg burnt by fire, and requests ■
ye moetnig's assistance, whereupon there was £(0 los collected and paid to Henry Bak.' '
towards lii^ K.-^."

I,? Surveviir-Cieneral Fasiluirn -urveyed the manor of Penn^bury, for the heirs ■
\Villiam t'eiui, I7.ij, when it c< ntained 5,f^,U' acres, exclusive of the 6 per cent, rcser'i .
for roads.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 69

wlio ouiK'd five hunilred acres of the manor land, died about 1792, when it was
advertised at pubhc sale, July 31, 1793.

(_)ne member of Phineas Peniberton's lionsehnld was Mar\- I'.ecket. a
•.iiiiiig Englisli girl said to have been a descendant of the Percys of Xorthum-
i>erland. When her mother married P.ecket she wa-^ a waril in Chancery,
.•iid they had to fly to the continent, where he was killed in the rehgious war
::i Germany. .Mary was their only child. Eleanor L'.ecket, whose maiden name
«a« Horner, subsequently married Robert Haydtick.'"'- a prominent minister
among Friends of Warrington, Lancastershire. Mary P>ecket made her appear-
ance in the rails, 16S4, her name appearing on the passenger list of the shi]-) \'ine
ivnn Liverpool, which arrived at Philadelpliia the 17th of 7tli month. Her imme-
diate party consisted of Henry Baker, his wife Margaret, their four daughters,
two sons and servants. Tliey came from Walton, Lancastershire. Robert
Haydock. writing to Phineas Pemberton under date of the 7tli of 4th month,
itv84. says: ".-Mong with the bearer hereof cometh daughter Mary, and by
ye contents of ye enclosed to thy father, which, on purpose I leave unsealed,
ihou may understand. To your care we commit," &c. &c. In all her letters
from Haydock or his wife to Hilary Becket slie is addressed as "daughter," and in
liers to them she calls them "father and mother."'* She continued to reside
in Pemberton"s family until she was married at Falls meeting, 4th of 8th month,
i'kjI, to Samuel Bowne, son of John Bowne, Long Island, well known to stud-
ents of Colonial history, and then went to live with her husband at Flushing.
Sh.e calleil one. of her daughters Eleanor, after her mother. '"*'-

Ij'l" The following purports to be a copy of one of Samuel Bownc's '.e"iter> to Mary
I'ccket while courting her, sent us by Miss Parsons, riushing. Long Island:

"Flushing, 6th nio.. 1691.

"Dear Miss B. — My very dear and con>tant love salutes thee in yt with which my
'"ve was at first united to thee even the love of God; blessed truth in which my soul
'.c-:res above ail thing-;, tliat we maV grow and increase, which will produce our eternal
conu'ort. Dear love, these few lines may inform thee that I am lately returned home,
where we arc all well, blessed be the Lord for it. Much exercise about the concern we
l;.ive taken in hand and no, dear heart, my earnest desire it is, yt we may have our eyes
to the Lord and seek him for counsel that He may direct us in this weighty concern, and
I :im saii-lied that if it be bis will to acci-mp'ish it he in bis own time will make way tor the
*anie, >■! my desire is yt that ye may be recommended to the will of the Lord; tb.en may
"r cNptct the end thereof will redound to hi-; glory and our comfort forevernioro. Dear
heart. I have ifn heard. cert;iinly, but live in great hope that it hath pleased the Lord * *
hiMhh to our dear friend and elder, brother P. P.. to wbfini with his dear wife remember
my very kind love, for I often think upon you all with true brotherly love as being children
o! one father ; so dear Mary, it was not in my heart to write large, but to give these few
line* at present. I do expect my father and I may come about the latter end of this
month. My dear, T could be very glad to hear from thee, but not willing to press the
ir-'uble upon thee to write, so 1 must take leave and bid farewell: luy dear, farewell.

(Signed): "Sa.mcel Bowxf,"

14 If Mjry l!ecket were th? daughter of her mother's t'lr^t niarriace, it would
>:4r.;ty U' thing that --be and her -econd hii>band callerl her "daughter," and she called
'b?ni "father" and "mother."

l-lL Lnder date of if'')><. William Stout. Lanerijbire. in hi- ruitobiography, p. 50. says:
"In this year Robert lla.\d.ck, Liverpool, frei.i;hted a >bip f'T riiil.idelpbia t' take in
^ll^"h pa->engers as were di<po-ed to go to settle in Penu-ylvania, etc." Was this Robert

HISTORY or BUCKS COUNTY

EiiDiigli has been said of Mary I'.cckft in show tlint a web of romani.-
is woven aroinid l;er life. Who can iniravel it' We lay no claim to it. T!;:i-,
there was an English yirl of this name livinsnf in the family of Phineas Pembtr-
ton, who married Sanuiel iJowne, and has nnmerotis descendants in Penn-
sylvania anij Xew York of the highest respectability is unf[uestionefl. but v, ..
know little more. If not a descendant of the Percys, who was she? Mr
Thomas Stewardson, Chestnut Hill, a descendant of our heroine, wrote us, wi
response to our inquiry :

"The origin of the curious myth that made a 'lady' of the poor niotlier-
less child, is, I suspect, to be found in a confusion between her and anoihtr
Mary (Horner. I rather think), many of whose descendants are also desceiul-
ants of Mary Becket. This other Mary did possess a considerable estate,
while the llecket child was penniless. I found that for several generations,
nobody had ever attributed wealth to M. P... but that some ladies who were
looking over family letters at the old Bowne home. Flushing, got the two
names nn'xed, and wrote to their relatives, in Philadelphia, that Mary Becket
had been an heiress. The Horners came from Yorksliire, and I once began
a search for this Mary and her guardian, and did actually find an Eleanor
Percy, whose period would have fitted well enough with that of Mary Horner
( 1 am not sure of the name now), but 1 tired of the job, and have never taken
it up since."

When the survevor came to lay out the Manor of Pennsbury. some ui
the grants of the Duke of York interfering with its limit, the owner consented
to have the lines straightened, and, in consideration. William Penn, Septem-
ber 30, 1682. ordered a tract of 120 acres to be laid ofif. for the use of the town-
ship), near its centre. In 1784. the County Commissioners sold 20 acres ui
this land for ta.xes. In 1807. the Legislature authc^rized the inhabitants to
sell, or lease, die remainder, the proceeds to be applied to the education i>i
poor children, and the fund to be managed by six trustees, two elected each
year. The trustees named in the act were Mahlon Milnor, Charles Brown.
Daniel Lovet. John Carlisle and William Warner. "The timber, or comiii''n, '
as it was called, was divideil into 21 lots and leased by public outcry to th>e
highest bidder, from twenty-five cents to one dollar per acre.'^ In iiSjy
"the Barnes's" brought suit to try the title, which cost the township Si 41 >.'/"'
to defend. When the common school system was organized, tlie rents v, er^-
paid into the school fund. The legislature, in 1S64. authorized the common i"
lie sold at public sale, and the proceeds of it now yield about S300 aniuia'.lv.
Falls has always been liberal in supporting her poor, and ha'^ spent as niiK'lt
as $1,200 in a single vear for this ptirjiose. She was likewise among the
earliest to provide for tlie education of poor children. She has yearly c"n-
trilnited a considerable sum to the public school fund, over and above th.at
raised by ta.xation, and the revenue arising fri'm the sale of the common.
For all public purjwses the inhabitants have been liberal givers, and. as king
ago as iJ'oi. the duplicate shows that S1.284.7y were raised for road-tax.
Among the charities of Falls is a public burying-ground, purchased by sul)-
scription, 1813, of David Brown, for S[ 18.80, containing three-quarters of
an acre. It w as placed in the care of the trustees of the free school, and ordercil
to be divided into three parts, "for the white inhabitants;" lor "the people

IJayiiock the same, or any relation to the Robert Hnydock who niarricti Mary P.eckii ^
nioiher?

15 Tlic survey made in iro.*^, Kive-. llie contents I05".s acres.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COLWTV. 71

..f color," and the third part "for strangers." Andrew Crozicr had charge of
the grounds and digged the graves in 1817. Ten lots were leased in i8j6,
at prices ranging fnun S1.07 to $2.07 the lot.

The eariiest established ferry in the county was in this township, across
l!ie Delaware just helow where Morrisville stands. After the arrival of
William Penn it was regulated by law. by Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Ill 1726 the Legislature of New Jersey granted the e.Kclusive use of the east-
ern bank, for ferry purposes, to James Trent, t\vo miles above and two
miles below the falls. The upper ferry was at the foot of Calhoun street,
and in use to 1857. The lower ferry was used until the bridge was built,
in 1804. The large brick ferry house is still standing near the river. About
1720 a ferry was established at Joseph Kirkbride"s lauding opposite Rorden-
town. The' lower ferry at the falls was called "Blazing Star Ferry."' There
was an effort to establish "Harvey's ferry" across the Delaware, in I'alls,
about 1770; and to have a road opened from the post-road to it, ihrough the
land of Thomas Harvey, but was probably not successful. The oldest act
fi-ir a ferry at the falls, that we have seen, is dated 1718, but the L'pland omri
istahlished a ferry there as early as 1675.^'^

Referring again to the name of Crozier, we find it is spelled Crozier and
frnzer, but we do not know which is the proper way of spelling it. In the
Morton lot, St. James graveyard, Bristol, are interred the remains of Andrew
Crozcr, who died, 1776, Mary, his wife, who died. 17S3. and their son Samuel
anil his children. They were of the same family as the Croziers mentioned
aliLive.

In the spring of 1712. Joseph Satterthwait and Hannah Albertson sus-
tained a loss of £500 by a fire and the council gave theiu license to ask charity
of the public to replace it. This was one of the earliest fires recorded in
the countv.

The Croziers. who came int<3 the township at a later day than the pioneer
.settlers, are descended from Huguenot ancestors brought up in the Presby-
terian faith. They immigrated from France to Scotland about 1700: thence
to county Antrim. Ireland, and. about 1723. five brothers came to America.
-Xndrew, Robert. Tames. John and Samuel, .\ndrew, the immediate head of the
Bucks countv familv, settled near Columbus. Xcw Jersey, where he married Jane
Ricliardson, about 1744. He removed to Falls, in 1758. and settled on a farm on
the north side of Welcome, now Scotts creek, where he died in i77('). and his
wife, 1783. Thev had nine children, the eldest. Roliert, inlieritiug die manor
farm, whose grandson, William P., became the owner. Robert Crozicr, the
grandson of the first Andrew, made .Morrisville his home. The descendants
have intermarried with a number of Bucks county families. ( )f the other
brothers who came to America. Robert settled in Philadelphia, and James. Joim
and Samuel in Delaware county, where John P.. a grandson of James, died
in recent vears at the age of seventy-five. The faiuily furnished four soldiers

16 There was a ■•Hr.pkinson Ferry" on the Delaware, probably in Fail-; township, but
we can not vmich for it. Our attention was directed to it by an extract frcni a lellcr, 4th
n.nnth, 6th, iSjo. givinu: account of an accident tliat happened tn a party ot four while
cro'-sing the river on the ice. in a carriai,'e. and breaking; thrnigh. Two were drowned,
Esther Collins and .\nn i:.lwar.N. and Henry Stocker and wife were saved. The letter
We speak of \\a> written by the wid.iw of St' cker. anil as inav be imagined, a very pathetic
(-■r.c: This is the fl^^t and only tune we have heard of a terry of this name on the
Delaware.

72 HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

to the Federal Army in tlie Civil War ; J. Howard Cox served in the 214th 1 Viii;
svlvania rej^iment ; William Mortcjii in an lllini)i.s re£jinient: John 15. Ikiiuir;.;.
34th Ohio, and William C. Crozier in the I04tli I'cnnsylvania. The tirst A:.-
drcw left a large number of descendants.

The Kirkl)ricle family is one of the oldest in the township. As we li;i\
recorded elsewhere, the first ancestor was Jose])h,'' who came to the countv ::•.
1082 at tlie ai;e of twenty: married in 16S3, and in i(t>ij bought five hundri'i
acres in I'alls of Thomas Atkinson for £35. His wife was a daughter ct
Mahlon Stacy, the proprietor of the site of Trenton. He became a minisi.r
among Friends; was an acti\e surveyor and business man, and at his deai'i
left thirteen thousand four hundred and tliirty-nine acres to be divided anioiu;
his children. His wife received twelve hundred acres from the will of lnr
brother Mahlon, who died in 1731. His son Joseph got his three negroes. Isaac.
Coffee and Tehmacl. The homestead farm in Falls, one hundred and one acres
and forty-si.\ jK-rches, remained in the family until 1873, when it was sold a",
public sale to Mahlon Z^Ioon, for S210 per acre. A small dwelling, with cellar
underneath, used as a tool and wood-house, stands on the tract, a monument
of '"ye oklen time," and is said to have been built by the first purchaser of tlu-
land.

Ceorge I'.rown, or Browne, as the name was originally spelled, of Leices-
tershire, England, was an early settler in I-"alls township, landing at Xew
Castle 1679, three years prir>r to Fenn. He purchased of Sir Edmund Andrf><.
a tract on the Delaware joining F'enn's Manor as is shown by Holme's map. ai'l
it has remained in possession of the family to the present time. He was ac-
companied by his intended wife to whom he was married on their arrival. Tin-
wife was also from Leicestershire: both were members of the Church of Eng-
land, but joined the Society of Friends and became active in Falls iMonthly
iMeeting. George Hrown. being a man of strong and cultivated mind, wielded
considerable influence in the Colunv from the first. He was a Justice of the
'Feacc, 1(180. He had a fanii!\- of fourteen children, and died in 172''.
at the age of 82. His son Samuel marriefl .Ann Clark, 1717. and died 1701). at
74. He was a ])rominent member of the As.--embly. Samuel's son, George, like-
wise a member of Assembly, born 1720. was married twice, first to Martha
Wiirrall. J747, who died 1748. and then to Elizabeth I'ield. born 17-.^:
the sr.n John U'.arried Ann Field, also in the Assembl\-, both daughters of Ben-
jamin I'ield. of MidiUetown. John and .Ann Brown occupied a large farm near
the ])resent Tull_\town. <3vcrlo(_)king the iManor and the Delaware river, lie
was known as "Fo.k Hunter'' John Brown. He kei)t a large jiack of iiounds and
hunting horses after the custom of Englishmen of that ilay. and continue.!
the practice until late in life. He carried a cane with a head made from a h'lne
taken from the heail of a I'avi.rit./ hor>e. He luul a large family of children and
die<I 1 niM. isl.,.1802. at 70. Hi-- familv were ;d^o members of the Societx' "i
Friends, and his .-.on John and grands(jn David were prominent in Falls Meet-

1 17 Dr. Thoni.-is S. Kirkl.ridc. .1 (k-cemlant of ilio Jc^cijIi Kirkliride abuve, born in

i F;il!^, July ,ii. l>^o>j. wa- coiinccttil uilb ilic fViiiisyl\.-uii,i ll.i-pital tnr tlic Iiisam: iii>u:ir'i-

j of forty years, aii'l difd ibcre. I.'SS.r Ik- wa-; :.;TacliiaUMl I'runi tbe .Modical Dei-.Mr:i;iciit .'f

( the L"iiivor<ity of lV-ni>>y!vaitia. in jS,^j, and ;i nhmtb later wa-; appointed a rc^idcn:

j physii-ian of ih,- I'ririid^' .-\-ylnin I'nr lii.' In-am- nt I'rinkf' Tt In iS.io, lif wa-; <.k->'Ud

\ physician ni ohicf and >upcriiucndcnl .i P'-nn-ylvania llospil.il, ju<t cir^anizod. He .-.pt-nt

i hi-; liTc thiTf and mad;.- it n-'.-fnl to iuniiainty.

m

' -*'*^ *'H'""^i&irianMitf ■^iih^fi■'- TirmV^riT^^

■?^"^"— t^V^'-'*'"-— — '-^'

JACOB BROWN.
Commanding General, United States Army.

74

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

ing. The latter was 2j years treasurer of the "Bucks County Contrihiii-
ship." He was the fatlier of General Jacub IJrown, conimaiulinq' general rii •
United States Ami}', and renioved to Jeti'erson county, Xew York, with ;
family.

General Jacob Brown was born in the house lately occupied by W'il!;;; ,
Warner, about three and a half miles below Alorrisville on the Delaware, M:, .
9, 1775. where his father li\ed until the general was grown, and they reni«.v.
to New York at the close of the century. After the war of 1S12-15 had beg-:;;.
and then but a plain citizen, he presenterl himself to General Armstrong, t'
secretary of war. He said his name was Jacob Brown ; thai he was a full-M.
Bucks countv Quaker, but had an inclination to enter the military service, wlr ::
he would do if the secretar}' would give him the command of a brigade: that :.
kiiczi' notliiii^ of military, but believed he possessed every other requisite :> •■
a soldier ond on ofHeer. The secretary, without hesitation, offered him ;: ■,
command of a regiment, which he declined, saying: "I will be as good as n ;
word ; give me a brigade, and you shall not be disgraced : but I will aco; •
nothing less." He afterward received the commission of brigadier-general tr' : .
the Governor of Xew York, and with that, began his military career, rising.
stej; by step, until he became ciMiimanding general of the United States An;'..
General Brown died at the city of Washington. February 24. 1828, and \\.i-
buried in the -Congressional burying ground, where a monument was erectui
to his memory, with the following inscription :

"Sacred to the memory of General Jacob Brown. He was born in Buck^
County. Pennsylvania, on tlie 9th of May, 1775, and died at the City of Wash-
ington, commanding general of the Army;

"Let him who e'er in after days
Shall view this monument of praise.
For honor heave the patriot sigh.
And for his Country learn to die."

The father of General Brown died at tirownsville, Xew York. Septeniher
24. 1S13. The widow of General Brown was a daughter of E. Williams. ■ :
Wilhamstown. Xew York, and died in the spring of 187S. at the age of n.v
She retaincfl her memory almost to the last.

About 1773 -^'■"la Lee. with her embryo sect of Shakers, eight or ten
in number. pas>ed through halls and stO|)ped at the house of Jonathan Kirk-
bride, uliile himself and wife were at Yearly Meeting at Philadelphia. 1 i-'
children, seeing a number of friendly-looking ]ieo])le ride u\>. invited them : "^
spend the night. Anna took possession of a chamber and the others 01 i-^
kitchen, where they ccmimcnccd to iron a quantity of clothing from their saddle-
bags. .\t a given signal all dropped their work, to the astonishment of the:r
young hosts, and. falling intci ranks, went round and round the room in nieii^-
urcd tread, shouting

As David danced before the Lord,

So will we, so will we :
There was a woman sent from God.

Her name is Anna Lee.

This was several times repeated during the evening, resuming their w^'t'i^
meanwhile. The next nvirtiing they (piietly rode away in single file.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTy. 75;

About 1790, the Reverend Peter Wilson, of Hightstown, Xew Jersey, or-
v;,mizcd a small Baptist congregation in the ^^lanor. but we do not know at
ulint point, nor whether a house was ever erected. He supplied them several.
\c.irs. In 1798 the Rev. Alexander Magowan. licensed to preach in 1784. was
called to the Man(Tr. where he labored seven years and baptized one hundred
.i!id ten persons. When he left in 1805, the field appears to have been absorbed
.,n,l nothing more is heard of the congregation. It was probably by the First
i'.aptist church, of Trenton, which was organized about that time. The society
..uned a lot at Fallsington. but never built upon it. Mr. Magowan was killed
111 lune, 1S14. by the upsetting of his wagon, while on liis way to Ohio.

The Falls Library Company was organized and the constitution adopted,
.Vnvember 26. 1800. but it was not incorporated until 180^. The constitution
1- signed bv Daniel Trimble. Mahlon Kirkbride, John ]Mott. John Kirkbride,
.<tcphen Comfort, and John Palmer, secretary. The first article of the consti-
nition prohibits the introduction of any book into the library "which shall have
lieen written with an intention to discredit the Christian religion, or bring into
disrepute any society or denomination thereof."' Among the earliest patroiis
of the library are found the names of Allen, Burton, Brown, Buckman. C.irl-
i-le. Comfort, Clymer. Crozier. and Cadwallader. The number of volumes is
marly ten thousand. In 1874 Isaiah Y. Williamson, a merchant of Philadel-
phia,' gave $5.ocxD to the library, and it received further assistance from his
oiate.

In Falls township are three old graveyards, one of which, the Pemberton
Rr.iveyard, has become historic. It is situated near the bank of the Delaware,
opposite the lower end of Biles's island, and in Penn's time was known as
■riie Point." where Henry Gibbs "the governor's carpenter." was buried in
i"85. There appears not to have been more than twelve or fifteen persons
buried there, and of all these only two stones could be found in modern times
!■> tell who sleep beneath. They consisted of two pieces of slate, about ten by
sixteen inches, and half an inch thick. On one were the letters P. P.. and on
ilie other Phe. P. The two graves are close to.gether. and we have no doubt
arc the resting places of Phineas Pemberton and his first wife, Phoebe, the-
daughter of James Harrison. Probably his immediate family were all buried
in tins yard. The \\'atson graveyard, on the road from Langhorne to Tully-
t<nvn. about half a mile from Oxford \'alley, is on the farm of Joseph H. Satter-
tlnvait. It was given by die Watsons, large land-owners'''= in that neighbor-
In "nl in early times, as a public burial place, but no burials have taken place there
for about half a century. It contains less than half an acre, and is surrounded
by a strong stone wall. The little yard is nearly filled with graves, m.jstly
\wthout stones. The oldest date is 1732. It is held in trust b\ the Friends,
who keep it in repair. There was formerly a graveyard two miles from Tully-
t"wn on the same road, on what is known as the "old Burton tract,'" in which
slaves were buried. .\ road has run thmugh it for more than half a century.

The (lid Co..iper Inimcstead. on the Trenton turnpike, half a mile above
TiiUytown. was built by Thomas, son of Samuel Cooper, of Philadelphia, 17S9,
the timbers being .-ent up in a sloop to Scott's wharf. He died at the age c>f
4.-.. leaving four sons and one daughter. Plis .son Thomas lived 6;) years at the
b imestead. and died there. i8o(), at the age of 72. He raised eleven children,
and on the i^th of February, each year, the eight survivors had a reunion at

17 ''j Thom.-i5 Wation owntJ a tract of three hundred and tifty-seven acres in I-alls,
^y tlic re-siirvev.

-j6 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

their mother's hnnio, lJri>to!, for many years. During the war of 1812 Thomas
Cooper'^ hauled his wheat ti) New Unuiswick. and got S3. 00 a bushel for it. He
was the grar.dfather of Jnhn S. Cooper. Phdadelphia. This family claim de-
scent from William Conper, 'T'ine Point." from whom J. I-'enimore Cooper,
the great novelist, descended.

A century and half ago a considerable trade in boards, shingles, lime, etc.,
wa.s carried on with Llordeniown, through lalls. They were brought down on
this side from some twenty-five miles above, and crossed over at the Borden-
town ferry, which was then reached by a jirivate road through the fields from
the River road. In 1761 it was made a public road on petition of the inhabit-
ants. '

Falls township was the birthplace of Charles Ellet, Jr.. one of the most
distinguished Federal officers in the Civil War. He was born January i.
1810: adopted the profession of engineer, and went to France at the age of
nineteen with a letter to Lafayette. He finished liis education in Paris, and
afterward traveled over Europe on foot, studying bridges, canals and other
improvements. He constructed several railroads, and the wire-suspension
bridges at Fairmount. Niagara and \\'heel;ng. He married a daughter of Judge
Daniels, of \'irginia. He was the first to recommend the use of steam-rams
•on the western waters, and proved their efficiency by destroying th.e enemy's
fleet. .May 12. i8'<2. at the cost of his life. He was buried from Independence
Hall with civic and militarv honors. At his death his brother Alfred M. took
command, and when he was given the Marine brigade, his nephew. Charles
Rivers Ellet. succeeded to the Ram fleet. The latter died suddenly. 1863. Three
other members of the faniilv served with the Ram fleet, and behaved with con-
spicuous gallantrv, Lieutenaiit-cijlonel Tohn A., and Lieutenants Richard and
Edward C. Ivllet.'

Joseph White, a distini,niished nfinister amcng Friends, was born in this
township, 1712. He l>ecame a minister at 20: traveled extensively and preached
in this county, and. about 175S, made a religious visit -to England. He re-
moved to Lower Makefield toward the close of his life, and died there. T777,
frfim the eftects of a paralvtic stroke in Falls meeting while preaching on Sun-
day. Richard iNlajor. e<iual!y distinguished in the P.aptist denomination, was
br.rn in Falls. T722. He was brought up a Presbyterian, but became a Baptist.
1744. Although without scholastic learning, his vigorous nfind rose above all
impediments, and he became an able and etiectivc speaker. He removed to
L<iud(in county. X'irginia. 17^/1. where he labored in the niinistr\-. and died at
the age of 80. It is related, that on one occasion a man maile a violent attack
on him with a club, when Mr. iMajor. wh<> possessed great presence of mind.
1 said, in a solemn tone of v^ice. "."->atau, I comman<l thee to come out of the
i man." when the ruffian dnipj.ed his club, anrl became as quiet as a lamb.
■ In the first letter Penn wn^te to L(jgan. after his return to England. 1701.

j is this paras.^'-rapli : "There is a swamji between the falls and the meeting-
\ house; I gave the Falls peoi'ile, formerly, leave to cut the timber in it for their
! own use. which they have almi'st sjxiiled. cutting for sale, coopery, etc., which
'now, or in a little time, would be worth some iliousands. Phineas Pemberton
j knows this business: let all be forliid to cut there any more, and learn who
1 have been the wasters of timber, that hereafter they may help to clear the rub-
jbish parts that may be fit f<>r use. or give me tree for tree, when I or my order

j l.S The only Thnnui-; ni.irk<.(! on tlie Pine I'oiiit tree was a son of James Cooper,
iborn 17,^') anil whose wife was Sarali Kruin.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

shall demand it." What about tliis swamp at the present day ? Is it still a
swamp, or long since drained?

Near Pennsbury was the "Indian iield," where Indians dwelt after they
liad generally left the vicinity of the settlements. It was the custc^ni of Indians
to bnrn the underbrush, which made it easier to travel through the woods ; and
DO doubt "Indian tieMs" were onlv localities where the timber had been burnt
oft".

Our treatment of roads in a sejiarate chapter under a general head, leaves
but little for us to say of local roads in the respective townships. They were
opened as called for by the necessities of the inhabitants. In Falls were the
earliest roads opened, there being a thoroughfare through the township long
before Penn's arrival, although it was neither well opened nor kept in repair.
In 1703 the inhabitants of "Middle-Lots," now Langhorne. petitioned for a
road from Falls meeting-house to Bristol, via Anthony Burton's. In 1709 a
road was opened from the main road to the river, below the falls, to enable
people to cross the river to ]^Iahlon Stacy's mill. The road from the river,
opposite the falls to Langhorne, then called "Cross lanes." was opened, 17 lO-
In 1723, at the instance of Sir ^^"illiam Keith, a road was laid out from the
ferry below the falls to Sir William's plantation. This was probably the upper
river road, as it led to Thomas Yardley's mill. In 1744 the inhabitants of .Make-
field and W'rightstown petitioned to have this road re-opened, as it had beea
closed in several places. To the petition was the name of John Beaumont. In
1752 a lateral road was opened from the Yardley's mill road across to the one
that ran via Falls meeting-house to Bristol, and, 1769, it was extended across
to the road from Xewtown to the meeting-house.

Falls township has five villages, none of any size, but all pleasant hamlets.
Fallsington. in the northern part, is on the road from Kirkbride's ferr\- to
Hulmeville, and was first called a village in Scott's Gazetteer, 1795. Tulh town
is in the southwest corner on the turnpike and close to the Bristol line. It
was named after one Tully, who owned land here. In i8i(xlots were laid out,,
one being reserveil for a cliurch anfl another for a school-house, and was sub-
sequently described as "a small town on the westermost side of the ^^lanur,,
near and adjoining Martui's lane end." The population of Fallsington, 1870,
was 211 and Tullytown, 150. but uoth have grown meanwhile. Here is a
famous tavern, the "Black Horse." of which more will be said in the chapter
on "Old Taverns." Tyburn, about the middle of the township on the Bristol
turnpike, was laid out more than three quarters of a century ago and was doubt-
less called after Tyburn, England, where public execution took place in early
days. It is thought the first man executed in Bucks county was hanged here.
hence the name. ( )xford X'alley. on the road from Fallsington to Lang-
horne, partly in Middletown, wilt be noticed in the latter township, and Eniilie
near Fallsington. The latter, formerly called "Centleville," has a church and
school house", and was in i)art Iniilt un land that belonged to "Fox Hunter" John
l>rown. In a petition to the court dver a century ago. mention is made of a
"late settlement at Penn's Manor," but what reference this had is not known.

The surface of the manor portion of the township is level, while the-
residue has a gentle declivity toward the Delaware. The northern part is
somewhat broken by the Edge Hills, which cross the county from the Delaware
to the Schuylkill, and in the southwestern part is Turkey hill, a slight elevation
abov'e the surrounding level comitry. It is watered by Mill. Scutt's. ;ind other
creeks. Falls township has a river fn.nt .u' ten or twelve miles, which aflurds
several valuable fi.-^herie-, and, lying un tide-water, has all the facilities given by

78 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

river navigation. Xo township in the county has a richer or more procUicii', ■:
soil, or less waste land. Some years ago the farmers turned their attention i^
the cultivation of tobacco, anil large crops were raised and sold. JJile>>,
r^Ioon's and Savage's islands belong to I'alls.

In the olden time l-'alls and the neiglihi->ring townships must have bi.i.:i
a good range for crows, judging from the number killed and paid for bv tb.,
county. In 181O the county treasurer paid out S2C->4.y8 for crow-scalps, taki.:!
in Falls and Lower Maketield. which, at the rate of three pence per head, makr-
the number killed 7.946. An article on the subject at that period, conclude?:
"Those who annually receive considerable sums from the county treasury, are
in a state of alarm, lest the Breeders should have been all destroyed."

When Congress had in contemplation the locating of the seat of Govern-
ment on the west bank nf the Delaware at the falls. 1789, the proposed Federal
district fell mostly in this township, covering the site of Morrisville. The plat
was surveyed by William Harvey and Isaac Hicks.

Falls is among the most populous townships in the county, but we are
not able to give the population earlier than 17S4, when it was 908 whites and
61 blacks, nor can we give it at each decade since that time. In 1810 it w.is
1.649; 1820, 1.880; 1830. 2,26^1, and 397 taxables ; 1840, 2.068 :'~'= 1850. 2.271 ;
i86)0, 2,316; 1870, 2.2g8.'' iif which 194 were of foreign birth; 1880. 2,385.
1890, 2,463: 1900. 1.850 : Tull_\towii Lioro. 528.

But few. if any. agricultural districts in the state have a more intelligent
and cultivated population than F'alls township. The postoffices are Fallsingtoii. \
established. 1849. <i''"l James Thompson appointed postmaster: Tullytowii.
1829, and Joseph Hutchinson postmaster; ancl Oxford \"alley, 1849, whe" John
Ci. Spencer was appijinted postmaster, and held the office to his death, March
31. 181^7. at the age of 1)4. He was born in Xi^rthampton township, and re-
moved to I'alls after arriving at manhood. Few postmasters in the count}
have been longer in commission.

The Ellets were early settlers in both Xew Jersey and Pennsylvania, hut
we do not know at. what time they came into the former colony. Andrew i-lK t
was in Bucks county as early as 1700. and on 14th of 21I month. John Hictt
conveyed to him 220 acres in Lower Makefield, bounded by Richard Hough.
Acreman and others. William Ellet. probably lived and died in l-'alls, executed
his will 20th of 1 2th mo., 1714, and was admitted to probate September 15.
1721, leaving his plantatiim to his son-in-law, James Downey, after the death
iif his wife. He had children. .\nn Shallcross, Elizabeth Dowdney (prohabl>
Downey), Mary Hawkings and Sarah Bidgood. Charles Ellet, X. J., married
Hannah Carpenter 1 daughter of Sanuiel Carpenter) born 1743, died 1820, mar-
ried. 1765. and had six children; Jnhn, born i7Cig, died .May 10, 1824, married
Mary .Smith. Salem count). X. ].. Sarah. Charles. Willian). Rachel Carpenter,
and Mary. Hannah Carpenter Ellet. daughter of John and Mary Pallet, Iir.rn Xo-
vember, 17^3. died April 20. i8'i2; Charles F.llet. sun of I'harles and Hannah
Ellet. burn 1777. died 1847. married. 1801. .Mary, daughter of Israel Israel.
I'hiladelphia. .she was living. 1870, at the age of 91. They liad
fi>ur children, and their >nn Charles, and grandson. Charles Rivera,
jierformed signal ser\-ice on the Missi^sijipi in the C'ivil War. Chark-
I'.Ilet was the father of the ram svstem. The President and Cont^ress

18' j We can nnt accrmnt for this falhiiK off eoiiip.Trcd with iS.io.

ii.) In \>'--o tlic census ■ 1 Tiillyti'Wii w:i> taken separately from the township

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. ' 79

niu^cil to listen to his rcconimciidatioiis until driven to it by stern neces-
• its. The Ellets were potent factors with Admiral Porter in clearing the
■.M-stern rivers 01 the Confederate iron clads. William Ellet, only son
,.i Charles Ellet, Jr., graduated at an early age, from the Cniversity of Virginia,
\v cnt to Germany to comiilete his education and committed suicide there. The

civil engineer's daughter married the eldest son of Cabell, Xelson

iMiinty, Virginia.

fhe Ivins family were later settlers in Bucks county coming in through
.\'ew Jersey, but we do not know at what time. Isaac Ivins, the immigrant, was
r'.arried three times, his first wife being Sarah Johnson, their marriage certi-
i-.cate bearing date 4 mo., 26. 171 1. The name of his second wife was L.ydia,
:iii(l the third, Ann. He died, 1768. He mentions all the wives in his will.
11.- lived and died in Mansfield township. Burlington county, and was a store-
keeper by occupation. His children were Ann, Diadema. INIoses, Aaron, born
,^. 30, 1736, and died 6, 2. 1799. Isaac, Joseph and Levi. In 1792, Aaron
Ivins. son of Isaac, Burlington county, hut we are not informed whether the
junior or senior, but as he married Ann Cheshire. 1764, he was prob-
ati'.v son of Isaac the second, brought his wife, Ann, and chil-
dren, Sanniel. Ann. Mary and liarclay. and settled in Falls, to
which meeting he brought a certificate. In 1796 he purchased 389 acres of
l.anghorne Biles on the Delaware for £5.835 or $15,560 equivalent to S40 per
acre. The earlier descendants of Aaron Ivins intermarried with the families
■ •f Middleton, Cook, Comfort, Buckman, Smith, Taylor, Green and others
Well known in the lower end of the county. The late Dr. Horace I'remont
lvin<. born in Fenn's manor, October 30, 1856, and died at Easton, Pcnnsyl-
\ania. January 8. 1S98. \\as a descendant. He was graduated from the Hahne-
n'.ann Medical College. Philadelphia. 1S79. then spent a year in Euroj)e. the
",;reater part of his time in the hospitals of London and \"ienna. L'pon his re-
turn he settled down in practice and became prominent in special bratiches.
William H. Ivins. Camden. X. J., is a descendant of the Burlington county's
i;n!iiigrant.

Biles's island, in the Delaware, a mile below the falls, containing 300
acres, was sold t<i William liiles about 1680. by Orecton, Xannacus. Xenem-
hl.'ihocking and Patelana, free native Inilians, in consideration of £10. but was
ni't actually convened by deed. (Jn March 19. 1729, Lappewins and Captain
' unil)ansh, two Indian ""Sachems,'" heirs and successors of the Indians above
r.anied, confirmed the island to William Bites, Jr.. son of William Biles the
fldt-r, now deceased, in consideration of £7 in Indian gonds. The deed cntained
a warrantv against the ijrantors, their heirs and all other Indians.-"

-O In l7J,i tlie i-^laii.I in tlie Di-laware .at the upper end ot I'alls tnwnship \va> callrd

.l"<fpli \Vood'> i-I.iml." aiul ci>ntainfd .^I'l' acre-;. Joseph Woi.d's tract oppoMtc, in I-'alls,

'l!"n contained (.»Xj acres, iiichiding the island. This was according to Cutler's resiirvey.

CHAPTKR VIII.

MAKEFIELD.

1602.

I'lrst named in report. — Origin of name. — ilacclesheld. — Falls of Delaware objective point.
— Order of settlers on river. — William Yardley's tract. — Richard Hough.— Old mar-
riage certificate. — Briggs family; Stockton: Mead. — Friends' meeting. — Old graveyard.
— Henry Marjorum. — Two Makefields one. — Daniel Clark. — Livezey family. — The
Briggses. — Three brothers Slack.— Reverend Elijah and General James Slack. — The
Janneys. — Edge wood. — Dolington. — Yardleyville. — First store-house. — Wheat She^f. —
First lock-tender. — Xegro killed. — Yardley of today. — Stone quarries. — Oak (jro\e
school-house. — Area of township. — Taxes and population.

Makefield is tlie first townshii) named in the report of the Jury that sub-
ili\ided the county, i6y2. We give it the second place in our work becauses
l-'alls is justly entitled to the first. It was the uppermost of the four river town-
ships, and not only embraced what is now Lower }ilakefield, but extended to
the uttermost bounds of civilization. All beyond was then an "undiscovered
ruuuiry."' whose exploration and settlement were left to adventurous pioneers.
l.'-i\vcr Makefield is bounded on the land side, by Falls, Newtown and Upper
Makefield, and has a frontage of five miles on the Delaware.

There has been some discussion as to the .origin of the name "^lakefield."
\vhich the jury gave to this township, and which it bore until Upper Makefield
was organized manv years afterward. There is no name like it in England of
t"'.\n, jiarish, or hundred. When Ji.'hn Fothergill, minister among Friends,
I.'.udoii. visited tile townshi]). ij2i. he wrote the name "Macclesfield" in his
.'"iinial. It is just possible that Makefield is a corruption of I\Iacclesfield. or
'.lint the latter was pronounced ^^lakeheld by the early English settlers, and the
spelling made to accord with the pronunciation. In the will of Fletiry 31ar-
."'Tum. an early settler, the name of the township is written "Maxfield." but
'■!ie remove from Macclesfield.' But all this is mere conjecture, in face of the

I In the manuscript book of arrivals. library Historical Society of Pennsylvania,
.•i.icclesneld is written "Ma-xficld,'' and ail historians of Clieshire state this fact. Tysons
^■lys: "The chapelry of Macclesfield" is frequently called in ancient records "Ma.vlieid,"
r r.U- Richard Hough came from "Maxfield" and being one of the principal men
•■"•IT'ointed to lay out the township, it is pos-ible it was called Maxlield. or Macclc-heUi, out
' '■ deference to hun. .\t Maccleslield, England, is a qiuiuit old church, the oldest part
6 »l

82 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

fact that the jury, wliich laid ott the township, spelled the word, plain enoii^
MakeRcld.

The "falls of Delaware" was an objective point to Penn's first imniig;r,-iii
for a little colon\- of English settlers had gathered there several xears bei'.ri
whither inanv directed their footsteps uprjn landing, whence they spread '.■-
into the wilderness ])eyond. Several settlers pushed their way into the w.jm,';,
of Makeheld as early as 1682. Richard Hough, in his will made about 17. ,.
gives the following as the order of the land-owners along the river from li
falls up: John Palmer. Richard Plough, Thomas Janiiey, Richard \'ick<.r-.
SanuiLl Overton, John Brock, one thousand acres; John Clows, one thousai.
acres; William Yardley, five hundretl acres; Eleanor I'ownall, Thomas D"i!l.
James Harrison. Thonia- Hudson, Daniel 2vliInor, two hundred and fifty acrc>.
Josejjh Milnor, two hundred and fifty acres; Henry Pond and Richard H'Xi.;'-
five iiundred acres, warrant dated September 20th. 1685. patent July 30tl-,. 10^7.
Harrison owned in all live thousand acres here and elsewhere, and Bond wa- .i
considerable proprietor. The usual quantity held by settlers was from two hun-
dred an^l fifty to one thousand acres.- The parties named held nearly all tin-
land in the township in 1704. The tract m William Yardley covered the site ' '
Yardley, and, after his death, his son lliomas established a ferry t'uT-.
called "Yardley's ferry," which the Assembly confirmed to him in 1722. ''!'.:■
soon after became an important point, and, later in the century, when the tli^cc
great roads leading to Philadelphia, via the Falls, Four Lanes end, now I,a;i^-
home, and Xewtown terminated there, the ferry became a thoroughfare of traw!
and traffic for a large section of East Jerse\-.

Richard Plough, fmm Maccle?fieid, county Chester, England, arrived in
the ship Endeavor, of I,on<!un, 7th mo. 21/h. 16S3, with four servants, or >!e-
pendants. Pie settled on the river front, Bucks counfv, taking up two tracts i-:
land, one two miles below the site of Yardley, the other joining Penn's manor ■■!
Highlands; the upper having a width of half a mile on the river, and rnnn ti.:
back a mile and three quarters, the lower extending inland nearly three mi!'- -.
with a width of a quarter of a mile. Richard Hough married Margery
daugliter of John Clows, ist mo.. 17. i'j^,V4. in th.e presence of many frirf'i-
This was one r.f the earliest marriages among the English settlers, and Will-.a:''
Yardlev and Thonias Janncy were apjiointed to see that it was "orderly d-"'-
and performed." Five cluldren were born of this marriage; Mary. Sarah. K'.-''i-
ard. J(.ihn and J'iseph. wli<i intermarried with the families of P.ainbridge. Sh:'- ;■
cross, Brown, (lumblv. Taylor and West, and left many descendants. Pr.
Silas Plough, son of Isaac IPiugh and Edith Hart, was a great-grand- m "i
Richanl Hough, the innnigrant and his wife; a descendant of T'jhn Hart. .1
minister among p-rieivls from Witney, Cixfordshire, England, who settled '■'■'■
Bybcrry. Philadelphia county, 1682. John Hough, Cheshire, England, w!' >
arrive<l the same year as Ricliard Plough, with his wife Hannah, was probab ;■
a cousin.

Richard TPiugh early became pr(~)niinent in the new colony in political. - '■
cial and religious affairs. He was a leading member in Falls- meeting, and i^'-

dating b.iok tn xhr thirtcoiitli century, niul O'Mit.iiii'; *omc curious ton!'/=! of the ?i^---
family. Tlio curfew i^ >til! runt; at 8 p. 111.

2 Tlu- f'.'l^'wiui: were the laud-owners in .Makefieli! in ifvS^: Ricliard Hoii£;li. I<t" "'
Baker, Jf.seph Milnor, Daniel Milnor, Tlionia-; Hu<lsi)ii. James Harri-ion. T!;n-.7'a.-; I'"'
Henry Sidw-I',. F.dward PutTe, Klcanor Pownall. \Villi;mi P.nvnall, John Clows. ]""-'
proek, San'U'.I O'.srliu. TlMnias Janney, Kicliard X'ieker^.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COi'XTV. 83

joro the meeting house was built, iCxjo. his house was one of the meeting places
..f the Bucks county quarterly .meeting. He was one of the jury tiiat laid out
the original townships of the county, lOfjJ ; represented the county in the Provin-
cial Assembly of 1684, 1688, 1690, 1697, 1699, 1700, 1703, 1704, and was a
ir.einber of the Provincial Council, 1693, and 1700. He was active in both
bodies, and left his impress on the early legislation of the Pro\-ince. He held
.'ilier public otiices, including that of justice of the county, and, 1700, William
Penn appointed Richard Hough, Phineas Pemberton and William Biles, a
court of inquiry to investigate the state of his (Penn'sJ affairs in the Province,
while in the meridian of his usefulness, Richard Hough met an untimely death,
being drowned in the Delaware, ^larch 25, 1705, on his way from his home to
i'hiladelphia. His will is dated 2^Iay i, 1704. Among the old marriage certi-
ficates that have fallen into our hands, is that of "Robert Smith, ^Makeheld town-
>liip. Carpenter,"' and Phcebe, daughter of Thomas Canb}'. Solebury, married at
Ijuckingham Meeting, September 30, 1719. It was formally drawn on parch-
ment, and the signature well executed. It bears the names of Bye. Pearson,
Eastburn, I'ell, Paxson, and many others, whose descendants still worship at
the meeting.

The Yardleys are supposed to have come into England with \\'illiam the
Conqueror, but the name is not met with tmtil 1215, when \\'illiam Yardley
appears as a witness at the signing of Magna Charta. From that date all
trace of the name is lost until 1400, and after that, the trace is complete. The
first immigrant of the name to come to America was Williani Yardley, of
Lansclough, Staffordshire, who, with wife Jane, sons Enoch. \\'illiam and
Thomas, and servant Andrew Heath," arrived at the Falls, Bucks county,
September 28, 16S2. Pie located 500 acres on the west bank of the Delaware
covering the site of Yardley, Lower JMakefield township. The homestead was
called "Prospect Farm," a name it still retains, and is in possession of a member
of the family.* The warrant was dated October 6, 16S2. and the patent Janu-
ary 23, 1687. William Yardley, born 1632, and a minister among Friends at
twent\-tive, was several times imprisoned. From the first he took a prominent
part in the affairs of the infant colonx'. He signed the Great Charter, repre-
sented Bucks county in the first Assembly, antl was a mcmlier of the Executive
Council. He was an uncle of Phineas Pemberton, one of Penn"s most trusted
friends and counselors, but in the midst of his usefulness, William Yardley
died. i6j3. and his wife and children soon followed him. Thomas Janney
wrote of him, about the time of his deatli : '"Tie was a man of sound mind and
good understanding." William Yardley and his family being dead, his prop-
erty in America reverted t" his heirs in luigland, his lirother Thomas and
nephews, Thomas and .Samuel. S(jns of Thomas. In 1694, Tliomas, the _\-ounger
son, came over with ])<)wer of attorney to settle the estate. "rVos])ect Farm"
became his property by purchase, and he settled in Lower Makefield, spending
liis life here, 12 month, 1706. Thomas Yanllev married .\nn. daughter of
William Biles, the wedding taking place at Pennsbury, an., they had issue
ten children: Marv. Jane, Rebecca, Sarah, jovce, ^\"iIliam, Hannah. Thomas,
Samuel, and Samuel second. Tluis Tli<niias Yar<lle\- ijecame the ancestor of

3 They came in tlie ship "Fricmrs Adventure," and .Xndrew Heath m.irried the
■vvidow of William Venablcs.

4 Dr. Riicknian irive^ it a-; hi-; opinion that the ori'jin.-d hr.n^e of William Vardlcy
"vsas on the Dolington r^'ad. a mile from the village of Yardley.

84 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

all that bear the name in Bucks county and many in other parts of the counir..
with a numerous posterity in the female line. There is another Yardley fairij,
in Bucks descended from a Richard Yardley of Solebury township, supposed i.>
he of the same ancestry as the Lower ^[akefield Yardleys, but it has not ^x;
been established. Samuel Yardley, Doylestown, who married Mary Houg'i,
belonged to tlie Solebury family.

Of the old !Maketield families, the Briggscs trace their descent, on the pa-
ternal side, back nearly two centuries, through the Briggses, Storys, Croasda'e^.
Cutlers and Plardings, to Ezra Croasdale, who married Ann Peacock, 10^7.
On the maternal side the line runs back through the Taylors, Yardleys, etc. :•>
John Town, who married Deborah Booth, 169 1. Barclay Knight's male line
on the paternal side, in so far as the Z^Iakefleld family is concerned, runs back
three generations to Jonathan Knight, who married Grace Croasdale, 174'^.
while his mother's ancestrv, on the paternal side, runs back to Job Bunting, win.
niarried Rachel, daughter of Henry Baker, 16S9, and on the maternal to \\'illiar.:
and Margaret Cooper, through the Idens, W alnes, the Stogdales and W'oo!-
stons. The Stocktons, more recent in the township, are a collateral bran.;h
of the Princeton family. The first in this county was John Stockton, born
June 15, 1768, who was the son of John, a New Jersey judge, a nephew of Rici-.-
ard Stockton, the Signer. The latter descended from Richard, a Friend, w]v>
came to America between 1660 and 1670, first settled on Long Island and after-
ward purchased a large tract of land near Princeton. John's father and brot'i-
ers, owning large landed estates, remained lo_\'al to the crown in the Revolu-
tionary struggle, and lost their lives in the war and their property by confisca-
tion. John Stockton settled near Yardleyville, in Lower Makefield, and marrie.'i
?vlary \'ansant. in 1794, who died August 19, 1844. They had ten children,
Ann, Joseph, Sarah, Eliza, Mary Ann, John B., Charity, Isaiah and Eleanor,
who intermarried with the Hibbses, Leedoms, Derbyshires, Browns, Palmers
and Houghs. The descendants are numerous in the lower end of the county, and
among them was the late Doctor John Stockton Hough, of Philadelphia. He wa.-
a son of the late Eleanor, who married William Aspy Hough, of Ewing, Xo\'.
Jersey. The Meads were in r\Iakefield as early as i'/-\-\. when Andrew Ellet
conveyed, to William Mead two hundred and twenty acres on the Delaware,
adjoining Richard Hough. Pie sold his land to Hezekiah Anderson in I74r'
and left tlie township. Ellct was also an early settler, and his patent is dated
September 2f\ 1701.

Makefield had been settled near three-quarters of a century before tlie
P"riends b.ad a meeting house to worship in — in all those long years going dowTi
to Falls. In 1719 tile "upper parts" of Makefield asked permission of Falls t'"'
have a meeting on first-days, ior the winter season, at Samuel Baker's, John
Baldw ;n's ancl Thomas Atkinson's which was allowed. In 1750, the Falls
monthiv gave leave to the Makefield Friends to hohl a meeting for worship
every other Sunday, at the houses of Benjamin Taylor and Benjamin Gilbert.
because of the difficulty of g'ling down there. A meeting-house was built, in
1752, twenty-five 1>> thirty feet, one story high, which was enlarged in 1764.
by extending the n^rth citil twenty feet, at a cost of £120.

The town>hip presents us a relic of lier early days, in an ancient buri;i!
place, called th.e "old stone graveyard," half a mile below Yardleyville.' The

5 One account ."lays the deed was executed i nio., 7, 1686, to William 'V'ardley an'!
otlitrs, in tru>t. 1: was tlien called "Slate Pit Hill." Down to 1800 it was the principa'-
buryinv; gr.".ind for Fricn.ls in the township.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. gz

i;roiin(i was gT'^fn, Jurre 4, 1690, to the Falls ]\Ionthh- 2\Ieeting, by Thomas
l.iiiiiey, before his return to England, where he died. Tliere is but one stone
.-tanduig', or was a few years ago, to mark the last resting place of one of the
"ruile forefathers" of the township, a brown sandstone, twenty-seven inches
l';;^li, eighteen wide and six thick, the part out of the ground being dressed.
Uu the face, near the top, are the figures "1692," and the following inscription
below : "Here lies the body of Joseph Sharp, the son of Christopher Sharp."'
l-or upward of a half century the two Alakefields were included in one to^vn-
>li;p organization, and known by the name of Makeheld. They were still one,
1742, but for the convenience of municipal purposes they were divided into
two divisions, and called "upper" and "lower'' division.

Adam Hoops, of Falls, owned three hundred and twenty acres along the
river, in Lower ]\Iakefield. He probably died 1771, as his will is dated the 7t'.i
of June of that year. Flis daughter, Jane, married Daniel Clark, the uncle of
Daniel Clark, jr., first husband of Mrs. Gaines." The heirs of Adam Hoops
sold the plantation to Clark, who disposed of it by sale in 1774, when he prob-
nhlv left the county. David \'. Feaster, a captain in the Third Pennsylvania
Kc-erves, Civil War, 1S61-65, spent tlie latter years of his life on this farm,
Lower ]\Iakefield, dying there December 6, 1894.

The Livezcy family, of Lower [\Iakefield and Solebury, of which the late
Doctor Abraham Livezey, of Yardley, was a member, came to Bucks county at
an early day. Jonathan, the immigrant, settled in Soleburv soon after Penn's
second visit, where he 'took up a tract of land that included the old Ste[>hen
Townsend farm— or. which was built a one-story stone house, 1732, and torn
down, 1S48 — and the farms of Armitage, Paxson and William Kitchen. He
married Esther Eastburn, and had children Jonathan, Xathan, Benjamin and
Joseph, and was the great-great-grandfather of Robert Livezey. father of the
present generation. The great-grandfather married a Friend named Thomas;
the grandfather, Daniel Livezey, married Margery Croasdale,- whose eldest
Sun, Robert, burn February 22, 1780, married Sarah Paxson, who died at the
age of niufty-three. Robert Livezey lived with one wife the whole of his mar-
ried life of sixty years on the old Stephen Townsend farm. His chiklreti are
Cyrus, Elizabeth, Ann. Albert, Allen, Elias, Abraham, and Samuel, wItj liied
in I .'^63. Previous to Samuel's death tliis familv exhibited the remarkable fact
that both parents, at the ages of eighty-three and eighty-four, and the entire
family of eight children. li\-ii!g, the \'oungest being aged fortv. Robert Livezey
died, 1864, at the age of eighty-four. He was a Friend, and many years filled
the i.ffice of justice of the peace.

Henry Marjoram (present form Margerunri and wife Elizabetli. county
^\ ilt. England, arrived in the Delaw are, i mo. 2, 1682, anil settled on a 330-acre
tract two miles below Yardley. Fie then bought 281 acres in Falls. They had
tui' children. Sarah born. 7. 17, 16S5, and Henry born 12. 7. 10S3. On the death
•■I hi- wife, 8, 2, 1693, he married Jane Riirg?. a widow, the first marriage in ISur-
::iii;tiin outside the meeting; we ilo not knuw when he died. l)ut liis will \\as
ri-eorded 1727. The name of Henry Marjorum ap]icars as the owner of cat-
tle. 1084, and the earmark given ; and one of the same natne. son or gran.lson,
\\as one of the first directc^rs of the Newtown Library. 1760. The same
.^_ear. he. or another Henry, went on a "voiage" to South Carolina with a cevti-
'icate from FalU Monthly Meeting; but there being no monthly meeting tuar

C> Oil the .niitliority nf GillK-rt Cnpo, Mrv D.-iiiu? is tlion;,'lit tr. h.ive hecii tiie d.iir^h-
tT of Daniel Cl.irk, Jr., and ili.il her first hu^band was \V. W. Wliitney. N\\v York.

86 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

where he was he "could not deHver his certificate nor get an endorsement :'
his behavior." In 1765 John Margeruni "was much overtaken and disordcri,';
with strung drink in a piibHc manner;" and 1766, a committee was appoint- ;
to treat with Henry Margerum, who was accused of "unlawful conversatir.n
with a young woman. Both were dismissed from meeting because they were ::.
"an indit'ferent and unconcerned'' frame of mind. They needed disc:plinii\'
and got it. The homestead was occupied by William Margerum, who .!;•.;
there October 9, 1S30. His wife's name was Elizabeth, and their son, Enr,-.
born June 30, 1782, married Rachel Vansant, whose brother John was an
Ensign in the Pennsylvania Line of the Revolution. The latter had tiir^v
sons, Reading, a second son, born February 18, 181 1, died December 20, i^'i~.
and Garret, born January 22, 1813, went south in his youth, led an active bu-'-
ness life and was killed at Memphis. Tennessee, 1891. The Rev. Willian
Allibone Margeruni, Ocean Grove, N. J., a prominent ^lethodist Episcoj):-.!
minister, is a ilescendant of the pioneer, and his youngest son, Winfield L., bcTn
1861, is engaged in business in Philadelphia. Several members of the fami'.y
served on the side of the colonics in the Revolution, Joseph and William \v.
Capt. Stillwell's company. Colonel Keller's regiment. Bucks county mili-
tia. I'he names of Benjamin and Jonathan Margeruni were on the rolls at
difffrent periods.

The Slack family of Makeficld are descendants of John and Abraham
Slack, grandsons of Hendrick Cornelisse Slecht, who emigrated from Hol-
land in 1652 and settled on Long Island. Abraham, born 1722.
settled in Lower Makefield. He first occupied the farm in the northeast
corner of the township, on the Delaware, subsequently owned by William Pfaff.
deceased, but afterward m.ovcd to the farm immediately north and adjoining.
recently owned by a Smith. He lived there many years and died, 1802. Slack -
island, in the Delaware, was named after him. He probably married soon after
his arrival, and his children were Abraham, Cornelius, James and Sarah, all ' i
whom niarricd anil left descendants. .Abraham, the elder son. left but three chil-
dren, who are deceased, and their descendants live in Philadelphia. The secoi;-!
son, Cornelius, die<l, 1828. leaving a number of children, some recently livinLT.
among them Mrs. James Larue. Lower Makefield, Mrs, Charles Young, Ed.ge-
wood. and Mrs. Ealderston, Xewtown. James, the third son, born in 175'''.
died on his farm. 1832, at the age of seventy-six, leaving one daughter, .-M'.ce.
and three sons, Abraham, Elijah and James. Sarah, the daughter of .\brahair,
tiie elder, married Moses Kelley, whose descendants are to be found in Xew-
town, Fallsington and' Philadelphia. The late Mrs. Jane Harvey, wife of !>"-
seph Harvey, of Xewtown, and Doctor Lippincott, Philadelphia, husband 'if
Grace Greenwood, were two of her descendants. Abraham, the elder son 01
James, died, 1835. leaving a large family of children, several of whom reside
in Bucks count\-. .\mong them are .Samuel M. Slack. L'pper 'Nfakefield. Ji'hn
Slack Keith, Xewtown, and' Elijah T, Slack, Philadelphia. .Abraham's de-
scendants married into the families of Rich. Stevens, Torbert, Emerv, "McXair.
etc. Elijah .^lack, second son of James, graduatcri at Princeton, studied divin-
fty, was licensed as a Presbyterian minister, and removed to Cincinnati, 1817,
where he died. i8ri8, leaving a large family of children, most of whom live in
the southern states. The {laughter .Mice married David McXair. X'ewtown
townsliip. and dicil 1830, leaving six children, a number of whose descendant-
live in tlie ciiunty. James, the youngest son of .Abraliam the second. familinrl\'
known in the 1o\\(.t end of the countv as Cai)tain Slack, resided on the farm
where his father flied until l'^37. wIk-u he immigrated to Indiana, and setilc'i

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

,11 White river, Delaware county, where his wife died in 1845, •!"*' 'i*^ i" ^^47-
He left six sons and three daughters, of whom but three survive: Doctor
licorj^'e \V. Slack, of Delaware county, Indiana, Anthony T. Slack, Independ-
iiiee. Missouri, and James R. Slack, Indiana. The latter went to Huntingdon,
Indiana, 1840, with his license as an attorney in his pocket, and began life in
ihe wiUlerness. In turn he was schoolmaster, clerk in the county-clerk's office,
cinintv auditor, and State Senator. On the breaking out of the Civil War, he
c>p<'Used the cause of the L'nion. raised the forty-seventh Indiana regiment, of
wiiich he was appointed Colonel. He participated in most of the campaigns
and battles in the West, from Island Xo. 10, in March, 18G2, to the surrender
of Mobile, April, 1865. He was appointed brigadier-general, 1S64. and brevet
major-general, March. i8('>5. for gallantry in the field. In October. 1873, he
was elected judge of the Twenty-eighth Judicial district by eight hundred ma-
j»-rity, in a district in which the Republican candidate for President had one
thousand two hundred majority, in 1872."

The Janneys, PJucks county and elsewhere, are descended from Thomas
Janney, and Elizabeth his wife, Cheshire, England, where he was born, 1633,
and died 12 nm., 17, 1677. His son Thomas joined the Society of Friends
shortly after it was organized, and was frequently punished for attending meet-
ing. He became a minister about 1654. In 9th mo., 24, 1660, Thomas Janney
was married to Margery Heath, of Horton, at the home of James Elarrison, his
brother-in-law. The}- came to Pennsylvania in the Endeavor, with four chil-
dren, landing at Philadelphia 7 mo., 29, 1683. Jacob. Thomas, Abel and Jo-
seph settled in Lower Maketield on the river below Yardley. He located a
five hundred acre patent here, and another of one thousand acres near the
Newtown line. He was a member of the Provincial Council and returning to
England, 1695, died there, 1696. at the age of sixty-one. He has numerous
ilescendants in this county. Stephen T. Janney, who died in Xewtown town-
ship, November 12, 1898, at the age of eighty-one, was the son of Jacob and
Francenia Janney. and the fifth in descent from the immigrant. His father
had ten children and there was no death among them for the period of fifty
years. In 1842 Stephen T. Janney married Harriet P. Johnson, daugiiter of
William H. and Mary ( Paxson ) Johnson, and is survived by five chihlren. Tliis
branch of the family made their home in Newtown township, and the liome-
stcad farm is still in their possession.

There are but two villages in Lower Makefield— Edgcwood, on the road
fri'm Yardley trv Attkliorough. criiisisting of a store, postoffice. established
1858, and Samuel Tomlinson aiipointed postmaster, and a dwelling; and Yard-
leyville on the Delaware, at the site of Thomas Yardley's ferry, of
ye olden time, now incorporated into a borough named Yardley.
Dolington, on the line between Lower and L'pper Makefield. will be noticed
in our account of the latter township. Yardlevville began to develop into what
Americans call a village about 1807. An old map of the place of that date
sIkjws a number of luhMing lots, anrl streets laid out above the mouth of the
creek, and running back from the river, and on the south side were several loisat
the intersectirin of the Ne',\ti>wn and l'n])er River roails. The onlv buildings

7 (ieneral Slack iJii-J r.t Cliicago, smldenly, July 28, 1S81, from a stroke of paralysis.
He was buried at Hiimnitjcloii. lii? home, the following Suiulay. July ,-?r. followed to the
prave by a very large concourse of mourning relatives and friends. Distinguished men
Were present from all parts of the state and the sermon and eulogies pronounced over his
remains bespeak the higli eieeni in which General Slack was held.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

there were tlie old tavern near the ri\rr hank, and tlie dweUincrs nf rirnwn. f'i,
cock. Easthurn and Depue. At this time the ferry was lialf-a-niile helnw t';.
bridge, and boats landed npjjoiite tlic farm house of Jolly L-om^shore. One I low,'
kept the ferry on the Xew Jersey side, and it was as often called Howell's ;;
Yardley's ferry. The hrst store house in tlie place was built by the widow ■■:
Thomas Yardley. An old tavern stood at this side of the ferry, kept bv \'Mv,
Jones, and subsequently. P.cnjamin Flemniing. When the ferry was mow 1
up to the site of the bridge, a tavern, now the "W hite Swan," was built ther. .
and first kept by one Grear. The house was refused license. 1892, and siuvx
then has been kept as a suinmer boarding house, and a "'Cyclers'' roadliouso.
N'eill \'ansant bought the old Yardley mansion, with mills and some two hun-
dred acres of land, whicli then included the whole of the village. The mansir.'.i
and the mills were subsequently owned bv Richard ^Mitchell. Atlee and Mahl":i
Dungan. The latter sold the property to William Yardley,- whose heirs ^till
own it. Among the earliest houses in the place, were the small frame tenement
on John Blackfan's laml near the creek, the three-story stone house calleil tlic
"Wheat Sheaf," because there was a sheaf of wheat cast in the iron railing in
front of the second story, and a small frame and stone house east of the cana'
above Bridge street. Charles Shoemaker was the first lock-tender on clio
canal at Yardleyville, appointed in 183 1. In 1S93. a county bridge was Innlt
across the canal at the fnot of College avenue. The third stcDre was kein by
Aaron LaRue in the "Canal storehouse." He joined church, emptied his lic|Uiir
into the canal and set it on tire. His son, James G. LaRue, killed a negro in t!ii>
storehouse for abusing his nindTcr and the grand jury ignored the bill. A gen-
eral store was once kejn in this house by the late Josiah B. Smith of Newtown,
but was burned down in 1801. The great freshet of 1S41 carried the brid,L;c
away. The Yardley of today is a much more pretentious village than it<
ancestor of seventy-five years ago. and the word "ville" has been knocked nil
its name by the age of improvement. It now contains several industrial estcilv
lishments. made up of a steam spoke and handle factory, steam sawmill, plate
and plaster mills, steam felloe works, two merchant fiour mills, several drv
goods stores and groceries, coal and lumber yards, four public houses, a gr,"dc !
school, three churches and Friends meeting house, and a Catholic congrega-
tion worship in the Odd Fellows Hall. The Bound Brook railroad from Phila-
delphia to Xew York crosses the Delaware just south of the village. A post-
otTice was established in iSj8, and Mahlon Dungan appointed postmaster.

In the immediate vicinity of Yardley are two valualde stone quarrie-,
from which many valuable building stones are quarried and shipped to variriii-;
parts of the country. In a letter written by James Logan to Phineas Pember-
ton. about 1700, he mentions that William Penn "had ordered a memorandnni
entered in the oftice that ye great quarry in R. Hough's and Abel Janne\ ■^
land.s be reserved when thev come to be confirmed, being for ye public good 'U'
ye county." What about "ye great quarry," and who knows about it now :
Does it refer to the quarries at Yardley? In the same letter Logan asks Peni-
bertcin where he can get "three of four hundred acres of good land and pf'-
portii'inable meadow, in yrjur innocent county.'' In olden times, the children
from the vicinity of Yardley went to school at the Oxford school house: bn.t
in the course of time, an eccentric man. one Brelsfor<l. a famous deer hunter of
that section, built an eight-square on the site of the present Oak Grove scln" 1
house on the lot left bv I'homas Yardlev fi^r school purposes. At one time .1
general store was kojit in this house by Josiah B. Smith of Newtown, and wa-
burned down in 1S91.

HISTORY Of DUCKS COUNTY. 89

In 1S97. the "Oak Grove Iinprovcniciit Company" was organized for the
purpose of planting- ornanK'ntal shade trees on the school lot, about one hun-
<lred di 'liars being raided an. I expended by a few persons, resulting in a well
shaded, cool and convenient park of three acres, and frequently used for relig-
v'us. political and otlier public meetings. (3ther desirable improvements, are a
public road along the Bound Brook railroad just south of the borough, and
tlic formation of "Hampton Lake" covering ten acres, by damming a small
creek and using the water for the engines of the trains shipping at Yardley
station. It is convenient for boating, fishing and getting ice. Besides the im-
provements mentioned, others have been made at Yardley in recent years, no
ass important. In 1S76 a new Episcopal church, St. Andrews, was erected on
the site of the old one built 1S37 ^"d used as a free church. The following year
tl'.e Rev. John \V. Stephens' n. colored, collected funds and built an African
Methodist Episcopal church, the corner stone being laid September 9. and dedi-
cated November 4. In 1SS9-90 the Yardley National Bank was organized and
built ; and opened for business with a capital of $50,000, January 20, of the lat-
ter year. The comptroller's certificate was dated January 13, 1S90. The bank
building is a tasteful structure in the center of the village. Buckmanvilie. a
hamlet of a few dwellings, a store and post ofiice, is on the road from Pinc-
ville to Dolington. The population of Yardley was 820 by the census of if^So,
but at the present time is about a thousand.

Yardleyville's name was changed to Yardley about the time of its incor-
poration as a borough. 1S95, but we do not know the date. The same year the
]>ul)lic lighting of its streets was introduced, first by naphtha lamps, which were
replaced the following year by an electric light plant, which supplies IMorris-
ville with a four mile current. The borough is connected with Doylestown,
Newtown. Bristol. Trenton and other points by trolley. In 1897 the Yardley
Delaware Brid.ge was repaired and strengthened, and the Philadelphia and
Heading Railroad filled up the great tressel of the Bound Brook railroad across
■tlie Delaware from the canal to the river, on the Pennsylvania side, requiring
one hundred twenty-two millions, three hundred sixty-two thousand cubic feet
I'f earth. The gap to be tilled was twenty-two hundred and thirty-five feet
1-ng. fiftv-five feet high, thirty feet wide at the top and three hundred at the
b..ttoni. The late Ge':irge Yardley of the William and Thomas branch, had a
liandsonie place called "Linden" below the village in the long past, but its
remains are owrthrown and ruined by the embankment of the Reading rail-
road approach..

The surface of Lower Makcfield is gently rolling, with scarce a hill that
<".e.;erves the name. The eastern end of Edge Hill, reaching from the Schuyl-
kill to the Delaware, runs along the southern line of the township, and marks
the northern limit of the priniary formation, tiere the surface is somewdiat
broken. It is not so well watered as most of the townships, and has but few-
crocks. The largest is Brock's creek, named after John Brock, an original
si tiler. wliiKc laud lav along it. and empties into the Delaware at Yardley. Core-
creek rises in the northwest corner of the township, but soon enters Newtown,
thence flows through Midilletown to Neshaniiny. Rock run. which flows
through FalU and empties into the Delaware below Pennsbury, rises in the
southern fiart. The township is traverscil by numerous local roads, which ren-
''■•■r all pc.ints accessible to the inhabitants. The soil is fertile and .well-culti-
\ated. and the population is almost exclusively employeil in agriculture. The
area is nine thousand nine iuindred and fortv-seven acres, with but little waste
land.

90

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

In 1693, the next year after the township was np^aiiized. the assessi ■
taxes of Maketield amounted to in. 143. 3d. In 1742. sixty years after it.
settlement, it had seventy-six taxable inhabitants, among' whom were eleven
single men. The next year there were only tifty-seven, but had increased !•
ninety-four in 1764. In 1742 the poor-rate was three pence per pound, and nine
shillings on single men. Thomas Yardley. the heaviest tax-payer, was assesse I
at £100. In 17S4 the population was 74S, of which twenty-six were black-.
and one hundred and one dwellings; 1,089, iSio; 1,204, 1820; 1,340, 1830, with
taxables ; 1,550, 1840; 1.741. 1850; 1,958, i860; and 2,066, of which tW'^
hundred and twenty-seven were foreign-born, in 1870. In 1786 tlie joint com-
missioners of Pennsylvania and New Jersey confirmed to Lower ]MakefieM
Dunn's, Harvey's lower, and Slack's three islands in the Delaware.

The first loss by fire in the township of which we have any record, was
1736. when John Schotield had his dwelling burned. Collections, to cover the
loss, were taken up in the monthly meetings.

CHAPTER IX.

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP.

1602.

Interesting township. — Only seaport in county. — Original name. — Present name appears. —
Richard Noble. — Reverend Thomas Dungan. — Cold Spring. — Elias Keach. — His-
History. — Thomas Dungan's descendants. — Samuel Carpenter. — Bristol mill. — Bristol
island meadows. — Fairview and Belle meadow farms. — Captain John Clark. — Ferry
to Burlington.^ — Act to improve navigation of Neshaminy. — Bessonett's rope ferry.—
Line of stages. — Christopher Taylor.- — Captain Partridge. — The Dilworths. — The
Taylor family. — Anthony Taylor. — .\nthony Xewbold. — Bristol College. — Captain-
John Green. — China Retreat. — \'an Broom Houckgeest. — Bath Springs. — Pigeon
swamp. — The ''Mystic well." — Daniel Boone. — William Stewart, his schoolmate. —
Bolton farm. — Landredth's seed-farm. — Hellings's fruit establishment. — Newportville.
— Bela Badger. — Surface, area, population.

I
Bristol, next to Falls, is the most intcrestioij township in the cotintv. It
played a leading part in the settlement of the Province, and here was located
the first conntv seat, and justice administered for forty years. Being the only
seaport in the criuntv, many of the early immigrants landed here, either conving
up the river in boats or crossing over from Burlington, where some of the ships
discharged their living cargoes. As there was sufficient depth of water, possi-
bly some of the smaller vessels landed on the bank at Bristol.

In the report of the jury, tixing the boundaries of the five townships laid
out, i6<;)2, Bristol is located below Pennsbury, and was "to follow the river to
Neshaminah, then up Xeshaminah to the upper side of Robert HalFs planta-
tion, and to take in t'.ie land cif Jonathan Town, Edmund Lovet. .Abraham L'ox,
etc., to Pennsbury, and by the same to the place of beginning." The name given
to it was "Buckingham." no doubt after the parish of that name in England,
and was so called iil the court records as late as 1697, and "Xew Buckingham"
in the meeting records as late as 1705. Its present name first appears 1702,
when a constable was appointed for "Bristol." The reason for dropping the
original name and asstiming one less jileasant m the ear. is not known, pn .iiaiily
because the township gradtially came to be called by the name of the borough
growing up witiiin its borders. If we except the few '"Id renters" from the-
time of .-Vndros. and still a few others who came when the Swedes and Dtitch'

•02 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTY.

held rule on the E'elaware, the original settlers of Bristol township were Engli-li
Friends.'

Our knowledge of the first English settlers is not extensive, and possih!\>
not always aecurate. Thomas Hulnie, Penn's surveyor-general, owned land in
this and other townships, but he never lived in the county. H:i
occupation enabled him to pick up tracts worth having, and he apijear-
to have availed himself of the opportunity. Richard Xoble, the first
sheriff, apjiointed in 1682. uwneii an extensive tract on the Xeshaminy, above
its mouth. William White, Richard Xoble and Samuel Allen owned tracts on
■that stream in the order they are named, and eight proprietors owned all ti-.e
land bordering on the Xeshaminy, from its mouth up to the Middletown lii:,'.
Thomas Holme being the largest owner, tive hundred and forty-seven acre;,
whose land lay on the stream hut a short distance, and then ran along the ?\Iid-
dlctown line nearly to Falls. Jr.hn Clark, husband of Ann Clark, received his
grant from GoveruDr Andros. .May 12, 1679. embracing tliree hundred and nine
acres, and dying. 16S3. left it to his widow. The court took charge of Clark"s
•estate at his death, and sold one hundred acres to Richard Xoble. which Penti
confirmed to him in 1689. Samuel Allen's daughter, ?vlartha. was married to
Daniel Pegg. of Philadelphia, at her father's house, Bristol township, April
22,i6S6. Her husband gave the name to Pegg's run, and a street in Phila-
delphia.

The Dungans came from Rhode Island, and some of them were in Brisp:-!
before Penn arrived. William, who was probably the eldest son of the Rev-
erend Thomas, who came in advance to the Quaker colony where there was
neither let u'lr hindrance in freedom to worship God, had two hundred acre;
granted him in Bristol, by William iMarkham, 4th of 6th month. 1682, and con-
firmed by Penn the 5th of 5th month, 1684. He is denominated an "old renter."
About the same time there came a small colony of \\'elsh Baptists, from Rhoile
Island, who settled near Cold Spring. This spring, one of the finest in the
•county, is near the river bank three miles above Bristol, and covers an area of
about fifty feet square. It is surrounded by a stone wall, is well shaded and
constantly discharges abruit ( ne hundred and fifty gallons per minute. In 1684
the Welsh immigrants were followed by the Reverend Thomas Dungan and
his family, who settled in the immediate vicinity. He soon gathered a congre-
gation about him and organized a Baptist churcli, which was kept together until
1702. But little is known of its history. If a church building were ever erected
it "has entirely disajipeared, but the graveyard, overgrown with briars and trees
and a few dilapidated toml.)sti')ncs. remains. It is fiftv feet square, and near the
turnpike. The land was probably given by Thomas Stanaland. who died March
16, 1753. and was buried in it. Thomas Dungan. rhe pastor, died in 16SS, and
was buried in the yard, but several years afterward a handsome stone wa;
erected to his memory at Southampton. ''= Two pastors at Pennypack were

I Xanies of origln.-il sctlicrs: Thomas Holme, John Spencer, John Boyden, Samutl
Allen, J.jhn Swart, Jacob Pclisson. Richard Xoble. Ann Clark. Samuel Clift, William
Dun.L^an, Mordecai Bowden. John Tully, Tli^^'mas Dungan. Clement Dungan. Ricliard
Lundy. TIinma= Bmvnian. Thrnia^ Rvideyard, William Ilaucrc. Christopher Taylor. Franc;-
■Richardson, ririlntli Joins and Edward Benne:.

T'j The Rev. lli'mia- r)imgan wa< born in Lond^m. Entriand, about l6,u. and ni
1637 came uilh hi; iii";t;er and stcp-fatlur. Jerennali Clarck. to Xew England, settling at
iS'fwpori, R. I., where young Dimgan doubtless spent hi> boyb.o.jd anil youth. He probably

HISTORY Of BUCKS COi'XTV. 93-

l/,;ri(.'d in this old graveyard, the Reverend Samuel Jones, who died December
It,, 17J2, and Joseph Wood. September 15, 1747.

The Reverend Elias Keach, the first pastor at Pennvpack. was ordainel
bv Mr. Dungan. The history of this able minister of the gospel is full of in-
lerest. He came from Lonclon, it)!^6, representing himself as a minister and
v.a.N asked to preach at Pennypack. ^lany tlockcd to hear the young London
divine. In the midst of his sermon he suddenly stopped as if attacked by sick-
ness, burst into tears and confessed that he was an impostor. He dated his
conversion from that moment. He now retired to Cold Spring to seek counsel
and advice of 3.[r. Dungan. where he remained a considerable time. He prob-
ably studied divinity with Mr. Dungan, who baptised him. He became the pas-
ter at Pennyjjack, 16S7, but returned to England, lOoi. whore he preached
with success until his death. 1699. He married a daughter of Judge More,
after whom Moreland township was named. His only daughter, Hannah,
married Revilt Harrison, of England, whose son, John Elias Keach Plarrison,
came to America about 1734. settled at the Crooked Billet, now Hatboro. and
was a member of the Southampton Baptist church. The Reverend Tliomas
Dimgan left five sons and three daughters, but divided his real estate between
Thomas. Jeremiah and John, after the deatli of their mother, tliey paying their
sisters, ^lary, Rebecca and Sarah, five pounds each. The sons and daughters
married into the families of Wing. Drake. West, Richards. Doyle and C'ar-
rtU.- William, the eldest son, married in Rhode Island, probably befoie he
emigrated to Pennsylvania. We have the authority of Morgan Edvv'ards for
saying that by 1770 the descendants of Reverend Thomas Dungan numbered
between six and seven hundred. The 2nd of April, 1698, Clement, Thomas,
Jeremiah and John Dungan conveyed two hinidred acres, above Bristol near
the Delaware, to Walter Plumpluey. They probably left Bristol at that time,
and removed to Xorthampton township, where the descendants of the family
still reside. In March. 1774. the Cold Spring farm was sold at public sale by
Thomas Stanaland. Samuel Clift .was an "old renter,", of whom more in
another place.

.^amuel Carpenter, born in Surry. England, who came to the province fr.im
the island of Barbadoes, in 1683. and now a wealthy shipping merchant of
Philadelphia, was the largest land-holder in Bristol township at the close of

recvived part of his education .it Roger Willianii' CL-lebrated school. He became a freeman
<i the colony, 1656. Having embraced the Baptist faith, he entered the ministry, and,
shortly after Monmouth county, New Jersey, was settled by the English, Mr. Dungan
took up land there, but sold it, 1674. After Pemi received the grant of Pennsylvania he
removed to the Dela\vare and setdcd at Cold Spring, founded the first Baptist church
in the colony and died. 1688. Penn granted 400 acres to Thomas Dungan and son Clement.
The Rev. Thomas Dungan married Elizabeth Weaver, of Rhode Island, and she died,
1690. They had issue: William, born about 165S, married Deborah Wing, died i/i.V.
Clement, died in Northampton township, 1732; Elizabeth, married Xatbaniel West. New-
port, Rhode Island; Th6mas, born about 1670, married Mary Drake, died June 23. 17591
Rebecca, married Edward Doyle; he died 1703. and. in his will, names wife, Rebecca, and
sons Clement and Edward, both of New Britain ; Jeremiah, born about 1673, married
Deborah Drake, died .\pril 6, 1761; Mary, married a Richards, and had issue: John, died
unmarried and without issue, and Sarah married James Carrell and had issue.

2 The Doyle and Carrell the Dungan daughters married, were members of the
families of the same narm; living in Warminster and Doylestnwn, respectively.

■94

HISTORY or BUCKS COrXTV.

■the century. lie purchased some two thousand acres contiguous to Eri.-.t-_ ;
includhig the site of the borough. Among the tracts he bought were th':— ,•
of John LHler, Samuel Llift, Edward JJennet and Griffith Jones, ruiniing dmwi
the Delaware nearly to the mouth of Xeshaminy, and afterward that of 'i'honui:,
Holme, running back almost to the ^liddletown line, about one thousand f'.".-
hundred acres. He likewise owned two islands in the river. He probabi.
built the Bristol mills which stood on what is now Mill creek, a quarter of :i
mile from the river, and up to whose doors small vessels came to load anj
unload freight. The saw-mill was seventy feet long by thirty-two wide, aiii
able to cut about fifteen-hundred feet in twelve hours, while the flour-nii:!
had four run of stone with an undershot wheel. We do not know at what
time Mr. Carpenter built the mills, but, in 1705, he speakes of them as bein;^'
"newly built." They earned a clear profit of £400 a year. The mill-pond ihei:
covered between 200 and 300 acres. The pine timber sawed at the mill wai
brought from Timber creek, Xew Jersey, and the oak cut from his own k:nil
near by. At that day the mills had about fifteen feet head and fall, and there
was water enough to run about eight months in the year. About i7io-i_'.
Mr. Carpenter removed to Bristol, making his summer residence on Burlingt.:ii
island, his dwelling standing as late as 1828. He was the richest man in the
province, 1701, but lost heavily by the French and Indian war of 170JS;
and, 1705, he offered to sell his Bristol property to his friend Jonathan Dickin-
son, island of Jamaica.^ He married Hannah Hardman, an immigrant frcni
Wales, 1684, and died at Philadelphia, 1714. His wife died, 1728. His son
Samuel married a daughter of Sanuicl Preston, and granddaughter of Thomas
.Lloyd. Samuel Carpenter was largely interested in public affairs ; was a mem-
ber of the Council and Assembl_\', and Treasurer of the Province. He ".s
spoken of in high terms by all his contemporaries.* The Ellets, who dis-
tinguished themselves in the late Civil war, were descendants of Sainnel Carpen-
ter through the intermarriage of the youngest daughter of his son Samuel with
Charles Ellet.

The Bristol island meadows, on the Delaware below Bristol, forming a
tract of rich meadow land, were patented to\Samuel Carpenter. They were
then called liurden's island, said to contain eight hundred and fifteen and a
quarter acres, and were described as lying between Mill creek and Hog run.
In 1716 Hannah Carpenter and sons conveyed the island to a purchaser. In
1774 an island near this, containing about forty acres, called Lesser island,
was conveyed by John Clark to John Kidd. In 1807 Bela Badger bought the
Fairview and Belle meadow farms. King south of Bristol, and afterward Bristol

3 At one time Mr. C.TrpL-iitcr offered to ;cll bis I'.ristol mills to his friend William
l^cnn.

4 Samuel Carpenter had a bmther. Joshua, who probal)ly came to America with hiin.
His wife's name was Elizaheth. ami their first chiUI was Sai7Uiel. liorn August 14, 16S6.
and married Mary Yates, wlio wa- hurn at Che-tor. 1700. dauiihter of Jasper Yates. TItctr
children were: Ju-hua. borji l-'ehruary ij. 1720: Elizabetli, horn Xoveniber 15, l/J; >
Sanuicl, born May i(i. ijjS (on Carpenter'- 1-land) ; Mary, burn .April 2. 1730; Catharine,
born July 10. T7.V ( '"^u Carpeulcr'- 1-land 1; J;;-per. born (October 14. 1734. married and
hail one dauijlitcr. nii/abcth, born Aui;u-t 27. 17(13. \v'i>3 married .-Vbr.iham Cook. January,
T'VO; Joshua Carpenter, first born of Jo>hua and Elizabeth, married and had one child,
b.irn July 22. 1753. and married Hilary Roan. — Letter from Jasper Carpenter Cook. Phila-
•delphi.i. May 24. 1S77

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 95

island, then called Yonkin's and subsequently Badger's island. The tide ebbed
nnd flowed between the island and mainland. j\lr. Badger, at great expense,
banked in about three hundred antl fifty acr^s of the meadow, making one of
the most productive islands in the Delaware. The portion not banked in is
covered with water at every high tide. A small part of the meadow adjoining
Bristol was wb.arfed in to f<:irm the basin of the Delaware Di\ i>ion Canal." Be-
fore the Revolution. Captain John Clark, of the British army, came to America
fcpr his health, and lived on the Fairview farm, where Badger died. When a
partv of British horse came from Philadelphia to Bristol, 177S, to burn the
i;Tist-mill, word was sent to Captain Clark, who rode into the village and for-
bade the distraction of property, on the ground that he was a British officer and
iiart owner. The mill was not burned, and he soon attcrward resigned his com-
niission. He was the worshipful-master of tiie Bristol lodge of Masons, and
remained a member to his death.

A ferrv across the Delaware, from Bristol to Burlington, was first estab-
lished by the Provincial Council, 1709. A petition from the county-magis-
trates was presented by John Sotcher, who then owned the land on this side of
the river, and on which the landing was to be. In 1714, an act of similar
import was passed by the New Jersey assembly, which fixed the rate for
ferrving over, and prohibited all but the licensed ferryman acting, under a
fine of twentv shillings. C)f course people crossed the river between these two
jioints many years before it was a recognized ferry. It is not known that
the landing of the original ferry was on the spot of the present one. About
1721) Samson Carev petitioned to be granted the ferry from Burlington to
Bristol.

Christopher Taylor, mentioned elsewhere — one of the early pioneer set-
tlers of Bristol township, is supposed to have been born near Skipton, York-
shire, England. There he officiated as a Puritan preacher until he joined
the Quakers. 1652. He taught a classical school at various places ; came to
America, 16S2. and obtaine<l the grant of 5,000 acres in this county. He
represented Bristol in the first Assembly : — was a member of the first Execut-
ive Council, after Penn's arrival, and was also Register-General of the
Province. At one time he taught a classical school at Philadelj/nia. His
son Israel was sheriff of Bucks county, au'l his daughter married Jona Sander-
lands, Chester county, 1^393. At the time of his death he was a resident
of Tinecum island in the Delaware, and practiced surgerv. He died 1696.

.\n act of Assembly was passed in 1771, to improve the navigation of
Xeshaminy creek, which bounds Bristol township on the southwest. The
stream was declared a public highway as far up as Barnsley's ford, now
Xewportville, but the navigation was not much improved. At certain stages
of tile water vessels of light draught can come up to that point. In olden
tnnes there was a floating bridge and rope ferry across Xeshaminv about
a hundred yards above the tuni])ike bridge at Schenck"s station, tlie foundation
of which can still be seen. They were owned by Charles Bessonett," who then

5 Posfilily tlu-sc ishiul meadows are the >:imc as Aldricks' inland of two centuries and
a half agi). Xcxt M William I'cun. Samuel Cariiciitcr \va^ tlie riolie^t iiian in the Province,
lb- owned tlic 'Si.ite Ronf IFmum'," Pliiladelpliia, in ^liicli Pcnn resided. 1700. Watson
^■\V5 Samuel Carpenter was the Stephen Giravd of his period, in weahh.

6 The Bessoiietts wiTe in Uensalcni as I'arly as 17JQ, and nn JaTni.iry ('k that year,
John Rodman made .? c-invi yancc- to Jo]ni I!e-.-.onett. His will was e.xecuted March 4,

96

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTV

ran a linu of stages from Philadelphia to Xew York, and kept tavern in Bri-i. '.
In 1/^5 he and Gershani Johnson were authorized to 'ay out a road, from li;-,-
sixteenth mile-stone, on what is now the Philadelphia and Trenton turnpik.;.
through the lands of J. N'andegrift and William Allen, to and across Xeshair.-
iny; thence through land of John Edgar and Joseph Tomlinson, and on to th.c
nineteenth niile-stune, and to build a bridge and establish a ferry. These were
the floating bridge and rope ferry. As early as 1700 the Grand Jur_\- pre-
sented the necessity of a bridge over this stream, and William .Moore \v:i>
appointed to view and select a site, the expense to the county was not 10
exceed iSo. Whether it was built, and if so, where, the author is not informed.
An early act of Assembly sought to open lock navigation from tide-water !■ ■
Bridgetown, but nothing came of it. The bill provided for the incorporati'jii
of the "Xashaminy Lock & Navigation Company."

On the bank of the Delaware, three miles below Bristol, stands what is
known as "China Retreat" and Bristol College." About 1787 the farm be-
longed to one Benger, an Irish sporting gentleman, who imported the famor.s
horse "Messenger," he purchased of a brother of the Duke of \ork. It wa^
then called "Benger's Mount." He sold it to one Andre Everade \'an
Braam Plouckgeest, governor of an East India island, who retired to this
county, and erected an elegant mansion, calling it "China Retreat." The mar-
ble used in its construction was brought up the river by Samuel Plibbs. Ben-
salem, in a shallop. He sold the property, 179S, 361 acres and 3 perches, to
Captain Walter Sims, for £10,706, whose son-in-law, Capt. John Green, was
the first sea cajjtain to carry our flag to China. He made tlie round trip in
about a year, going through the Straits of Sunda. He was the first to inip'Tt
a full set of China-ware direct from China into the colonies 1772. and
Shanghai chickens from a cross which makes our celebrated "Bucks Count\
chickens." Captain Green died September 24, 1796, at the age of 60, and wa^
buried in St. James church yard, Bristol.

Andre Everade \"an Braam Houckgeest, builder of China Retreat, has an
interesting history. He was born in Holland. 1739, and after serving in the
Dutch Navy, in which two of his brothers were Admirals, he took service in
the Dutch East India Company, in China. Amassing a fortune, he came to
America and settled near Charleston, S. C, bought a nice plantation and be-
came naturalized. Losing four of his five children and much of his fortune he
again accepted service in the Dutch East India Company, and returned to
Canton as Chief Director. He gained the confidence and esteem of the
Emperor, and, b}- study and travel, became a recognized authority on Chinese
manners and custotns. He wrute an interesting liook. dedicating it to Wa.-h-
ington. He returncil to America at the end of nine years, and to his surviving
daughter, who, meanwhile, had married Major Richard Brooke Roberts, L'. S.

1774, and prrived Octoher 26, 177S. His children were: Daniel. Jolin. Cliarlcs. Catharine.
Anne, ^hl^tha and Elizabeth. Charles, who lived and died in Bristol, was depnty pn~t-
inaster, 1776. A settlement of his estate was filed, Oetober 2-. 1S07, but w-as not tinaliy
settled until 1812. Charles Bessonett, probably the innkeeper at Bristol, was the 'son of
Charles.

7 Prior Ui this, the propi.-rty belonged to Thomas Clifford, and was known as "Rocky
Point," fr.>ni the reef of rock in the river still visible at low tide. AhcT Clifford's death it

p,'i5scd to the descendants ci hi> daiiiihter, SmitTi. and then to the Phillips family.

Anthority of Israel Peniberton ; see aKo ".Mias Eves' Journal," Peiina. Magazine, iSSl.

m-w

,j.*ft^i _

;„ :i! miiid

[

CHINA RETREAT, l?yO.

A., upon landing at I'hiladelphia. April J4, 1796; bringing with him a great col-
lection of Chinese curiosities, including a L'huiese coachman and footman. He
now bought the "Lienger ^Nlountl" farm near Bristol on which he erecteil a
jirincely dwelling, in the prevailing colonial style, surmounted by a pagod.i iroi;i
which were suspended silver hells. The rooms were large and elegantly furn-
ished ; the music room for his daughter was the width of the house, with xar.lted
ruof, gilded and frescoed, and was noted for its. fine acoustic qualities. Here
\ an Ijraam dis])ensed a generous hosidtalily. numbering among his distin-
guished guests Washington, Lafa}ette and Prince Tallyrand. then in exile, the
latter spending much of his time at China Retreat. On a festive occasion, it is
said, Washington and Lafayette planted the two pine trees that stand in front of
the house. Being a man of education and scientific attainments, he became a
member of the Philadelphia Philoso]jhical Society, and of tlie leading societies
"f Europe. His wife was a daughter of Baron \'an Recile \'an Oudtshorn,
<iovernor of the Cape of Good Hope. His daughter on the death of r^Iajor
Roberts, her first husband, married Ca[)t. Staats Morris, son of Lewis .Morris,
signer of the Declaration of Independence. The oldest son of Major
Roberts was named Lucius Ouintius Cincinnatus. after the Society oi the
Cincinnati, of which his father was an original member. After the tleath of
Major Roberts, and the death of his widcnv. \'an Braam sold China Retreat
and returnetl to Plolland, his fine collection of Chinese curiosities being lost at
sea. The family of the distinguished Hollander keoi'js up its connection with
Bucks countv bv the great grandson, Erasmus Roberts, marrving, iSq.^. Helen
Chambers, daughter of Major TlKmias Chambers, Xewtcjwn, anil grand-
daughter of the late John Barnsley,

.98 HISTORY OF BUCKS COi'XTV

China Retreat was next occupied as a seat of learning under the name < f
"Bristol College," in charge of the "Episcopal Education Society of I'e!iii>\'.-
vania." The leaders in the enterprise were Rev. G. \V. Ridgeway and l)r^.
Twyng and IJedell. The farm of ^>k:) acres, with improvements, was purcha-i..!
in Slarch, 1833. for S20.OOO, and Si 5.000 additional were raised by subscrip-
tion, the subscriliers contributing .'?75 a \ear per scholarship as a loan t.i
students. The tnnldings were only sutticient to accommodate 15 or 20 stml-

. ents, but the College was npeiieJ 1S34, the Rev. Chauncey Colton, D. D., llie
first and only president the institution had, delivering an address. The niottf)
on tlie ^eal was "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers iiuo
the harvest." The board of trustees was composed of the Rev. James Alilnur,
D. D., N. v.. Rev. Dr. Smith, afterward Bishop of Kentucky, Dr. Henshaw,
later Bishop of R. 1.. Rev. Levi Bull. Chester Co., Pa., Erancis S. Key. auth'.r
of the Star Spangled Banner, Rev. S. H. Twyng, Jr., D. D., i'hiladelphia. Rev.
John S. Stone, D. D., Rev. James May. John C. Pechin and John I'arr. Es.i.
Lambert Day was Secretary, Edward C. Thurston, Actuary and Superintenil-

. ent of Manual Labiir, and Jacob Lex, Treasurer. The President of the hoard
was Dr. Bedell.

As China Retreat ( rir Hall) clid not furni.--h proper acconimodations. a brick
building was erected facing the Delaware, four stories, wich two wing>,

.at a cost of $80,000. The main building was calleil White Hall, in honor i.^f
Bishop White, and the two wmgs Pennsylvania and Clifton Halls, respective!\-.
Its capacity was from 100 to 125 students, and, in the near future, there were
about 100 in the college and preparatory schools from various parts of the
country, all boarding in the building. Th.ere were only a few dav scholars.
The faculty was com])Osed. in part, of the fnllowing: Dr. A. R. Packar^'i.
Professor of Chemistry ami Natural Elistory : l^r. G. S. Pattison, lecturer and
teacher of Languages: William .S. Serell and T. Alexander Todd. assistant>,
and Robert Rose. Alexander F. Dobb and James Elulme, tutors. The Rev. C.
S. Henry was on the staff in some capacity. For the support of the institu-
tion a system of private subscriptiiin was organized and considerable mr:nev
raised. The Bible was tbe text, and labor in the shoj). garden and on the farm
the key note of the curriculum. In 1834. Francis S. Key delivered an addre.--;

-*■ Vi a'a s ' .1 a B a =! . ^. (s? ■?■ rr 'if 1 i »,e ■ 1 1 1 a

J3^s use , '•! c I '.\ .', j^ ."iJ- -J- » s » -* s » « a * : >

JL , "vii. ■*..'*•=' ■^^*V**t«f ^3-^ ■■'-'.• '1; r;-: •!— -J* -■- ^••K-<".,Vi i*.j' ,

BRISTOL COLLEGE. ls:W.

' .-" ,L_:"i t'

^SFsKi

,Ji^^

BATH SPRING NEAR BRISTOL.

before the Philogean Society on the "Power of Literature." The attendance
ihictuated; one catalogue contained the names of i^o students, another 156,
including preparatory pupils. The names of several clergymen are on the
catalogue. The students established Sunday School at several points, includ-
ing Eddington and Hulmeville. the latter being the germ of Grace Episcopal
church at the place. Bristol College came to the end of its career. 1839. many
(if the students going to Trinity College, Hartford. The president was after-
ward a professor at Gambier Theological Seminary, C)hio. After the college
closed, tutor Alex. F. Dobb. who had formerly conducted a school at Lang-
horne, opened a boarding school there the same }ear. calling it "St. James
Hall." The farm was cut up and sold by the sheriff.

In 1S43 Ca]itain Alden Partridge, a graduate and one of the earliest Sujier-
ititendents of West Point, opened a military school in the China Retreat build-
ing. At a meeting at the Tremont House. Philadelphia. May 23. 1843. the jiro-
priety of e5tablish;ng a '"Literary, Scientific Military Institute"' there, was fully
considered and favorably acted upon and a committee, of which General John
l-'avis was chairman, was appointed to see the wishes of the meeting carried
out. The school was put in charge of IVof. tlenry \'illiers ^^hirr s, a graduate
of Norwich L'niversitx. and a jirofessor there. He was a civil engineer by
profession, and subsequently assisted in laying out and building some of the
leading railroads of the west. He was an officer in the Civil War, and breveted
for meritorious services. He was born at Amherst count\-, \'irg'nia, April 7,
18111, and died at St. Louis, May, i8y8. The school was closed in three years
an(l removed to Harrishurg. The buildings were used for a hospital during
the Civil ^\"ar, and snbse(|uently for a state school lor the education of chil-
dren of colored soldiers.''

The Bath Springs, known from the earliest settlement of tlie county, and
for years a fashionable watering place, are situated on the eilge of the borough
r>f Bristol, TlTe waters are chalybeate and liad celebrity as early as 1720, when
they were a summer resort. In 1773 the distinguished Doctor Rush read a

S T!ie .-u'.thor is
I'.ristol Collrge.

Kl]tecl to the Rev. S. F. Hotclikiii for inf. iriii.atiim ri.-l.ntive to

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUSTY.

paper on the mineral waters of Bristol before the Philadelphia Philosoijliu-.:!
Society and the following year a Philadelphia newspaper says, "the Ijri>t' 1
baths and clialyheate wells are completed in the most c<:>mniodious manner.
Before bnildiii,s,^s were erected the visitors boarded in Bristol, most of the fam-
ilies taking boarders, and walked out to drink the waters. General Miftlin aii'!
familv Were among those who frequented the springs, and visitors even cau.c
from Europe. The present buildings were erected in 1810 by Doctor ^linniek."'-
who laid out a race-course on the western part of the tract. Alore fashionali'c
and attractive summer resorts have turned the tide of visitors in other di-
rections.- '

There were, originally, three swamps in Bristol township, covering nn.re
than a thousand acres of her territory. The most considerable of these s
'■p'igeon" swamp, probably named after Joseph Pidgeon, Falls, who died. ijjs.
extend.ing from the head of }ilill pond to within two luiles of Morrisville. I:
is three hundred yards wide, and contains about eight hundred acres. A> it
cannot be drained and made productive, without heavy outlay of money, it i-
kept in bushes and used as a pasture ground. It is crossed b\- several countr\
roads. In 1772 the Legislature chartered "The Pigeon Swamp Gompany, '
when some etiftprt was made to drain it. Hugh Hartshorne antl Joseph Haii.
Bristol, were appointed to view and stirvey the swamp, and Christian ^ilinnick.
Aaron \\'rii;ht and William Bidgood, managers for the owners. At this time
it appears that one hundred and fifty-two acres and one hundred and eiglu
perches were divided among the owners of contiguous lands, of which Thomas
Middleton received forty-six acres, Benjamin Swain, seventeen acres, William
Bidgood, thirty-two acres and seventy-two perches, .\aron Wright, sixteen
acres and twenty-seven perches. Christian iMinnick. thirteen acres and one
hundred and thirty perches, Thomas Stanaland. four acres and sixty-nne
perches. Israel Pemberton, sixteen acres and fifty-nine perches, and \\'illiam
Bidgood, Jr.. six acres and seventy-three perches. The other two swamps
were Biding's,'' two miles northwest of Bristol, and Green's, three miles south-
west, which have been drained and cleared, and are now good farm land. In
IiScm:) a niad was opened across Pigeon swamp, and as early as 1723 a road \'.a-
laid out from Green's swamp to Bristol. On the edge of Pigeon swamp, near
the Mill pond, is what is known as the "Mystic well,'" whose discovery, it i-
claimed, was brought about by spiritual influence. It is related that Danii-!
B. Taylor, Lower ^Fakefield, was directed by the spirits to purchase a farm
owneil bv Malachi Wliite. on which he would find a spring of wonderii:!
medicinal properties, by digging down at a certain spot, just one hundred and
one feet six inches. The farm was bought, some obstructions cleared away.
the digging commenced in September and completed the following December
They dug sixty feet through loam, gravel and sand, and bored forty-one iV^t
nine inches through a har<I blue rock, ^\■he^ water, chalybeate in character, wa-
reached. The well was tubed with an eight-inch iron pipe to the rock. Mr.

8'-C Proliably ihe son of Cliristian Minnick, owner of the ferry on the Delaware, of that
name, who died 17S7.

8">4 The "Bath Spring?" have been closed many years, the house torn down and nmK
built to replace tlie old buildings. A street has been opened between the site of the \\<>»-'-
and springs, the springs fillod up. and the mill pond not used since 1888. The proper'y
belongs to a private estate. The mill site is one of the oldest in the county.

9 This spelling is probably rot correct.

HfSTORy OF FUCKS COi'XTY.

Tayliir built a boarding-house near by, at a cost of $13,000 and, for a time,
!':;<.rc was some demand for the water, at fifty cents per bottle, and a few
\;-iiors came to the well. In ii>('*j the water was subjected to chemical anah-
.-is by Doctor Gaunt, of Piiiladelphia, and one gallon was found to contain the
!, .iluwing: Carbonate of the protoxide of iron, 3.60, sulphate of the protoxide
of iron, .25, carbonate of lime. 1.40, sulphate of lime. .75. carbonate of mag-
r.csia, .57, sulphate of magnesia, .51, sulphate of potassia. .46. hydrated silica,
.,<(>. organic matter, a trace; total 8.40. Several parties certified that the water
had benefited them, and one old lady went so far as to say that it seemed to
be "both meat and drink'"' to her.

The Dilworths were early settlers in Bristol township, where James Dil-
w'Ttli died. 1699. He came from Thornby, Yorkshire, with his wife Anna,
a sister of Nicholas Wain. Si.>me of the descendants drifted over to Chester
county and gave name to Dilworthtown.

The Tayliirs, of Bristol township, are descended front Samuel Taylor,
husbandman, of the parish of Dore. county Derb\shire, England. In the sum-
mer of 1677 he immigrated to America, and landed where Burlington, Xew
Jersey, now stands. He was one of the proprietors of \\'est Xew Jersey, and
owned one thirty-second of seven undivided ninetieth parts. In the spring of
I'^S he settled upon twelve hundred acres in Chesterfield township. Burlington
county, the whole of which remains in the family. To his second son, Robert,
he gave five hundred acres of the tract, now known as Brookdale. From him
;t came to his son Anthony, an ardent patriot during the Revolution, 'who dieil.
1785, and from Anthony to his eldest son, Michael. CHir Taylors are immedi-
ately descended from Anthony, the third son of Anthonv. who was born at
Brookdale farm. 1772. In 1789 he was apprenticed to John Thompson, an
iKtensive shipping-merchant. Philadeljjhia. and 1793, entered into the same
business with Thomas Xewbold, under the firm name of Taylor & Xewbol.l.
In 1802 he married Alary, daughter and tenth child of Caleb Xewbold. S])ring-
field. Xew Jersey. He retired from business, 1810, to Sunlniry farm. Bristol
t'lwnship. which he had purchased, 180S, where he resided t':i his death, 1837.
1 lie family from Samuel Taylor down have been Friends. He took great
interest in farming, and was the largest land-owner in the county. Upon the
failure of the Farmers' bank of Bucks county. Hulmeville, he, with others,
restored its cajjital and caused its removal to Bristol. He was elected president,
and continued such to his death. Anthony Taylor had eleven children, all
■■f whom grew up. nine survi\-ing him: Robert. Sarah. William, Eilward L..
Michael. Caleb X.. Thomas X.. Emma L.. and Franklin. Caleb X. Taylor,
die sixth son of his father, was horn at Sunburv. where he reside! nearl\- all
his life. He was an active jiolitician of the Whig and Republican schools,
.Ttul elected to Congress, 1866 and 1868. having been defeated^'' at three prev-
!"us elections. He was succeeded as president of the Bristol bank bv hi-^
ui-phew. Benjamin F. Taylor. Michael Xewbold. the ancestor of Caleb Xew-
b'lld. whose d.'iughter Anthimy Taylor married, and likewise an English Friend.
immigrated from Xewbold manor, county Derbyshire. t68o. He settled near
the Taylors. S])ringfield township. Burlington countv. where he bought a
th'^iNand acres of land, still held bv the family. TlKniias X.. the sixth smi. A-.k-i\
'11 Philadelphia.

10 Calcl" X. T.nyliir laliorcil tianl, for years, to diviilc Iluok- county, ami tlio questinn
w:ii conielinic in doulit. Init h\i offiirt<; wi-re finally dcfcatcfl. 1S5J. wliiii lie seemed 01; the
r''int of sucee,-^. Tlii< ended ;1ie Tigl:!

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

About 1830-31, Anthony Morris, I'hiladclphia, founded an agricul;:;: ;
scho<3l at tht Uolton tariii. on the road from Oxford \'alley to TullytMv.n, ,
mile and a half from th.e former place. It was placed under the superinti.;i .-
ency of F. A. I~mar. a pupil of the celebrated school of Hofwyl, Prussia, in i .
conducteil on the Fdlenberg system. The school did not prove a success an'
was soon abandoned. (Jn the same farm is the "Morris graveyard.'' a roiir..;
plat of groun<l, surrounded by a stone wall and shaded by a grove of fine trec>.
Several of the Morris and I'emberton families have been buried in the I'id
yard. This farm was originally the Pcmberton homestead, and fs vet in tlv.-
family. The farm adjoining is called W'igan, and both that and Bolton wltc
named by the original proprietors, after towns of the same names they can.e
from in Lancashire, England. '^

Bela Badger, for thirty years a prominent citizen of Bristol, came frr.;;>
Connecticut, 1807. He bought the Hewson farm in the township, just ovlt
the borough line, the Island farm, opposite Burlington, and the Marsh fanr.
adjoining. He owned eight hundred acres, in all, fronting on the Delaware.
He spent several thousand dollars in banking out the river from parr
of his land, and recovered three hundred and fiftv acres of very fiii'.-
meadow-land, and also spent a large sum to iinprove his fishery, known a-
the Badger fishery, which he made one of the best on the river, Mr. Badgrr
was a breeder of blooded horses, and dealt largely in fast stock. He made the
first match against Eclii)5e with Sir Walter, and was beaten. He was con-
nected with Colonel William R. Johnson, Virginia, in the famous match cf
Henry against Eclipse, for 820,000 a side, run on Long Island, in ]\Iay, iSj,;.
and others of equal note. He was the owner of Hickory, the sire of some I'f
the finest colts since ^lessenger's day. He imported the celebrated horM-
\'alentine. and was interested in the ownership of some of the best blooded
horses of that day. r^Ir. Badger stood high in the sporting-world, and wa-^
considered b>" all as a man of integrity. He was a brother of Samuel Badger.
of Philadelphia, and died. 1835. without family.

The only village in the township, except the incorporated borough nf
Bristol, is Xewportville. a mile and a half below Hulmeville where the Dur-
ham road strikes the Xeshaniiny. The creek is spanned by a wooden bridcre.
one hundred and ninety feet long, resting on three stone piers. The site "f
the village was laid olt into town-lots as early as 1808, but it has not grown
to great propnrtions. It was calletl "Xewport" at first, but somebody, with
the American genius for naming places, added the s\ liable "ville," and the jn'-t-
ofifice, when established, 1836, was given this name, which it bears to this day
and is likely to bear to the end of time. There is properlv an upper and lower
town, a ])ortion of the houses being built along the creek, and others on tlie
liigh griiund aliove. It has a large saw anrl grist-mill, extensive carriage-
works, a hall that will seat about three hundred persons, a public library, tire
company, two >tiires. and a tavern. The population is about two hundred.
Li the earl\- days oi the county, the crossing of Xeshaniiny at this place wa^
known as Barnsley's ford. A little cluster of houses, in the south-east corner
of Middletown, on a road running froni the Delaware to Xewtown, lying partly
in Bristol townshiii, is called Centerville.

Bristol, like all the lower townships, has little broken land, neither is it
level, but has the gentle uuilulaling surface, after you leave the river bott'Mi!.

II ri.ihiiii f.Tnn i^ <;iil in the family, liclniiging to HfHnghani B. Morris, Philadelplii^i.
to wlioiii ii caiiic I'v inhernar.ce.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

best suited to farming'. It is watered by a few small tributaries of the Xesham-
iiiy, and Mill creek and its branches, the main stream taking its rise at the base
of the primary formation in Middletown. The farmers of the lower part of
Bristol turned their attention to raising tobacco, and there and in Falls a large
cro]) was produced yearly. According to the government return, made in
1S71, Ihieks counly had within its limits four hundreil and seventy manufac-
tories of cigars and one snuff-mill, the latter being at Bristol. These factor-,
ics employed from thirty to fifty hands each and paid a duty of Si8o,ooo a
year to the government. Since that period the cultivation of tobacco has been
very much reduced. For a number of years, and until one was establi>hed
in the borough of Bristol, the Friends of this township went to the Falls meet-
ing, which many of them still attend.

So far as we have been able to learn, the area of Bristol township has
neither been enlarged nor decreased since its organization, in 1692, and con-
tains now, as then, nine thousand four hundred and fifty-nine acres. The
earliest enumeration of ta.xablcs. we have met with, was 1742, when they num-
bered eighty-three, of whom fifteen were single men. By 1763. a period of
twenty-one years, they had increased to one hundred and four. At the same
time the heaviest assessment against any one man was that of Lawrence
Growden, who was taxed on £130. The average- valuaticin was from five to
ten pounds, evidence there was but little wea,lth in the township. In 1784
Bristol had a population of seven hundred and sixteen whites and forty-one
blacks, and one hundred and fourteen dwellings. In 1810 it was 1,008; 1S20,
1,667"'=; 1830' I-532. and two hundred and two taxables : 1840, 1,450; 1850.
I.810; i860, 2,187: 1870. 2.040, of which two hundred and four were of foreign
birth, and one hundred anil twenty-seven colored ; the population of Bristol
borough has largcl_\- increased of late years, and extensive manufactories
erected.

Bristol township. Bloomsdale farm, has one of the most valuable shad-
fisheries in the county, that known as the Badger fishery. It was established
as early as 1790. and was rented for a numloer of years at $1,800 for the season.
As high as seventeen luuulred shad and twenty thousand herring, beside a
laige number of smaller fish, have been cauglit in one day. On one or two
occasions sharks, of the shovel-nosed species, have been caught. The rent for
some years past has not exceeded S800. Anthony Burton's fishery has rented
tor $1,000 the season, but of late years, for not over S400. Cash Point fishery,
later Doctor Sallman's. adjoining Burton's rents for S300 a year. Barclay
Ivins's, in Falls. S500. Betty's Point, owned by C. Ellis. S300, Birch fishery,
S. Collins. S300. John Thompson's, $200. David Moon's fishery, where the
largest shad have been taken, is known to have been caught in the Delaware.
Weighing fciurtecn j.ounds. rents fcjr $400.'-

1 1 1 J Prcbably an error.

12 ProI)ati1y the oldest ash tree in the county, a vcnernlile many-ringed patriarch of
the forest, was on the .\ndre\v SchatTcr farm. Brisiul township, and recently cut down.
Many historic memorK-; clustered about its ancient lunvs. and its age is known to Iiave
bren over one humlred years. Just before tlie company of Bristol Reserves inarched to
the battle field ut the Civil war. a (licnic and banquet, a good-bye offering, wa.s held in its
shade, but only four ot the one hundred composing the company lived to see the old
patriarch laid low It w.i~ twenty feet in circumference and six feet in diameter. The tree
produced ten cords of wnod.

I04

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

\o sketch of ]!ri.'-ti)l township would he complete without proper mentinn
of IJloomsilale l-'ariii. the seed-gruwing ])lant of David Landreth and Sons, one
of the most extensive industries of its kinds in the world. The reputation is
international. It is I'u the Delaware, a short distance ahove Rristol, stretching
nearly two miles alnng the ri\er. The tract, originally containing i.ooo acres,
was cuuveyed to .Xndrew Rohinson, 1OS5, by Peini's Commissioners of Prou-
.criy. Jn 1752 it helnnged to Colonel Alexander tiraydon, father of Captain
Alexander (irasdon. wlio erected the lUoomsdale house that year at the north
end of the tract. The son was an officer in Colonel Shea's continental regi-
niem. and was made prisoner at the fall of Fort Washington, 1776. A suli-
sequent owner was Leopold Xotnagle, son of the head forester of the King <n
Bavaria, who, taking part as an officer in one of the German Revolutions,

was compelled to

r

-JWf^ff^l^ «

"^

■.^•t?''

Vi-X '

flee the country
and settled on the
Delaware. In 1807
he erected a stone
barn on the prem-
ises, one of the
largest in the
State, and still in
good preser\a-
tion. S t e p h e n
Girard was in-
terested in the
settlement of his
estate. In the
thirties. during
the Moms Miilti-
canhis craze, the
farm was largely
planted widi mul-
berry trees, the

sion,. barn turned into a cocoonery, and some silk produced, but to no profit.

leu the .Merino sheep fad struck Ducks county, the owner went into that spec-

HLOu.MSUAl.E I- ARM.

bi;

w

ulation.

David Lamlreth. the 2'
the >ce 1 raising industrw
I.aiidrrih nurserv. estalili
knowledge fiir the busiin

He planted an arli. ireirm that was net excelle
of its rare eonifera and i\-<-idunt's trees, the 1

, purchased the Bloonisdale Farm, 1847. '^"'^ began
He uas brought u[) amid the plantations of the
led I7.'^4. and was well e(|uipped by taste and
s. He improved the estate in every particular.
11 \ariety and developemeiit
St noted being the gigantic

growth of Rhododendrons. Kalmias and Azaleas. The system of culture tor
vegetable crops fi>r seed jiroduction was interesting, the area broad, the expanse
great : while the trial grounds. f^T the annual testing of ^1.000 to 7.000 samples
of seed of vegetables, and grasses, to determine their relative purity and merit,
afforded an interc-^tinc;' school of bntanic-al and pbysiolngical research. In 187^.
steam plowing, by direct traction, was' inaugurated at Pdoomsdale. and steam
flip.i.rint; and ste:ini chopj'ir.g experimented with in i8t^8, but were not found
profifible.

In lSSr)-OJ intrre-^ti"r,r experiments were conducted in the cultivation of
the ( liiriese fibre pl.-mt. I\:iinie. but without success. David Landreth died at

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Uloonisdale, Februarv 22, 18S0, having' passed a long life in developing and
iinproving- -one of the most useful branches of practical agriculture. He was
the son of an Englishman, who settled at Philadelphia, near the close of the
eighteenth century, and was born there, 1802. At the father's death, 1836,
the son succeeded to the business and made it his life-long occupation. Since
David Landreth's deatii his sons have conducted the .extensive business with
success, and are recognized among the most extensive seed producers in the
world. Burnet Landreth, one of the surviving sons, makes his home in the
lUoomsdale homestead. He served as a captain in the civil war. and has re-
ceived many recognitions from foreign societies, for his services to Agricul-
ture. Horticulture and Forestry, and possesses several diplomas and decora-
tions.

P.loomsdale farm has interesting historic associations apart from its in-
dustrial repute. On December 25, the day previous to Washington's attack
on the Hessians at Trenton, General Cadwallader made an attempt to cross
the river with his division, probabh" at the Bloomsdale farm, but was obliged
to abandon the design by reason of the floating ice. That evening about
8 o'clock all the troops in and about Bristol marched down to Dunk's ferry
three miles below.'= Oi ^^ay 9, 1778. while the British occupied Philadelphia,
their flotilla returned from an attack on Bordentown, fired several shot at
Blounisdale house, but without injuring it. On July 4. 1804. Aaron Burr,
wliM had recently killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, crossed the Delaware at
the ferry on the Bloomsdale farm to avoid arrest. Joseph Bonaparte made
two attemins to buy this estate, before purchasing at Bordentown. the first
in T8t6. The ferry here was one of the earliest on the river above Philadelphia,
and wacons and horses were set across in flat boats, propelled by poles and oars,
signaling between the tv,-o shores bv a system of flags."

On the banks of the Delaware, below Bloomsdale, are extensive estab-
lishments for the preservation of fruits, rccentlv owned by Nathan Hellings.
The main building, 50x80 feet, with thick walls, is so constructed as to avoid
outside change of temperature, and is maintained at from 30 degrees to ''o
degrees within, while a current of dry air passes constantly through the build-
ing to prevent moisture. A large ice bed, under the center of the buiMing,
cook the atmosphere in summer. Here great (|uantitics of fnreign and domes-
tic fruits, in season, are stored for preservation.' The storage capacity of the
establishmeiu is 10.000 barrels.

1.3 Tliere is ?omc uncertainty as in tlie military operatirms at thc' Blnonisdale farm
at this eventful period in our ivcvnlutionary history. Our reference in the text is from
Genera! Stryker's exhaustive history of the "Battles of Trenton and Princeton." excellent
authority in such case. Another authority, which we have lor.siotten. says "Cadwallader's
division here t Rloonisdale ferry') crossed the Delaware into New Jersey. December 27.
17~6. and heing ignorant of Washington's reaching tlicrc that evening. niarclie<l his force
to Burlington, reaching there thnt evening. Here he received a letter from Washington.
informing him of his victory at Trentrm oti the Ji'ith." Burnet Landreth. writing to the
author on the suhject. says "General Cadwallader's crossing was the ferry tine mile above
Bristol, called 'Miiinick's ferry.'" and cited letter of Col.inel R"dney. ai<l to Cadwallader.

14 The Bloomsdale ferry, over a century ago. was called Mmnick's ferry, after
Christian Minnick, its owner, and the name was changed. I7'15. Cliristian Minnick wa?
a member of the Rucks C<nmty Committee of Safety. 1774-75-76. and the ferry was prob-
■ablv named after him.

CHAPTER X.

BENSALEM.

1G92.

Beiisalcin the fnurtii township. — Origin of name. — Bacon's fiction. — "Manor of Bc;.-
salem."— Original land-owners. — "Tathani's House." — Growdcn's tract. — Joseph Gr^w-
den. — Trevosc. — Grace Growden. — Nathaniel Allen. — Samuel Allen. — The Vaiidc-
grifts. — Old graveyard. — The Vanhornes. Vansaiits. et al. — The Tomlinsons. — Th.e
Rodmans. — Rodnianda. — Large tree.- — Joseph Galloway. — Joined the British army —
Confiscation of estate, etc. — Richard Gihbs. — James Benczet. — The Willetts. — Ricliara
Bachc. — The Sickel family. — Xicliolas Biddle. — Dunk's ferry. — Slave Alice. — Tciwn-
ship tax. — Presbyterian church. — r^fethudiit and other cinirches. — The Kings. — Major
Barnslty. — Bridgewater. — .\ndalusia college. — Death of Doctor Chapman — Roads.—
Oldest taverns. — Population. — Fisheries.

Rens.-ilem. the fourth township of the grotip of 1692, and the last that
bordered the Delaware, was to include '"all the lantls Ijetween Neshaminah anu
Poquc.ssin, and so to the upper side of Joseph Growden's land." On throe
sides these boundaries have never been disturbed, and the line with Southamp-
ton is dotibtless the same as wheti the township was erected.

The origin of the name this township bears has given rise to some dis-
cussion, liiit, like stich questions generally, remains unsettled. Some prole.-;
to iuid the solution in Lord Bacon's ingenious fiction of the Xew Atlantis,
wherein he calls an inia,c:inary island in the ocean by the name of "Bensaleni, '
and the word itself is said to be a Hebrew compcviind, but as there is no such
Hebrew compound, the Baconian origin of the name is. doubtless, without
foundation. It will be remembered tliat the jury that laid it out said, in their
report, the name of this township was "Salem," meaning peace, or peacefiti-
The wonl Bensalem is found in otir county records as early as November o.
1686,^ six years liefore the township was laid off. and in ifi88 the Growden;
called their five thousand acres the "manor of Bensalem."- From this it would
appear the name was first applied to the manor and not to the township, an>.
that when the township was erected it was called "Salem" instead of Bensa-

1 George Martin to J.ifcph Growden.

2 Deed of Joseph Gr.juilcn to Stephen Xoll, for two hundred and two acres, "part
of the Manor of Bensaleni," February u, lOSS.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 107

Km. We are, therefore, left much to conjecture as to the origin of the name,,
but there is no question the township borroweil it from the manor. Joseph
(.iiiiwiien fixed the site of his homestead near the northwest Hne of his manor
and the township, whence he could overlook a wide scope of wilderness country
f.illing to the Delaware and Xeshaminy. Being a Friend and prone to peace,
the word Eensalem fitly e.xpresse<l his thoughts and feelings. We believe the
iinine^ was first applied to the spot he had chosen for his residence — the Hill of
I'eace, or Peaceful }vlount— and then to the manor: and when, in the course of
time, it was gi\-en to the township, he changed the name of his homestead tO'
Trevose, which it bears to this day. It was an easy matter for this cultivated
Friend, by the union of a Gaelic with a Hebrew word, to form a new word that
conveyed to mind the delightful tranquility he enjoyed in his new home in
the wilderness along the Keshaminy. After all. this is only a theory, but is
quite as plausible as the one that borrows the name from Bacon's fiction, and
invents a Hebrew compound.

There were twelve original land-owners in the township, according to
tlie map of Thomas Holme. 1684."' of whom one. at least. Lawrence Growden,
\sas never an inhabitant of the county. The Growdens owned nearly one-halt
the township and Gray or Tatham was the next largest land-owner. On or near
the Neshaminy, aljove Rodman's creek, then called 3.1itl creek, was
"Tatham's house," the resiclence of Tatham, a dwelling of some preten-
sion, no doubt. He owned a large tract running from the Xeshaminy
back to the center of the township.-' Waller Forest owned the point
between the Poquessing and the Delaware, and John Bowen the point formed
by Xeshaminy and the river. The ("Irowden tract embraced all the upper part of
the township to the Southampton boundary, above a line drawn across it from
Xewportville to the Poquessing. Joseph Growden also owned a considerable
tract extending across from the river to the Poquessing, above and adjoining
Walter Forest.

Joseph Growden, a Friend, was not only tlie most influential man who
settled in the township, but one of the first men in the county and Province.
He wielded a large influence, and filled several important positions. Soon
after his arrival he built himself a heautifid residence on the northern part of
his manor in Bensalem, near the X'eshaminy. and opposite Hulmeville, which

3 The word is composed of Ben, Gaelic, meaning a Iicad, a hill, and Salem, Hebrew,

4 Lawrence and Jn>ep!i Growden, Tohii Gilbert, Waher Forest. John Bowen. Na-
thaniel .^llen, Duncan \^■illianuon, Xathaniel Hardin, Samuel Allen, Sanniel Walker,
Ckuw Jonson, and John Gray, alias Tatliam.

5 Subsequent investigation satisfies us John Gray, spelled "Grey" in the ineeting'
records, ami ",\ls Tatham" were one and the same person, ".Vis," a prefix to Tatham's
name, as given on Holme's map, i6."^4, being an abbreviation of the word "alias." An
entry in the Middletown Meeting record-;. ~. 4 mo. ifi,S8, mentions a controversie between
Tfilin Grey (alias Tatham) and Joseph Growden. Doth were called before the meeting;
• irouden declined to res[)ond because he belonged to another meeting. Gray afterward
removed to New Jersey and appears as John Tatham. livin.g at Burlington, in what the
early records term a "lordly and princely style." William Pcnn. in a letter written
to his commissioners, 16S7, throws light on his character by instructing them "to put a stop
to ye irregular grant': made to John Gray, alias Tatham. now discuvered to be a Bene-
dictine Munk of St. James Convent, as ibey call it, commaniKd over by ye King."

io8

IlfSTORV OF BCCKS COCXTV.

he named Trovosc, after the homesteail. in England. It was rather baronial-
lookinc;- for aicountry dwelhng nf that period. An engraving of 1687 represents
a large tW'Vstory stone h^ni-e. with attic, divided by a haU throngh the middk-.
portico at the front door, pointed stone, pitch roof, and nine windows ai'..l
■door in front. At either end was a wing containing dining-room, kitclun.
■servant's quarters, ottice. etc. The lawn in front was adorned with a few trees
of large growth, while the background appear.? to have been an unbroken forest.
A small hrc[>roof office to the right contained the public records of the county
for many years, and its injii door still bears marks of British bullets fired by
a plundering party, in 1778. The walls of the main building remain, but it h:i>
been greatly changed by its recent owners. The interior has been remodeled bv
■jemoving the heavy banisters, wainscoting, corner-cupboards, etc., while the out-

n

'' -.'^l ' fee'

GROWDKN M.i.NSlO.N, BENS.\LEM: KE.iR VIEU'.

■1
-i

. 'i

I

.■:i
. «i

.'jl
. I

side has been covered witli a coat of plaster, and a story added. The noble trees
forming an avetuie that led to the man.sion have nearly all disapjieared. Gabriel
Thomas speaks of the (>nn\den residence, in i6<)6. as "a very noble and tine
hou>e. very jika-^antly situated, and likewise a famous orchard, wherein are
contained aliove a thousand apple trees."' In 170.8 Oldmixon bears testimony to
the worth 01 Joseph Griiwdeu, and his great services in jilanting this county
with English ci'lmists. Dying in 1730, his son 'Eawrence tciok his place. He
was a man of ability and attainments ; was a member of Assembly, and Speaker,
in 17.V.'): and a Commissioner, witli Denjamin I'.astburn and Richard Peters, ti'
run the lir.e between l\-nus\ 1\ ania and .Marvland. .\t his death, in 1770, his
real estate ilescendi-.! tn his datiglitcr ( I race, the wife i.f Josi-|ih ("'i;ill<n\a\-.

Joseph ( irriwdvii'^i'' danu'uer (ir.ace marrieil Da\id l.lnvil. a I'riend and
leading man in ihe IV^vince. He was burn in Wales in id^fi. and came ti>

0 The c!

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV. 109.

I'ciinsylvania, 1686. Ho lo^t a promising- little son, seven or eight vears old,
under painful circmnstances. A relative, in whose eare he was left, in tht
absence of his mdlier, [lut him into a closet in the cellar for a trivial offense,
which frightened him into tits, of which he died. William Penn. who was in
the province at the time, writes to a friend, "poor Grace has borne her affliction
to admiration." She is spoken of as "a very tine woman, of great piety, good
sense, excellent conduct, and engaging manners," a good endorsement of a
Bucks county woman of the early day. Her husband died in 1731, but she
survived him many years, and was buried beside him in Friends' graveyard,
near Chester.'

An old diary, giving an insiglit into colonial life at Trevose, says : "The
Galloway family lived in great style and were looked upon as "great folks" by
the neighborhood. Grace and her daughter Elizabeth would ride out in her
coach and four horses and pay their visits, which were select. Jane Collison,
Grace Kirkbride, ^lary Richardson, and her daughters. Mary and Ruth, were
the only persons in the neigliborhood they visited, and them but once a year.
They would stay and take«tea ; the horses must not be taken from the coach,
but stand before the door, and the driver stands by and mind them until they
were ready to go home. Harry W. Watson. Langhorne, in a paper read before
the Bucks County Literary Society, January 19, 1S99. says of the old home and
its guests in colonial days : "The man>ion is as solid as when built. 200 years
ago. There has been but slight change to alter the outside appearance. This
old house, in its day, saw many a distinguished guest. Here Penn held council,
and laws were formed for the better government of the colony : here Franklin
discussed the laws of electricity, whereby he brought from the heavens the power
that moves the mechanical world : here the eminent but erratic Gallowav lived,
who opposed the separating of the colonies, and whose influence was so strong
with congress that the members who favored independence recognized his
force and took urgent measures against him. This old mansion is worthy of
consideration by those interested in historic research."'

Nathaniel Allen arrived frtmi Bristol. England, December. 16S1. with wife
Eleanor, and children Xehcmiah. Eleanor and Lydia. landing at Robert Wade's,
Chester creek. He was one iif the three Commissioners Penn joined with
Governor ]\Iarkham, to confer with the Indians about the purchase of land. He
held the office of Crown Inspector of wooden measures, and had to attest their
capacity as fixed by law. and affix a stamp before they could be sold. He took
up a tract of land on Xeshamin\-. extending to the Delaware, and adjoining that
of Joseph Growden, ''=. dying there in 1692. The blood of these earlv pioneers
of Bucks county mingled in the fourth generation. In a previous chapter we
have taken notice of Duncan Williamson, one of the pioneer settlers of Bensa-
1cm. Samuel .\llen. also from near Bristol. England, with Mary, his wife, and
children Priscilla, ^Martha. Ann. Sarah and Samuel, arrived at Chester in the
Bristol Factor, December 11. 1681. In the spring he took up a tract of land on

7 The Growden homestead is now owned and occupied by the sons of Charles \V.
Taylor.

714 Growden was a man of large wealth for the time and the inventory of his property
is in the Register"* office. Doyk--to\vn. Ann mil: others Sij.ooo was in bonds and notes:
$0,CXX) in stork, farm implements. :inc1 tiirnif.ire; :o head of cattle, a chariot, three car-
riages, two sleighs, an ox wagon, and ten ploughs. His mowing was done with nine-
.sickels. His home was tilkd uith I'ine furniture, and wines, rum and other drinkables were
stored in his cellars.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

the west bank, of tlie Xeshaminy, in Densalem. where he died 20lh of i;'!;
month, 1702, and was buried on the homestead farm. The place was afterwari
used as a family burying-grouiid. The homestead was occupied by Samuc!
Allen Stackliouse in recent years. The first Samuel Allen conveyed, in his
lifetime, a considerable portion of his real estate to his children, his son Samr.ci
getting the homestead and two hundred and sixty acres, and two hundred acri>
additional near John .Swift's mill on the Xeshaminy. in 1696 three hundrt.d
acres on the east side oi the Ne^haniiny were conveyed to his son-in-law. Jr.jin
Eaklwin. The following year he procured an act of Assembly establishing- a
ferry over Xeshaminy at what is now Schenck's station, and was called Bald-
win's ferry. The second Samuel Allen died in 1735. leaving his land to his sons.
Samuel and William, and legacies to his other children. The one hundred and
sixty acres of Samuel lay on the north side of the "King's highway," and re-
mained in the family through six generations, and until 1871. Two generations
of Pauls owned the tract. The homestead property is situated near Bridge-
water.

Among those wh(i settled in Bensalem, at a lat«»r dav than the first English
colonists, were the \andegrifts.~ \'ansants, X'anhornes. Tomliusous, Rodmans.
Galloways, Gibbses. Benezets, Kingstons, Jameses, ^^'iIlets and others. Sonic
of these names became ]ironiinent in public affairs, and were of the higlicst re-
spectability, and some C'f the families retain a leading position in the township. "'•!

In 1697 four bmtliers \'andcgrift. Xicholas, Leonard, Johannes and
Frederick, came to F.iick.s count\ and settled in Bensalem. The first of July
they purchased of Juseph Growden. respectively, two hundred and fourteen.
one hundred and thirty, one hundred and six and one hundred and six acres
of land h'ing on the Xeshaminy. Johannes died }.larch. 1745. On the Bristol
turnpike, just above Andalusia College, is the N'andcgrift graveyard, where
rest the remains of many members of the family. The ground, half an acre.
was given by Fulkard X'andegrift, 1775, and is part of the two hundred acres
that Joseph Growden convened to Xicholas \'andegrift, in 1697.'"'"' Among
others are stones to the mennjry of .\braham \'andegrift, who died February
20. 1781. aged eighty-three \ears, and his wife, Charit\-, Julv 6, 17S6, aged
cight\-tive \ears and six nv.ntlis. and |ohn \'andegrift. the husbaml of Aim,

S .Mir.iliain Windcsirift uas constalilc. 1777-

S' 2 The d:itc L,t arrival of the X'andeyritt i.rntlicrs is in doulit. -In the first cditu'i;
it was 1670. liut was cliaiiced t>i Mi'ij. In the I.auipcii family, which iiuennarried into the
Vandegrifts. is an heirlo.ini in [he -iiape rif a ylass Ha^k liniiii;ht from Holland hy the
brothers, hearing a date of wli'ch tlie tii-t tluet- ligures are clear and di>tinct. the fourth
no longer legible. They are I'v — hut whether they >tand Inr date of sailing, or the h'ltlles
manufacture, the family cmii. 4 iio.-nively say, hnt was al\va\s suiipn^ed to be the latter.

S-V4 The following hit of n.tnance is told of the wife of William \'andegrift, son oi
Ceirnelius, and probably a descendant I'f Xicl^'las \':mdegrift. (•ne of the innnigraiit^
He married Lncy W'ilgus. Dutchess county, X. V.. daughter of a rich fath.cr. She lived
at home until >eveineen. w hen >he and a eirl friend, wishin.a; to 'see the world" went down
the Hud?i:in to Xew Vork on a raft, and tlieiice across the cinnitry to the Delaware.
<;rowinC' tired oi wandering. :ti;d a-hanuil lo return home, they settled duwii near X'ew-
|)'irtvdle. and ^U|iportcd themselves by spinning and dre->m.iklng. Here Lucy Wiigus
bee.ime Mr.s. Wnidegrif;. .lime jo. 1707. and the n.other of f-.e children. The husband
was born January. [70;. died Jimc 17. iS.u; the wife born March. 1773. died March J4.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY

who <lie<I August 2j. 1765. aged seventy-eight years. No doubt these were
^iuldreii of tlie first comers of the name, and John was born Iiefore the family
-eiiled in the county. Among other tenants of this old graveyard is Edward
i'lter Aublay, a name nriw e.xtinct in the township, born June 8, 1767, and died
.May 30, 179O. The X'ansants came about the same time as the V'andegrifts.
jibruary 12, iGrjS. Joseph Growden convened one hundred and fifty acres to
< ".urrett \'ansant,'' and the same quantity to his son Cornelius, on the Xeshaminy.
I'lie will of Johannes \'ansant, of Bensalem, is dated October 30, 1714, and he
priiliably died the following December. The Garrett Vansant, who died in
Wrightstown in 1746. where he owned real estate, was probably son of the
I'.ensalem Garrett.'' The \"anhornes came into the township at a little later
] eriod. but after they had already been settled in the county. April 20, 1722,
J.'hn Baker, of Bensalem, conveyed one hundred and seven acres and fifty-two
I'lTchcs in this township to Johannes Vanhorne, of Warminster, and on the 6th
I'f May. same year. Bernard Christian, of Bergen, New Jersey, conveyed two
innidred and nine acres to Abraham \'anhorne, and. Jime 7, one hundred and
seventy-six acres to Isaac Vanhorne. both of this county, which land probably
lay in Bensalem or Southampton. John \'anhorne died in Bensalem, February
15. 175S. at the age of sixty-six years. ^^ These families came from Long
l>iand. a great storehouse of Dutch immigrants in the early days of Penn-
sylvania.'-

The Tomlinsons were probably in the township the first quarter of the
eighteenth century. John died in Bensalem. where he had lived most of his life,
in 1800. at the age of seventy-nine. He kept a journal, for half a century, in
which he recorded many common-place events, and a few of interest. Among
"ther things, we learn there was a slight shock of an earthquake felt there
Hctolier 30, 1763. and a very white frost the nth of June, 1768. He liad a
good deal to say in his journal during the Revolutionary war, calls the Ameri-
cans rebels, which does not speak well for his patriotism, heard the cannonading
at Trenton, and mentions frequent depredations by both armies. The summer
• if 1780 was a remarkably dry one, and crops sufifered for want of rain. He
records two shocks of an earthquake in Bensaleni the 29th of November, the
same year.

9 Then spelled Van^.^nd and Van Zandt. See Van^ant. \'o\. III.

10 Ilarman V'ans.mt died Xoveniher Sth. 1815. aged eighty years.

It The Van Horne-; arrived at Xew .Xinsterdani. 1650, and John, son of Peter, was
one of the earliest of the name to settle in Bncks, 1708-10; he was a farmer, as were
most of the race, and a nieniher of the Bensaleni Church, and afierwanl a vestryman of St.
J.Tnies Episcopal, I!ri>tol.

12 Nathaniel Vui-ant. a Captain in the Continental .-Vrmy. lived and died on the home-
-•(ead in liensalem. near the village of Brownsville. He was tall and sinewy and excelled
in rongh and tumble exercises of the day, such as running, jumping, etc. When the
Kev.'liition broke out he raised a company for Colonel Masraw's regiment and was captain
at Fort Wa-hiimton on the IUkNoh. lie was kept a prisoner a long time, but served
ai;ain after his exchange. S^inie of his war papers are in the Bucks County Historical
?.eiety. He built the hridL;o over the Poqnessing. 1S05, on the .\ttleborough and Bustleton
road, subsequently piked Captain V'ansant died .Xuuvi^t S. 1SJ5. aged ei,ghty and was
tuiried at the F'.ensaUin churchyard. Hi', wife, llaniinli I'.ritian. died .\itgust 9, 1818.
.\moiv< the descendants are the l.a Rues. Vaiiart-dalens, Dungaiis. Rhoads. Ilogelands,
Knights, Randalls, Shoemakers, et al. '

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

The first of the Ku'hnans. whM owned land in this county, was Doctor Job:-
the grandson oi ]nh\\ who imniii^ratcil from England to I'.arhadoes. \\\-;
Indies, and died there in i6S6. Uoclor John Rodman settled at Burlini^'tMU.
New Jerse\-, where he ])racticed medicine, to his death, 1756. He was an act:,.
I-'ricnd. lie and Th.onias Richardson owned a larg^e tract of land in Warwick
townshi]) as early as 1712. Doctor Rodman purchased land in Bensalem. i.n
the Xe.--haminy, about the same time, on which he erected a dwelling-. 1715.
On this tract his son William, born on Long Island, May 5, 1720, and marrir.i
Mary Reeve, of Burlington, subseciuently settled. lie inherited it from hi.-,
father and resided there until his death in 1794. The plantation was at fir.~t
called Rodmanda, but the name \vas changed to Flushing, his birthplace."'-
This is one of the most notable homesteads in the county, and the old dwelling
that had weathered the storms of one hundred and forty-six years, was torn
down, 1861, to make room for a more modern structure. William Rodman
held several places of public trust. In 176S he was appoiiited one of five com-
missioners to treat with the Indians at Ft. Pitt, but declined on account of
ill-health. He was in the Assembly several years, and in 1774 was a member
of the Committee on Correspondence. His son William, born in Bensalen;.
October 7. 1757, and married to Esther West, in 17S5, was a man of mark in
his day. He was an earnest and active patriot in the Revolution, voluntarily
taking the oath of allegiance in 1778, for which he was disowned by the Middde-
town meeting, and served under General Lacey and in the militia in 17S1. He
was a justice of the peace for seyeral years, member of the State Senate, com-
manded a troop of horse in the "Fries Rebellion" in 1799.'* and was elected
to Congress in 1812. His children married into the families of Ruan, Mcll-
vaine, Cilden and Jones. All the Rrulmans were friends of the struggling C"l'>
nies. and Gilljert. father of the late Mrs. John Fox, of Do_\lestown. elder
brother of William, was disowned by meeting for serving as Major in the
second Bucks county battalion in the Amboy campaign of 1776. John Rodman
owned nine hundred and sixty-seven acres in Amwell township, Hunterdon
county. New Jersey, within three-fourths of a mile of the Delaware. By his
will, dated June 3. 1756. he left this tract to his son \\'illian'! : and the latter.
by his will. December i, 17S9, left it to his sons William and Gilbert. On a
re-survey. 1751. the tract was found to contain an overplus of five hundred aii'!
fift_\'-five acres, which was secured to John Rodman, by virtue of the "righ.ts \>i
propriety." purchased by him. The land was originally conveyed to him by
lease and re-lease, June 17 and 18, 1735^^

Bensalem is noted for its large trees, probably two of them the largest in

13 Tra'l'.tir.n .-ays that in a log cabin at Flushinc:. lived and died Jean Franc^'i-.
a soldier of Xapoleon's '"Old Guard." who wa? with, the Emperor at Mo-cow and \Vater!o'">.
and became an exile in America when the Emperor was sent to St. Helena. He was K'nc
a gardener in the Taylor family, and after his death, was buried in Becchwood Cemetery.
Hulmeville.

14 W'lliam Rodman was ist Lieutenant of the troop, but the Captain re>ri;n'.i:i
about the time it was ordered into service, he toeik command and retained it until the
trouble was over.

15 Rutly's Histr.ry of the Quakers in Ireland; p. 36C, published- 175:, s.ays : "In
the year 1655. for wearing his hat in the Assize in New Ross, was John Rodman com-
mitted to poal by Judc;e Louder, kept a prisoner three months, and then banished th.it
country." This was doubtless the ancestor of the Bucks county Rodmans and was sm:
trf Barbadoes. New Ross is a seaport of County Kilkenny.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 113

i!iL' county, and among the largest cast of the Rocky Mountains. About one
iuuulrcd aii'J sixtv \ears ago, W'ilham Ruihnan, mentioned in a previous para-
L:raph. on his return from a horseback ride, stuck his buttonwood riding switch
!u the ground by the side of a tine spring near the dweUing. It commenced to
j^row and continued, and, in the more than a century and a half intervening,
its roots have absorbed the waters of the sprin,g and the tree become a giant.
'I'he plantation is still known as "Flushing.'' It was owned many years by
.\. Murry r^Icllvain, but is now the property of E. W. Patton, member of the
city council and superintentknt of I'airmount Park. The tree is measured once
a vear, ]May i, and, at the last measurement, the circumference was 29 feet 10
inches four and one-half feet from the ground. In the same vicinity, a mile
from the buttonwood, on the farm of the late Walter Johnson, on the road
leading from Xewportville to Bcechwood cemetery, near Hulmeville, but there
is no record of its age, is a famous chestnut, whose measurement is 25 feet 6
inches four and one-half feet from the ground. I'.oth of these trees are healthy.
The Galloways came from ^Maryland, where Joseph was born, of respecta-
ble parentage, about 1730. He removed to Philadelphia in earl\' life and estab-
lished himself in the practice of the law, but, niarrv ing Grace Growden, fixed
his country home at Trcvose. in Bensalem. He was much in public life, and was
many years member of the Assembly, and Speaker. He was active in all the
colonial measures against the I'ritish crown._ was a member of the first Ameri-
can Congress, 1774. signed the "non-importation," "non-consumption," and
"non-exportation" acts, and, at that time, no man in the Province stood in
greater favor. In 1776 he abandoned the Whig cause, joined the British army at
New York, ^^ent to England. 1778, and was examined before a committe of par-
liament, 1779. Pie now became very bitter toward his native country, and during
the war, wrote much in defense of the crown. Plis estate, valued at £40,000,
was confiscaietl,''' but as it came through his wife, it was restored to his only
daughter Elizabeth, a beautiful girl -who was quite the toast, as "Eetsv Gal-
loway." She married William Roberts, an Englishman, but the match was
an unhappy one. They separated, and she gave her husband £2,000 for the
privilege of retaining their only child Grace Ann, who was allowed to see her
fath.er in the ]H-esence of a tliird person. The daughter married Benjamm
Burton, of the Briti.sh army, and died in England, 1837, leaving several chil-
dren, her younge^t son. Adolphus Dcsart Burton, taking the Durham estates
under his mother's will. The real estate in this county, principallv in Bensalem
and Durham tHwn.ships, was sold, 184S. That in Ben.salem. containing one
thousand two hundred and ninety-five acres, was divided into eight tracts:
Trevose. the old family seat, east Trevose. south Trevose, Belniont,"mentioned

16 The act of .Assembly forfeiting Galloway's estate, was parsed March 6, 1778.
Smith's Laws, 451. The persons named, and whose estates were forfeited were: Joseph
Calloway, menil)er U. S. Congress. Jolm .\llen, memlier of Committee of Inspection and
(Jh-ervation for the city of Philadelphia, .\ndrew Allen, member of Congress, William
-M'en, the youii;.^er. captain, afterward Lient. Col. of a regiment of foot in the U. S.
service, James Rankin. Yeoman, 'i'ork county (his heirs tried to have this .Act of Forfeiture
removed by the Pennsylvania Legislature, session of 1879. See .Mien Craig's speech
r^g.iinst it), James Duche, Chaplain of Congress and F^ector of Chri-t Church, Philadel-
phia. Christian Fonts, Lient. Col. .if Militia, Lancaster county, Cdlbert Ilickv W^man.
Pucks county. Nathaniel \'crnon. shcritT of Chester county, and Samuel Shoeiuaker, alder-
man, Philadelphia. He died in Fii'.4lan<l The ca<e of the restoration of the Galloway
f'tate to his daughter, is reported in i I'nincv, page i, Lessee of Pcnibtrton ct al vs
llxks.

a 14 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

as carl}' as 1700, \\i.st Hclniont, Ricliflicu, soiitli Richelieu, west Richelieu, aiul
Richelieu foro>t. Tiiesc tracts lay in the northeastern part of the townsiiiii,
fom- of them bordering the Xeshaminy. A ridge, called Belmont, crossed the
•£stale, running- from tlie Lristol road to the Xeshaminy, and down that stream,
j^fter .Mr. Gallnway had deserted to the British, his office at Trevose \\a>
."broken open an! the documents and records scattered about. The late Abraham
Clia];nian bouglit a number of his law books. He was a man of great talent,
and a I'lolitician by nature. After his defection he became a mark for the shafts
of wit and anger of the period, and Trumbull lampoons him in his ^IcFingal.
Just before liis escape a trunk was sent to him, which, on being opened, con-
tained onlv a halter to hang himself. His path in life was filled with troubles
and vexations. ''■'-■

l-iichard Gibbs, sheriff of the county before the Revolution, and otherwi.-e
prominent in ]>ubHc affairs, lived and died in Bensalem. He was born in Wilt-
shire, England, 1723, of a good family, and received a good education. Being
a v-ounger son he was destined for a maritime life, which he did not like, and,
arriving- at Philadelphia abotit 1746, left his ship. Falling in with ^Ir. Stevens,
a farmer of Bensalem, he accompanied him home in his market wagon on the
promise of a school to teach. While teaching he became acquainted with Law-
rence Growden, county clerk, who gave him a clerkship in the office at Trevose,
v.'ln'ch he held several years. He was afterward elected sheritt. In 1770 he
purchased a farm on the Bristol turnpike whicli he called Eddington, after a
jilace of that name in his native county, in England, where Alfred the Great de-
feated the Danes. He inherited a handsome estate by the decease of his ehler
brother. He was a warm friend of the colonies in the Revolutionary struggle.
exhibiting his zeal in many ways, at one time loaning a large sum of money
which Congress was not able to refund. The British troops frequently visited
his house, and he was obliged to seek refuge in the upper end of the county
while they occupied Philadelphia. He was married at Bristol, in 1753. to }^liss
Margery Harri-oii. of Xew York, and had several children. Pie resided at
Eddington until his death, in 1798. Mr. Gibbs was the maternal grandfather
of the late ?i[rs. John Fox, of Doylestown. Tliere is a family burying ground
on the Eddington farm.

James Benez.et was the eldest of the three sons of John Stephen Benezet.
a Protestant refugee from France, who came to Philadelphia in 1731, and
settled in liensalem. jirior to the Revolution, where he died. He was proth-
onotary and clerk nf the quarter sessions, while the seat of justice was at
Newtown. Ilis son Samuel was a Continental ^ilajor in the Revolutionary
army, and afterward a justice of the peace and ])rothonotary of the comity.
Anthony, the ynmigcst son of John Stephen Benezet, became a philanthropist nt
world wide renown. Cii the Kingstones. who were in the township earlv in the
last century. Abel was a worthy minister among Friends, and died, 1749, leaving
several daughters. George James, a tailor who followed his trade at the Kings-
tone homesteail. married Sarah Townsend for his second wife, in 1738.

The Willetts. an old family in Bensaiem. are descended from Dutch an-
cestry of Long Island. Samuel \\'illett. great-grandfather of the late Charles
Willett, deceased. ]nu-chased ]iart of the Growden tract in the northwest part
of the to\\ii.-,bip. ]li^ wife was Elizabeth Lawrence. His -on. Augustin
Willett. was a man of note in his d,ays. and married Elizabeth, daughter of

if|i., I(wc).li (;.Tlif'w:iy (lir.l .it W'.itfnnl. C"nnty Ilcrtf.inl. linulaiul. .\iit:iist 20. iSo.!-
Ilis will liciii.c il.T.ed June 20th. He was scvcnty-tlirfc years nf age.

HISTORY Of BUCKS COi'XTV.

Gill)<-Tt Ilicks, of Four Lanes End. At the outbreak of tlie Revolution he took
the oath of allegiance, laised a company at hii own expense and joined the
annx'. He is said to have been at the battles of White i'lains, Trenton, Ger-
mantown, Brandywinc and Monmouth. He became prominent in military
alYairs after peace; was lieutenant of the county, 1791, captain of the Bucks
(uunty Dragoons, 1793, was several years Brigade Inspector, Brigade Ma-
j.jr of General Murray's brigade, Pennsylvania militia, in the whiskey insur-
rection, 1794. and commissioned Brigadier General, iSoo. In 1797 he com-
manded the troops which received Washington on crossing the Delaware,
i..n his return South, and escorted him to the I'hladelphia county line. Gen-
eral Willett was born, 1751, died 1824, and buried at Friends' burying ground,
.Attleborough. His grandson, Charles Willett, lived and died on a portion of
the homestead tract. One or more of the descendants of Samuel \\'illett sett-
tied in Southampton, Obadiah living and dying on the handsome farm on the
n,>ad between the Buck tavern and Langhorne.

We do not know at what time the Sickel family came into the township,
but they were residents here many years ago. They are also descendants of
Holland ancestors who settled at New York while it was Xew Amsterdam,
whence a portion of them went into New Jersey. At the Revolution they were
fijund on the side of their country. Philip Sickel came into Pennsylvania and
settled in Philadelphia before the middle of the eighteenth century, and his son
John was born, in Bensalem. in 1753. His son John, grandson of Philip, whose
date of birth we do not know, married Elizabeth \'andegrift. Their son Ho-
ratio G. Sickel, born 1S17. was the most prominent member of the family. In
his early youth he learned the blacksmith trade, and carried it on at Davisville
and Quakertown, but having great fondness for military affairs, commanded
one or more volunteer companies. The Civil war found him engaged in busi-
ness in Philadelphia. He raised a company to serve three years and joined the
Third Pennsylvania Reserves, of which he was elected and corn-missioned
colonel. On the expiration of this term of service, he raised the One Hundred
and Ninety-eighth regiment, serving with it to the close of the war. on all
occasions proving himself a courageous and reliable officer, and was breveted
a lirigadier. and major-general, for meritorious service. For several years he
filled the oftice of Pension .\gent. Philadelpliia. In 1842 General Sickel married
Eliza \'ansant, of Warminster township, and was the father of several children.
In 1794 Richard Bache, son-in-law of Doctor Franklin, and grandfather
of William Duane, bought a plantation in Bensalem of Bartholomy Corvaisier,
containing two hundred and sixty-eight acres and seventy-eight perches, which
lie called Settle, after the town, Yorkshire. England, whence the family came.
It lay along the Delaware about the third of a mile, nearly opposite Beverlv,
extending back to the Bristol turnpike. It is said the land was bought with
money received from Rol)ert [Morris, the last he paid before his failure. At
the death of Mr. Bache. in 1811, the plantation fell into the hands of his young-
est son. Lewis, who sold it to Charles Marquedant. and died at Bristol in 1819.
The mansion, with a few acres, belonged to John Mathew Hummell twenty
>ears ago. and the remainder of the tract was owned by Jonathan Thomas.
Richard Bache. who carried Franklin's silver bull's eye watch, mislaid it in
Philadelphia, and it turned up twenty years later in the possession of a Lewis
Groff, of Lancaster county, who had obtained it by purchase.'"

17 The Bristol turnpike was tlie western houuilary r>t Mr. Baclie's plantation, and
cne day wliilc walking in th.it dinctimi lie ^aw a woman pulling down I'.i-; fence for tire-

»ig^.<.w jJBg'Vjirvwtvy'f ''»'■' '-''"'I "'.'■'■' ■y!tV«.*iV'.V(

■ ;

MCHOI-AS BirULH

r

Un tlie bank of tlic Delaware, three niiiles above I'oquessinq- creek, is sit-
ualeel Aiiilalusia, the home of tlie late Xicholas IJiddle. ami is still riwncd by his
descendant.-. The Biddies have long been settled in renns\lvania. The tirst
ancestur. William Biddle. one of the original proprietrirs of West Jersev, came
from London in ii.i.Si. His grandson. William, settled in Tennsylvania and mar-
ried the daughter i.if Xicholas Scnll. Surveyor-General cif the I'mvince. The
children of this marriage all became dislingui.shed in the annals of our conntr_\'.
James, the eldest, was a judge; Edward served as a Captain in the War of 175'^.
and was subsef|uently a member of Assembly and elected to the first Continent:d
Congress: Xicholas was a Captain in the navy and jierishcd with iiis vessel, the
frigate I\anduli)h. of thirty-two guns, in a l)attle with the P.ritish ship Yarmoutl
of sixty-four guns; and t/liarles. the father of X'ic' ' "" ■-.•,..

the State wliilc I'.eniamin I'ranklin was Presiden
purchased, 1795. by John Craig, one of riiiladelphia

It. Th.

was \'ico-President o:
r.ensalem ])ropcrty was
ijld merchants, who. in

\vi '-id. Xatiir.illy uliicciiiis; to this liliertv he cxpiKtulatcd with her wlien she rcplii-il.
"There's no friciiiUhiii without frctdoin. rnor m.Tn ! Wliat will yon do when yon die'
Yiv.i'l! not be alile to take your fence with y^ui to heaven." Tlie author received tln>
little anecdote from Mr. Diuir.e in a ItUer dated Xe.venihcr ;,■;. 1870.

nii

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 117

iiieiiiory of his successful veiiturus to Spain and her colonies, called his country-
home Andalusia. In iSii Nicholas Uiildle married the eldest daughter of this
gentleman, and henceforth spent much of his time there. He removed to
.Vndalusia, permanently, 182 1, determined to devote his time to agricultural
pursuits. At his marriage he was a member of the Legislature, to which he
■was returned for a numlier of years. In 1823 he was made president of the
L.'nited States bank, which he lield until its charter expired, 1S30. On the
bank being re-chartered by the Legislature, he was again elected its president,
but retired in 1839. The bank failed, 1841, anrl his own fortune, then very
large, went in the general wreck. He died at Andalusia, Februarv 26, 1844.
Air. Biddle was an accomplished scholar, and of refined tastes. He
courted the muse, and his "Ode to Bogle," the great Philadelphia waiter and
xmdertaker. lives to the present day, having been republished again and again.
As a farmer he ^vas the first to introduce Alderney cattle, and the cultivation
of the grape, while to his efforts the country is indebted for one of the most
beautiful structures of modern times, the Girartl college. It was a saying of
his. there were but two truths in the world, "the Bible, and Greek architec-
ture," and his intluence was generally exerted m favor of that order for public
buildings. \\'hen it became necessary to enlarge his house at Andalusia, he
added to it the beautiful Doric portico that now adorns it. The late Governor
William F. Packer wrote : "Whatever may be said of Nicholas Biddle as a
politician, or a financier, all agree that on questions of internal improvement
and commerce he was one of the most sagacious and far seeing statesmen of
the L'nion. His fault was. if fault it be, that he was twenty years in advance
of the age in which he lived. "'^

■m'

AN"D.\LL"SI.\. Kh^UJi.NCK OF THE I.^TE NICHOLAS lUUDLE.

18 Jiidcre Craii; I'.iiMlc. l'liil.i.|rl|ilii;i, .timI tin; l;iic Cl\ar!cs Biddle. a captain in the
Mexican War. wcrt- >Mn- ni Xicluha^ I'.iiidli.'.

Ii8 lllSIOIiY Of BUCKS COUXTV

Early in the settlement of the colony, a number of persons in Philadelphia
made their licMi-.e in iJen^alem. and spent a part or more of their lives in the
township, ^ome of these I'.uniesteads not mentioned elsewhere, are still in
existence, niL'ist of them nnicli imjjroved or wholly rebuilt. Several are in
the Valle-,- of Xeshaminy. The "l-'arley" estate, the ancestral home of tlic
Shippen faiiiil\'. i^ nfuthv, est of r.ridge\\ ater. and now owned by James Moore,
The old mansion n-as destroyed bv lire, but ihe present owner has built a han^l-
some modern residence on the site. In the old cemetery many members of the
family were buried. ^larjjaret Shippen, who married Benedict Arnold, while
he was yet a patriot, spent much of her youno- life there, was i)Ossibly born in
the old liouse, and whose sad fate was so deplored. On a bluff to the east, is
the handsonie residence of ilenry L. Gaw, a banker of Philadelphia : net far
removed is Lansdowne, the country home of the Johnson family, the late Law-
rence Johnson being the founder of the great type foundry that bore his naine.
and \\hich intermarried with the Winders, Taylors, Morrises and other well-
known faniiles. In the same neig-hborhood is the Grundv estate, the tir^t
owner an Englishman, wdio married },[iss Hulme, Hulmeville ; one of whose
sons. Joseph, read law with Benjamin Harris Brewster, the same who was .-Vttor-
ney-General. United States, and another Joseph, grandson of the first, is the
owner of the Bristol Woolen [Mills. The Rodman homestead, of which more
is said in another place, was famous in its day, but is now cut up into several
farms. The present owner is Edward Palton, member of Select Council. Phila-
delphia. The "Sunbury Farm," on the north side of Neshaminy, for three
generations the home of the Taylors, is now occupied by a daughter of Captain
Anthony Taylor and wife of Bromly Wharton. He is a descendant of Joseph
Wharton, Philadelphia, on whose plantation below- the city, th.e officers of the
British army. 1778. held their famous ^lischianza, of which Major Andre
was the chief promoter. At other points in various parts of Bensalem wealth
and a cultivated taste have built elegant homes. Among these is the hand-
some resitlence of the late Dr. Schenck, now occupied by his son, near the
Pennsylvania Railroad crossing of Xeshaminy. It commands a fine view of the
Delaware and the neighboring towns that line the Xew Jersey shore.

Four miles below Bristol is Dunk's ferry, a notable crossing of the Dela-
ware. Jt was established by Duncan William.son. one of the earliest settlers,
and retains a corruption of his christian name. It was called the same on the
Xew Jersey side until Beverly was founded, 1S48. His son. -William William-
son, died in Bensalem, 172 1, leaving by will six hundred acres lying on the
Dekuvare. Claus Jonson, who died, 1723, ow^ned seven hundred acres. 13aniel
Bankson, an early settler, died 1727. At that day upland along the river was
called "fast land."

Alice, a sla\e woman, wlu) sjjcnt nearly the whole of her life in Bensalem,
died diere, 1802. at the age of one hundred and sixteen years. She was liorn
at Philadeliihia, of parents who came from Barbadocs, but removed with her
master to near Dunk's ferry at the age of ten. At the age of ninety-live
she rode on horseback to church : her sight failed her at one hundred and tw".
and just liefore lier death her hair turned while, and the terth drojined out of
her head, pi:rfectly s'lund. She veniemborc'! seeing William Pemi. at his second
visit, and thi^i'^e '.\hn ;iided hiMi in fnundiu'.: the Commonwealth, and wotdd
often intere-t her hearers by talking of tluni.

The t(nvn>hip records go back onl\- tii 1700. when Peter Jnlmston and
Francis Titus were supervisors, and the road-tax was £30. 3s. 8d. The town-
ship auditors were William Ko.hnrni. Tl'.^'nias Barnsly, Henry Tomlinson and

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. ] uy

John \';uulcjj;rift.''' In 1776 the aniuiint oi mad-tax on the dupUcate was
£^~, i8s. In 17S0. while the continental currency was at its greatest depression,
the amount on the duplicate was t^.^ij. 17s Od, but it fell to £45 the following
year. The duplicate sinjw s the following amount of road-tax, respectively, in
the years mentioned : 1790. £35 ; 1800, $451 ; iSiO, $865 ; 1820, S704.29 ; 1830,
$776.52; 1840, S519.21; 1S50, S758.43 : 1S60, S934.74; i80y, 83,681.56. In
one hundred years the road-ta.x increased forty-fold.

The Bensalem l're.--h_\ terian church is proljably the oldest religious organ-
ization in th.e Couniy, if we except the society of I'riends. Its germ was
planted b}' the Swedes before the close of the 17th century. In 1697 the Swed-
ish settlers south of Xeshaminy were included in the bounds of the congrega-
tion at W'icacoa,-'" Philadelphia, while Reverend A.ndrew Rudman was the
pastor, and he probably visited that section occasionally to minister to the spirit-
ual wants of the people. In 1698 Reverend Jedediah Andrews, a Presbyterian
minister from New England, rode from Philadelphia up to Bensalem to preach
and baptise. In 1705 the ""upper inhabitants,"'" those living between the Schuyl-
kill and Xeshaminy, made application for occasional service in their neighbrir-
hoods in the winter season, because tliev were so far from the cluirch at W ica-
coa, and no doubt their wish was gratified.

It is impossible to tell the exact time a church organization was effectcil,
but IjetAvecn 1705 and 1710. The church was opened for worship May 2, 1710,
and Paulus A'an \'leck was chosen the pastor on the 30th, who preached there
the same day. The elders at Bensalem at this time were Plendrick \'an Dsk,
Leonard \'an der Grift, now \"andegrift, Stofi'el \'anzandt, and Nicholas \'an
der Grift. This was probably the first church built, but, before thut time,
services were held in private houses. ""^ The church was now Dutch Reformed.
\"an \'leck was a native of Holland, and nephew of Jacob Phcenix, New York.
He was in that city, June, 1709, when he was ordered to be examined and or-
dained, so as to accompany the expedition to Canada, but the Dutch ministers
declined for want of power.

While \"an Meek was probably the first settled pastor at Bensalem, other
ministers preached there at irregular periods. In 1710 Jan Banch, a Swedish
missionary from Stockholm, came to this countrv and preached at various
places. He was at Bensalem. Januar^• 21, 17 10, where he baptised several,
among them the names of \'ansandt, \'an Dyk, \'an der Grift. Larue, and
others, whose descendants are living in the township. Johan Blacker, a
Dutch minister, preached there about the same time. A record in his hand,
made January 10. 1710, declares that Sophia Grieson and Catrytje Browswef
are members of ""Samninnx"' church.-- In Decemlier. 1710. there were nine-
teen members at Bensalem: Hendrick Van Dyk and his wife. Lambert \'aii de
Grift, Cristoft'el Van Zand, Nicholas \'an dc Grift, Herman \'an Zand, Johan-
nis Van de Grift. Gerret \'an Zand. Jacob Elfenstxn, Jonas \'an Zand, janette

19 A mcnilior .^f the =aiTie Vandcgril't family wa? nnc of the township auditors,
1S69. just a CL-r.tury ff m the time the first hail 5cr\ed in the same capacity.

20 .\n Indian word, fr.>7n ]\'i:klins, dwellina:. and Chao. a fir tree. See Clay's
History of Swedes.

21 There are records of hirths and marriages liefore the church was built.

22 Was ne.ir the P-ixk. in Southampton, and now known as the North and S^iuth-
ampton Ref'rmcd church, witli one place if wur-hip at Churchville and another at Rich-
borough.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

Reniiersc, Trintje Rcniicrse, Geertje Gybcrt, Lea (^rcesbeck, and Catclvinji.-
Van DcnsL-n. \'an \'k'ck was likewise pastor at Sammany and Six Mile Rmi,
a locality not now known.-'" September 21, 1710. a committee was appointed Ir-
the I'hiladelphia Presbytery to inquire into .Mr. .Morgan's and Paulus \'an
Vleck's aft'air, and prepare it for the Presbytery. In the afternoon the commit-
tee reported on Mr. r\Iorgan, and after some debate he was admitted. The
case of \'an Meek gave them greater trouble and was more serious, for then-
"was serious debating" before he was received. In 171 1 Van \'leck was rep-
resented in the Presbytery by his elder, Leonard Vandcgrift, of the Bensalem
church, but he fell under a cloud and left, in 1712, and was not heard of after-
ward. As himself and wife were witnesses to a baptism that took place at
Sammany, January i, 1712. he must have left after that time. His wife was
Janet \'an b_\cke, daughter of Hcndrick. above mentioned, and dieir daughter
Susanna married Henry \"an Plorn, and has numerous descendants in the
county, ^\'c find Jan .Andriesc, of Philadelphia, pastor at Bensalem, Sep-
tember II, 171 1: but the exact time of his advent is not known, nor the
reason of it. It is possible \'an Meek was dismissed about this time, or tliat
he resigned at Bensalem to devote all his time to Samman_\- and Six Mile Run.
It is not known how long Mr. .\ndricse continucil pastor, but prol)ably until
the calling of Reverend Maligns Sims, who was there .\pril, 1719, when tlie
church had but twelve menibers.

Mr. Sims was probably succeeded by Reverend \Mlliam Tennent. \\\\n
took charge of the Bensalem church about I7_'i, Tlie latter is said to ha\e
remained until he was called to the Xeshaminy church, in Warwick townshi]).
1726, but he must have left before that time, for we learn, from the churcii
records, that Reverend Robert Lenig was the pastor at Bensalem in 1724. \t
a session, held July 12. that year, it was ordered that a book be kept for names
of communicants, marriages, and christenings. The fee for marriages at the
minister's quarters was fixed at ten shillings, and partes were to be published
on four previous Sabbaths. The clerk was to receive two shillings for each
marriage, and nine shillings frir cacli child baptised. .Vs there are no church
records from iJ2h to 1772. the names of the pastors who officiated during that
period are not known. The latter year Reverend James Boyd was called, wlv->
preached there and at Xewtown, until 1817. He left no record of his labor-.
In the next fnrty-five years there were but eleven, of pastoral labors, the church
relying mainly on supplies. Th.e Reverend ;\lichael Burdett, D. D., was called,
and installed, January. 1S71. During his pastorate die church was in a pros-
perous conditirm, a chapel built, and the church Iniilding repaired. Doctor
Burdett preached in the new church below Schcnck"s station, Sunday after-
noon^. The church lot ^\-as the gift of Thomas Stevenson, .August 24, 17 ti,
and was conveyed in a deed of trust to Johannes \'andygrift, Herman \'ari-
zaiidt, Johamies N'anzandt.-* and Jacob \\'eston, the first trustees. The old
building was torn down about three quarters of a century ago.

2T, Tlif clmrcli at tliis plncc was finished Xovciiibcr ijtii, 1710. and the wanloiH
e'crteil were: .Vilrinii P.cniiet. Charles Fontyii. Bareiu de Wit, and .-\bra1iam Eeiinct.
When tlie inission.iry. Jan Daneh. visited the eliureh in Ani;ust. 1712. it hail twenty-seven
mcMiiliers. and amim;.,' them are ftinnd tlie names of iiennet, \'an Dyk, Densen, Peterson,
De Hart, K'ein, ae.

24 We have -pellcd the names >A those early settlers as tliey are written in. tin
rerorjs, varying' s.iniewhat fmm present spelling; and they were spelled differently at
difl'ercnt pfrio.ls.

HISTORY or BUCKS COUNTY.

The Eensalem Methodist Episcopal church is a flourishin!^ organization.
When the congrei^ation was first organized we do not know, but down to iSio
the meetings were held at private houses. For several years previous they
held an annual camp-meeting in one of the pleasant groves oi the township,
holding it in Jacob HeUings" woods, 1804. The congregation was strong enough
by iSio to ertct a church, and a house was built that year on a lot given by
Joseph Rodman. The timber for the frame was the gift of General W'illett,
cut from his woods. At that early day there was no settled minister over the
church and congregation, but the Reverends James Fisher and Richard Sneith,
in charge of a circuit six hundred miles in extent, preached there at stated
periods. Sinc<j then the church has been altered and repaired more than once.
It is situated in about the middle of the township, on the ]\Iilford road.

Kcsidcs the churches named. Densalem has two other places of religious
worship. Chri-t Church, Eddington, and the chapel of the Redeemer, Anda-
lusia, bodi Protestant Episcopal. The former is the elder of the two. A lot
was purchased. 1842. and the following year, a neat stone chapel erected and
consecrateil by Rishop Onderdonk. March 7, 1844. For ^ t'm^ service was held
every Sunday afternoon by the rector at Holmesburg. In 1845 a parsonage
was built ; enlarged and improved, 1852, and a Sunilay-school room fitted up
in the !>asement. A new church building was erected, 1S54-55, at a cost of
Si 3.000. the congreg'ation occupying it Mav 29. About the same period a new
Sunday-school building was erected. A belfry w^as added to the church, 1S80,
and the bell first rung on Christmas day. After almost forty years of mission
work, Christ chapel was constituted a parish, and from that time, has had
its own rector, the first being the Rev. Edwin I. Hirnies, followed by Rev.
George A. Hunt, now in charge. The chapel of the Redeemer was founded,
1861, and a stone building 51x25 erected, mainly by efforts of Mrs. Jane S.
Biddle and her two sisters. Si. 400 being the receipts from a fair, and Sjooo
by individual subscrijjtions. The deed for the lot wa.s executed to All Saints'
Church. A parish school-house was built. 1867, and 1877 Dr. Charles R.
King, at his own expense, enlarged and handsomely decorated the chapel. It
was dedicated by Eishop Stevens. September 29. and given the name it bears.
Dr. H. T. Wells, in charge of an Episcopal school at Andalusia, for some time,
gave his services gratis to the chajH-l, and was followed as pastors, by the Revs.
Thomas W. Martin. William M. Morsell, J. V>. Bunck and others. Connected
with the chapel is the '"King Library." the gift of Dr. King.='' The building
is 30x40 feet, built of fire-proof brick with red sand stone trimmings and faces

J5 The Kinij family, rcpre'^cnted by Dr. Cliarlcs R. King, aliiioft 50 years a resident
of Bensaleni. i< ilistiiisui^lKil in the country's annals. They settled in Xew England, but
subsequently made Xew Vurk their Imme. Rufus King, the grandfather, born l~55, was
a conspicuous tignre in the Revolutionary period and subsequently. He took hi-5 seat
in the Continental Congress. T7t^4. was member of the conve]ition that formed the Federal
Constitution. 17S7: twice minister to England, the first appointment by Washington;
served three terms in the United Stales Senate, and was candidate for President against
Mr. Monroe. He died. iSj6. John .-\. King, his son, and father of Dr. Charles R., born
I7fv''. died if't'c. eduL-nted in F.ii.clan.l while his lather was American minister there, was
member of Ci'ngre-s and the first Governor of Xew York elected by the Republican party,
1S56. Dr. King took deep intere-t in the public schools and the church, giving his
leisure to literary pursuits, having recently written and published the ''Life and Corre-
spondence of Rufiis King," his grandfather, covering a period from 17S4 to lS_'6. Dr.
King died .April 5, igv-vr.

IlISTORV Of BUCKS COUXTY.

the Dristol tunipkc. The interior i.-- a single rouni rising to the roof. It \v;i->
opened December 2S, 18S6, with api.r.ipriatc services by Uishop Stevens. Ii
contains ^.O'YO vohures. and is free lo all.

The onlV collections of dwellings in the township that deserve the name
of villages, are : I'.ridgewater, on ti'.e Xeshaminy, at the crossing of the
Bristol turnpike, Edilingion, on the I'hiladelphia anti Trenton railroad, Oak-
ford, in the northeast corner of the township, and Andalusia, a stragglin:^
hamlet, on the turnpike, all post-villages. They contain but few dwellings
each'. Richelieu and Centreville are ambitious to reach the village state, and
Brownsville is a small hamlet on the Southampton line, with a majority of the
dwellings in that township. Anthony Taylor built a fulling-mill at Flushing,
on the Xeshaminy, and the following spring it was occupied by James Wilson.
There is now a steam saw-mill at this place.-''

The murder of Dr. Chapman, Bensalem, by his wife and a vagabond
Spaniard, by poison, created a profound sensation. This occurred in the sum-
mer of 1831. He was taken in for the night, but die wife, becoming infatuated
with him. had him remain and murder was the result. The trial, convictiim
and execution of the Spaniard attracted great attention at the time. Chapnrm
was an Englishm.an, and his wife a Winslow, of New England. The following
concerning the family of this woman from Hereditary Descent, publisheil by
O. S. Fi:)wler, 1848. will no doubt interest the readers: The Barre (Mass.)
Patriot says that a box containing one hundred and twenty-five dollars in C';inu-
terfeit bills was discovered in the cellar wall of Thomas Winslow of that t'jwn,
^vho was ordered to find bail in the sum of one thousaml dollars. He had for
many years been suspected of dealing in counterfeit money, and had been once
or twice arrested for the ottense, but escaped for want of sutTicient evidence.
The family with wliich he is connected is not a little notorious in the annals
of crime. His broth.er, ]\Iark Winslow. was a noted counterfeiter, and prob-
ably the most ingenious one known in the state. About twelve years ago he
was sentenced to the state prison for life, and, on the eve of removal, committed
suicide by cutting his throat. Edvs-ard, another brother, was also a counterfeiter
and for that and other otTenses has been an inmate of the state prison, and of
nearly half the jails of the state. Lucretia, sister, was coimected with the
same gang and signed the bills. She was wonderfully expert with the [en,
and skillful in imitating signatures. She inarried a man by the name of
Chapm.an, \\hi) was murdered in Pennsylvania some years since. Site lived
as the wife of a noted impostcr, Mina, and they were both arrested and tried
for the murder. Mina was hung, but she was acquitted, although not without
very strong evidence of having prompted or connived at the death of Chapman.
She subsequently wandered througli the South, connected with a strolling
threatrical com;)any, and died a few years since. One of her children is now
in Barre. She was a woman of great talent, if it had been honestly applied.
and of singtdarly winning maimers, .\nother sister of the Winslows married
Robert Green, and still r.nother married Jesse H. Jones, and both Green and
Jones were connectei! with the gang of counterfeiters that used to infest that
region."' We have been told by good authority that at the time of her arrest
for poisoning her husband, Mrs. Chapman was under the surveillance of liio:
police, and wouM soon have l.ieen arrested for her connectiem with this gang
of counterfeiters and forgers.

26 Tliese vill.igcs and h.nmluts h.ive felt the =ijirit of improvoiiieiit the past tweiu
ye.irs ,'iikI kept pace -..i'h tiieir nspeelive nei,'-;hh. rhriods.

HISTORY Of BUCKS COCXTY

About 1S59. Rev. H. T. Wells, of the Protestant Episcopal churcii, bought
the Dr. Chapman property, Andalusia, where Dr. C. formerly kept a '"stam-
mering school,'' made some impro\ ements and opened a boys" boarding school.
A charter, authorizing the conferring of degrees, was obtained and the school
called "Andalusia College." A new building called 'Totter Hall" was subse-
quently erected, in which a preparatory school was opened. At Dr. \\'ells'
death, 1871, A. H. Fetteroll, head master at Andalusia, now president of Girard
College, reopened the school, but gave it up after a time. The property was
then sold and a number of cottages built on part of it, the old school building
being turned to other purposes.

In Bensalem. on Xe^haniiny, opposite Xewportville. stands a colonial
mansion, the ancestral home of the Barnsley family. It was built by I\Iaior
Thomas Barnsley, an officer of the British army, who came from England
with Lord Loudun, 1756, and served with him in the I'rench and Indian war.
At the close of the war, 1760, he resigned his commission and settled at Phila-
delphia. In 1763 he purchased the estate of James Coulter, five hundred and
thirty-seven acres, and built the mansion, importing the brick and other mate-
rial from England. The house is still in a good state oi preservation. }daj'"r
Barnsley died, 1 77 1, and was buried in the aisle of St. James Episcopal church,
Bristol. He adopted his nephew. John Barnsley, who, after his uncle's death.
sold the estate and removed to Newtown, then the county seat. He married
Elizabeth Van Court, purchased land adjoining the town, and built the house
which, since that time, has been owned and ciintinuously occupied b\' the
Barnsley family, a period of nearly a century and a quarter. It was the home
of the late John Barnsley, who died, i8?o, and is owned by his children. John
Barnsley married Hilary, youngest child of Benjamin and Hannah Simps'in
Hough, Warrington township. The deed for the property, on record at Doyles-
town, calls for six hundred and lifty-two acres, and is spoken of as the
"Tatham Plantation," but ^Major Barnsley called it "Croydon,"' probably after
his birth place. The original dwelling is said to have been erected by the
Tremain family, but when we are not informed. Elegant grounds surrounded
the house, .in 1 lirr't^ and barges plied upon the water. Tradition savs that
Major Barnsley hail a retinue of servants and followers, kept open house,
dressed in scarlet coat, bull breeches, gold knee buckles, and wore a cocked hat
and dress sword, all in keeping with retired army officers of the period.

The proximity of Bensalem to Philadelphia induced the British troops to
make several incursiiais into the township while they held that city, 1777-78, and
durirg the war the inliabitants sulTered from the depredations of both armies.

Of the roads through the township, that from the Poquessing creek,
crossing the Street road below the Trap tavern, the X'eshaminy above Hulme-
ville and thence to Bristol, was hid out by order of Council. 1697. John
Baldwin was appointed to keep the ferry over the Neshaminy on Eriving
security. When the Hulmeville dam was built the ferrv was discontinued,
and a new road laid out, leaving the old one at right-anc;les near Trevose. and
crossing tie Xeshaminy at Xewportville. About the time this roail was laid
oi't Bu'-l--s ;m"I i'lrl-'delphia counties built a bridge over the Por|Ucssing. prob-
ably where the pike crosses. A second bridge was Imilt there. 1757. and .i
thinl. 1701. The rond from the I'.ri-^tol ]iike at Scott's corner to T'-wn-end"s
mill r::^ tl'... l'.viiK--sing, was o|-ened. T7ri7, and from the pike to "White Slicet
bay," I7fig. .\s early as 1697 a petition was presented to the court to lay out
a road from Crowden's plantation to Dunk's ferry, but we do not know that
it was gr.'inte.l. In 1700 a road was openi'd from Growden's to the King's

124

HISTORY or BUCKS COUXTV.

highway leading lo the falls. This highway at that time was probably thi-
road from Poquessiiig, crossing the Xeshaminy about llulmcville, and which.
at one time, was a thoroughfare from the falls to Philadelphia. Galloway">
ford is on Xeshaminy above Hulnieville, and was destroyed when the dam w::-
built, because it backed up the water so it could not be crossed. At A] in!
term, 1703, the courl directed a jury to lay out a road "from the upperniu^t
inhabitants ailjacent to Southhanipt(-in to the landing commonly called John
Gilbert'.^ landing."-'

; . V ,'* VS.

RED LION INN. BKNSALEM.

The two oldest ta\erns in the town.-hip are the Red Lion, on the turnpike,
at the crossing of the !'( -(luessing, and the Trappc. on the Street road, a mile
above where the old King's highway crosses it on its way to the falls. The
former is of .-unie histurical interest, and will be mentiiMied in a future chapter.

Acrr^ss the i'<jqf.essing. Philadel]ihia county, is the old P.yberry meeting
grave yard, near the i>resent one, and which the Keithians retained on the
separation, 1690. In it are two marble gravestones, one "To the memory "i
James Rush, who departed this life .March ye 6, 1726-7, aged forty-eiglit
years and ten months, grandfather of Dr. Benjamin Ri\sh, the Signer" ; the
other to Crispin Colleit, who died September 3, 1753, aged thirty-seven years.
All the other stones in the yard are the common field stone. Daniel Long-
streth, Warminster, whn visited this grave yard, 1843. accompanied by his
wife, remarked in his diary: "John Hart, the noted Quaker preacher, who
joined Geiirge Keith at the lime rif the separation, lived wiiere Caleb Kniglit
now resides, the ne.xt farm but one above the grave yard. It was the son >'i
John Hart, the preacher, that settled on the five hundred-acre tract to the
north of my residence in Warminster. The family jihied tlie P.aptists in

27 Jnlm f;illnTt «:!■; one nf tlic c.Trlicst settlers in r.cn--:ili.-ni, bnt tlic plncc of liis
laniling is n.it knuwn to tlic prc-cnt ptncr.Ttinn.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

125

Sonthnniptoii meeting." Mr. Loiigstreth, on the same or a subsequent visit
to JJyberry, was told by Charles Walmslcy that his uncle had a cart
whuse hubs were usc<l in a vehicle that hauled baggage for Eraddock's armv
in the French and Indian war, 1755-57. They were then in good condition
and in use. The vehicle they belonged to, at the time, were pressed into service
fur the use of the army.

Mary Xeuman Brister, nee Fry, born at the Trappc, June 8, 1780, was liv-
ing at Washington, i'a., 1880, in good health, and had never been sick until the
year previous. She was married to George Erister, in Philadelphia, who
died in Washington, 1850. He was in the war with England, 1812, and fought
at Xew Orleans. George Fry. Mrs. Brister's father, was born in Bucks countv.
1730, and died, 1833. He served in the Braddock campaign, 1755; and, at
the age of 103, walked from I'hiladelphia to Cincinnati, C)hio, but was never
heard of afterward.

In 1892, the order of the "Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament," for Indians
and colored people, established the "Alother House"' in Bensalem, near Corn-
well, on the line of the Pennsylvania railroad. The order is known as "St.
Elizabeth's Convent am.! the Holy Providence Home." The sisterhood was
founded under the auspices of Miss Catherine M. Drexel, who took the veil
as a nun of the Roman Catliolic church, under the name of 2\lother M.
Kalhrine. The organization was effected, 1891. In the chapter on "School
and Education,"' the scope and purposes of this institution are set forth.

Bensalem is a rich and fertile township, with little waste land, and the
surface has a gradual slope from its northwest boundar\- to tlie Delav.are. It
is bounded on three sides by water, the Delaware river. Xeshaniin\-, and
Poquessing, and it is well-watered by numerous tributaries. The nearness of
this township to I'hiladel]ihia. and' the facility with which it can be reached
by rail and boat, have induced many of her rich citizens to make their homes
within its limits. In consequence numerous elegant dwellings line its main
highways and the banks of the Delaware, and large wealth is found among
the inhabitants. The Pennsylvania railroad, formerly Philadelphia and
1 renton railroad, runs across the township a short distance from the river, w ith
stations at a number of [joints, and passing trains take up and set down
passengers every few miiuiies. while the through line of the North Pennsyl-
vania railroad to Xew York crosses it near the Southampton line.

The township contains an area of eleven thousand six hundred and fifty-
six acres, and itsMioundaries have not been disturbed since its organization,
i'H}2. In 1742, sixty years after its settlement by the English, it had but
seventy-eight taxable inhabitants, and the highest valuation of any one person
was £50. In 1744 the taxalilcs had fallen ott to seventy-two. but they had in-
creased to ninety, in 1755. and to ninety-eight in 1765. In 1784 the popula-
tion of the township was u-^t, whites, 175 blacks, and 131 dwellings. In 1810
it was 1.434; 1820. 1.667: 1830, 1.811, and 345 taxables : 1S40, 1.731 : 1S50,
-•239; i860, 2.336; 1870, 2.;},^^,. iif which 296 were foreign-born, and 169
black: 1880. 2.217; ''^^P- ~-?i'^i'- 1900, 2,829. The township has two shad-
ti^heries. one known as \'a.ndegrift"s. the other as "Frogtown."" and now the
property of Doctor Markley. The fisheries we have mentioned in the river
townships are all shore fislieries and have been long estaltlished. In fi irmer
limes the catch of shad and herring was much greater than of late years. The
rent of these two fisheries, for a number of vears. has not exceeded 85<K) a vear.
.\ po>t-riffice was csta1)lished at Andalusia, 1816, and Thomas Morgan appointed
postmaster.

CHAPTER XI.

.MIDDLETOWN.

Original name. — Xicholas W'alne. — Richard Amor. — John Cutler, Thomas Slackliouse. —
John Eastburn. — Thomas Janney. — Simon Gillam. — Great mixture of blood. — William
Iluddleston. — Abraham and Christopher \'anhorne. — John Richardson. — The Jenks
family. — Middletown meeting. — Story of Lady Jenks. — Jeremiah Langhorne. — The
Mitchtlls. — Charles Plum!e> — Langhorne. — Four Lanes End. — Joshua Richardson. —
The High School. — The Hulme family. — The Cawlcys. — Dr. White. — Hulmeville. —
Memorial trees. — John Hulme. — Josiah Quincy. — Extract from daughter's memoirs. —
Mill built. — Industrial establishments. — Oxford Valley. — Origin of name Eden. — Early
ii,l!ls. ^Trolley roads. — Early roads. — Peter Peterson Vanhorne. — Taxables — Popula-
tion.— Death of Robert Skirm and wife. — Farley. — The inhabitant farn^.ers. — Gallo-
way's and Baldwin's fords. — Dr. Longshore.

.JiliddlctONvn is tlie last of the original townships. In the report of the
jury that laid it out, it is designated "the middle township" of the group,
btit was frequently called "middle lots" down to 1703, and "middle township"
as late as 1724. Gratlually it came to be called by the name it bears.

A fc'.v of the original settlers came in the Welcome with William I'enn,
while others preceded or fijllowcd him. l!y 1684 the land was generally
taken up, a good deal of it in large tracts, and some by non-residents.' Some
of these settlers purchased land of the Proprietary before leaving England.
Nicholas \\'a!ne, Yorksliire, came in the Welcome, and took up a large tract
between Langliorne and Xeshaminy. He was a distinguished minister among
friends, and held a lea.ding part in the politics of the county, which he repre-
sented several yeais in the Asseiubly. His son died, 1744. Nicholas Waliic.
his descendant, prohabh- grandson, was born at Fair Hill, Philadelphia, 1742;
studied law at the Tcmiilc. London, returned and practiced seven years in this
county and elsewhere. I.iniiev savs that after he had been engaged in a real

I Land-owucrs in Middlcti'iun in iG^^: Walter Bridgcman, Thomas Constable. Widow
Croa-idalc. Rnl-.crt Holdi;;!!^. .Mexandcr Biles. Widow linnd. Robert Hoaton, Thomas
Slackh.Mwe. Jr., Thomas S;ackbou-i-. James DiKvorth, \\ idi.w Hurst, Riciiard Thatcher.
John Si-arbor.iu- 1 Scarl>. .fnrjh 1, Xicbola^ Walnc. Jonathan Towno, Joshua Boar, Thomas
Marie. Wilbam Pa\>Mn. .Ia;iiv~ I'ax-^on. J,>na;li.in Flocknc. WiUi.mi B.ri.-.n. Robert Carter,
Franci-i Dow. 1 b-nrv I'.iv-.iu, Wiii-iini Wiauui an. I FMward Samway

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUXTV

tstatc case at Xewtown, Mr. W'alnc was asked, by a Friend, on his return to
tin citv, how it was decided. He rephed : "1 did the best I could for my
client ; gained the case for him, and thereby defrauded an honest man of his
d.ue.-." He then rehnquished the law, on the ground that its practice is incon-
.•~i>ient with the principles of Christianity, settled up his btisiness, and returned
the lees of untinished cases. He now became a devout attendant on religious
meeting, and afterward a minister among Friends.

Richard Amor.- I!erk~hire, located two hundred and fifty acres on
Xe^haminy, beluw Hulmeville, but died a few months after his arrival. He
brought with him a servant, Stephen Sands, who married Jane Cowgill, 10S5,
and kft children. Henry t'axson, from Uycothouso. ( )xfiirtlshire, who located tive
lumdred acres on the Xeshaminy, above Hulmeville, lost his wife, two sons,
and a brother at sea, by disease, and married the widow of Charles Plumley,
Xorthampton, 1684. He was a man of influence and a member of Assembly,
lames Dilwortli, of Thornley, Lancashire, arrived with son William and a
servant, October, 16S2, and settled on a thousand acres on Xeshaminy, below
.-Vtileborough, the ])resent Langhorne. Richard Davis came from Wales, in
Xovember, 16S3, with his son David, who married ^Margaret Evans, in Alarch,
I0>'6, and died lifteen days after his arrival. He is supposed to have been the
lir^t surgeon in the county.^ The land taken up by John Scarborough in
^.liddletown came to the possession of his son John, by his father returning to
England to fetch his family, but failed to come back.'' Thomas Stackhouse
and his son Thomas were the proprietors of a large tract in the lower part
of the township. Richard Thatcher took up one thousand acres, and Ralph
Ward and Ralph Alford one thousand and twenty-five acres each. Robert
Hall, whose name is not on Holme's map, but was one of the earliest settlers,
owned a tract that joined Bristol township. Robert Heaton. one of the earliest
.•settlers and a land owner on Holme's map, but built the first mill in the township.
Its e.xact situation is not known, but was probably on the X'eshaminy, abi.nit ,
where Comfort's mill stands. He died, 1716." William Paxson's tract
extended from near the present Eanghorne. back of Oxford. He was a
member of Assembly, 1701. Among others, who were original settlers and
land owners, were George and John White, Francis Andrews and Alexander
Giles. Thomas Constable owned a considerable tract in the upper part of the
township, bordering on Xewtown. John Atkinson embarked, 1699. with a
certificate from Lancaster monthly meeting, but died at sea; also his wife.
Susannah, leaving children, William, Hilary and John. Thomas Atkinson was
also an early settler, but probal)ly not until after Holme's map was made.
Before 1700, Thomas Musgrove owned five hundred acres in the township,
patented to Hannaii Price, and after came into jiossession of Thomas Jenks.

The Cutlers were e'lrly settlers in r>ncks county, John and Edward, from
Yorkshire, England, landing at Philadelphia from the Rebecka. James Skinner,
master. 8th month, 31st. 16S5. John, who probably arrived single, 1703. married
ALargery, daughter of Cutlibert Ifayhurst, Xorthampton, and had children,

- 2 His name is n.>t on Ilolnic''; map,

3 Thert wns a "barlier,"' as snri^cons were then called, on the Delaware as earU- as
if-r'.X. Imt it is nut km.nvn that he lived in the county, or tliat his practice even extended

intM i:.

4 A inrtlicr aconmt of Ji.hn ScnrhiToiigh will be t'onnd in another chapter.

5 He liad one hundred and ci;4lity-ei!,'ht acres surveyed to him in Muldktown.

128 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTY

Elizabeth, !Mary and JJcnjaniin. The two brothers brought with them in. Ma-
tured servants, Cornehus Xcttlewooii, Richard Mather, Ellen Wingri.cii,
William Wardle, James Moliner, son of James ^loliner, late of Liverpoul.
John Cutler settled in Middletown ; was county surveyor, 1702-3, and made
the resurvev of the county, laid out Ijristol borough, 1713, was coroner, I7ii_;.
and died, 1720. Edmund Cutler, brother of John, was married before leaving
England from the date of his children's birth, who were Elizabeth, born I4tli.
7tli month, 16S0; Thomas, lOtli, 9th ni'inth, loSi, and William, born lOili,
loth month, 16S2. PZdnumd Cutler's wife, whose name is given both as Jane
and Isabel, died 4th month, 1715. Edmund Culler probably settled in South-
ampton, and his son John was a school teacher in Middletown, 1705. an.I
coroner of the county, 1718-19. Lawrence Cutler, a descendant of one of
the brothers, married Xaomi Brown, Penn's Manor, and another a Stackhouse.
Both brothers were surveyors, and John is understood to have been in Penn's
employ before leaving England. Edmund was a farmer.

Among the earliest settlers were Nicholas and Jane W'alne. Thomas and
Agnes Croasdale, who came with six children; Robert and Elizabeth Hall.
two; James and Ann Dihvorth, one: William and Mary Paxson. one; James
and Jane Paxson, two; James and Hilary Radclilt, four; Jonathan and Anne
Scaife, two; Robert and Alice Heaton, five, and r^Iartin and Aime W'ildman.
six. John Eastburn came from the parish of Eingley, county York, with a
certificate from Bradley meeting, dated July 31, 16S4. Johannes Searl was in
jMiddletown prior t.-> 1725, from whose house a road leading to Bristol was laid
out that year. Bef'jre 1700, Thomas ]\Iusgrove owned five hundred acres
in the tow nship, patented to Hannah Price, and afterward came into the posses-
sion of Thomas Jenks.

We are able to trace the descent of several of the present families of long
standing in Middletown with considerable minuteness, but not as much so as we
would desire. The Buntings were among the earliest settlers. In 16S9, Job
Bunting married Rachel Baker, and starting from this couple the descent is
traced, in the male line, through .^anuul. born 1692. and married Priscil'a
Burgess, ■1716; Sanuiel, second, born 171S, married 1740; William, burn,
1745. married Margery Woulston. 1771 ; William, married Mary W. Blakey.
1824. parents of Blakey Bunting. Jonathan Bunting, from a collateral
branch, is the sixth in descent from the first Job Bunting. In the maternal
line they descend from John Sotclier and Mary Lofty, inaternal ancestor "t
the Ta\Iors and Blakeys. Thomas Yardley, who married Susan Brown, I7''^5-
had tlie Sotcher and Lofty blood from both lines, through the Kirkbrides an.;
Stacys in the paternal, and the Clarks, the Worrells and Browns in the ma-
ternal.

C»iie branch of tlie Croasdale< are descended from Ezra and Aim f Peacock )
Croasdale. who married, iCfi-j. through Jeremiah, Ruliert and Robert sec.ui.l.
on the paternal side, and on the maternal, from William, son of James ami
Jane Paxson; bi.rn i''>33. came to America. ir)82. and married Mary Packing-
ham. Robert .M. Croasdale, deceased, in the female line, was desceii.led
through the Waisons, Richardsons, Pre.^trns. etc.

The maternal aneolors oi [sruah Wat-<^n trace their descent back t.i
W illi;iin and Margaret C...>iier. Bl.ikey, the faniilv name of the maternal >ii!e.
first ajjpear in William Blakey about I7'\i: and alt. .lit tlie same |Hri.>d the
Watsons erne ujwn the stage in the jierMm of TImuuis Watson, the pp .genii. >r
of those who bear th;..t name iti Mid.Hei. .\\ n.

Thomas [annev is ihc sixth in dc-j.-ent from the first Thomas and his wife.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 129

Margaret, who came from Cheshire, England, 1683, through the famihes of
Iloiicfh, Mitchell. Briggs. Penquite, ?Iarding, Carr, Croasdale and Euckman.

Simon Gillam, the great-grandson of Lucas Gillam (who was a grandson
of Anna Paxson, and descended from James and Jane Paxson), who married
Ann Dungan, 174S. On the maternal side the male line runs back through
li\e generations of W'oolstons, to John, who married Hannah Cooper, 1681.
Jonathan W'oolsion married Sarah Pearson, Burlington, New Jersey, 1712,
and is thought to have been the tirst of the name who came to ^Middletown.
Joshua Woolston, so well known in the lower and middle sections of the
county, was the fifth in descent from John and Hannah. His mother, a Rich-
ardson, married Joshua Woolston, in 1786, who could trace his descent back to
W'i'liam and Mary i'axson, the common progenitors of many families of this
coimty.''

In tracing the descent of families in the lower end of the county we find
great commingling of blood. Several of them start from a common ancestor,
on one side or the other and sometimes both, and, when one or two generations
removed they commenced to intermarry and continued it. Thus we find John
and Mary Sctchcr, and William and r^iargaret Cooper, the common ancestors
of tlie families of Ijunting, Plakey, Taylor, Yardley, Croasdale, Knowles, Swain,
Iluzby, Watson, Knight, Wills, Dennis, Burton, \\'arner, Stapler, Gillam,
Kirkbride, Palmer, Jenks, \\'oolston, Griscom, Sattcrthwaite, Gummcre, Pax-
sun, and Deacon. These families have extensively intermarried, and Pierson
Mitchell came of the blood of the Piersons, the Stackhouses, the Walnes and
Hestons, and was the fifth in descent from Henry Mitchell.

William Huddleston was an early settler where Langhorne stands, his
land extending north of the village, iie was a shoemaker by trade and lived
in a log house back from the road on the lot lately owned by Absalom
Michener. The house was on the side of a hill near a spring. In moderate
weather he worked with the south door open to give him light, as he had no
^iass in the windows, but bits of parchment instead. Doctor Pluddleston, of
X'Tristown. was his descendant, but the family has run out in this county.^

Abraham and Christian \'anhorne, Hollanders, took up land on the south
side of the Buck road, part of it within the limits of Langhorne, but the time
is not ktiown, and lived in a small log house in the middle of their tract. It
is told of one of the brothers, that, on one occasion, while he was gone to mill,
liis familv went to bed leaving a candle burning upon the bureau, and, on his
return, found his dwelling in fiames. Gilbert Hicks came from Long Island,
linugh: forty acres of land at Four Lanes End, and built the hou*e owned by
James Flowers, at the southeast corner of the cross-roads, 1763. He was a.
■loyalist" in the Kevoluti'jii. and tied to the British armv.*

Joseph Richardson, great-grandfather of the late Jo>hua Richardson,
settled at Langhorne, 1730, and, six years later, bought the land of the \'an-
hornes. At his death he paid quit-rent to Penn's agent for over twelve

ti .Xmoiig tlicm are ihe f.imilics of Jenk?. Crnasd.nle, Palmer. Eri;;^-;. Kiii'^^'ht, \Vill>.
Stackliouse. and Carr. bcsiflos tbr.^e aln-aily meiitidiieil. Malilmi Stacy, the pioneer miller
•■t West Jer^cy, was ancestor to the Ducks comity fannhe-, i.i Tayior, Vanlloy, Croaidale,
Stapler. Ea^ihiim and Warner.

7 Possibly he wn-; liie WiUiani 1 riiddleston who married a danghier of William
Cooper, of Ihickingltani. befnre 1701),

S .-11 further acciimt oi' (;,ll,.rt llick^ will be found eUewhere.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

hundred acres in MiddleUnvn, North and Southampton, only two hundred
of which remained in the family at the death of Joshua, the homestead tract
at the former Attleborougli. lie married a daughter of William Paxson, 1732,
and had six children: Joshua, born November 22, 1733; IMary, July 25, 1735;
William, October 3, 1737: Ivachel, ]\Iay 29, 1739; Rebecca, I\Iarch 27, I7.i_>,
and Ruth, October 31, 174S.

The Jeiikses are Welsh, apd the genealogy of tlie
family can be traced from the year 900 down to 1669, when
it becomes obscure. The arms, which have long been in
possession of the family at Wolverton, England, descend-
ants of Sir George, to \\ horn they were confirmed by Queen
Elizabeth. 15S2, are supposed to have been granted soon
after tlie time of William the Conqueror, for bravery on
the field of battle.^ The first progenitor of the family in
America was Thomas, son of Thomas Jenks. born in Wales,
/ December or January, 1G99. When a child he came to
Pennsylvania with his mother, Susan Jenks, who married
Benjamin \\'iggins,"' Buckingham, by whom she had a
■ y son, born, 1709. She died while he was young, and \sas
buried at Wrightstown meeting. Tliomas Jenks, brouglit
up a farmer, joined the Friends, 1723, , married }*Iercy
\\'ildman, .Middlctown, in 1731, and afterwards removed
jESKs COAT OP ARMS. {q ^^Jiq); towushlp, whcrc he spent his life. He bought ^ix
hundred acres coutheast of Newtown, on which he erected his homestead,
which he called Jenks' Hall, and built a fulling-mill on Core creek, running
through the premises, several years before 1742. He led an active business life,
lived respected, and died ?^Iay 4, 1797, at the good old age of ninety-seven, lie
was small in stature, but sprightly, temperate in his habits and of great physical
vigor. At the age of ninety he walked fifty miles in a week, and, at ninety-two,
his eyesight and hearing were both remarkably good. He had lived to sec the
wilderness and haunts of wild beasts become the seats of polished life.

Thomas Jenks left three sons and three daughters: Marv. Elizabeth. Ann.
John, Thomas and Joseph, who married into the families of '\\'cir, Richardson,
Pierson. Twining and Watson. His son Thom.as, a man of abilitv and cniii-
manding person, became prominent. Pie had a taste for politics, was a nunilier
of the Constitutional Convention. 1790. and afterward elected to the ."^encite,
of which he was a member at his death. The descendants of Thomas Jenks.
tb.e elder, are very numerous and found in various parts, in and out of the state,
although few of the name are now in Ilucks county. We have not the space
nor time to trace them, for they are verv numerous. Among the families of
the present and past generatii'iis, with which they have allied themselves by
marriage, in ad'lition to those already named, are Kennedy. New York. Stiuy.
Carlisle. Fell. Dix^on, Watson, Trimble. Murray. Snvder fgr)vernor of Penn-
sylvania). Ciillingham. Hutchinson. Justice. Coliins, of New York, Kirkbride.
Stockton, of New Jersey, Canby, Brown, Elscgood, Davis, Yardley, NewboM,

9 The C'lTifiriu.itinn in the patint clo^crihes them as ".\r.t;int. throe Boars Ileaili"?
Coupee, atirl Ou-t-fe indented salile?. with this crest r.r cognizance, a Lione rampant,
with a Boar's ileade in his pawcs," as copied from the records in tlie college of arms.
London. iS.uv

10 The \\'i>:,L;ir.ses came from Xew Eny'and.

HISTORY OF BCCKS COUXTY.

131

Morris, Earl, Handy, Robbiiis, Ramsey (former governor of Minnesota),
Martin, Randolph, etc. DiKtor t'hincas Jenks and Michael H. Jenks, XewtowiT,
deceased, were descendants of Thomas the elder.

The story of "Lady Jenks," as written in Watson's Annals, has been too
closely associated with the family of that name in Middletown to be passed
in silence. The allegation of Watson is, that when Thomas Penn came to this
country he was accompanied by "a person of show and display called Lady
Jenks," who passed her time in the then wilds of Bucks county ; that her beauty
and accomplishments gave her notoriety ; that she rode with him at fox hunt-
ing and at the famous "Indian walk'" of 1737, and that it was well under-
stood she was the mother of Thomas Jenks, .Middletown. Watson gives "old
Samuel Preston"' as authority for this story, but adds that it was afterward
confirmed by others. Ihis piece of Watson's gossip and scandal must stand
upon its own merits, if it stands at all. Let the voice of History be heard in the
case. Susan Jenks, a widow, came to America with her young son, Thomas
(born 1700), married Benjamin Wiggins, of Buckingham, 1708 or 1709, died a
few years afterward and was buried at Wrightstown. Thomas Penn was born,
1703 or 1704, about the time Susan Jenks came to this country, which would
make him three or four years younger than his reputed son. As Penn did not
come to America until 1732, several years after Susan Jenks was dead, he
could not have brought her with hira ; and as he was not at the "Indian walk,"
1737, she could nrjt have accompanied him. living or dead. These simple facts,
which are susceptible of proof from family and church records, are sufficient
to disprove the romantic story of Watson. A story so idle is not worthy of
investigation. "Lady Jenks'' may be set down as an historic myth, made out
of the whole cloth. The only foundation for a story of this kind is the alleged
liaison of William Penn, Jr., with a young lady of Bucks county, when here,
1703. Of this James Logan writes : " 'Tis a pit\- his wife came not with him,
for her presence would have confined him within bounds he was not too regular
in observing."

The ^litchells, early settlers of Middletown, were descendants of Henry
Mitchell, Marsden Lane, Lancashire, England, carpenter by trade, who married
Elizabeth l-'oulds. 3d month. 6th. 1675. Both were members of the Society
of Friends and he \vas imprisoned for his religious conviction, 16S5. On i2Lh
month. i6th, 1699, T^Iarsden monthly meeting gave a certificate to Henry
iMitchcll, wife and four children : they embarked in the Britannica for Penn-
sylvania, and arrived in the Delaware August 25, after a voyage of fourteen
weeks. The vessel was overcrowded and there was great sickness on board,
fifty-six dying at sea and twenty after landing, among them being Henry
Mitchell and one son. The widow and three children settled near the head of
tide water on Neshaminy, and Middletown has been considered the home of the
family. Of the children, Richard built and run the first grist mill in Wrights-
town, and became a prominent man; the daughter Margaret married Stephen
Twining: Henrv remained at the Middletown homestead, and married Sarah,
a daughter of Richard (^ove. London. Elizabeth Mitchell, widow of Henry,
the immigrant, dieil in Miildletown, where her death is recorded in the Meeting
record. Pierson. smi of Jrihn. married Rebecca .Allen, daughter of John Allen,
and also remained at the h.nniestead. In 1^04. Gove Mitchell, son of Pierson,
bought a farm in Moorl'iu'l. Montgomery county, at the intersection of the Yor'tc
road and county line, ha'f a mile above Hatl)Oro. He studied medicine and
spent his life here practicing hi> profi.-s.--ion. .\t his death the farm passed to
his eldest son. Liei.'rge Iu~ticc .Mitchell, and from liim to his ^on, f. Howard

13=

HISTGRV OF BUCKS COUXTV.

Mitchell, who hves there with his chiUhen and grand children. The late Pierson
Mitchell. .Mi'l'!l-to\vn. was a descendant of Henry Mitchell.

The Carters trace their descent to William Carter, who settled in Phlia-
delphia, but located six hundred acres in this county, east of the Xeshaniinv.
near Hulnieville, im a deed <^iven to him by Penn before leaving England. Carur
was an alderman of the cit_\', and elected mayor, 171 1. On the expiration oi
his term of ciftiee he removed to his tract. INIiddletown, where he spent the
remainder of his da_\s. Me has numerous descendants in this county und
in Byberry. The family is in possession of an old clock that has belonged to it
since 1711."

MIDULETOW.N .MEKTlNu HOUSE, .MAPLE AVENUE, LANGHORNE.

The Middktown meeting, next to Falls, is the oldest in the county. Meet-
ings for worship were first licld at the houses of Xicholas ^\■alne. John Otter an<i
Robert Hall. KuSj. The fir-t niontlily meeting was held at Walne's, Decemb', r
I, 1684, and tlie next at llaH'.-. where h'riend.^ were to bring the dates of their
births and marriages. They met sometimes at widow Hayinirsfs. who lived
across Xeshaminy in Xorthamiiton. Xicholas Walne and Thomas Atkinson were
the first delegates chosen from Middletown to the yearly meeting, Sejitemher -'.
1684. It was called Xeshaminy Meeting until 1706. The first meeting-h' u-'
was built by Thomas Stackliou.se. 1690. at a cost of £26 iQs jd. and £10
additional f. .r a stable. One light of glass was put in each lower window, if'^'.

II \Vi;i,rini C.-irter. Plnlailelpliii. pr'ili.-ilily ncvor livcil in Iliuk^ comity, .•md I'.ncs !i'
appe.ir to l-.ave U-t't ilc-cenci;iiii> [n his will lie nK-nii.iis his rohilivcs, Robert Carlr
Bticki rruir.-y. ilco-a-ec.i. A Cirtor ilied prior to lOSS. Kaviiiij chililrcn. I'.rKv.ird. J" 1

Margaret, Jiiui ami Jane, .a!!

ClLllKKT Ci:

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV. 133

iiiuilin or oiled paper being probaljly ii?ecl in the others. Martin W'ildman was
ajipMinted to clean the house and make the tires at an annual salary of 20
^liillir.gs t'cr the first xear. and six shillings additional for the next. The first
marriage recorded was that of Henry Faxson, whose wife died at sea, to
Margery Plumley, August 13, 1684. There were only forty-seven marriages
at Middletown from 1684 fi 1700, less than three a year.^- Evidently the battle
of life was too hard to allow much indulgence in matrimony. In the first
fiitv vears there were three hundred and fifty-nine births in ilie bounds of the
ir.eeting. the earliest being a son of James and Jane Paxson, born July, 16S3,
and thirty deaths to 1731. The sixth person buried at .Middletown was
Susannah, daughter of John and Jane Xayl'>r. who died September 27, 1699.
The quarterly meetings at Falls and Middletown were the only ones in the
county, and held alternately at each place until 1722, when a third was held at
Wrightstown. The Friends at ^iliddletown brought certificates from the
nmnthly meeting of Settle, Coleshill, Lucks and Lancaster, Westminster,
JJrighouse, in York, etc.

Charles Plumley, Somersetshire, England, married ]\Iargery Page, 12,
II. it'>65. settled in Middletown. 16S2, with wife and sons, William, James,
Charles, John and George ; and purchased land on the Xeshaminy. He died in
i')83. His widow married Henry Paxson, 6, 13, 1684. Of the sons, William
born TO. 7, 1666, married Elizabeth Thompson, 1688; James, born 6, 22, 1668,
married Mary Budd, settled in Southampton, and died 1702; Charles, born 12,
9, 1674. married Rose Budd. and died in Philadelphia, 170S; John, born 7, 8,
lO/J, married Mary Bainbridge, daughter of John and Sarah 01 X. J.. 170S,
settled in Middletown. and died 1732: George, born 4, 14, 16S0, married Sarah,

• , died at Philadelphia, 1754. and his widow, 1759. without issue. The

later Plumleys were descended from Charles and John, sons of Rose (Budd)
Plumley.

Among the early settlers in Middletown were the Cawleys, who probably
came sometime in the first quarter of the eighteenth century. The first of the
name we have met with was Thomas Cawley, who was married at Christ
cl"'.rch, Philadelphia, July i, 1720, to Mary Moggrage. In 1721, Thomas
C.-iv.lcy was 0 witness to the will of E\-an Thomas. Philadelphia county, yeoman.
John Cawley. of Yate House Green. ^liddlewicii. county Chester, England, was
in Middletown, Bucks county, in March, 1729. and on the 2Sth bought real
e-tate "in Great Egg Harbor. X. J. He was probably the same John Cawdey
who died in Middletown, 1761. at a very great age. He was twice married, first
to Elinor Earle. Burlingti'U, X. J.. April 12, 1729, and the name of his second
wife was ^largaret, as we learn from a deed executed May i, 1754, to which
it was attached as a witness. In one place he is spoken of as a "tatmer." in
another "yeoman." . He had a son John, in England, when he mafle his will,
1705. but was at home in Middletown, April 22. 1768. w hen he executed a power
of attorney to Thomas Cawley. John Cawley. tiie elder, had also a daughter,
Elizabeth Pratt, a grand-daughter. Sarah Cawley. and grandson, John Cawley,
the younger, who lived and died in Xorthampton township, whose will was

12 Amont; the earliest ni.irriacre^ in Midilli-t(-iun were: Ilcnry B.nkcr to Mary
Rade-liff, lit mo. 7!h, Kxi.', F.diuuiid Bennett tn Elizabeth Potts, ist mo. Stli, 1685, Walter
Eriflgnian to Blanch (^i iistahle. 1st nio. jih. idSd. John t)tter to Mary Blinston. jnJ mo.
rth, 1686, Abraliam Wharloy to D.unarias Walley. 61I1 mo, ."^ih, io.'^7, Thonuis Stack-
li'V.ise to Grace lliaton, 5th mn. 3th. lU'^'^, William Croa_-.ilale tip Eli.'abeth Hayhurst,
6;h n:o. i.nh, lu^'.j.

134

HISTORY OF Bi-CKS COi'XTV

maJ.e August 23, 176S. His widnw, Sarali Cawley, was married to Joshua
Dungan, April 3, 1773. and anothtr Sarah Ca\vle\ , proluiljly his sister or
daughter, married John I'enton, Northampton township, June 20. 1773, at the
Southampton I'.aptist church. From the data at hand it is impossible to trace
the descendants of father or son. A Thomas Cawley settled in Xorthampton
county, and died there August 5, 1806. John R. Cawley, born 181 1, lived at
Allentown in recent year-, ami Dr. James 1. Cawley is n<jw living at Spring-
town, Bucks county. Alfred C. Willit, a descendant of John Cawley, the elder,
lives at Holmesburg, Philadelphia county.

Thomas Langhorne, a minister among Friends, came from Westmoreland,
England, with a certificate from Kendall monthly meeting, and settled in Afid-
dlctown, 1684. He took uji a large tract below what is now Langhorne, running
to Xeshaniinv, and died in 16S7. His son Jeremiah, who became Chief Justice

M.iXSIOX or JEREMI.iH LASGIIoRXE.

of the Province, was a man of mark and note, and died October 11. 174^.'^
He was a large land owner, his homestead tract on the Durham road and con-
taining eight hunvlred acres, being known as Langhorne Park. He owned two
thousand acres in Warwick and New liriiain, purchased of the Free Socictv of
Traders, two thousand at Perkasie, and a large tract on the IMonococy, no^v in
Lehigh county, then in Bucks. In his will, dated May 16, 1742, he made liberal
provi-ii'-.n for his negroes, of whom he owned a number. Those who had
reached twenty-four years of age were manumitted, others to be set free on
arriving at that age. A few received special mark of favor. Joe, Cudjo and
London were to live at the Park until his nephew, Thomas Biles, to whom it
was left, came of age. with the use of the necessary stock, at a rent of £30 per
annum, and were to supjiort all the women and children on the place. Joe and
Cudjo were given life estates in certain lands in \\'arwick township after they

coiiinii^.-.iriiKil .1 jii-tice of the peace. May JO, 1715. and
conimissiorifr to erect a now jail and court house at

13 Jeremiah La!ic;hnrne w
again Scpteniiier 17, 171"; wa
Ntwtown, 172.) ; was speaker of tlie Colonial Council ; succeeded Robert Asheton, third
justice of the Supreme ccuirt. Scptenihor ij. l~jf^: \vi= appointed second justice, .\pril 8,
1731, and chief juilice, Aueust 0. 1739. which he held to hi< death.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 135

left the Park. Langhorne flirocted honsei to he built for some of his negroes,
with fifty acres and stock allotted to each, during their lives. He was careful
to !-pecify that the negroes should work for their support.

The Langhorne mansion stood on the site of the dwelling late of Charles
("ishorn. two miles above Hulnieville. The old road from Philadelphia to
Trenton, crossing Xeshaminy just above Hulnieville, made a sweep round by the
Langhorne liouse, and thence on to Trenton. The part of the road from
Xeshaminy to Langhorne was probably vacated when the Durham road was
opened down to Bristol. The Park embraced farms of the late Charles Osmond,
George Ambler, Caleb X. Taylor and probably others. The mansion was built
witli two wings. The furniture in the parlor in the west end, in the chamber
overhead, and in the closet adjoining, was not to be removed, but pass with the
real estate as an heirloom. The Park was advertised in the Pennsylvania
Packet, Philadelphia, May 3, 178S, to.be sold at private sale, and a full descrip-
tion of the pro])erty given. "It contains nine hundred and twenty-nine acres
of excellent land, arable and meadow, abounding with several streams of water,
an.; rcmarkabl}- fine springs. The mansion house, kitchen and out offices, suit- ,
able to accommodate a large and genteel family ; the prospect delightful and
capable of the first improvements ; nineteen miles from the city of Philadelphia,
and five from Newtown, the countv seat." The buildings were sold with four
hundred and fifty-two and one-half acres, to a committee of tlie Philadelphia
meeting of Friends, Henry Drinker, Samuel Smith and Thomas Fisher, for the
purpose of estiblishing there a Friends" Boarding and Day School, but, not being
pleased with the situation, the property at Westtown, Chester county, was se-
lected for this purpose, 1794. The Langhorne property was subsequently sold
by the meeting at public sale to Andrew Kennedy for a low price. The part
unsold was the portion, forty-seven acres, called "Guinea." About 150 acres in
the southwest corner of the tract, were enclosed by a stone wall, long since
removed to build stone fences. On the top the stones were set on edge.
"Fiddler Bill," the last of the Langhorne slaves, lived some time among the ruins
of an old house on the premises, but w as finally taken to the poor house, wliere
he died.

The villages of Middletown are Langhorne, formerly Attleborough, Hulnie-
ville, Langliorne JNIanor, Oxford Valley and Eden, all post villages. Langhorne,
the oldest and largest, is at the intersection of the Durham, Philadelphia, and
Trenton roads, four miles southeast of Xcwtown, and seven from Bristol. Tlie
latter road branches just south of the village, one branch leading to Philadel-
phia via Feastcrville, the other crossing the Xeshaminy at Oregon, runs via the
Trappe tavern to meet the F.ustleton pike. .\ third important road, that from
Yardley, falling into the Durham road at the upper end of the village, afforded
the earliest outlet for the .settlers of Lower ^Lakefield to reach Philadelphia. '''-
Langhorne, located at the intersection of these roads, was an important point
in the lower section of the county at an early day. It was called "Four Lanes
End," for many years, because four roads ended there. It is not known when
the name "Attleborough" was given to it. In old documents, where the name
is met with, it is written "Attlebury." which we believe to be the correct
spelling. It is built on a broad plain from which Uiere is a fine view on all sides.
and is ap[)roached on the east and south and west up a considerable rise." The

13' !■ ''Jpcni'd 1721.

14 Three of these bnroiiK'hs, Langhorne Manor, Langhorne and Eden are within
less than two iniUs of each other.

136 HISTORY Of BUCKS COl'XTY.

Philadelphia & liound lircok railroad runs at the I'ui't ui I.anghomc hill, kss
than a mile east of the village, and at die foot of the hill to the -west, is a public
drinking- f'Mintain dedicated to "railh, Hope and Charity." Langhorne is con-
nected by trolley with Xewtown and ilristol, while the Pennsylvania Ciit-Oft
road connects it with Trenton and Xorristown.

While the Ilulnic family, Aliddletown, are of undoubted English ancestry,
their descent from the Seiguor de H.ulmc, who came over with William the
Conqueror, and their birtli place in England, are not so clear. The first of the
family to settle in Ducks County was George Hulme and his son George Huluu-,
Jr., who took up 200 acres in this township and were members of Ealls r\Ieet-
ing. George liulnie, Jr. was twice married, first to Naomi Palmer, 10 2, 170S,
and then to her sister Ruth Palmer, 10 mo., 1710, the first wife dying IJOO-
The Falls Meeting, objecting to the second marriage, it was referred to the
Quarterly 3.1eeting which reported against it, but they married in spite of this.
George Hulnie, the elder, died 1714, and George, Jr., 1729. whose will was exe-
cuted June 9, and proved January 8, 1730. The children of George Ilulme,
Jr., by his second wife, were Eleanor, Naomi. John, who first married Mary
Pearson, daughter of Enoch Pearson aiid ^Margaret Sniith, and for second
wife. Elizabeth Cutler, daughter of John Cutler, 1796; and Hannah, who m.'ir-
ried John >,Ierrick. Ruth, widow of George Hulme, married \\'illiam Sliall-
cross, 1732, and was '"dealt with for frivolous dress." The children of John
and .Mary Pearson Hulme were, Rachel, born 10, 15, 1745, John, Elizabeth,
(^leorge and Hannah. John Hulme, Jr., married Rebecca ;Milnor, daughter of
William Milnor, Falls township, and lived for a time on his father-in-law's
farm on the northern boundarv of Pennsbury ]\Ianor, but subsequently purchased
a part of Israel Pembertou's tract near Fallsington, upon which he lived until
i7'-)6. when he exchanged the farm with Joshua Woolston for the !\lilfor(l
mills, and sixty-eight and three-fourths acres of land belonging thereto am.l
removed there. He afterward acquired other considerable tracts adjoining the
mill property in the growing village of Milford, which was soon called Huhno-
ville. At his death, 1S18, he and his sons, George, Isaac, Samuel, Joseph anil
sons-in-law. Joshua Canby and George Harrison, practicallv owned tlie whole
town, but his son Joseph, who was the storekeeper, failed, 1839, and ruined his
brother who was the miller. William, eldest son of John Hulme, died i8nw,
leaving a son. Joseph R. and two daughters. He was commissioned justice of
the peace, January i, 1806. His father, John Hulme, was commissioned justice
of the peace, September i, 1789, for seven years. John Hulme was one of the
most prominent, wealthy and intUiential men of his time in Bucks county.

Thomas Stackhouse anil wife Margery arrived in the Welcome, K'jSj. an.d
settled on three hundred and twelve acres on the Neshaminy, where Langhorne
standi. He was born at Stackhouse. Yorkshire. 1635. His wife, a Heahurst,
d\ing II mo. 15. ir)82. he married Margaret. Christopher Atkinson's wideiw.
I mo. 1702, and removed to Pensalem where he died 1706, without descendant^.
The Stackliouses of Pucks are flesccniled from Thomas and John, nephews of
the Welcome immigrant, who came over prior to 16S5. Thomas married Grace
Heaton. daughter of Robert and Alice, of Middletown Meeting, 7 mo. 27, Ki^^S;
second wife .\nn, widow- of Edward Ma\OP, i mo. i, — —and third wife Doroth}'.
widow of Zebiilon Heston, Wrightstown. Thomas Stackhouse was the father
of fourteen children and died 4 mo. 26. 1744. John Stackhouse married 1-^liza-
beth Pearson or Pier.son, 7 1110. 1702, and had nine children. She died 1743 and
he. 1757, anil both were buried at Middletown. The children of Thomas and
John Stackhi'UNe, in tlie fir>t generation intermarried with the families of Clark,

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. lyj

Stone, Wilson, Longshore, Copeland, Gilbert, Watson, Plumley, Cary. Haring,
Janney, ^litchell, Stephenson, Tomlinsbn and others and their descendants are
almost legion. The Baileys of Buckingham, are descended from Jacob, second,
son of Thomas Stackhouse, and Ann Alayos, born 8 mo. 25, 1713, married 3
mo. 25, 1742. Hannah Watson, daughter of Amos and Mary (Hillborn)
Watson, had four children.

As we have already remarked. Christian and Abraham \'anhorne and Will-
iam Huddleston were among the earliest settlers in the township about where
Langhorne stands. About 1730-35 Joseph RichardsoTi opened a store in the
west end of the buikling now the tavern, then a small hipped-roof brick and
stone house, where he kept until 1738. He then erected the stone house on the
southwest corner, where the late Joshua Richardson lived and died, where he
opened a store in the southeast room. The goods were brought by boat to
Bristol, and then hauled up the Durham road. This store commanded a large
country trade. The new dwelling was a costly and fine house in its day. It is
related that when partly finished Xix. R. took a friend to look at it. As he was
about to go away without saying anything, Mr. R. ventured to remark : "Thee
does not say what thee thinks about it;" to which the friend replied, "all I
have to say is, take care thee does not get to the bottom of thy purse, before
thee gets to the top of thy house." I\Ir. Richardson died, 1772, the owner of a
large landed estate. Tlie brick house, on the southeast corner, was built by
Gilbert Hicks, 1763. After his flight it was sold, with the forty acres of land
attached, to William Goforth, During the Revolution^''^i the house was used as
^n hospital, and about one hundred and tifty dead bodies were buried in the lot
opposite Joseph Stackhouse's, then a common. The ground was frozen so
hard the graves could not be dug the proper depth, and when spring opened the
stench was so great the lot had to be tilled up. In 17S3 a tract on the east side
of the village was laid off in building lots, one- hundred in all, and streets
projected through it. It was called "\Vashington \''illage," and lots were do-
nated to the three denominations of Baptist, Episcopalian, and Presbyterian.
Among the streets were Lamb, Montgomery, \Iacpher50n, MacDougall and
Willett, with a few alleys."'^ The hopes of the projectors were never realized
and ■'Washington \'illage" is now principally occupied by negroes.

The Newtown, I.anghorne and Bristol trolley railway was chartered, 1S95,
and a section built the following spring from the upper end of Langhorne to
the r.ound Brook railroad, about a mile. The cars began to run April 15. 1896,
and the track was shortly extended to Hulmeville and Bristol; In 1897 Lang-
horne \,as connected with Newtown, and in the spring of 1900 the road was
finished and opened to Doylestown and the connection is now completed between
the enmity scat and Bristol, and the travel increases. In 1898 considerable
industrial improvement set in at Langhorne. Frederick Rumpf, formerly of
Philadelnhia, erected a linen factory, 402 by 40. a portion of it three stories
liigh. Several kinds of goods are manufactured, and employment given to a
number of hands. Mr. Rumiif has also built houses for his employes, and
dwellings of a most costly style.

While Langhiirnc was known as Attleborough, about sixty vears ago. a
flourishing high school was opened. It had its birth in the "Middletown Board-

14^4 Probably in tbo winter of 17713-77.

l.t'4 On the map nuule of this projected .uMition to "Four l.ants F.iul," it is c.-i!Icd
"Wasliington Villacso m .-\ttlchury." and Gufonh, its originator, styled Itiinself "Pro-
priet'ir :ind Layer Out." See deed Iii.uk. pp. .U'O. ,l.(i.

138 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV

iiig Scliool Association." the first rccorilcd meeting being heUl July lo. 1S34.
when steps were taken to erect suitable buildings. Lots were bought in August, ot
Henry Athcrton, Waller M. JJatemaii and C. L. Richardson, at a cost of S450
and contracts made. The carpeiUer work was done by Thomas Dakcr aiiii
Thomas Blakey, Attlcborough, the mason work by Evan Groom and Hazel
Scott, Southampton, for sixty-two and onedialf cents a perch, and the brick
work by GiUingham & Small, Bristol, for three dollars per thousand. The di-
mensions of the building were 70x50 feet, three stories high. The view from
the top is very fine, over a beautifull\- variegated and highly cultivated coimtry.
The school was incorporated, 1S35. In 1837 an effort was made to get an ap-
propriation of two thousand dollars from the State for the "trustees of the
Aliddletown School Association" but failed because, in former years, the
Newtown Academy liad received four thousand dollars. Ikfore 1862 the school
was known as the "Attleborough Academy,"' although called "Minerva Semin-
ary" on the books. The property was sold by the sheriff, 1846, and bought by
four of the stockholders, who had claims of three thousand dollars against it.
They sold it to Israel J. Graham, 1S62, who re-established the school and called
it "Bellevue Institute." William T. Seal bought it, 1S67, and maintained a
school there several years. The buiKling, now owned by Winficld Scull, Phila-*
delphia, is occupied as a summer boarding house. .Among the pup!l.-> educated
at this school, in early years, were John Price ^\'etherill, Dr. Samuel Wcthtrili
and the late Hon. Samuel J. Randall. The building was mainly erected through
the exertion of Dr. Thomas Allen, Arnold Alyers and Aaron Tomiinson, all
of ^iiddlet(nvn, at a cost of six thousand dollars, and was first opened for a
school 1836 by the Rev. Alexander T. Dobbs, who was succeeded by the Rev.
William Mann and James Anderson. Langhorne has a flourishing Friends'
school, estalilished about 1792, in charge of a committee of INIiddlelown Pre-
parative meeting. The village, also, has a public graded school in a two story
brick, erected for the pur[iose. I-^ew county towns of the size are sujiplied with
better schools.''*

Attleborough was incorporated into a borough and before the name was
changed, Deccnilier 7, 1874; John W'ildman was elected the first Chief Burgess,
ani.l Harvey G. Wells, James \\'. Xcwbold, Joseph K. Harding. Dr. James U.
Canby, Joseph R. Hibbs and Edward C. Xield, councilmen. After the Bound
Brajk railroad was opened for travel, June 15, 1S76, the station was called
"Langhorne," and the name of the village changed to the same shortly after-
ward. The borough has an estimated population of 1,500; contains a number of
handsome private dwellings, two Friends' meeting houses, Hicksites and Ortho-
dox, three churches. ?\Iethorlist built 1829. and rebuilt 1S52 ; Presbyterian, 1893,
and African : a flourishing library ; a pubHc inn ; several stores ; newsj-iaper ; Odd
Fellows Hall, with lodge rooms; public hall, etc. The library was organirred
iSoo, and incorporated 1802, to which Afiss Williamson has given an income
from four thousand dollars for. the purchase of books. A post office was opened.
1805, and Robert Croasdale was appointed postmaster.

Hulmeville, on the left bank of Neshaminy where the road from Trenton
to Philadelphia intersects that from isewtown to Bristol, takes its name from

15 Anna E. Dickenson, who achieved distinction as platform orator and teacher,
taught lier first school in Middlctown at W'ildnian's Corner. She was e.xamined by
County Supirintendent W'ni. 1(. Jnlin^on, for te;;i:her's ctrlificile at Laurel Hill. Bri'itol
t iwnship, .Xpril, iSfe: aiul made her first effort as a public speaker by lecturini:; at Xew-
town and Vardley in Xoveniber same year. Mi^s Dickenson was then but 17 years obi.

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTY. 139

John Hulmc. lie settled there about the close of the eighteenth centur}-, ]_)ur-
cliiisiiig a tract of land with water privileges, taking possession, 1792. The place
was tiien called Milfortl and had only one house. The town site was laid out
1-96-99, a post otlice opened with a weekly mail, and the name of the place
changed to that of the new owner. It was called Hulmeville Landing, 1812, by
nianv. Additions were made to the corn and grist mills ; lulling mill, merchant
tlmir and saw mills erected, followed by a machine shop. In a few years the
village had grown into a place of thirty dwellings with stores, work shops,
etc., etc., and a stone bridge was built over Xeshaminy. As ^\t. Hulnie's
sons grew up he taught theni practical business habits and mechanical pursuits,
gave them an interest in all that v>'as carried on and settled them around him.
l'"or several years ^Ir. Hulme would not allow a public house to be
ojiened, entertaining travelers at his own dwelling, but when the growth
of the village forced him to change his policy, he built a tavern but
prohibited a bar. After the war with England. 1812-15,-a crash came, and dis-
aster overtook the sons. The population of Hulmeville was 376, 1S80, and 41S
1890. A new iron bridge was erected here. 1899, the spans making 430 feet.

The author is indebted to Edmund G. Harrison"' for the following incident
connected with Hulmeville, his birthplace. About 1S34, two little girls, of six
and seven years, respectively, lived in the village — one, Martha Crealy, an or-
phan child, adopted by Mary Canby, widow of Joshua Canby, who lived in the
dwelling lately owned and occupied by Elisha Praul ; the other, Mary Parsons,
who lived with her aunt, }ilary Nelson, on the site of William Tilton's residence.
The girls pla\ed in the yard, around the house, at toss and catch with acorns :
both died before they reached ten years, leaving monuments to their memory
without knowing it. In each yard a little oak sprang up and in the years that
have intervened, developed into splendid specimens of trees ; that in Mr. Til-
ton's yard being a red oak, twelve feet eight inches in circumference and ninety
feet high ; the one in Elisha Praul's a Spanish oak, ten feet three inches in cir-
cumference and ninety-six feet high, measured four and one-half feet above
ground. The trees are seventy feet apart, and the lower limbs intertwine,
forming an arch over Xeshaminy street, the Doylestown and Bristol trolley
running uinler it. What more lieautiful and suggestive memorial? The trees
are named Martha and Mary, respectively.

In the autumn, 1809. when Josiah Ouincy, Boston, with his family, was on
his v.ay to Washington to attend Congress, he stopped over night at Hulme-
ville. and was entertained by !Mr. Hulme. Mrs. Ouincy made a flattering notice
of Mr. Hulmc in her journal, and afterward spoke of him as one of the nm^t
practical philosophers she had ever met. and that "his virtues proved him truly
wise. ' Mr. Hulme rose from poverty to wealth and influence by the force of

16 Eilmuiul G. Harrison, son of George Harrison, was born at Hiilnieville, M.ny 2.
iSiS, and his mother a daugliter of John Huhue, who established industrial work on the
Xeshaminy one hundred years ago. The father of Edmund G. was a prominent man,
and twice elected to the Assembly. The son spent several years at Asbury Park, on the
Jersey Coast, and from tlKTe went to Washington to take charge of the Roads Division
of the Agricniti'.ral Department, where he died F'ebrnary 6. igoi. In the sunrner of 1900
he put down a specimen road from Doylestown to the F.irm School. Mr. Harrison
founded the Dclan'orc Valley Advance, 1877; was deputy collector of Internal Revenue,
and during the Civil War served a tour of duty in Capt. Burnett Landreth's state miiitia.
His first public honor was a s-at in the legislature, to wliich he was elected, 1S54, at tlie
age of twentv-six

140 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

his own character. He became one of the most respected men in the county,
was several times elected to the Legislature, first president of the Farmers'
bank of Bucks cmmty, and held other positions of honor and trust. He die:!,
1817. ' ''

The following extract from the "'Memoir of the Life of Eliza S. Quincy,"
Boston, dausrhter of Jcsiah Quincy, tells of the visit to Hulmeville. "In the
autumn of iSog, Mr. and Mrs. Quincy left Boston for tlie City of Washington,
with two of their children and three servants. They traveled in their carriage
with four horses and in passing through New Jersey (Pennsylvania) they
stopped over night at Hulmeville, a town situated on the Xeshaminy, four miles
from the Delaware. In the evening 'Mr. Hulme, the proprietor of the place, a
venerable man in the Quaker dress, visited them, attended by two of his sons.
He informed Mr. Quincy that he had often read his speeches in Congress, and
came to thank hin: for the views and principles he supported. In reply to in-
quiries, Mr. Hulme said: 'When I purchased the site of this village, fourteen
years ago. there was only one dwelling house upon it ; now there are thirty,
besides stores and workshops, a valuable set of mills, and a stone bridge oNcr
the Xeshaminy. Here I have established a numerous family. I might have
educated one of my sens as a lawyer, or set one up as a merchant, but I had
not propertv enough to give them all such advantages : and I wished to make
them equally attached to each other, and useful members of society; one of
them is a miller, another a storekeeper, a blacksmith, a tanner, a farmer, a
coachmaker, all masters of their respective employments and they all assist one
another. I have been rewarded by their good conduct and grateful affection.
No one envies another. I have never heard an expression of discontent. W e
live like one family and my children and grandchildren are the comforts of my
old age.'

"The ne.xt morning ^.Ir. Hulme attended Mr. and I\Irs. Quincy to see his
mills and improvements. They were delighted with his arrangement, and. when
the hour of ])arting came, took a reluctant leave of their new friend, \vho hatl
highly^ excited their admiration and respect."

The descendants of Mr. Hulme kept up a correspondence with Josiah
Quincy and family for many vears. numerous letters passing between them.

.According to Holme's map, the site of Hulmeville was covered by Penn's
grant to Henry Paulin, Henry Paxson, and William Carter. The original name
was Milford. derived from "mill-ford." the mill at the ford across the Xeshaminy,
the first erected on that stream and driven bv its waters. The mill, of stone. Iniilt
prior to 1725. stood just below the wing-wall of the present bridge. "''^ A plaster-
mill \\ as connected with it, and subsequently a woolen-mill. The erection of the
dam across the stream prevented shad running up which greatly offended
the Holland settlers of North and Southampton who -made several attempts
to tear it away. The town site was first laid out into building lots in 1799. and

l6'< Prnh.-ihly the oldest mills on the lower Xeshaminy, erected .at Hulmeville ahoiit
1 7 JO, both grist .ind saw. The old foundation.-; \vere exposed many years ago, when Silas
Barkley made e.tcavations for a x.ew mill. The old mills were burned down, 1829, flonr
and plaster mills and woolen factory. The saw mill ceased mnniiifj, i8,?4. In di.cr.Ejiiit; for
the foundations of the new mill the water wheel of the old one was f"Und. The present
brid.cc over the Xeshann'iiy at Hulmeville replaces the last of the structures, built 1865,
af'.cr the prcat flood. Henry Mitchell was one of the original owners of Milford milis,
in partnership with .Tereniinh L.-iuyhorne. Stnffcll \'ansant. John Piuniley and r.arthoK>-
mcw Jacobs, and a-sisted in )>uildinij them.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 141

ncraiii in 1S03. Its incorporation into a boroug'h, in iSjJ, gave it an impetus
forward, and since then the improvements have been quite rapid. Among the
industrial establishments of Hulmeville are a cotton factory, erected 1S31, two
vears after the old woolen factory and grist and merchant-mills were binned,
wiierc one thousand pounds of cotton yarn" were turned out daily, a grist-mill,
antl large weaving shop and coverlet factory, and the custcMnary mechanics.
In the village there are two churches, the Episcopal, founded 1S31, and ^vlcthod-
i.-t, 1S44, ^ public and a private school, lodges of Odd Fellows, Knights of
I'Nthias, and Good Templars, Young IMen's Christian Association, two build-
ing associations. Fire Insurance company, organized, 184.2, a manufacturing
company, etc. Johnson's building contains a handsome hall that will seat three
hundred and fifty persons, with stage, drop curtain, etc. The bridge across
Xeshaminy, four hundred and twenty-five feet long, rebuilt after the freshet of
1SO5, is said to have been the highest bridge spanning the stream. Stage and
trolley connect with the Philadelphia and Trenton, and Philadelphia and Bound
Brook railroad. Beechwood cemetery, a handsomely laid out burial place, is lo-
cated on the brow of the hill on the south bank of Xeshaminy.

Grace Episcopal church, Hulmeville, was formerly a mission station of
St. James" church, Bristol. A Sunday-school was organized about 1826. and
occasional service held in the old school-liouse. A subscription, to raise funds
for "aa Episcopal church edifice," was started July 18, 1S31, naming George
Harrison, G. W. Rue, and William Johnson trustees. The principal subscribers
were Reverend Greenbury W. Ridgeley, who studied law with Henry Clay,
George Harrison, Elizabeth and Hannah Gill, and Estlier Rodman, each one
Inmdred dollars, besides many others of fifty dollars, and less. The building
\vas commenced September 16. 1831, finished Oct. 21, a plain stone structure 60
by 40 feet, and consecrated July 3, 1S37. In 1866 the church was remodeled
and enlarged, a two-story Sunday school-room erected in the rear, and a tower
added to the church the following year. The cost of irapro\ements was about
four thousand dollars. Mr. Ridgeway was the first rector. A post-ofiice was
established at Hulmeville, 1809. and Isaac Hulme appointed postmaster. A
public library was organized the winter of 1877.

The third village of Mitldletown, Oxford Valley, a place of twenty-five
families, is situated at the intersection of the roads leading from Bristol to Dol-
ington, and from Langiiorne to Trenton, on the south side of Edgehill. It was
originally settled by the Watsons, who owned a large tract of land around it,
but all except one of the name have disappeared and their broad acres fallen
into other hands. The ancient name was O.xford, supposed to have been so
(.ailed from a primitive-looking ox on the tavern sign, and a bad ford over the
creek that runs through the place, ^\■hen the post-oftice was established. 1844,
the hamlet was called C)xford Valley. Of late years there has been considerable
improvement, and a number of new buildings erected. Two of the old houses,
one hundred and fifty years old, are still suiniling. Among the buildings are
a sclnKil-house, church, public hall and a mill. This locahtv, or near it, was
proliably "Honey hill." the original home of the Watsons.

The excellent water'privileges along Xeshaminy led to the carlv erection
of mills. Tliere was a mill in the township as early as about 1703. but its loca-
tion is nnlai'.^v.n. although it is probably the ruins of the mill on the farm of
Moses Knight, a mile below Langhorne. are the remains of it. Heaton's was
one of tlie earliest mills on this stream, and supposed to have stood on or about
the site of \'ansant"s mill. Timothy Roberts owned a fiour niiU on Xcshaniin\-
some years before tiie nii.MIe of the eighteenth centur\. and 1749 belonged to

142 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

Stephen Williams. Williams iiad a wharf and store-house at [Margaret yr.hii-
soii's landing on the creek, whither he hciuled tlour to be shijiped in boats t-r
tlats. In dry times the ])eople of Llrisiol hauled their corn to this mill t(/ he
ground.'' ^litchell's mill, on Xeshaminy opposite Oregon, then called L'^u\-
fort's ford, was an early one, and rebuilt, 1795. William Rodman rebuilt Grow-
den's mill," I7''''4. Jes>e Comfort's mill at iiridgetown, between Newtown and
Langhonie, r;aii<i among the old mills in the lower end of the county, having
been built about 173 1 or 1732.

Samuel Stockton White, born in Ilulmeville, 1S22, became a distinguishc 1
dentist and manufacturer of dentists' supplies. He began life poor, worked
bis way to distinction and died worth a mdlion. He learned his trade with his
uncle J. Wesley Stockton, on \'ine street, and carried on business in Phila-
delphia. He died December 30, 1899.

At the settlement of the county, two important fords were opened across
Xeshannny, and in use for many years, Galloway's ford and Ualdwin's. The
former and upper one led across the stream from the Growden place, Densaleni,
to the Langhorne [Manor House, 2\lidciletown ; the latter lower down near the
head of tidewater below NewportN'ille, near b'lushing, where the Bristol roail
cro>.-ed extending through eastern and northern Bensalcm, thence northwest
])arallel to the [Montgomery Co. Line and Street road. At an early day a stage
road crossed Galloway's ford, from Philadeljihia to Trenton via Bustleton, Four
l.anes End, Oxford to Kirkbride's ferry on the Delaware. The Galloway
ford road was vacated forty years ago, but shortly reopened for the purpose of
bridging the stream, but this was never done. In the course of time these
fords and others in the cuuiU\- were superceded by bridge^;. One of the earliest
.'\cts of Congress declared Xe^haminy a navigable river from its mouth to
Baldwin's ferry.

Middletown was well provided with local roads at an early day, and in-
creased according to the wants of her inhabitants. In 1712 a road was laid out
from John Wildman's to the Durham road. The King's highway, from Lang-
horne to Scott's ford on Poquessing, was widened to fifty feel, 1753. There was
a jury on it, December, 1748, probably to relay and straighten it. In 1795 the
court was asked to siraigluen it from the falls to the Xeshaminy via Lang-
horne. A road frrmi Yardley's ferry to the bridge over Xeshaminy, was laid
out. 1767, but probably it was only the relaying and straightening of the road
already running between these (joints. The old road, Philadelphia to Xew \ork
via Kirkbride's ferry on the Delaware, passed through Hulmeville. crossing
the Xeshaminy at Cialloway's ford, and by Langhorne and Oxford X'alley. In
1749 a road fifty feet wide, and used as a stage road, was laid out from the
Ciiicken's-foot, half a mile abi>ve I""allsington, through Huliucville and acrr>ss
Xeshaminy to the Bristol ])ike at Andalusia, shortening the road between
Philadelphia and Xew Vurk abnut four miles. What is now Main street, Hulme-
ville, was laid out, 171J9. The bridge across Xeshaminy was built soon after ihc
road was laid out from Cliicken's-foot, 1794. Several roads concentrated at
Hulmeville in early times. ([)n the eastern edge of the borough, near the Meth-
odist church, was a deposit of imn ure (piite extensively worked a hundred years
agn by a i^hiladelphia ci.inipany. whither it was shijiped and smelted. In T702

17 Xcitiicr the location ot the mill, ii.-.r tlio wharf and kindiiig, arc known. Gallo-
'- ford u.TS bau-oen UreiJnn ami 1 iiihiicvillt;.
iS On N\-h,Tniiiiv.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 143

Julin Hulme had a direct road laid out from Kirkbride's ferry on the Delaware
via Hulmeville, to the King's Highway, now the Frankford and Bristol turn-
••ike. This became the short line stage road from Philadelphia to New York
via Trenton and Xew Brunswick.

Among the natives of this township, who gained prominence in the world,
was i'eter Peterson \'anhome, a son of one of the two Hollanders of that name
w hu settled near Langhorne, becoming a noted Baptist minister. He was born
August 24, 1719, bred and educated a Lutheran, but embracing the principles
of the Baptists, was baptised September 6, 1741, ordained pastor at Pennypack
June iS, 1747, removed to Pemberton, Xew Jersey, 1763. and to Cape Mav,
1770. He returned twice to Pennypack, and was pastor at Dividing Ridge and
balem, 1789. He married ^^drgaret Marshall, and had eight children. His
eldest son, \\'illiani, was pastor at Southampton, and chaplain in the Continental
army.

In 1825 Arnold reivers, a gentleman from London, bought the old Simon
Gillam farm, IMiddletown. and settled there. He was a cultivated, scholarly man.
lie was engaged in mercantile pursuits at Naples and Trieste, where he was
"agent for Lloyds" several years, married in Antwerp, and, after residing there
a considerable time, came to the United States. His son, Leonard Myers, several
years member of Congress from Philadelphia, was born in INIiddletown. Mar-
don Wilson, born in Byberry, 17S9, and died near Wilmington, Delaware,
1874. spent the greater part of his life in Middletown, carrying on milling at
Xcshaminy crossing, on tlie road from Langhorne to the Buck tavern. He was
a man of ability, integrity and energy, and an advocate of all the reforms of the
day.

Among other prominent sons of Middletown, who live in history, J(^seph
S. Longshore, born 1809 and died 1879-80, is entitled to a niche. He lost the
partial use of one leg when a boy and was lamed for life. Turning his atten-
tion to the medical profession he graduated in medicine from the Universitv of
Penns_\lvania at the age of twenty-four, and practiced for several years at Attle-
borough. In 1850 he established a medical college in Philadelphia for women,
the first of its kind in the world. He was also an ardent advocate of total
abstinence, and an active Abolitionist, at a period when it required no little
courage to declare oneself.

In 1742 there were about one hundred ta.xables in the township, of whum
seventeen were single men. William Paxson and John Praul were overseers
of the poor, the poor-rate being two pence per potnid, and six shillings a head
for single men. The amount of poor tax collected that year was £21. 2s. 6d.
In 1760 the taxablcs had increased to 131, and there were 122 in 1762, a slight
lalling oft'. In 17S4 the population of Aliddlctown was 60S whites and 43
blacks, and 124 dwellings. It was 1,663 i" iSio; 1,891 in 1820; 2,178 in 1830;
and 424 taxables; 2,124 in 1840; 2,223 '" 1850: 2,265 "^ i860, and 2.360 in
1870. of whom 122 were foreign-born; 2.360 in 1880; 2,028 in 1890; 2,214 in
irjoo.

.\mong the accidents recorded in this township was that which happened
to Robert Skirm and wife, in .\]iril. 1809, on their way \.n Philadelphia. In
crnssing Mitchell's bridge over Xcshaminy, the horse leajicd over the railing,
killing Mr. Skirm and badly ininring his wife, .\mong the deaths of aged per-
sons in the past century, in Middlet'nvn, was Sarah Carey, relict of Samuel
Carey. June 7, 1808, in her ninetieth year, .\mong the real estate at "Four
Lanes En<l." belonging to Cilbcrt Hicks at the uutlireak of the Revohuion, and
was conh-cated f'T his ■>pp.i~iti"u to the cau>e of the colonies, was a tavern

144 ' HISTORY Of BUCKS COUXTV.

property. In the advertisement of its s:i!e, it was described as "an old an 1 ac-
customed inn" but nothing- n:ore. It was j)urchased by Gershon Jolinson, \vh">
applied for license at bi-iilemher term, 1780. The location of this tavern decs
not seem to be known.

On rising; ground near Xeslianiiny, and on the farm formerly the proper:-,-
of Doctor Shippen, and now called l-arley, is the old Williamson bur\iiK-;'-
ground, where lie many of the descendants of ancient Duncan Williamson, \\i;o
settled in Bensalem years before William Penn landed on the Delaware.

Middletown, like the other townships of the group of 1692, is devoted 1j
agriculture, and her intelligent farmers live in independence on their well-culti-
vated farms. The Neshaminy and its tribtitaries water her fertile acres, which,
slope gradually to receive the warm rays of the southern sun.^'-'

19 In ilidcllctown town^liip. January. 1S03, a negro man, named "Jack," ihe properly
of Colonel William Chambers, died at the age of one hundred and si.xteen. He was
born, 1699, at the time William Penn was making his second visit to his infant coloiiv,
and as he did not return to England until November, i/or, the negro, while a child, );;jv
have lookeu upon the founder, and there arc a very few people, in Bucks county, oM
enough to have seen negro "Jack," 7i7it> may have actually seen William Penn.

CHAPTER XII.

PEXN' RETURNS TO PEXX5VLVAXIA AND LIVES IN BUCKS COUNTY.—

RE-SURVEY.

1GQ9 TO 1T02.

IVnin sails for Peimbylvaiiia. — James Logan. — Pciin and family live at Pennsbury. —
Expenses nux.lerate. — IJutter from Rhode Island. — Ale, beer, wine. — Tea and coffee.—
The Swedes furnish pork and shad. — Servants emploj'ed. — John Sotcher, Mary Lofty,
Ralph. Nicholas, et al. — Method of traveling. — His barge. — Articles of dress. — Do-
niesUj?^ife. — Marriages at Pennsbury. — Arrangements to return to England. — Great
Indian council. — Indians explain their iilea of God. — Peim and family sail for London.
— Pennsbury left in ch.nr.^e ' f John Sotcher and wife. — Their descendants. — Lord
Cornbury. — William l\'n:i. Jr. — Pennsbury hou>c. — Unhealthy years. — Cutler's rc-
surveys.

William Penii. accompanied by his w it'e. ilaiighter Letitia and James Logan,
private secretary, sailed from England on his second visit to Pennsylvania,
September 3, i6;t9. The vessel reached Philadelphia September 10, and after
^topping there a few days they i)roceeded to Falls township, though Pennsbury
house was not vet finished, t^enn and his family made this their home during
their stay in the colony, while James Logan remained at Philadelphia to attend
to public affairs and look after the interests of the Proprietary.

James Logan, who was destined to play an important part in the early his-
tory of the Province, was the son of Patrick Logan, Liirgan, Ireland, and de-
scended of Scotch ancestry. Bis father was educated for the church, btit,
joining the Friends, his son followed his footsteps. He was a good Latin,
Greek and Flebrcw scholar at thirteen, instructed himself in mathematics at
sixteen, and, at nineteen, was familiar with French, Italian and Spanish. He
was jire-eminent as a man of learning, and his leisure time was devoted to the
sciences. He was a friend to the Imlians, a true patriot and a benefactor to
Pennsylvania. He held several public oftices, incltiding Chief Justice, and he
managed the affairs of the Province with great fidelity and good jtidgment.
His gift of eight hundred acres of land in tliis county to the Loganian library
company, of Philadcl])hia, was m. ire valuable at that day than Aster's to New
York. He died at Stenii^n, near t^iermamr.wn, fJctober 31, 1751, in his seventy-
seventh year.

While the Proprietary and his family lived at I'ennsbury. they were well
siipfilicd with the g.iiul things ..f jjic. There was good cheer at tiie niamuial

146

HISTORY or DUCKS COUXTY

ARMS OF Pt.NN.

mansion for all comers. The sfcward Ijonirju
tlour by the ton, molasses by tlie liog>iit::,';.
>liLTry and canary wines by tiie dozen, cr.iii-
Ijorrio In the bnshel and cider and olives liv
the liarrcl. Tl'.e candles came from Dostun.
anrl butter from Rhode Island. The cellar \v:is
stoeked with several kinds of spirituous and
malt liquors — beer, cider, sherry, Madeira, Ca-
nary and claret. Jn 1861, the year before his
first visit to Pennsylvania, he wrote to Janics
Harrison : "By East goes some wine and stmi!:;
beer. Let the beer be sold; of the wine, some
ma} be kept for me, especially .sack or sue!)
like, which will be better for age," He bought
a little brand\' or rum f(jr the Indians,
on the occasion (if a treat_\- or ofticial
visit. Small-beer was brewed at Penn.--
bury, and now and then a "runnell of
afe" was fetched from Philadelpliia. There was an orchard on the premises, ami
cider was made for family use. Penn was temperate in all his habits. He was
the e-pecial enemy of tobacco, anil ve know of his expending but ten pence for
tile weed while at Pennsbury, probably for an Inrlian visitor. His expenditures
were not extravagant for a gentleman of his rank, his whole ex];enses for two
years lie lived there being but £2,049, P<^nnsylvania currency, \\hile he lived
in elegance, he maiTitained his own ma.xim that "extravagance destroys hos-
[litality and wrongs the poor." He practiced a wise economy in all things.

\\'hile tea and cotlee were not in general use at the beginning of the seven-
teenth century, the family at the manor influlged in these luxuries, sometimes
sending to New York to get them. The Swedes at Philadelphia supplied Penn
with smoked venison, pork, shad, and beef, and the beef at Pennsbury was
roasted in a "dog-wheel."' at least so wrote good Hannah Penn. August (>.
i7iX). William Penn writes James Logan to send "a flitch of our bacon, choco-
late, a cask of middling flour, and some coffee berries, four pounds. .Some tlat
and deep eartherti pans for milk and liacon, a cask of Indian meal. Search i^r
an ordinary side saddle and pillion, and some coarse linen for towels." In Sep-
tember he again writes: "We want rum here, having not a (piarter of a pint
in tlie house among so many workmen ; best, in bottles sealed down, or it mav
be drawn and niixi-d." The great founder knew how to prevent interlopers
poaciiing on the contents of his bottles. Hannah Penn wants "Bettv Webb,"
who appears to have had charge of the town liDUse, to send her "two mops to
wash house with, four silver salts, and ihe two hamlle norringer," besides "tl e
piece of dried I)ecf." The leaden tank at the top of the house and the pijies
gave great trouble, and Penn writes to Logan, "to send up Cornelius Empson's
Tjian speedily if he has tools to mend them, for die house suiters in great rains."
.\ number of servants were employed at Pennsburv to keep up the state
the Proprietnr\ {■.•\uu^ it ne-cssary to maintain, but we have onlv been able to
learn the names of a few of thcni. James Harrison was the chief steward, and
trusted friend of I'emi. from i6.'^2 to his death, in }('<>^7. .\t the close of T('>84,
Penn sent trom rr>i';Td fi^tir servant-, a 'T-.rdcner and three carpenters, one
of the latter j.robably being Henry Gibli^, who u;,s buried at the "Point."

I A wheel in a \,-)x. turned by a dcg.

HISrORV OF BUCKS COUXTV.

14;

November 9, 16S5. Next in importance to Harrison was John Sotcher, who
liUc'l his place after JVnii's death, and Afary I.nfty, the hijiisckeeper. Tlie
i;,irileiier was Ralph Smitli, who died in 1685, and was succeeded by Nicholas,
lull his place was afterward filled by another sent out from England, who re-
ceived his passage and £30 in nione\-, and sixty acres of land at the end of three
\cars. He was to train a man and a bo\'. At tlie same time came out a Dutcii
j. liner and a carpenter. Among the gardeners was a Scotchman, recommended
a? "a rare artist,"' and Hugh Sharp, who received thirty shillings a week while
I'enn was at Pennsbury. Penn directed that the Sc(jtcliman should have three
men under him, and that if he cannot agree with the old gardener, Ralph, he is
to leave to the latter's charge tlie upper gardens and court vards, and to take
charge of the lower grounds himself. In 1700 Penn's coachman was a negro
named John. Among other employes of the manor house were Ann Nichols,
the cook, Robert Leekman, man-servant, Dorathy Alullers, a German maid,
Dorcas, a negrine, Howman, a ranger, who, 16S8, was complained of "for
killing ye said Luke Watson's hogg's," James Reed, servant, Ellis Jones and
wife Jane, with children Barbara, Dorothy, ]\Iary and Jane, who came from
Wales, 16S2, and took up a tract of land near the present village of Bridge-
water, Jack, a negro, probabl}- a cook, whose wife, Parthena, was sold to Bar-
badoes because Hannah Penn doubted her honesty, otherwise she would liave
her up at Pennsbury "to help about washing." There was a "Captain Hans,"
with whom Penn had a difficult}', which had been "adjusted" and he "stays."

In the fall, 1701, Penn got a new hand, and writes Logan that he can
"neither- 'plow nor mow," is good-natured, but swears — a heinous offense with
the great founder. Hugh was steward while John Sotcher was in England
1702, and Peter was assistant gardener, at £30 per annum. Between Penn"s
first and second visits some negroes had been purchased for him, and placed at
Pennsbury as laborers. "Old Sam" was a favorite negro, and "Sue" was prob-
ably his wife. In April, 1703, Penn purchased two servants in England of
Randall Janney, one a carpenter, the other a husbandman and sent them to
Pennsbury. About the same time he sent over Yaft, "to be free after four years
faithful service." and Joshua Cheeseman, an indentured apprentice for two
_\ears. Penn loved him because he was "a sober, steady young man, and will
not trifle away his time," and, had he returned to Pennsylvania, Joshua was
to have been made house steward. Logan was advised that he should "be kept
close to Pennsbury." We learn that old Peter died in August, T702, and Hugh
was married that fall and left as soon as his i)lace could be filled, that one W.
G'lot left in the summer, and Barnes "was good for ncithing." The "distemper"
prevailed that fall, and Logan writes Penn they were short of hands. One,
named Charles, left before his time was up.-' Stephen tiould, whose mother was

2 The Gentleman's MiV^iijinc. of a forgotten date. cont:iins tile follnwing: "Died at
Tluladelphia in iS>5. in Ikt 'uie luimlred and nintli year. Susa-mah Warden, formerly
wife of \'ir:.,;il Warden. i'Wq oi the hon-;e servants of the Kreat William Pciui. This aged
■ttonian was born in William Penn's honse. at T'ennslniry ntanor, March, Ijor, and has
of late been snpported by the Penn family.'' We dmilit the enrrertness of part of this
■statement. In 17.-!,^ Thomas Penn pnrchased, of J. Warder, of lUicks county, a negro,
altcrwarda known a? \'ir!.;il. He wa~ tlien twenty years of aijce, havin;.; been born in
1713. and was ver\ ■■■Id when lie died. He and his wife lived in the kilelicn at Sprin^etts-
biiry. The death referred to, in the Gcntlcinan's M(ii:<i:iiir. was no donht the wife of
'iiis old negro. Vitgil conld not have b^.en :'. hon.^e .--ervant of Wdliam Penn, for he was

,48 HISTORV OF BUCKS COUXTY.

a Penn, was clerk to the Governor, and is spoken of as "an ingenious lad, a gouj
scholar, anil sunicthing of a lawyer."

P'roni the correspondence uf James Logan with Hannah Penn we learn
something of tlie history of William Penn"s servants after his death. In a letter
to her, dated .May 1 1, 1721, he says : '"Sam died soon after your departure hence
(.1701), and his hrother James very lately. Chevalier, by a written order from
his master, had his liberty several years ago, so there are none left but Sue,
whom Letitia claims, or did claim as given to her when you went to England.
She has several children. There are, besides, two old negroes quite worn out,
the remainder of those which I recovered near eighteen years ago, of E. Gil-
bert's estate." He concludes his letter by asking for some orders about the hou^e
"which is very ruinous.''

When William Penn and his family had occasion to go abroad, they trav-
eled in a style benefitting their station. He was a lover of good horses, and
kept a number of them in his stables. He had a coach in the city, a cumbersome
affair, but he probably never used it at Pennsbury on account of the badness of
the roads. He drove about the county, from one meeting to another, and to
visit friends, in a calash which a pamphlet of the times styles "a rattling leathern
conveniency." In August, 1700. he writes James Li>gan to urge the justices to
make the bridges at Pennepecka and Poquessin passable for carriages, or he
cannot gc to town. In his visits to the neighboring provinces and among the
Indians, he traveled on horseback, and as three side-saddles are inventoried
among the goods at Pennsbury, no doubt his wife and daughter accompanied
him sometimes. The. cash-book tells us of the expense of himself and family
going to lairs, and Indian canticocs.. probably gotten up to amuse the Proprie-
tary. His favorite mode of travel was by water, and at Pennsburv he kept a
barge for his own use, boats for the use of the plantation, and smaller boats
used probably for hunting and fishing along the river. The barge was new in
1700: it had one mast and sail, and six oars, with officers and crew, among
whom were George Markham, boatswain, and Michael Larzilere cockswain. It
had an awning to protect the passengers from the sun. and no doubt a jiennant
with the Penn arms, or some other device on it. After he returned to England
it was preserved with great care, and Logan had a house built over it at the
landing. It was only used once again before the arrival of William Penn. Jr..

1703-

W illiam Penn generally made his trii^s between Pennsbury and Philadel-
phia in his barge, and he frequently stopperl on the way to visit his friend
Governor Jennings, at P.urlington. It is relateil in lanney's life of Penn, tint.
on one occasion. Jennings anr! some of his friends were enjoying their pipes.
a practice which Penn disliked. On hearing that Penn's barge was in sight.
they put away their pipes that their friend might not be annoyed, and en-
deavored to conceal from him what they had been about. He came upon them.
however, unawares, and pleasantly remarked that he was glad they had sufficient
sense of propriety to be ashamed of the jiractice. Jennings, who was rarelv at
a loss for an answer, rejoined tiiat they were not ashamed, but desired "to a\-oid
hurting a weak brother."

It would be interesting to know how William Penn dressed while he re-
sided at Pennsbury. a quiet ciii/en of Bucks county, but we have little light on
this subject. The cash-bo. ,k menlic.n.■^ but few articles purch.ased for th'-

only tivc yeari 1 !<1 wluii tlic rn.pricUTry died in England. Ills wife mny liave been hon-
at Peniislmrv,

HlSrORY or BUCKS COCXTV. , 149

Troprietary's personal use, but among them are enumerated, "a pair of stock-
iii<js," at eight ^hillings, and a pair uf "gamboches," or leathern overalls, at
ij. 2S. He incurred the expense of periwigs at four pounds each, and there
is a charge "for dressing the governor's hat.'' The cut of his coat is not given,
but we are warranted in saying that it was not "shad belly."

The heart and hand of \\ itliam Penn were both open as the day, and he
was noted for his deeds of charity. He distributed considerable sums to those
who were needy, and several poor persons were a constant charge on his gen-
erosity. At the manor he kept open house, and entertained much company.
His guests were distinguished strangers who visited i'ennsylvania, the leading
families of the Province, and frequent delegations of Indian chiefs. In July,
1700, Penn was visited by the governors of Alaryland and \'irginia, whom he
entertained with great hosijitality. Logan was directed to prepare for their
arrival, and to notify the sheriffs and other officers of the counties through
which they would pass, to receive them in state. They were probably enter-
tained both in the city and at Pennsbury. Among the visitors at Pennsbury was
Deputy-Governor Hamilton and Judge Guest. In August, 1700. the daughter
of Edwin Shippen was a visitor at the manor, returning to Philadelphia in a
boat with John Sotcher.

The contemporaries of Penn have left but little record of domestic life at
the manor. Isaac Norris says, in a letter written while the Penns resided at
Pennsbury : "The Governor's wife and daughter are well ; their little son is a
lovely babe ; his wife is extremely w'ell-beloved here, exemplary in her station,
and of an excellent spirit, which adds lustre to her character, and she has a
great place in the hearts of good people.'' And again : "Their little son has
much of his father's grace and air, and hope he will not want a good portion of
his mother's sweetness." The "lovely babe" was John Penn, the eldest son of
the founder, by his second wife, and was called "the American," because he
was horn in this country, at the manor house, the 31st of nth month, 1699.
Mrs. Deborah Logan says : "A traditionary account, heard in my youth from
an aged woman, an inhabitant of Bucks county, has just now occurred to my
memory. She went, when a gi'"l, with a basket containing a rural present to
the Proprietary's mansion, and saw his wife, a delicate and pretty woman, sit-
' ling beside the cradle of her infant." In the summer of 1700 the Provincial
council met at the manor house ; Penn had hurt his leg and could not go to
them, hence he caused them to be met with a boat at Burlington, and brought
to him. His wife wrote Logan to get "a little more oil from Aim Parsons," to
apply to the injured limb of the Governor. This was probably the occasir-n of
an Indian treaty, as he orders rum and match coats to be bought for it. There
is a tradition, that when the Indians came to visit at Peimsbury. William Penn
joined them in their sports and games, and ate hominy, venison and roasted
acorns with them. He is said to have matched them in strength and agility, and
no less than nineteen Indian treaties were concluded, and conferences held at
Pennsbury. When William Penn. jr.. was there. 1703. a large deputatic^n <>f
chiefs came to see him. Thonias and John Penn had several conferences with
them at the manor house before the treat)' at Durham, T734, and in AIa\', r735'
they again met the Indians there t^i consider the terms of the "Walking Pur-
chase."

We have record r.f sevor.-d niarriaQcs at Pennsbury. The tirst was that 'if
A\'illiam P.err\-. Kent county, Delaware, to Xaomv Wally, the daughter of Shail-
rack Wally. Xeutoun. the otli of Soptembrr, KiSo ; the second was that of Jolm
-■^otcIuT to Marv Lofty. 1701, and the thinl and la-t of which we have account

i50«

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

was tlie mnrriagc of Clcnicnt-riumstcad, I'liiladclphia, to Sarah Riglit'^n,
tornicrly Riddle, .March, 1704. The latter was attended by WilHam Penn, jr.,
And Judge Monipesson. About the ist of September, 1700, William Penn sciit
a couple of young- tame tuxes to John Askew, a merchant of London. No doubt
Chey were Bucks county foxes, and possibly their descendants yet contribute
to the sport of England's nobility and gentry. In the summer, 1701, Penn visited
tlie Susquehanna to confer with the Indians, no duubt passing up through the
county and crossing the Lehigh between its mouth and ]jethlehem or in tliat
region. He returned by way of Conestoga. The manor was not free from the
'depredations of horse thieves, and while Penn resided there one John W'al.-h
drove off his roan mare and colt and a brown gelding, which gave him occasion
to write to John IMoore, to get the thief indicted, for "it is too much a practice
to think it no fault to cheat the Governor."

William Penn was much interested in agriculture, and loved a rural life.
He designed the island neighboring to Pennsbury, now Xewbnld's or Biddle's
island, for feeding young cattle an;] a stud of mares. In the conveyance of an
island to Thomas Fairman, it was stipulated that Penn should mow it for his
own use, and keep hogs on it until it was drained and improved.

The presence of the Proprietary was now required in England, and he
made his arrangements to return in the fall of 1701, and John Sotcher was to
bring him from Philadelphia, among other things, "his hair trunk, leather
stockings and twelve bottles of r^iadeira wine." He thought at tirst of leaving
his wife and daughter behind, but they protested and he took them with him.
"Previous to embarking for England, William Penn assembled a large com-
pany of Indians at Pennsbury, 10 review the covenants they had made witli Jiim.
The council w as held in the great hall of tlie manor house. The Indians declared
they had never broken a covenant, which they made in- their hearts and not in
their heads. After the business had been transacted Penn made them presents
of match coats and other articles, and afterward the Indians went out into the
court}-ard to perform their worship. John Richardson, a distinguished English
Friend, who was traveling in Pennsylvania, spent two or three days at the
manor liouse and witnessed the council, etc., and thus described their worship :

"First they made a small fire, and then the men without the women sat
down about it in a ring, and wliatever object they severally fixed their eyes on.
I did not sec them move them in all that part of tlieir worship, while they sang
a very melodious hymn, which afi'ected and tendered the hearts of many who
were spectators. When thev liad thus done they began to beat upon the ground
with little sticks, or make some motion with sometliing in their hands, and pause
a little, till one of the elder sort sets forth his hynm. followed by the company
for a few minutes, and tlien a pause ; and the like was done by another, and so
by a third, and followed by the company as at the first, which seemed exceed-
ingly to affect them and others. Having done, they rose up and danced a little
abriut the fire, and partaking with some shouting, like triumph or rejoicing."
When asked what they understood by eternity or a future state, they explained,
through the interpreter, that those who had been guilty of theft, swearing,
lying, murder, etc., went into a very cold country, where they had neither good
fat venison, nor match coats, but those who died innocent of these offenses went
into a fine warm country where they had good fat venison, and good match
coats. They explained their idea of God by making several circles on the
grc>und, each succeeding one being ^ni:dler, when they jjlaeed Penn in the mid-
dle circle so that he could see over all the others. He w:is made to represent the
Almighty overlnoking all the earth.

HISTORV OF BUCKS COL'XTV

When William Peiin was makint^ his arrangements to return to Engi^.nd,
he proposed leaving" Pennsbury in charge of John Sotcher and Mary Lofiy.^
John came to America with I'enn, 1701, and sti;od [o him in the double rehiti. ^n
of servant and friend. He and ^lary equally enjoyed the confidence and
respect of the great founder, and I'enn wrote him repeatedly with directions for
the management of the estate. He said they are "as good servants as any in
America." At Falls meeting, September 4. 1701. John announced his intention
of taking Mary to wife, and Joseph KirkbriJe and 2^1ary Sirket were appointed
to examine the matter and report at the next meetmg. William Penn, pre-eiit
at the meeting, stated that as he proposed leaving his attairs at Pennsbiiry in
their hands, and, as the season hurried his departure, he desired to see the mar-
riage accomplished before he left the country. The meeting was adjourned one
week to give the committee time to examine the case and report, and Phineas
Pemberton, Joseph Kirkbride, Richard Plough and Samuel Dark were ap-
pointed to draw the certificate. The committee making a favorable report, and
a certificate from Penn and his wife being read, the monthly meeting, held the
Sth of October, gave its consent to the marriage. The certificate bears date
October 16, and is witnessed by sonie of the leading men of the Province, inclui.l-
the Governor, wife and daughter.* The marriage took place at Pennsbury. and
is the only one William Penn is k!iown to have attended in this county.^ Letitia
made the bride a present of a chest of drawers that cost £y. Penn and his wile
took a certificate from Falls meeting, while their daughter Letitia took h.ers
from Philadelphia. The latter set forth, that to the best of their knowledge
"shcj is not under any marriage engagement.''

'John and Mary Sotcher" had four children, Hannah, Mary, .\.nn and
Robert. Hannah married Joseph Kirkbride, 1720, Mary, }iIahlon Kirkbrile,
1724, Ann married Mark Watson, 172S, and Robert married }.Iercy Brown out
of meeting, 1731, and was dealt with. They were the great-grandparent? >'i the
mother of the late Anthony Burton, Bristol, who had preserved the marriage
certificate. The wife of the late Doctor Cernea, Buckingham, was a descen '.ant
through the Kirkbrides. John Sotcher went to England, 1702, to receive a
legacy left him by his brother, leaving his wife in charge of Pennsbury. He was
a member of Assembly, 1722, and. died, 1729. He was in T'enn's service a'l'jut
ten years, and on leaving, 1709. probably moved onto a jilantation near by in-

.3 This name is found written Lofty, Lottie, and Loftus. hut Lofty i; proiiai>!y t'le
correct spelling:.

4 In ad<litir,n to tlie Pcnns were the following ~i;4naturcs : Samuel Jennings. P'.\m-
cas Pemberton. Joseph Kirkbride, Joseph Langdalc, Richard Gore, Joseph Shippen. Salo-
mon Warder, William Hackett, Richard Cocks. Richard Hough, James Logan. Peter
Worrell, Job Hnnting. Samuel Durges. John Burgcs, and several women.

5 Watson, in his ".Vnnals ot Philadelphia." says that Amor Preston, the ancestor of
the Prcstons of Bucks county, married his wife at or near Pennsbury. in the presence of
William Penn and many Indians, and gives her statement of his appearance and beha-. lor. '
This account has been accepted, but on investigation I find it not true. In Dece!v.l>er,
1710. .-\nii'r PrL-ti.n married Esther Large, on authority granted by Falls meeting, ar.d as
Peim h.iil then bt-en nine >ears in England, he could not have been present at the ceren; ny.
As the marriage is on record in the meeting, the date no doubt is correct. The ernr in
this statement throws doubt on all Mr. Watson says about Mrs. Preston. We sii.ill
have iniTc to say on thi^ subject in a future chapter.

6 She probably cann- frijin Bn-td. England, where she had a brother settled in trade.

152

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

tended tor John Penii, Jr. When Sotcher and Losjan had theii first settlement,
1705, tluro was due the former £65, lVnn>\ Ivania currency.

William I'cnn took pas.-^aye in the ship Dolmahoy, for London, Novemher.
1701, after a residence of nearly two years ai Pennsbury manor house. Hi-
engaged the whole of the cabin for himself and family, at fifty guineas. They
went down the river in a yacht to New Castle, where the ship lay, accompanied
bv James Logan and other friends. They w^ere safe on board the 3d, whence
Penn addressed his parting instructions to his faithful secretary. Logan was
charged to send all the goods at the town house up to Pennsbury, except enoui;li
to furnish a room for himself ; and he was rc(|uested "to give a small treat" in
the Proprietary's name to the gentlemen uf Philadelphia for a beginning to a
better understanding. His lovely seat on the Delaware was in the thoughts
of William Penn to the last, for at the foot of these instructions he writes :
"Remcmlier J. Sotcher and Pennsbury." Had he realized at that moment that
lie had left his home in Bucks county forever, sadder yet would have been liis
thoughts as he sailed down the Delaware. The Dolmahoy had a safe passage,
reaching Portsmouth in thirty days. Among the bills Penn left unpaid, fur
Logan to settle, were the butcher's £Go and the baker's. £So. so nuich was he
straitened for money. Among the articles Penn left at Pennsbury, were two
pil)es of r\Ladeira wine, and, in a letter to Logan, dated September 7, 1705, lie
wants one of them sent to him in England.

Among the distinguished persons who visited Pennsbury after Penn hail
left was Lord Cornbury, Governor of New York, June, 1702, who came to
Burliugton to proclaim Queen Anne. Governor Hamilton and party met him at
Crosswicks, and invited him to visit Pennsylvania. Logan, who was up at
Pennsbury, hastened down to Philadelphia to provide for his entertainment,
and a dinner, "'equal to anything he had seen in America," was prepared for
him and his retinue. He lodged at Edward Shippen's, and the next day he
dined there with his company. On his return up the river from Burlington to
tlie falls, on the 24th, he paid a visit to Pennsbury. Logan sent up wine and
"what could be got." and was there to receive his guest. Lord Cornbury was
attended up the river by four boats besides his own, including the Governor's
barge, and arrived about ten in the morning with a suite of fifty persons. James
Logan, in a letter to Penn. says of the dinner: "With Mary's' great diligence
and all our care, we got leally a handsome country entertainment, which, though
much inferior to those at Philadelphia for cost, etc., yet, for decency and gond
order, gave no less satisfaction." In September, 1704, Lord Cornbury again
visited Pennsbury accompanied by his wife, when they were entertained by
William Penn. jr. At this period the manor was noted for its apple orchard,
and the quality of its "pearmains and golden pippins." Within recent years
the owner exhibited "Pennsbury pippins" at our agricultural fairs.

In 1703. William Penn sent his son William, a wild youth, to Pennsylvania,
hoping the associates of the fatlier would have a good influence over him. He
came commended to the care of James Logan, to whom Penn wrote: "Take
liim immediately away to Pennsbury. and there give him a true state of things,
and weigh down his levities, as well as temper, his resentments, and form his
understanding >;ince all depends ui'-^n it. as well f^ir his future happiness, as in
measure th.c ["mr country. Wal.-h him. outwit him, and honestly over-reach
him for his own gooil. r'i>hinL:'. little journeys 1 as to see the Indians, etc.).
will divert him; no rambling 10 New Vcrk, umt mongrel corresi)ondence."

Mary SotcluT, the liousckfcper.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

153

Logan carried out the instructions, and younp: Ponn was soon under the peace-
ful roof at I'einishury. He brought t%vo or three couple of choice hounds, "for
deer, foxes and wolves,"' and his father wrote to have John Sotcher quarter
them about "as with young Biles, etc." Young Penn received the congratula-
tir'us of his father's friends; an<i. when the Indians heard the young Proprietary
had arrived, they sent a deputation of an hundretl warriors, with nine kings to
Pennsbury, to lender their welcome. They presented liim sonie belts of wam-
pum in proof of their good will. He must have made a favorable impression,
for Samuel Preston wrote Jonathan Dickinson, "our young landlord, in my
judgment, discovers himself his father's eldest son ; his ];erson. his sweetness
of temper and elegance of speech are no small demonstrations of it.'' He spent
most of his time in Philadelphia, where he played some wild capers. Neither
the devotion of Logan, the interest of his father's friends in his welfare, nor the
pure atmos[)here of Pennsbury, had the desired eftVct. He fell again into evil
habits, and returning to England in the fall. 1704. died in disgrace in France,
a few years later. The waywardness of this favorite son almost broke his
father's heart.

After Penn's return tn EnsTJand, Pennsbury was an ever abiding presence in
his mind, and for years he looked forward to his return and making it his per-
manent residence. It was evidently the home of his affections. It was the text
of much of his correspondence with Logan. He wrote him. June 4, 1702:
""■ Pennsbury ! I would be glad to hear how things are there; the family, fruit,
corn ^nil improvements." He wants Logan to keep up things at Pennsbury,
and orders fruit and other trees planted in the fields, at the distance of forty
or fiftV feet ajiart, so as not to hurt the grass nor corn. He continued to send
ou'. shrubs and trees and gave directions how to plant them. In 1705 he writes
to Logan, "not so much neglect the gardens at Pennsburv as to let them run to
ruin ;" and again, not to let him be put to anv more expense on account of
Pennsbury. but onlv "to keep it in repair and that its produce ma_v maintain it."
The manor could not
have been ver\ profit-
able as a farm. fiir. 1705.
John Sotcher cnuld not
make his own wages out
of it. though Logan
wrote IVnn that with
that excei)tiiin it cleared
itself. IVnn evidently
expected to return as late
as 1708. when he wrote
to James Logan, "let
William Walton, that
comes from P.ristol. keep
ali in ririler till we
come."

Penn did n- <t live to re-
turn to hi^ bell >ved I\-nn-
s\lvania. fur which he
li'tigcd fur yi.'ir-. t)Ut
spent the remainder "i

liis da\-- in l-'nelanil. siu'ruunded b\' a sea of troubles and 1
ti.ms. Ill- ilied betwei-n t\\ ■ and three o'clock on the mornins:

c -'■'-''^.■■. .. ' , : ■■ ■

■;.Kv^S.:.i.-..>-..i

HENNS HIRIAI, y\,.\C\:.

154

HISTORY OF BUCKS COCXTV

30tli of Tnlv, 17 18, ami his body was brought from Rnshbc to
Jordan's, iii lUicks, on 5th of August, and there buried in the presence of a kir^
concourse of siiectators. His grave is marked by a stone with his name an.l
date of death. His second wife, Hannah Callowhill. was buried in the sanv,-
grave. In close proximity are ten otlier tombstones marking the resting pkux-s
of his family and friends, with them Isaac Pennington, the son of a Lord-M:iy, r
of London, and Tliomas Eliwood. who read i" .MiUun in the cottage at Chali lU.
after he was struck with blindness, and who suggested to him the writi.ig .'i
"Paradise Regained." It has been thought their persecutions while in lii\
i),duced these I'riends to select this quiet place for burial.

Pennsbury house was kept up several years after Penn went to Englanl.
1701, waiting his return to spend the remainder of his days there. The furniture
was long preserved," but was finally sold and distributed through Bucks county
and elsewhere. But few pieces can be traced at this late day. Samuel Coats.
Pliiladelphia, purchased William Penn's secretary of John Penn, but we d"
not know what became of it. After the death of James Logan many of the
gfoods at Pennsbury were sold at public sale by an agent of the family. .V
gold-headed cane that belonged to the Proprietary was bought by a farmer of
Bucks county. The clock that marked the time in the great hall at Pennsburv
stands in the Philadelphia Library, while Penn's chair is at the Pennsylvania
Hospital. ^Irs. Alfred Elaker, Newtown, has one of the parlor chairs, elab-
orately carved, with a high, straight back, and a venerable look. One chamber,
in particular, was kept handsomely furnished and hung with tapestry, for the
accommodation of tiie family descendants should any of them return. This
room came to be looked upon with curiosity and suspicion, and was called "a
haunted chamber." It became musty from non-use, and the rich hangings
covered with dust and cobwebs. Another room was kept furnished for the
agent of the family when he visited the estate, anrl the beds and linen are
described as having been excellent. Visitors generally carried away some relic
of the jilace. and bits of curtains and bed covers may yet be found in the collec-
tions of the curious. ?\Irs. Deborah Logan" remembered visiting the house on
one occasion, with her mother, and bringing away a piece of old bed-spread of
holland, closely wrought with the needle in green siik, and said to have been
the work of Penn's daughter Letilia. For manv \ears !'enn?!n;ry was a place
of resort for strangers who wished to view the home of the founder of Penn-
sylvania, who spread their refreshments under the large walnut trees that had
shaded Penn and his family. The building fell into [jremature decav from injury
received from leakage of the leaden reservoir on the roof. It was pulleil down
to rebuild just before the Revolution, but the war prevented it.

When John .Sotcher left Pennsylvania, I70<), James Logan entered into an'
agreement to lease it to Colonel Quarry, an officer of the customs. Philadelphia.
The term wa« for seven years, at L40 a \ear. and he to keep the buildings in
repair with the condition that in case William Penn should return. Colnnel
Quarry was to have six months' notice to leave. He was to buy the stock and
hire the negroes, if he and Logan could agree upon terms. The lease fell

8 Uiulcr ihiti' nt M.-iy ir. i/jr. Logaii writes ti> H;iiinah Penn. "I have lately
for the books Iiilher. Imt the ^'r.,,ih. after about twenty years ai,'e ad. led to tbeni. !
may assure tbyscll are imL iinich iniproee'l.''

9 Daughter of Charles Xurrii, whose first wife was Margaret, d.uighter of I")'
Rodman, of Bncks coimtv.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

tliroiigh on account of Penn's controversy with tlie Fords, who claimed the fee.
t._> the territorv. The place at this time was somewhat out of repair, if we may
judi^'e by what was to be done before Colonel Quarry moved in. Logan was "to
repair the windows and make new door to the lower chamber at the foot of
the stairs, and to lay the upper tlnnr of the outlniuse, and run one partition : to
repair the garden fence, and xo l)uild up the wall before the front at the
descending steps."" The falling d>iwn of the wall in front of the house had
allowed the rains to wash away the earth hauled to raise the yard.

The years 1702 and 1703 were unhealthy. In the winter the small-pox^"
prevailed with severity in Ihicks county, and the following summer a "■dis-
temper""" broke out. which carrietl off a number of the inhabitants. The sum-
mer, 1704. was the hottest and dryest since the Province was settled, yet there
were good crops. The previous winter is noted for deep snows and cold
weather, unknown to the oldest inhabitants.

Within a few years, after the settlement of the Province, great trouble and
inconvenience were found in the transfer of real estate, by reason of the dis-
crepancy between the quantity called for in the warrant, and that returned in
the survey. To remedy the difficulty, the Commissioners of Property ordered
a re-survey of all the lands taken up, and a warrant was issued to John Cutler. '-'
surveyor of Bucks count)-, August 11. 170.?. In the warrant he was directed
to re-survey only the lands of Bristol and Falls township, but, by this and sub-
sequent warrants, he re-surveyed all the seated lands in the county. A\'e liave
not been able to find a complete record of this work, and v.hat we give below
is only a partial return of all the townships except Bristol, one of the two-
mentioned in the warrant of August 11. The "land adjacent"' to Wrightstown
embraced the territory now Buckingham and Solebury, and those "afljaccnt" to
Southampton and Warminster were Xorthampton. \Varwick and Warrington,
none of tliem vet organized into townships. The surveyors were ordered to make
their surveys according to the lines by which the lands were granted by the
Proprietary. A number of new surveys were reported without the names of
the townships being mentioned, which we suppose were made in territory not
yet organized. The following were the surveys made by Cutler :

Fall-;. Jeffrey Hawkins 355. Jii^e]>h Wood 590, and Robert Lucas 322
acres; Maketfeld, .Miller"s heirs i.roS. Thomas Janney. 4,450. Henry 3.[arjarum
350. John Snowden 421. Peter Worrel 232. Enoch Yardley 51S, and Thon.ias
Ashton 236 acres; Middletown, John Stackhouse 312. Thomas Stackhouse 507.
Robert Heaton 1,088. and Thimias .Musgrave 440 acres: Xewtown, Thomas
Hillborne 96S, Jonathan Eldric.ge 289, Margaret Playworth 27S, Shadriek
Walley 1.54S. and Ezra Croasdale 530 acres; Wrightstown and lands adjacent,
Samuel Baker 43S, William Parlet 144, William Dirrick 148, John Pidcock 505,
and John Chapman 480 acres ; Bensalem, Samuel Allen 262. Tobias Dymock
302. and Joseph Kirle 400 acres; Southampton, Warminster and lands adjacent,
Isabella Cutler 2^2^, William Wait 103. Joseph Kirle 543. John Morris. 572,
George Willard 447. John Fastliorne 305. John Swift 580. Abel Xoble 697,
Jasper Lawrence 4''io. William Garret 225, Christopher Wetherill 236, Ralph
Dracot 250. John Scarboniugh 304. John Large 107, am! William Say T07
acres; re-survey by general warrant. Anthony Burton 142. William Bucknian

10 Three of the Vard!cy> dieil of ?m,-il!pox.

11 Supp^'seJ to have been the yell'^w fever.

IJ Ills commission was dated Marcli 10, 1702.

1=6 HISTORY OF IJi'CKS COUXTV.

550. Stephc-n Twining 550, Saniuel Cariicntur 547, Henry Paxson (Tinker's
Point) 300, William Gregory 225, Jonathan Coupor 355, John BalcKviu 139,
Ezra Croasdalc 220, Roljcrt Ifcaton 925, J^lin and Gyles Lticas 216, John Xav-
lor 445, William Hammer 100. Daniel Jackson 390, Thomas Constable 5511.
Walter Bridgeman 220, William Croasdale 151, Thomas Coleman 248, Josepl;
Janney 347, and Robert Heaton, jr., 152 acres; new surveys, Daniel Jaeksnn
500, Richard Hough 475, widow JNlusgrave (two warrants) 980, Gcorgr
Howard 450, Edward Hartley 300, Paul Woolfe 300, Jedediah Allen 2311.
Thomas Cams 450. Randall Blackshaw 500, Alartin Zeale 100. Thomas ]',\.-
(two warrants) 43S, William Croasdale 250, Samuel Beaks 350, Ezra Croas-
dale 200, Randall Speakman 500, Thomas Bye Goo. Henry Paxson 100, Robert
Heath (two warrants) 1,000, George Brown 200. Francis \\'hite 250, Jeremiah
Langhorne 250, Randall Speakman 500, Henry Child (tw-o warrants) gS^.
Francis Plumstead (four warrants) 2,500, Elizabeth Sands 500. Joseph I'aul
492, Tobias Dymock 220, and Joseph Pike (two tracts) 1,000 acres.

A number of these new surveys were in Buckingham, Solebury, and some
in Plumstead, which were then filling up with settlers, but had not yet been
organized into townships.'" James Logan says they were well supplied with
surveyors in Bucks county, and he wrote iu the spring, 1703, that the surveys
"are in a good state of forwardness," and hope to have them finished in the
summer. Among the tracts surveyed in Wrightstown was one of five hundred
and seventy-five acres to Benjamin Clark, joining the town square on the south-
■east side. It will be noticed that many of the names mentioned in the surveys
are no longer to be found in the county.

13 Buokini;!iani and Solelniry were organized about that time.

CHAPTER XIII,

SOUTHAMPTON.

1703.

Second group of townships. — Pickets of civili^ntion. — Southampton first named. — Sepa-
rated from Warminster. — Original settlers. — John Swift. — Meeting granted. — Addi-
tional settlers. — Thomas Callowl'.ill a land-owner. — Town plat. — Holland settlers. —
Krewson, Vanartsdalen, Hogeland et al. — Still later settlers. — John Purdy. — Curious
dreams. — The Watts family. — The Dufificlds, Folwells, Beanses, Searches, McXairs. —
Ralph Dracot. — The Davises. — Moravian church. — John Perkins. — Taxables and
population. — Southampton Baptist church. — Old school house. — Quaint inscription. —
Davisville church.^ — Dutch Reformed. — Its early name. — Paulus Van Vleck officiates.
— ^Portius the pastor. — Schlatter settles trouble. — Jacob Larzelere. — Location of South-
ampton.— Roads. — Villages. — Turnpikes.

Our second group of townships is composed of Southampton,^ Warminster^
Newtown. Wrightstown, Buckingham and Solebury. They were settled about
the same time, and immediately after the townships of the first group, and we
purpose to tell the story of their settlement in detail. The territorial limits of
this group reach to the central section of the county, and throughout it much
land was taken up prior to 1700. Among the pickets of civilization, which early
pushed their way up thruugh the woods from the Delaware, in advance of the
tidal wave, may be mentioned John Chapnian, John and Tl'oinas Bye, William
Cooper, George Pownall, and Edward and Roger Harlly. For several years
the supplies for a part of this region were drawn from Falls and ^.liddletown,
and transported tlirough the forests on horseback or on the shoulders of those
who did not ov.'u horses. When Gwins mill was built on the Pennypack, their
bread supply was drawn from a mcire convenient point untn mills were erected
nearer home.

In the proceedings of the Provincial Council. 16S5. fixing the boundary
line between Bucks and Philadelphia counties, Southamiiton and Warminster
are called by tlieir present names. At that earlv day those townships were not
organized subdivisions, btit only settlements v.ith English names." The report

1 .'Southampton is a iiarli.unont.iry nuniicipal boroiigii and seaport of England,
county Ilamiishirc, at the uMuth of :ln.- Itclun. -i miles southwest of London.

2 As ni-ilnie's map. 1(1.^4. gives the bound. iries of South.'uiipton and Warminster as
they now e.xist. it is barely iinsiible the^c two tnwn^hip^ were alreidy laid out and nauieil.
but tliere is no direct teslinmny to support it.

§ !1 b.- »i

H 3 S p

ill'

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUMV. 159

.:! the iurv laying out the group of townships, 1692, concludes: "Southampton
;i!ul the lands about it, with \\'arminster, one,'"-* which means that these two
I..V. n^hijis, with the unorganized lands adjoining Northampton and probably
Warwick should be considered one township. For several years South-
i.iiipion and Warminster were one for all municipal purposes, and it was
III It until 1703 diat the court recognized Southampton as a township, and
auihorized it to elect its own supervisor of higiiways. We take this date as the
time of its organization, but it does not appear from the records that the two
Uiwnslups were entirely separated until a later period. At its March term,
171 1, the inhal)itants of Southampton petitioned court to be separated from War-
minster in the county assessments and collection of taxes ; whereupon it was
ordered that the said petitioners and the lands of James Carter, Ralph Dracot,
and Joseph Tomlinson may be in future, one township and have a constable ap-
pointed to serve therein. It is stated, in the court records, that the inhabitants
of Southampton petitioned at ?klarch term, 1712, to be allowed to remain a
township by themselves. Among the names signed to the 'petition are Edward
i'.ohon, John Morris, Ralph Dunn, John Xaylor, Thomas Harding, Daniel
Robinson, Mar\- Po}"nter, Richard Lather, and William Beans.

When Thomas Holme made his map of the Province, 1684, there were
thirteen* land owners iif what is now Southampton ; probably the greater part
were settlers and some of them had purchased land before leaving England.
<- )f these early settlers John Swift, ^ one of Penn's pioneers, owned five htindred
acres that lay near Feasterville between the Street road and county line. He was
a Friend, but went olf with Keith, 1692, and ultimately became a Baptist min-
ister. He was called to the ministry, 1702, and, although never ordained,
preached nine years in Philadelphia as an assistant. For some unknown cause
he was excommunicated, 1730. and died, 1732. He represented Bucks county
in the Assernbly, 1701 and 1707. The lands of John ^Martin, Robert Pressntore
and John Ltiffe were situated in the upper part of the township touching War-
minster and extending to the county line. Robert Bresmal was a settler in
.'Southampton as earlv as 1683, in which vear he married IMary Webber, "of
John Hart's family."

Soon after the settlement of the township, the Friends of Southampton
rcijuested to have a meeting settled among them, which was granted April i,
16S0. and a general meeting for worship, once a week, was ordered at the house
of James Dilworth. Previous to that Friends had met at each others houses
for worship, and as they have never been strong enough in the township to
warrant the erection of a meeting-house, they attend meetings elsewiiere, gen-
erally at .Aliddletown and Byberry.

As the location and soil were inviting, settlers flocked in rapidly, and by
1709, we find the additional names of Stephen Sands, John \'ansant. Thomas
Cutler, James Carter, John Xaylor, Joseph Webb, John Frost, John Shaw,

3 John Gillicrt. Tlimnas Hould. Thomas Grnoni. Joseph Jones, Robert ^[:lrsll. John
Swift, Enoch Fl.nvers. Jonathan Jones. Mark Bctris, Kicliard Wood. John Luffe, J^Min
-Martin, ami Rrlurt IVes^nvire.

-l 'Ihe will of R'lhcrt Marsh. ".Smuh Hampton." Bucks county, was dated Jnly ^5,
i^-'v. and pruned, at Philadelphia. 17, 3 mo.. May, 1(189. .\s this was fourteen years before
■thf ti'wn-hiji was oreani^ed. it is additional evidence, if that were needed, that tlic locality
was given its present name before organization.

5 In i^a^ John Swif: paid his tp.iit-rent "in goods and chattels." to Lawrence Johnson
a-.;d Oi.arles HraJ'e. nt I\iins!iurv.

i6o HISTORY OF BUCKS COU.MY

Clement Diiiigan, Jeremiah Dungnii, Jamcb Carrell. Juhn Morris, Thonia.-;
Duiigan, Juhn Clark, David Griffith, Christt'piicr Day, Nathaniel \\\.->i.
William (_ircgory and Samuel Selers. The Dungans were sons uf Revercn.i
Thomas Dungan, who emigrated from Rhode Island, and organized the Bapti^l
church at Cold Spring, near Bristol, 1O84. Joseph Dungan, grandson of the
Reverend Thomas, died August 25, 1785, in his 78th year, and was buried at
Southampton. We tind no further mention of Thomas Cutler, but William,
who was an early settler there, died in 1714. They were probably brothers of
John Cutler, who made the re-survey of the county, 1702-3. James Carter died.
1714. John .Morris bought five hundred and eighty-two acres of James Plumley,
1698, which lay in the upper part of the township, between the Street road and
county line, and a considerable part, if not all, north of the .Middle road. When
the re-survey was made, 1702, Thomas Harding was one of the largest land
owners in the township, his acres numbering six hundred and eighteen. Joscjih
Tomlinson was there early, and died, 1723. April 20, 1705, four hundred and
seventeen acres were surveyed by warrant to Thomas Callowhill, the father-in-
law of William Penn, situated in the upper part of the township, and boundetl
by the Street road and Warminster line. It covered the site of Davisville.
John, Thomas, and Richard Penn inherited this tract from their grandfather,
Callowhill, and January 20, 1734, they conveyed one hundred and forty-nine
acres by patent to Stephen Watts. The land of John Morris bounded this tract
on the southwest.

On Holme"s map is laid off, in about the middle of tlie township, a plat one
mile square, similar to that in Xcwtown and Wrightslown. As in those town-
ships it was, no doubt, intended for a park, or town plat, and to have been
divided among the land owners in the township outside of it, in the proportion
of one to ten. But as we have not met with it in any of the .Southampton con-
veyances, it probably had no other existence than on the map.

At an early day, and following the English Friends, there was a consid-
erable influx of Hollanders into the township, and the large and influential
families of Krewson, \'anartsdalen, \'andcventer, Hogeland, Barcalow, \'an-
horne, Lel'ferts, \'ansant and \'andeveer descend from this sturdy stock. Other
families, which started out with but one Holland ancestor, have become of
almost pure blood by intermarriage. The descendants of Dutch parentage in
this and adjoining townships have thus become very numerous, but both the
spelling of the names, and their pronunciation, have been considerably changed
since their ancestors settled in the township.

Derrick Krewson'' was a land-holder, if not a settler, in Soutnampton as
early as 16S4, for the nth of September, 1717, he paid to James Steele, receiver
of the Proprietary quit-rents, £9. iis. 4d. for thirty-three years' interest due on
five hundred and eighty acres of land in this township. In March, 1756, Henry
Krewson paid sixteen yearb' quit-rent to E. Phv'sic on two hundred and thirty
acres in S"uthampton." The will of Derrick Krewson was executed January
4, 1729, but the time of his death is not known. He probably came from L.ong
Island, the starting point of most of the Hollanders who settled in Bucks
countv.^

6 Origiiml spellinij Kni^cn.

7 Down to 1756 tlie I'roprietnry quit-roTits ui-rc paid at Pennibiiry. but we do not
know hiiw iiiucli later.

8 Ib-lena Temple. Churclu illc. who died. February. lS;-!4. wiai'd have been one
hundred years old had she lived to June 10. She was of Low Uiiteh stock, daughter of

HISTORY OF Bi'CKS COUXTV, . i6r

The X'anartsdalcns of Southampton and Xorthainpton are descended from.
Simon, son of John \'on .\rsdalen, from Ars Dale, in Holland, who immigrated
to America, 1O53, ^"^^ settled at Flatbush, Long Island. He married a daughter
of Peter Wykott, and had two sons, Cornelius Simonse and John. The former
became the husband of three Dutch spouses," the latter of two. Our Bucks .
C'unty family comes mediately from Xicholas and Abraham, sons of John, who
settled in Southampton. Nicholas married Jane Vansant and had seven
children, and John V'anartsdalen, Richborough, was a grandson. Simon, tlie
eldest son, died, 1770, and a daughter, Ann, married Garret Stevens. The \'an-
devcnters,'" X'anhorncs, \'andeveers and V'ansants,^^ are descended from
Jacobus \'an de Venter, Rutgert \''anhorne, Cornelius Vandqveer, and William
\'an Zandt, who came from Xethcrland, 1660. There are but few of the \'an-
deventers, and \'andeveers in the township, but the \'anhornes and \'ansant£ .
are numerous.

Dirck Hanse Hogeland,'- the first of the name who came to America, com-
manded the vessel that brought him from Holland to New Amsterdam. 1655.
He settled at Flatbush. and, 1662. married Anne Bergen, widow of Jan Clerq,
by whom lie had six children. He built the first brick house on Manhattan
island. His grandson, Dirck, son of William, born 1698, and married 2Jariah
Slot, New York, with others of the descendants, had settled in Southampton
before 1729. They had a family of ten children, from whom have descended
a numerous progeny. As a rule both sons and daughters married into Holland
families, and the blood to this time has been kept comparatively pure. The
distinguishing features of thg Hogelands are large families of children,
longevity and stalwart sons.''' The youngest son of Dirck. Derrick K.. was long
a justice of the peace in Southampton, but resigned about 1820, on account of-
age. He was the grandfather of Elias Hogeland. late sheriff of this countv.
Some of the family have wandered to Kentucky, where the members occup\-
positions of honor.

In the spring. 1662, William Hanse \"on Rarkeloo" and his brotlier, Har-

Garrct Krewsen, Soiithaniptoii. a patriot of the Revolution, who died. 185-'. She was
baptized September 2j, 1784. by the Rev. Simeon \'an Arsdalen, who had been dead
ninety-eight years when <he died, and tlie pastor of her middle life, Jacob Larzelere, had
been decea«;cd fifty years. She lived to see three generations born, live and die. At ninety-
six slie walked to church. .At ninety-nine and within a week of her death, she kept her
own house and table, and was busy with home duties. In her long life she was sick in
bed but a single day. She was a fair e.vample of the sturdiness of the Holland settlers in
Bucks coiuity.

9 Tjelletzi Reiners Wizzlcpenni^;. .\ihic Willems Konweiiliovcn. and Marytzi Dirks.

10 The correct name is Van de \'entcr. n Van Zandt.

12 Hogeland, or Hoogland, is the Dutch for highlands. In 1746 Indians lixing among
the highlands on the Hudson were called the Hogeland Indians.

13 Tlie will of Dirck Hogeland is dated December 7, 1775. and proved August l,
1778. ■ He left his six daughters £J20 each, a considerable sum in that day. and a large
landed estate to them and his sons. Four hundred acres are specified in the will, and other
lands tiot described. His youngest son, Dirck. afterward called Derrick, got two hundred
and fifty acres.

14 Tliis name has been variously spelled, r.orculo, Barckelloo. I'.urkiloo and Barke-
loo. liv ditTerent branches of the family. The family came from Borkclo in the earldom
of Zutphcii, and province of Guilderland. HuUaud.

iG2 HJSTORV Of Bi'CKS COCXTV.

man Jan>(.'ii \ i in Ijarkvloij, uitli wife and lun children lamlcil at Xcw ^^l|■■K.
wlierc llarnian died prior to December, 1O71. William married Elizabeth lam-
Claessen, iOO(.i, antl died. 10^3, leaving eii;'b.i children. His .son Dirck married
Jamelia \'on Ars Dale Sciitember 17, 1709, and settled at b'reehold, Xew Jersey.
Conrad, born iJecember 4, lOSo. died 1754, settle. 1 on the Raritan. and married
a danghter ol Jacob Lacs, Aiinimomh. It was their son, Conrad, who settu\l
in this county, and was the immediate ancestor of the ilarcalow.^. Southamiii. 11.
Com-ad's son, Liarret, married Elizabeth, daughter of the Hrst Dirck Hos^eiaiid
and iiad a family of nine cliiKlren, who intei married with the l"inne_\s, Cornell-,
Mitchells, l;anr.-.es, Ste\enses, and .Mc.Masiers. Jdie de.-^cendants of Garret
Barcalow are numerous in Southampton.

The Stcven>e^ are En^li^h on the male side, the ancestor, Aliraham, ci.iniiii^
to this county slu-rtly after William I'eim. Hi-- son John married Sarah Stom-
holf, and their son .\nn X'anartsdalen, a daur^hter of Xich<jlas, one of the two
brothers of the name who t'lrst settled in Southampton. The Henjamin Stevens,
who married Elizaljeth I'.arcal'jw, was a SL>n of .Vbraham Stevens and Mar\
liogeland, daughter of Daniel, who was brother of tlie Dirck who settled in
this county bef.ire iJ-0. The mother of the late JSeiijamin Stevens was a sister
of Abraham. i>aac and William Hogelantl, and Carret ]J. Stevens of the I'.erks
coimty bar is a s.m of iJenjaniin.

The ancestor of the Letierts familv . I.effen J'ieterse, inimigrateil from
Xorlh Brabant, [blland. K/io, an<l settled at l-"Iatbush, Long Island, flis
grandson, Leffert LefTeri. the son of Peter Lelfertzc'"' anfl Ida Suydam, canie
into the county. 173S. with ilie Cornells, on a pros])ecting tour. He returne-d
the following year and settled in Xortham]iton i.iwnship, on a f(5ur hundreil
acre tract, ^''' biiuulit of Isaac Pennington, Ijeing i)art of six hundred and fifty-
one acres that William Penn granted to Edmund Penningt(jn, his father. The
deed is dated June 7, 1731;. the consideration. £4^)2. His will was executed
<,\-tober 6, 1773. and he probably died soon after. His wife's name was Ann.
He left five sons and two daughters, but the greater jjart of his estate went to
his s(jns. The hue venerable John LelTert>. S. iiit!iami)ton, who died at about
ninety-hx-e, wa> the grandson of l.etl'ert Leffert.

The \"aiihornes came into the township earU, )nit tlie time is not kiinwii.
On May 6 and 7, 1722. Bernard Cliri.-tiaii. Bergen. Xew Tersev. conveyed two
hundred and ninety acres to his son Abraham N'anliorne. b\' deed "f lease and re-
lease, which w a-- 1 ribably situated in Southampton, t Jther Holland families set-
tled in this and the adjoining township of Xorthamjjton about the same jjcriod,
among whom wc find the names of Staates, now of P,en>alem. Pieiinet. Rhodes.
Johnson. I'enion. Wright, etc. They were generally large slaveholders, while
the "institution" cxi>ted in this state. They were universallv ])atriotic and
loyal during the Re\-olution. and often the slaves accompanievl their masters
to the field. The>e oUl Hollaiiil fanniies have a tradition that at one time Wash-
ington passed tlin.u^h Southaminnn and stop])ed at the hnu.-e> nf some of their
patriotic ancestors, and their descendants still cherish the tables he ate at. the
mugs he drank from, and the chairs he sat upon. These families liave become
-so thoroughly .\iiglicized. m) trace is left of their ancestry.

15 Ttic l.cinily oil Lc'iiK Island ret.nn the nana- ■;[.etTcn,-o." Imt tiu- first gciieratii'ii
1i..rii in this is'iint> ilrwiip-d the "/" and rinal "r." .nid -i;li,;iinted "s "

16 It was l,.iMiMK-d hy land- '.f lU-rnard VanhMmc, Naac Vanhornc. .\drian Cnrnoli.
Henry Kreu-on. I -.i.u- I'a-nnel, J..hii .Sh.aw, .and Juc ; i.ili l)iin;;aii. lie (nvned a planta-
(lon in Xeutown

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

163

At a still later periixl tlu' families of I'urdy. Watts. FoKvcll. Search, -Miles,
nutfield. Davis, and others, well-known, settled in SnuthainiUnn, of s(jnie of
ulueh we have been ahle to collect information.

John rurdy.'" an immigrant frcjin Ireland, in 1742, settled on th.e Penny-
pack, .Moreland townshi]), married (irace Dunlap, and tlicd, 1752, leaving- a
>. n, William, and three daiis^dners. The sun married .Mary Roney, whose fa-
ther came from Ireland, 1733, and served in tlie Continental army. In 1797 the
family removed to western New York, except the son, William, who married a
daughter of Tlnmias FoKvell, of Southamptoii. whither he removed and where
he sjient his life. He becanie a ])rominent man. commande;l a companv of
volunteer rillemen in the war of 1812-1^; was several times elected to the As-

'««55J5w**^^55j?rasw;5C?5?!

OLD S.\WMU.I. AT DA VISVI LI.IC.

sembly, and subseciuently Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas. His
son. Thomas, was elected Sheriff of the countw 1S42, and !:is grandson.
John, was elected to the same office, 1872. The family that bear the name
no longer reside in tiie county or townshi]) with the exce]ition of John,
the son of Thomas. The family recorrls relate singular dreams of the first
John and their remarkable fuIhUment. He dreamed (ine night that while going
to Philadelphia on a large white horse, as lie passed through .Vbington the
animal turned into the graveyard and rolled, and about the same time his wife
d.reamed "a large white h'lr-e came and pidled down half her house." The ful-
fillment riuicklv followed, for. a few da\s after, while the husband was attend-
ing the election at Xcwtown. where they were running- hnr>es down the main
street, he was run against by a large white lu.irse and killed, aiul the accident
was equivalent to pulling down, half the wife's house.

Among the new cmners into SouthamiUon township, about 1730. was

I" The ri.iiTif is .^ngln-lri^
If Punldf, ami is ni'iyc cimiiiii'ii

aiui diiHiglu t" lie a iiviilificatinii dt PanlfU'. Pardee
F.nviland aii.l Sentland than Irelaml.

i64 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Stephen Watts from Lower Dublin, Philadelphia county, who purchased iiio
hundred and fifty acres from Thomas Callowliill. It covered part of the site uf
Davisville and ran across the township line into Warminster. The deed bears
date of 1/33- He improved the premises and made it the home of his lifetime.
It embraced what is known as the "sawmill" property, long in the possessiuu
of the late General John Davis.

StL-phen Watts was a descendant of the Reverend John Watts, second pas-
tor of the Lower Dublin Baptist church, Philadelphia County, who was a sun
of Henry and Llizabeth Watts and grandson of Gregory Watts, born at Leeds,
county Kent, England, Xoveinber 3, 1661, immigrated to Pennsylvania abuit
1686, baptized in the Baptist faith November 21, 1686, the following year
connected himself with the Penncpck or Pennypack church, and married Sarali
Eaton (born 1655) in 16S7-88. He entered the ministry, 168S, became the
pastor of the church, 1690, and had charge to his death, August 27, 1702."
The following were the children of the Reverend John and Sarah Eaton \\"atts:
Ehzabeth Watts, born April 15, 1689, died October 11, 1756; John Watts, born
December 3, 1693, died 1771 ; Sarah Watts, born December 8, 1693, ]\Iary
Watts, twin of Sarah, December 8, 1693 ; Deborah Watts, born February 6,
1695 ; Silas Watts, born }tlarch 7, 1697, died August 16, 1737 ; Stephen \\ alls,
born February 6, 1700, died 17S4.

Stephen \\"aits, the youngest son of the Reverend John Watts, and llic
fourth in descent from Gregory, married Elizabeth Melchior, born 1707, and
died ]\Iarch 16, 1794. Mr. Watts was an influential man in the community and
prominent in tlie Southampton Baptist church, of which he was a ruling
elder for many years. The farm Stephen Watts purchased of Thomas Callow-
hill, in 1733, is still in the family, being held by Rodney A. Mercer, Esq.,
through his mother, a great-great-granddaughter of the said Stephen Watts.
The following were the children of Stephen land Elizabeth (Melchior) W'atts :

Hannah \\'atts married, June 14, 1750, James Smith, of Philadelphia.
.Arthur Watts, ^'' born October 29, 1733, died (Dctoher 9, 1809, married Sarah
Folwell ; Rachel \\'atts, born June 29, 1736. died Xovember 11, 1765, married
as first wife, her cousin John Watts; Elizabeth Watts, born August 23, 1738.
died Angust 22. 1S24, married. I\Iay 29, 1764, Thomas Folwell, of Southam|i-
ton, Bucks county, liorn October 7. 1737. died Septciiibcr 13. 1S13, son of Will-
iam Folwell by his wife .\nne Potts; Stephen Watts, b^rn February 5, 1741.
died in 178S. married Francis Assheton ; Sarah Watts, married Shaw.

Several of the Watts family, by descent and intermarriage were prominent
in their day and generation. John Watts, son of Stephen, the elder, was a cele-

18 John Watts is jpoken cjf as a man of good understanding, and a fine speaker.
Morgan Edward? -iaid lie was an English scholar. He \sas active against the Kcilhi.m
movetiient. and held a piihlic discnssion with one of their preachers, coining off the victor.

19 Arthur Watts was the lather of two children. \>y his tir.^t wife, William, born
Septembtr S. 1765. and died, iS.^.S, and .Ann. horn October 5. 1759. married Josiah flart,
January 11, 1776, and died at Doylcstown, March 2, 1815, of typhus fever. The son attained'
some prominence, was major in a ride regiment, war of 1812-15, Associate Judge and
clerk of the court. He inherited the Watts homesttad. In the advertiseniejit for the
sale of this farm. iS,!.?, it was staled that "tlie same head and tail races were made several
years ago. with a \irw of Injilding a grist mill, whieli w.is not dcMie owing to the death uf
the then owner." It is claimed that on this dam John I'"itch made a trial of his steamboat'
models.

^mrm

>'::t:?r'

i?ii ^y m -Site ;.wm

If

Ffif

^^■^-t'-'

^■\i'

Aw--..- :...lf.,^i.t./'- /'-

1. ,/

i66 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

bratcil survL-Nor and cinvcyanccr, and wmte a wnrk nn survt'viny;, 17(15. li-;.
brotlur Silas was al.-.i) a ]M-aclical svirvL-vdr. Arthur Watts, son of Sleplu'ii ili.
elilcr, was a privatf in (."aptain Jnhii i'nhvcirs cmiipany uf Assriciators in 177;-
76. a delegate to the Lancaster convention, Jidy 4. 177O. tn choose two Lirii^aditr
Generals, to command tlie l'enns_\-lvania militia in the Revolution, and alsM a
member of the Bucks County Committee of Safely and the Committee of
Correspondence. William Watts, the si-)n of Arthur, was one of the Assiiciate
Judges of Bucks county, and the clerk of the courts, and second ]\Iajor of L'"\-
onel Humphrey's regiment of ritlemen, in the war of 1812-15 with Eni;lantl,
Josiah Han, husband of Anne Watts, daughter of Arthur Watts, was a colonel
of militia in the Revolution. Stephen W'atts. the younger, son of Step'hen
Watts, tlie elder, born February 5, 174 1, was graduated at the college of Phila-
delphia, now the University of Pennsylvania, in 1762, and was a tutor there f^r
a time. In 1766 he was the author of an "Essay on Rccijirocal Advantages" nf a
perfect union between Great Britain and her American colonies ; he read law.
was admitted to the Bar and practiced for years. About 1770, he moved t'>
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he became .Master in Chancery, recorder nf
deeds for the English on tlie Mississip])i. and King's Attorney for JJaton Rouge,
dying in Louisiana, 17S8. His daughter, }ilargaret Cyrilla Walts, married
Manuel Ga_\aso de Lamns, l!rigadier-( leneral and (governor of the Spanish
colony at Natchez, until 17^7. when he succeeded the Baron de Carondelel as
Governor of L<iuisiana. Stephen W'atts. ALirch 10, 17O7, married France--,
daughter of Ralph Assheton, of Philadelphia, and granddaughter of Robert
Assheton, both, members of the Prfivincial Council of iV'unsylvania and kir.s-
men of William Penn.

It is not known when the I'olwells came into the townshi]), but shortly
after the middle of the eighteenth century, possibly before. A branch of the
family lived in Philadelphia county, neiw Montgomery. The brothers, Thunia^
and John I'olwell. owneil farms in Southampton, the furmer that of the late
Cornell Hobensack, the latter the Roberts farm un the road to Southanipt'in
church a few hundred x\ards from Davisville. Thomas b'olwell. whi:).--e wile
was a daughter of Stephen Watts, had five 'children, a son, William Watts
Folwell, horn January 13. 1768. who graduated with honor from the Cniver.-iiy
of I'enns}lvania, and sub.-ei|uently a tutor in the institution, and four daughters.
The son married Jane l)inigan. bcjrn Seiitember (). 1776. removed to Seneca
county, X. Y., 1807, and died there lea\-ing numenms descendants. (Jf the
dau.ghters of Thomas Fnlwell, Ann married Juseph Hart, of Warmin.-ter. .Mar\
married William Purdy. Jilizabeth marrie.l Joshua Jones, b'lth nf Southamiitnn.
and Rachel married \\'illiam Reeder, of .Mercer county, .\ew Jersey. i'heir
daughters were famous for their beauty, and iFnnestic and womanly virtues.
On the date stone of the old l-'olwell mansion wdien taken down. 1874. to make
way for a new dwelling, were the letters and figures ".\. .M. M. 1710-"

Tl-e Dutiield.--' can lie tr.'iceil back to il;c reign of F.ilwavd II. when Richard
I-'luftield was bailiff of Yxvk. 1 3,;;5. The hrst of tlie name is said I"
have come to I'.ng'iand with William the Coni|ueror. Tl-;e Peimsvlvania Put-
fields are docen 'ed from I'.eiij.nnin. the >on of ivolcrt and Pridget, l)orn iodi.
who Ian. led at lli-.rlingtou, X. ].. \()ji). and is said to have iieen one of a dete-

20 ■Ilic'n.TMK- 1. i,r.ii,.il.|y X. rinr.n I'r.iirh :ni.l i~ v:innii>l.v -;h1K ,1 -Pil Fi.-Kl-j. De
nulTcM. iJnt'uM ,11. ,1 I iiif.'ii-: 1. it - f .'ml nuvv^ the no.r.!- .f kiii.in Catlie.lral. wacre
thf name i, DnllM.!. I ailt.,;! U', DiJiycId ;!ml 1 )iitiuld Williruii (lul1k!<l wa^ Arc!) Di-aeoii
of CK-\a-lan.l. Uv-. an. I ,1r.1 145J.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTV. iGj

•^atitiii wlio came acrnss tlic river tn welcome William reiiii nn his arrival. He
aUerwanl settled in l.mver I)ulilin. marrieil a <laiiL;lner of Arthur Watts, anil
was the father of thirteen chiMren. He died at I'hiladelphia and was biirie<l at
C'hri.-t church. The late Alfred T. Dnffield. Snuthani|)ti)n. was the tifth iiT
de>cent frc.m llenjamin. and the son uf Jacoli. wlin died at Sackett's Harbor,
1S15. while in tie militarv service of the country. Edward Dutficld,-' the
};i\milson of lienjamin, was distins;iiished for his scientific acquirements, tl'.e
a>siiciate and friend of Rittenhouse and one of the executors of Franklin.
Dcnjnmin Dufifield lias a mmierous posterity

The r.eans or Banes family, Buckingham, Southampton ami Warminster.
were descendants of Mathew JSaines. of Wyersdale. Lancashire. Knuland, wh.o
married MargTiret. daughter of William Hatton. of Bradley, 10 mo., 22, 1672,
and had issue :

Thomas, born 11 mo.. 1 1. 1675. married 4 mo., 21, 1718, Ehzabeth Ellison :
Elinor, born 8 mo., 22. 1(177. married (at I'ails) 7 mo., 26, 1694. Thomas Duer ;
Timothy, born 1 mo., 1678, married 1710. Haimah Low; William, born 3. 14.

1681. married 1707, Ijiizabeth : Deborah, born i, i, 1683, married, 170S

(at Falls), Thomas Ashton.

In i('j8(3 ^Nlatliew Baines, with children, Elinor and William, left England
for I'ennsvlvania. the father dving at sea. When the children landed, they were
taken charge of by Friends of Chester monthly meeting. The father's dying
request, as shown by a letter of Phincas Pemberton to John Walker, 1688, was
that his children should be placed in care of James Harrison, but Harrison hav-
ing died before their arrival, his son-in-law, I'emberton, went to Chester to
look after them, and finding them in good hands they were allowed to remain.
As the record of the times puts it : "The boy was put with one Joseph Stidman
and the girl with one John Simcock, and bath 40 or 50s wages per annum.
the boy to be w ith said Stidman, who is said to be a very honest man, until
he comes to ye age of 20 years, which is ye customary way of putting forth
orphans in these parts."

When the children of Mathew Baines came of age they settled in B.ucks
criunty, married, raised families and died here. Eliiuir was married at l-'alls
}>Ieeliiig. 7 mo. 2(>. i(<04. to Thomas Duer, and became the ance^t<lrs of the Duers
of ■VLakefield. The name of William's wife is not known, but he settled in
Southampton near the line of Warminster, where he died, 1729. leaving a
widow, Elizabeth and nine children. Joseph. Mathew. James, Thomas, Eliza-
beth, Timothy. William. Jacob and Elinor. They married and settled in Bucks
county, except Elinor, who died single. Three of them, James. Thomas and
Elizabeth, allied themselves with the Sands family. Four removed to Buck-
ingham and took up land there, Mathew and Timothy marrying Paxsons. and
Jacob, a Hartley. Timothy lived fiT a time in Solebury and Tinicum. then re-
moved to Fairfax, \'irginia, and some r,f his descendants are said to have sub-
sequently removed to Cuba. The other three Beans brothers, of Buckingham.
lived to a good old a.ge, and raised large families of children, whose descendants
are found in several states. The only child of Timothy, that remained in I'.ucks
county, married Daniel Doan, Jr.

Joseph, the eldest son of William .aid ElizabeUi, married. 3 nio.. 17. 17,^.^
Esther I'.van and ilierl in Southam])ton, 1771, onlv a few months after his

Jr It is said the- fir^t cnn^iiltnlinn held l.y KfTer^on and others mi the siih.iee: I'f
in.Ui>iiidi.nee was at the Ime.-L- nt Kdward Dutiuld. iiurlhwest coriuT of I'ifth and Marker
.Mi.et>, Phlladelplna.

,68 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

mother, leaving four sons. Jtiliii, Jostpli, ^Fatlu-u- and Sclh. James, the tli'rj
son of W'ilUani and Elizabetli, was a bhicksniith and (hed 1749. His widow,
Elizabeth, married a Roberts, and had three children, i'hebo, Jesse and Eliza-
beth, who survived him. Thomas, the fourth son. who married Jane Sands, had
five children, Xathan, Isaac, Thomas, Stephen and James, the latter marrying
Griftith Miles, the elder. On the death of his first wife he married Elizabeth
Ilollinghead wliu survived hini. Isaac, the second son of Thomas and Jane,
married Christine Johnson, a de^ceuda^t of the old Xew Amsterdam "Jansens."
was the ancestor of J. Johnson Pieans, Doylestown. William Baines, the au-
cestijr, marr_\inc;- out of meeting, his family became associated with the South-
ampton and Pennypack churches. The Buckingham Beanses of later years were
descendants of William Beans, sixth son of William and Elizabeth Beans, among
which was the late Joshua Beans of Doylestown. The late Colonel Charles
Banes, Philadelphia, was one of the most prominent members of the family, al-
though it pnjduced several in the past.--

Charles Search, the first of this family to settle in Bucks coimty. came
from England about 1750, but it is not known where he settled : we have the
names of but two of his children, Christopher and Lott. The former settled on
a farm he purchased on the Street road half a mile below Davisville. where he
died. He was married twice, his first wife being a Torl)crt, and his second
wife being a Corson. Lott Search married Sarah Davis, and owned and
li\ed several years on the farm now the property of J. Davis Duf-
fic!d. on the Warminster township line road, just above Davisville.
Abrmt 1830, himself and family removed to Avon, western Xew York, where
he and his wife died, leaving sons Lott and William, and probably
other children. They are both deceased. A son of William lived at Batavia. Xew
Vork.-^' Theodore C. Search, son of Jacob, and grandson of Christopher,
Search, is a successful business man of Philadelphia and founder of the "Tex-
tile School of Art," a very prosperous institution with eight hundred pupils.
He has achieved distinction on other lines.

John ]\IcXair, son of Samuel McXair. Horsham. Montgomery county, set-
tled in .Southampton. 1794, living in the hip-roof house on the Buck road below
Churchill, where he died. 1833. He followed milling. He was a man of sonie
prominence, holding the offices of jtistice of the peace, county treasurer, county
cr>mmissloner. and member of Assembly. While commissioner 1811-13, the new
public buildings were erected at Doylestown, and it is related that while the
Court house was being built, one of the workmen enli.sted for war with England,
v.hich so enraged the others, tb.ey were on the point of tearing down the re-
cruiting office, hut Commissioner McXair ap]icased them. His son Samuel

JJ It is ilifricnlt to account for tl;c cliange of t!ie iKinie to P.can^. which is peculiar to
Hn-ks timiuy. Of I'lc seven sons of Willl.ini ami 1-^liznlieth. only iwo, Joseph and James,
re; iincil tlie name of Hancs. thoni;h some of the de-cendants of Thonias returned to the
name in the ihird and fonrtli generati.ms. .As nothiiis is known of Deborah Banes' arrival
in Amirioa. she prohahly died in Kntrlaiul prior to ilie luisliatid sailing witli the children.

2,i Lott Search was livine;.in Southampton. T.'-Soj. where he conveyed twenty acres
to \V;lli,an Harneiley, in Xewti'wn. His wife's n^'nio wa^ then Sar.ih. evidence tliat lie
lia.l marrn d Sarah l)avis prior to that time. He wa^ then a "cor.per" In iSt5 he was
in Warnnn>ter. and on .\prd .;. hini-elt ami wife. Sarah, conveyed tw eiity -four acres to
l-.: c Warner. He wa- <tiU m Warnv.n'iter, iSjj. wlicn 1-aac l.oni;^treth. John Long-
streili and Saiuucl Miie^ conveyed three lots of land to him. forty--even acres. The author
rememhers wdien he In id on the Warminster farm.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

169

was liviiiij at Davisville, 1877. -^^ '^''"^ ■'S'^ o^ sevcnty-scvcn, but we do not know
tlic ilatc uf his death. Anotlier son, John, settled at Xorristown, at one time
Kept a llDurishing; bi~'arding- school, then read law and practiced, and subse-
quently represented Montgomery county in Congress, prior to 1S50. His son,
F. \'. McXair, an officer of the United States Navy, sers'ed with distinction
under Farragut on the Mississippi, in the Civil war ; more recently he was super-
intendent of the Naval Academy, Annapolis, but was relieved on account of ill
health. He was subsequently promoted to Rear Admiral and died suddenly
at Washington.

The Davis family of Southampton, of which the late General John Davis
was lung the liead and representative member, are descended from William
Davis, a Welsh immigrant, who settled in Solebury, or Upper Makefield, Bucks
county, about 1740, and married Sarah Burley, daughter of John Burley, Upper
Makefield. 1756. He died near the close of the century, his widow surviving
him until May 15, 1819. at the age of eighty-four. They had born to them seven
children: Jemima. December 25. 1758. married John Pitner ; John, born Septem-
ber 6, 1760, married Ann Simpson. June 26, 1783. died January 22, 1832 ; Sarah,
horn October i. 17(^3. married Lott Search; \\'illia;m, born September 9, 17G6;
Joshua, born July 6, 1761) : Aviary, born October 3, 1771, and Joseph, born ^ilarch
I. 1774. A sister of Sarah Burley married James Torbert. Upper Makefield.
and other members of the family connected themselves by marriages with the
Slacks. IMcNairs, Searches, Simpsons, Houghs, Harts and other well known
county families.

J(ihn Davis, the eldest son of William
Davis and Sarah B.urley, almost sixteen
when the war tr.r Independence broke
out. immediately took \\\> arms in defense
of the colonies, his first service being in
th.e Andioy expedition 1776, as a private
in the companv of Captain William Hart.
In January, 1777. he enlisted in Captain
Tliomas Bu.tler's companv, Third regi-
ment. ]''ennsylvania Line, and in turn,
served in the Second. Third, Eighth
and Ninth Pennsylvania regiments, the
change of commands being causeil by
consolidation and reorganization as the
service required. Pie al.-.o served in Cap-
tain Ji->sepli McClellan's company of
Light Infantry corps, cnmmandcd bv La-
fayette, in all about t"ve years, from
177S tn 17^1. He was at Brandywine,
Ciermantowii. I'aoli. Monmouth, passed
the winter at \'alley Fijrge. was wounded
at the Bkiek Plouse on the Hudson, as-
si-teil to carrv Lafayrite to a place of
s;ii(.t\ at l;r,-md\ wine wlien wounded,
and was nne i;f the guard at the gal-
knvs when Maim" Andrr was hanged, the
"\'orktii\\ n.

If further e\'idiiice were wanting to pruve
Tiihn Davis, the elder, it is found in the f(jllnwinL

1

1

.1

- »-«aiii3^ij6S-

^aJt:iiii-

GEN. JOilN DAVIS.

storming of Stony Point and at

the Kevolutionary service of
declaration under oath, made

170

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXl'V.

Sfi>tciiil)cr 1. i8ji). tlirt'c years hclnrc his <!i.-ath, in his applicatiini for a ijciwi. iv
under Ihr hiws of lVTiii.-~yl\ aiiia :

"I |olin Davi-. il". "H nr. oath, testify and declare that 1 enlisted in the ar:;,\
of the kevohuion in 1777. in Captain I'.utlcr's Conii)any, Colonel liutler's rv - -
mcnt, Pennsylvania IJne; afterward v.a- transferred in:o Captain .McClell:::i -
company of I.ij;ht Infantr\-; that I served in the Line until somctiine in 17S1.
when 1 was honoral)l_\ discharged, which discharge is lost. [ further tesiif\
that I was wounded in niv foot while in service at a block house near 1-". ri
Lee, on the Hudson river, from which 1 was and continue to \>i^, nuich disable 1,"
etc. (Sii^ned.) John Davis."

After John Davis was discharged from the Continental army, he was ap-
pointed and commissioned an ensign in the second battalion, Bucks con!U>
militia, and with it was called into service on two occasions. This commissi' n
is in possession of the autlior ; also the certificate of John Chapman, who admin-
istered the oath of allegiance to John Davis, tlie 18th day of October, 1770.
Under the act of Assembly of Pennsylvania of Alarch 24, 17S3. ailoting land
to those who had servetl in the Revolution, John Davis drew lot Xo. 1,167. '"
the sixth donation district, 200 acres, for which the patent was issuetl to him,
Septeml)er 29, 1787. It was located in Crawford county.

Peace having been declared, John Davis, the Revolutionary veteran,
returned to Iiis father's home and took up the laboring oar whicii he had laid
down seven years before. As he had been brought up on a farm, he resolved
to resume that occupation, but before doing so, took unto himself a wife, in
the person of Ann Simjison, daughter of William Simpson, of Buckingham
townshi[). til wlioni he was married June 26, 1783. They had issue, Sarah, born
October 12. 1784, ^^'illia^l. born August 22, 1786. John, born August 7, 17SS.
died -April I, 1878, Aim. born, Xovember 6, 1790, Joshua, born June 27, 1790.
Samuel,- born. September. 1798, Joseph, born January 27, 1803, and Elizabetlt,
born Xovember 18, 1S05. John Davis continued farming in Solebury until
1795, wdien he removed to Montgomerv county, Maryland, settling near Rock
Creek fleeting House, scjuic twelve miles fr'"'\n Washington. In 181') he made
a second removal, this time l<i ( )hio. locating on the east bank of the Sciota river.
ten miles above Columbus, tlie capital, where he spent the Ijalance of his life.

In the meantime John Davis" seci'n.l son and third child of the foreg;'ing,
having married .\m}- Ha'-I. daughter of Josiah Hart, and niece of William
Watts, of Southampton. M;'.rcli 13. 1813, settled at what became DaN'isvilie,
^vhere he speiit his life, farniing, store-kee])ing and saw-un'lling, d_\ing within
four n:->r.ths "f ninety. He was a central tigure in that communitx', and ti«'k
an interest in i)>ilitics au'l military matters, representing the district in Ciingress,
filling the lattice of surve>or of the port of l'hiladcl])hia for four years, and hold-
ing ci'iiimisvi, .ns f ri mi ensign to mijor -general in the volunteer militia. In the
war of 1S12-13 'i*-' served a tour of dntv as lieutenant in t'nlonel Humphre\'s
rille regiment. Jr.lin and Amy Davis had a family of seven children, one dying
in infancy, the remaimler marrying into the families of {•"rwin, Dufficld. t.ir-
penter. Mercnr and Sells, the luisliaiul of the daughter Sarah, Ulysses Merc\ir,
becoming chief justice of the State Suiireme Court.

The Moravians made a lodgment in .Southampton abmit 1740, [lurchastd
a lot and erected a meeting house, where the intinerants Owen Rice, h hu
Okely and others of I'.ahlehem, ]>reached in English initil 1747."* The site i>f
this early Miira\-ian cluirch was proliably on the lot of dindeltown sclinoj

-'4 Rev \VilIi;un C. Rcicii.-I. „f Bcthl.I

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. iji

h'lU^v. where tlic remains uf an old fciumlation wall can be traced, and this lo-
cation is sustained by tlie tradition of the ncii;hborhood. The lot is on the
IJristol road and the title is traced back to Thomas I'hillips, before 1687.

Among- the early families in the township, we omitted to mention that of
Uracot, or Dracket. probably of French descent, Ralph Bracket was there
before 1712. About 1750, one of this name, who lived on the Xewtown road
l)elow the I'.uck, discovered black lead on the farm of John Xaylor,-"' He kept
the secret to himself for some time, (piietlv extracting the lead, which he sold
in I'hiladelphia. and when the owner found it out, generously allowed him to get
what he wanted. Dracket died in 17S0. The mine was worked in the memory
of the author, but has been long abandoned. The lead was said to be of a good
quality.

(jne of the most remarkable persons that liveil in Southampton in the past,.
was John Perkins, who died August 8, 1838, at the age of eighty-four. He was
blind for more than seventy years, but was enabled by his industry, to earn a
living and lay enough up to support him in his old age. His principal occupa-
tions were threshing- grain with a flail and dressing flax, and he was so well ac-
(juainted with the roads, he could travel alone in all directions. He was a
member of the Soudiampton Baptist Church for about sixty years and a regular
attendant in all kinds of weather.

The earliest record of taxables we have met in S'luthampton, is 1742, when
(hey numbered forty-three, the largest paying ten shillings on a valuation of
£60. The rate was two pence per pound, and nine shillings for single men. By
1762 the taxables had increased to eighty-tive. In 17S4 the population was five
hundred and sixty-eight, of whom thirty were negroes, and there were eighty-
four dwellings. The population 1810 was 739; 1820, 907; 1830, 1,228, of wliich
234 were taxables: 1840, 1,256: 1850, 1,407: i860. 1,356; 1870, 1.303. of wb.ich
fifty-eight were of foreign birth, and in 1900, the population was 1,637. If tlie.--e
figures be correct the township gained but one. hundred and sixty-five in papu-
lation in fortv years, and the pnpulatinn was fourteen less in 1S70 than in 1850.
The area is 8,119 acres.

In Southampton there are three churches, the Southampton Bajiti-t church,
the Davisville Baptist, the Low Dutch ReformeiJ,

The first named is on the Midille Road half a mile below SjiriiigN ille, and
was founded in 1731. It was the seventh in the I'ruvince. It had its origin in
a small band of Keithian ]-"riends, which commenced their meetings at the house
of John Swift, forty \-ears before. The first pastor was the Reverend Joshua
Potts, since whr>se time eleven other jiastors have ministered at its desk.-'' and
several generations of the inhabitants of the surrounding cfiuntry lie buried in
its grave\ard. In the rear of the church is the grave of the Rev. John \\'atts.-'

J5 Was owned liv tiio estate of Isaac Ilnsicland. a few years aRo.

JO .-\ more exteiuled accuint of the S"iithamiit.in Baptist Cliiireh will he found
in tile Chapter on "lli-toric Chiirehcs."

27 There is some confliet concenihiR Jolm Watt";, both in life and death. The
in-crip:iiin, on his tonih-stone, argne; that he was buried there, but, it is positively as-
serted, that he was buried at Cold Spring near Bristol, this county. This we believe
to liave been the ca-e. for at that period, there was neither church nor graveyard at
Sottthamplon. It is also a>serted, in the old record, that lie u.as both for and against
the Kelihian niovenieni. but we cami..t .^t 'p t-. \nira\el it. Wc were told in the hui.tr a^o
that the gravestones were only erected at Sontbanipton to mark the re-peet that tlu^
church bad for his memory.

A-jz HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

■one of the preachers to the Keithiaii band, on whose tonibstune is the followiiig
inscription :

''Intered h<:-re I be

O that you could now sec,

How unto Jesus for to flee

Not in sin still to be.

Warning in time pray take

And peace by Jesus make

Then at the last when \uu awake

Sure on his right hand yon'l partake."

Among the pastors tliere have been some able and eminent men and in its
time, the Southampton Baptist chtirch was one of tlie most inlUiential of that
body.

The Davisvillc Baptist cluircli. an offshoot of Soutliampton church, was
organized March 31. 1S49, at the house of Jesse L. Booz, in that village. It
began with thirty-three members, who left the mother church because of a want
of harmony. The seceders were accompanied by the pastor, Alfred Earle, who
became the first pastor of the new organization, with John Potts and Bernard
Vanhorne as deacons. A meeting-house thirty-six by forty-five feet was erected
at an expense of Si, 500, and was first occupied January r, 1850. The pastors
from that time to the present have been the Reverends Messrs. F. Kent, Charles
Cox, James H. Appleton, and William H. Conrad, who was installed Sep-
tember 1st, 1S62, witli eighty-four members, and thirty-tive children in the Sun-
day school, followed by the Reverend S. V. Marsh, Philip Berry and D. W.
Sheppard, the present pastor. Since then the church building has been much
enlarged and improved, and a handsome parsonage erected. There are now
about two hundred and fifty members, with nearly as many scholars in the Sun-
day school. The money collections, 1S73, for all purposes, were $1,436.22. The
church is one of the most tlourishing of the denomination in the county, and
exercises a wide influence for good in the surrounding neighborhood.

The Low Dutch Reformed-"'^ congregation of Xorth and Southampton
whose place of worshiji is at Chiirchville on the Bristol road, is probably the
third, if not the second, oldest rk-u' niinatii iiial organization in the county. It was
originally called Xeshaminy church, or. as it was written in the old Dutch rec-
ords, "Sammany,'' and ".'-^haninii 'n\-."' It is not known just when, nor where,
the first church was Vjuilt. but no dotibt near the creek that gave its name, and,
at an early date, churches were erected on the .Street road, .Southampton, at
what is now Feasterville. and at Richborough. Xorthampton. These churches
were necessary to accommodate the Holland settlers in these two townships.
Reverend Paulus \'an Meek,-- who was chosen pastor at Bensalciii. r\Iay },o.

27' 2 This denomination was fom-.erly kn.nvn as the ■■Reformed Protestant Dutch
■Church in Xonh .America." but the name was changed in recent years to "The Re-
formed Church in Amcr.cn" It is Prc-byteriau in ,L;overnment and Calvinistic in
doctrine. It is the oldest branch of the Pre;liyteriau cluirch in .America by nearly a
hundred years, being planted on th.ese shores in 1610. v.!iei< the ILilhrnders settled at
.M;inhattan. In the petition for the orcrani.?a:i..n of Xorthampton town-hip. December.
i;2j, this cliurch is called the "Xeshaniiny meeiing-house."

-?8 PauliK \'an VIeck. tlie probable f.um.Ier ..f the Low Dutch Church. Xorth and
■Southampton, about 1710, was a schoolmaster and presenter at Kinderli-.-k. X. V.; tlien

HfSTORV OF BUCKS COUXTV. 173-.

17 10, nfticiated at •■Slianiniony" until he left his charge in 1712. Jan Banch,
a Swedish missionary from Stockholm, visited this church, January, July, Xo-
veniber and December, 1710, and was there again in April, 171 1, and January,
1712. At his second visit he baptised a child of Jacob and Catalinda Wclfen-
>i(.in, the witnesses being \'an \ leek, the pastnr, his wife Janett, Rachael Coar-
sen, and Stoffel Van Sand, a deacon.

Samuel Hesselius, one of the pastors at W'icacoa, officiated there in 17 19
and 1720. and afterward preached there in coimection with Kalkonhook-''- and
Matson's ford on the Schuylkill. He was there in 1721, but how much longer
is not known. This congregation and Ecnsalem were probably branches of
Wicacoa at first, and the people of "Shammony" had the privilege of burying
on the north side of the \\'icacoa graveyard. At what time it was given the
name of the church of North and Southampton is not known, but probably when
a church was erected in each township.

After Mr. Hesselius, there is an interregnum of several years until the pas-
torate of Reverend Peter Henry Dortius,-'' wdio came about 1730."" He preached
in Dutch and German, and frequently traveled a considerable distance to preach
to destitute German congregations. In September. 1740. he baptised several
children of the Egypt church, north of Allentown, in Lehigh county. He was
called "Herr Inspector," and probably had a commission to inspect the German
churches and report their condition to the authorities in Europe. In the latter
year of his pastorate he was involved in troubles with his congregation on ac-
count of his falling into dissipated liabits. The Reverend ]\Iichael Schlatter.^'
the ruling-elder of the Reformed churches in .Xmerica. was called upon by the
pastor to settle the trouble between him and his congregation. He made sev-
eral visits to "'Northampton, in Schameny," as he calls the place, to allav the
strife but was not successful. Dtjrtius left about 1748, and is supposed to have

a chaplain of the Dutch troops under Colonel XichoUon. in the French and Indian wars.
For eighteen year? after Van \"leck's departure, 171J, the Rev'd Frelinghuysen of X. J.
supplied the church. Feeling at need, the congregation called a supply from Leyden,
and Rotterdam. Xetherland, in 1730. through the consistory, and we suppose got one.
The official document read: "Done in our Congregational meeting, May 3, 1730, by us,
your Revd. humble servants, Elders and Deacons of the above named church in Buck?
county." The salary was fixed at £60 ''proclamation money," to be counted from his
first sermon, with "free dwelling and firewood and free ship's passage."
28;<:. Darby creek.

29. His wife was Jane, daughter of Dirck Hogeland; they had three children.

30. An authority states that Mr. Dortius was called January ist, 1744, to receive
^40 a year salary in "gold money," house, land, fire-wood, and saddle hotbe, to preach
twice on Sunday in summer and once in winter. .-Vbraham Van de Grift, and Garret
Wynkoop were then elders. The year is wrqng. probably because the entry was not
made until that year. He was pastor there as early as March, 1739, and no doubt the
date given in the text is correct.

31. .\ n.itive of St. Gall, Switzerland, where he was born July 14th, 1716, and came
to .\merica in 1746 to inspect the Reformed churches. .-\t one time he was chaplain in
the British army, and was imprisoned because he was a patriot in the Revolution. He
died between October 22d and Xovember 23d. 1790. Schlatter says that when he landed
in Xew York he received especial proofs of irier.d>hip from Father DuBois, who hail
labnred in the ministry with great success more than fiftv years.

1174

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

retiiriR-J tu liollanil. During- ilic vacancy .Mr. Schlatter pruached to the cmi-
^repation > >iicc a iiuiiuh on a \\ Oct: day.

The Reverend Jonaihaii Dlli'■oi^■- was called t(j succeed Mr. Durlius, nu
rcconimeudatinii of Mr. Schlatter, Xuveiuljer ii, 1752. and installed the ne.xi
day. lie was to receive £50 a year, a house and seventeen acres in Uyberry, a
saddle horse, and eitjlit ."^inidays in each year to himself. In the call the ciders
and deacns style him "'yuur honor. " Me was ti' serve the church in each town-
ship on Snnda_\' when the days were lonu;. It i> stated in the life of the Rever-
end Hcnrv M. .Muhlenberg, that he visiteil the remnant of Dutch Lutherans, at
Neshaminy, twenty miles from Philadelphia, in 1754. They had been served
some time by 3.1r. \'an Doran, who preached to them in a barn. Mr. Z^luhk-n-
bcrg visited them every si.K weeks in the summer, and preached three sermons
each Sunday, in Dutch, German and Ent^lish. He says the Dutch Reformed
had a church. The Lutherans were scattered by death, removals, etc. In the
distributicin of charities from the classes of Amsterdam, April, 1755. "Mr. Du-
ijois, of Northampton," received £21. 5s., and Mr. Dortius £5. 8s. In 1739
£20 were given to Mr. DuJiois. In 1760 the congregation maintained a school
of sixty boys. ]\Ir. DuiJois otficiated for this congregation until his death. De-
cember 16, 1772, a period of nearly twenty-two years.

There is no record of a successor to Mr. Duilois, until 1777. when he was
succeeded by Reverend William Schenck, who was driven out of Xew Jersey
by the British. He was born in Monmouth county. October 13, 1740, graduated
at Princeton, 1767, married 176S. and studied theology with Mr. Tennent. He
was chaplain in the arinv fur a time. He came to Southampton Alarch 3, 1777.
and moved to the parsonage, then the farm recently owned by Stephen Rhuad>
on the road to Churchville, a quarter of a mile from Buck tavern, the 24th of
Ajiril. It is not known how long he staid, but he was at Pittsgrove in 17S3. and
probaljly left Southanijitoh that year or the year before. Mr. Schenck died at
I'ranklin, Ohio, September ist i827,-''= wliere he had settled in 1817. After-
ward, in succession, were Reverends Zvlathias Leydt. who died November 24.
1783, aged twenty-nine years, Peter .Strykcr, in 178S, who resigned in 1790,
Jacob Larzelere, who came October 13. 1798, and resigned in 182S, on account
of declining years, A. O. Halsey, 1829 to 1867, an able man and minister, who

jj. J<..n^:l-,aii DiiBoii was the son of Barnet DiiBois, and both he and his cousin
John, son of l.nni,. wtre cduc.-itcil tor tht inin^try by voluiuary sulis^-ription. the father
of Jonathan carrying round tlie ^uliscripiion paper, which was drawn liy David Evans.
pastor of tile ri!l>t;nive chiircli. Salem conniy. Xew Jersey. John died in Xew Londnn.
in 1745. while piir>u:ng hi> >'.ndK> with Doctor .Miison. The wife of Jonathan DuHois
is >aid til have lieen .\niy, >i-ur nf Reverend Xehemiali Greennian.

3,?. The Sehencks trace their ancotry liack to Colve DeW'nie, the founder of the
hou^e. a llnllandir who was killed in luittle with the Danes, in Xj.S. Christian, the
tir^i I if tile lUiine. Imtler to the Cunnt of (nilic. cp.lled by him Sehenek in 1225. was a
ynunjjer ^mi uf one of the liiri!> of Tontenlnira:. The name means eiii)-iiearer, butier,
or wine ^er^er. We have mcii a cupy of the hangman's bill of expenses attendnig the
execution nf Sir Martin Schenck. in Hi.illand. abuut 15S9. He had some sort of "on-
!)le:i>.antne^-" with tl-e powers lh::t be. and to prevent further trouble he was turned
■<iv<-r to the public executioner. The cii>t nf pnttiiiii him and three of his faithful
soldiers out nf the way was iwenl>-li\e guiMei^ .and I'ifteen stiver-. It is a quaint old
dneumeiu. Ibe I\e\erend W:!ii;iui ile-eer.d-- frnui Peter Sclieiiek. win eai.ie to Inn:.;
Kl.ind in lO^o. While Mr. Schenck was at Sniuhainptnn his ^on Jnhn Xoble was bnrn,
January _'.S. 177S.

HISTORV OP BUCKS COUNTY. 175

K-i't his mark nii the ci'nininiiity, Wilhain II. Dfllarl. i8()S to 1870, and H. M.
\ (irlicvs, < )i:tiil)L'r. 1S71. fnliowed by I'.. C LipiK-ncutt, Samuel Strciig and H.
r. Craii;-.

The church \va> cl-.artered by the legislature September 20, 1782, the con-
.-iNtory being then composed of .Mr. Leydi. president, GilHam Cornel! and Henry
Wvnkoop, elders, and William I'-ennet, .\rthur Letlerts and Daniel liogeland,
deacons. The first parsonage was in iiyberry, Philadelphia county, but in 1775
tile assemblv authorized the trustees, Henry Krewson, Gilliam Cornell, John
Krewson and William JJennet, to sell it and buy a new one. They bought one
hundred and twenty acres" of the estate of Thomas Harding, deceased, South-
ampton, for £805. i6s.

During the pastorate of >dr. Larzelere. the church buildings at the ex-
treme ends of the parish, Kichborough and Feasterville, being out of repair, a
new church was built at a central point. A lot of three acres was bought of
John .Mc.Xair, Churchville.--"' and the corner-stone laid June 16, 1814. The
original building has been much enlarged and improved within recent years.
The old church at Feasterville stood in the graveyard about on a line with the
front wall, was small, old-fashioned, of stone, and was torn down soon after
the new edifice was erected. That at Richborough stood just outside the grave-
yard, about on the site of the present school-house. In tlie front wall of the
old graveyartl in Southampton we find, among others, the following inscrip-
tions : ■"G. K. I738."--'' "D. K..-' 1738." The oldest gravestone that gives an ac-
count of itself bears the inscription. "A. S. 1760," Abraham Staates. Chie
sti^mc records that Garret Krewson died in 1767, aged eighty-two years. There
is a large number of stones that tell no story of those who sleep beneath. Three-
quarters of a century ago the minister preached in Dutch and English. Sunday
about. The cngregati'in generally spoke Dutch, and the late venerable John
Lefi:'erts reuiembcrs when he learned to speak English of the black cook in the
kitchen. The people went to church in ox teams, and the girls without
stockings in \\arni weather. ( >n the Street road, a short distance above the site
of the old church, is a burial-gnnind, free to all, and known as Har<ling's gra\e-
yard. The flourishing Reforiued Dutch church at Richborough is the child of
the old church of North and SouthamiHon.

Probably the oldest school house in the townslii[), and ])ossibly in the ci'un-
ty, when it rendered its final account, was at the Southani|non Ilaj^tist church.
a mile east of Davisville ; and was thought to have been built as early as 1730,
A school house was there in 17*15, ^'iJ doubtless a log one, when Thomas I'ol-
well leased the let to Gilliam Cornell. Joseph I'.eans and Richard Leedom. "in
trust for the people of the neighborhood, for the use of a sciiool, and no otlier
use whatever, so long as said house shall remain tcnantable with small repairs."
The house then on tlie lot was an old one or one was to be built on it. In
1771. Thomas Folwell and I'Tizabeth, doubtless h.is wU'e, and son William, con-
veyed an acre to the Pajiti^t church, including the scli>>ol lot of twelve S(iuare
perches, "on which the new sclinol house stands." This is evidence a previous
school house had been taken down. As the first church was erected, 1732, no
<lonbt a school house si k 'n followed. The>e lots were part of one hunclred and
sixty acres Thomas I'ohvell granted to h.i> son William, 1702. The school was

,U- Farin of StcplKii RIio.tcU nii CluircluiUc ro:\(\. iioar tlic Buck tavern.

.55. Then callfii Sninkctown.

j6. Garret Krewson,

J/. Derrick Krew^cii.

176 niSTORV Of BUCKS COUXTY

classical anJ iiiathcniaiical. W'c know the name of luil two of the earlv teachers.
Rev. Isaac Eaton and jCsse }vioore, a hrolher of IJr. Moore, who was snljse-
qucntly a tutor in tlie L'niversiiy of iVnns\lvania, then read law and became
a jud^e in one of our western counties, lie taught Latin at Southampton.
At a later day Robert Lewis taught there, eightv years ag"0, and was paid feiiir
dollars i)er quarter for each pupil. Among Moore's pupils were Doctors Wil-
son, Ramsey, Hough, Rev. Uliver Hart, a distinguished IJapiist minister, and
Joseph Ciales, one of the proprieif>rs of the National IntclUi^cnccr, W'ash-
ington."''-

Southampton lies in the southwest jjart of the county, adjoining Pliila-
delphia and ^kintgomery, is six miles long, two wide, and in the shape of a
parallelogram, except a ragged corner next to ^Nliddlctown and Xorthampton.
The ujiper part is quite level with occasional gentle swells, but more broken
and rolling in the middle and lower end. Edge Hill crosses the township, about
its middle. It is well watered by the Peniiypack, Loquessing, Neshaminy ancl
numerous smaller streanis: the soil is fertile and well cidtivated, with little waste
land. The township is well provided with roads. The Street road runs through
the middle its entire length ; the Z\Iontgomery county line bounds it on the
southwest, the Bristol road on the northeast, while a number of cross roads cut
them at nearly right-angles. In 1700 the inhabitants stated to the court tliey
had no public roads to market, mill or church. In IMarch, same year, they peti-
tioned for a road "from the Queen's road in South.ampton down to Joseph Grow-
den's mill,""'* and in September ask the Court to open a road "towards the new
milP" on the Penn}-pack, which is likely to be our chief market.'' As late as
1722. the inhabitants complained they had no regularly established roads, and
as earlv as 1699 a road was laid out fnim the King's highway to Peter \\ cbster's
new dwelling.'"' The Buck road to the Philadelphia county line was relaiil fifty
feet wide, 1790, and the old road vacated,- 1797; the road from the Buck^'
to Churchville was laid out, 1795, and that from Uavisville to Southampton
Baptist church, 1814. The oldest inhabitants of Southampton, we have any
account of. was a colored woman, named Heston, who died November 15. i8ji.
in her one hundred and fifth year, which carried her birth back to 17 16- 17.
Sarah Bolton, daughter of Isaac, of Southampton, 150 years ago, became a
minister among Friends and preached in Bsberry, 1752.

This township was the birthplace of Dr. John \Vilson, who became one of
the most distinguished physicians of the county. He was born in the vicinity of
Feasterville, sent to the classical school at Southampton Baptist church, grad-
uated at the Philadelphia }ilcdical Scl'.ool, and spent the greater part of his
professional life in Buckingham, where he died. He was accomplished and ele-
gant in manner. The township is crossed by three railroads, built in the past
twenty-live years. The first was that from I'liiladelphia to Xewtown, inlendin.g

37' 2 The niithor leanu-d his .\. P.. C's in this old school house, stone pointed 16-16
feet, and has a distinct recollection of attending a school commencement there when a
child. That and the stnne ilied and quaint sexton's home wxre torn down nearly seventy-
years ago.

3S Old Buck Road.

r,0 Prr.l.aHy Guin's null. hclo«- Hathnr...

.40 The location of Webster's dwelling is not known.

41 The "Buck" was so named from the head of the annual that graces its sign'
hoard.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. ' 177

10 be continued to Xcw York, but ne\-er finished. It crossed the Street road
at Southampton, which it has been the means of greatly improving and was
!i;;i^hcd in the early spring of 1S78. The Bound Brook mad from Philadelphia
to New York, shortl}- followed, forming connection at Bound Brook, and thence
running over the Xcw Jersey Central tracks to jersey City. It leaves the
North Penn, track at Jcnkintown, crossing the Street road at the township line.
Tl-.c third is the "Pennsylvania Cut-Oft",'' from the Schuylkill below Xorristown
to the Delaware at ^lorrisville, and is used by heavy through freight. It, too,
crosses the Street road half a mile above Feasterville. The tow nship has like-
wise two turnpikes crossing it from northeast to southwest, one on the bed of
tiie }vliddle or Oxford road, giving a continuous pike from Philadelphia to Kew
llupe, via Centcrville; the other from Richborough via the Buck, Somerton,.
etc., to Philadelphia. These roads were early arteries of trade and travel, the
laUer one the first pike in the county. A branch turnpike a mile long runs from
the Fox Chase, Richborough pike to Davisvillc. There are five post cilices,
in the township, Davisville, established 1827, Feasterville, 183 1, Churchville,.
1S72, Southampton and Cornell of more recent date.

Southampton has six villages, in former times all ending in ville, the
American weakness. Davisville, die oldest in name, at the Warminster line :
Feasterville, four miles below, also on the Street road; Brownsville, two miles
below that ; Church.ville on the Bristol road : Cornell on the same road, a mile
above it, and Southampton, the youngest and largest, named after the township.
Davisville was named after the late General John Davis, and we may say was
founded by him, 1S27, when he erected a store house and dwelling at the cross
roads, and the post office was moved down from Jose[ih Warner's over the line
in \\"arniinster, the head waters of one branch of the Pennypack, taking its
rise in the meadows a few hundred yards above. It was the seat of a sawmill
for nearly a century, and in former years the center of very considerable busi-
ness. A county bridge built 1S43, spans the old sawmill dam, now almost filled
with mud. Flere five public roads meet, and the village contains twenty dwell-
ings, with a store and some minor industries.-*- A school house was erected
tifty-five years ago, and dedicated to public use with the following inscription,
cut on a marble slab in the gable, by the late Daniel Longstreth, 11 mo., 1843:
"Davisville .'Seminary, built by voluntary contribution : lot the gift of Richard
Benson. The buiUhng committee were, David Marple, James M. Boileau,
Thomas Montanye, Samuel Xaylor, and Jesse Edwards." A day school was
kept in it until the township accepted the school law, when it was turned over
to the public school board and occupied until recently. The first school in Davis-
ville was a select school for girls, opened by Miss Isabella ^IcCarren, 1834,
and kept there several years. She subsequently married and spent manv years in
Philadelphia, but now lives at Southampton, a mile below, in her ninety-second
year. Her mind is good and she takes an interest in current events.

The village of Southampton, a mile below Davisville at the junction of
the Street and Middle road, contains one hundred dwellings with the usual
complement of stores, mechanics, etc. In 1S41 there were but three houses here

VJ Seventy-five years ago tliere were but fmir dwellings in the inmiediate vicinity
"i Davisville: the Watt=; hoin<-le;ul. Jc-ih Hart's dwelling and sawmill property, John
Folwell's honse. recently Roherts', and the John While dwelling on the Duffield farm.
I'or a number of years. c-peeiaMy during the active life of the late General John Davis.
the village was a political and military center. The volnnteer system was in its prime,
p.'iuu-s warm and sp'cy. and the Kadcrs of bi<th made frequent visits hither tor orders.
\'2

178 " "' HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

■ — Elijah Danes, Edward Eoileau, and tlie store with dwcUing attached. The
store house was built by Thomas Banes for his son William, 1793, and prob-
ably occupied by him until his death, 1803, being accidentally killed in Phila-
delphia. He was born, 1770, and married Xanc\- Miles. Thomas Canes died,
i8jS. The storehouse was left to his daughter, Lydia Lukens, who sold it to
Dr. Joshua Jones, 1S27, and since that time, it has had a number of owners and
occupants. A smithy and wheelwright shop was located here early in the
century. In the early day this place was called the "Lower Corner," in con-
tradistinction to the "L'pper Corner," now Johnsville, a mile above Davisville,
and later took the name of the storekeeper for the time being, as "Hicks' Corner,"
"Fetter's Corner," etc. Among the occupants of the store in the past sixty years
were Watts Jones, 1841 ; James Hicks, 1845; Casper Fetter, 1853; George W.
Boileau, 1868; Alfreil Boileau, 1S74; John Woodington, William Sharp, Frank
Buckius, Jacob Euckman, George Wolf and others. Woodington removed to
Kansas some years ago. In the field at the northeast corner of the two roads,
Capt. William Purdy's rille company assembled, Sept., 1S14, previous to set-
ting off for Camp Dupont, Delaware, the Rev. Tiiomas B. iMontanye preaching
an appropriate sermon. A Baptist camp meeting held in a wood near here,
1835, on the Baptist parsonage farm, gave birth to the Hatboro Baptist church.
Feasterville, a hamlet of a few houses on the turnpike leading from Rich-
borough to Philadelphia, is in the midst of a highly cultivated country. Plere is
the only tavern in the township, the historic "Buck," and on the turnpike, a mile
from Churchvillc, the only flour mill. In the old liip-roofed house near bv the
iafe James Carter, Byberry, was born, 1778. Spring\-ille, a hamlet of about the
same number of dwellings and two or three farm houses, with a post othce
called "Cornell," a smithy and a store at the intersection of the Bristol and
Jiliddle road, make up the complement of Southampton's villages. Tradition
tells us that in the "long ago," whereof the memory of man "runneth not to
the contrary," Springville had a tavern called "The Blue Bell," on the site of
the store on the Bristol road, but of its history we know nothing.

CHAPTER XIX--

WARMINSTER.

1703.

Warminster the twin of Southampton. — One of the earhest settled. — John Rush, — John
Hart. — Bartholomew Longstreth. — Henry Comly. — Tlie Nobles. — Their family mansion
— Noble burying ground. — The Cravens. — The Yerkes lamily.^ — Rev. Thomas B. !Mon-
tayne. — John Fitch. — Comes to Bucks county. — Mends clocks. — Goes west and re-
turns.— Builds model of steamboat and tries it on Southampton creek. — Cobe Scout. —
A notable character. — The Vansant graveyard.— Dr. William Bachelor. — The Log
College. — Johnsville. — Hart's school-house. — Harts ville. — Schools. — Public inn. — Horse
racing. — No gristmills. — Roads. — African and Indian school. — Earliest enumeration of
inhabitants. — Present population. — First postoffice.— Hatboro. — John Dawson. — David
Reese. — Battle of Crooked Billet.

Warminster,^ the twin township of Southampton, Hes immediately north-
west and adjoining. The two elected but one constable and overseer for several
years, and were not entirely separated in their municipal administration until
about 171 2. On the other three sides it is bounded by Northampton, Warwick
and Warringrtoit townships, and Montgomery county, from which it is separ-
ated by public roads. Its boundaries are the same as when laid out and its area
is 6,099 acres.

Warminster was one of the earliest townships settled, and judging from
Holme's map, the greater part of the land was taken tip in 16S4, generally in
large tracks.- Some of these land-owners were not residents of the township
at this time nor afterward. Of these was John Rush, connected with the early
Harts by marriage, who settled in Bybcrry, where he lived and died. He was
the ancestor of all bearing this name in Pennsylvania. He commanded a troop
of horse in CroniweH's army, and, after the war. married Susannah Lucas, of
Oxfordshire, 1648. In 1660 he embraced the principles of the Friends, and,

1 The name is probably'a compound of war and minster, both of Saxon origin, the
tirst meaning a fortress, tiio hitter tho church of a monastery. Warminster is a market
town and pnrisli in r..i<;lr!nd, County Wih?, ,it the wcsUrn extremity of Salisbury Plain,
on the Wiiiey. .'i mi!c^ W. X. W. of Salisbury. Population, 1S51, 4,:.'J0.

2 LamllioUlers in 1(^-^4: Willi.im niid Mary Binglcy, Jolni Rush, Sr., Jnlm Hart,
Nallianu-l Allen, ticursf K.Mulnll. J.ii.ies Potter, Julin Jones. Henry Conily, Sarah Wool-
mar., llfiirv EmuII^i anil .Vbel Noble.

iSo IIISrORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

i68j, imiiiigralc.l to IV-nnsylvania with bis wiie and children. Himself an.d
family became Keithians, i6yi, and, in 1697, they joined the Baptists. John
Rusli died in i6g<). He o\sned five liraidred acres in Byberry, and the same
quantity in \\'arn)in>ter.

Joiin Hart and h.lin Rush were firobahly neighbi:irs in England, both com-
ing from Oxfordshire, wh.erc Mr. Hart was horn at the town of Witney, Xov<.m-
ber 16, 1651. Witney is sitnated on the Windrush river, five miles above its
junction with the Isis, twenty-nine miles from Oxford. There was a town tb.cre
at the time of the ancient Britains, and the population is now 3.000. The church
dates back to the twelfth century, and is one of the liandsomest of its class in
England. Flt se\eral centuries it was the seat of extensive blanket manufac-
tories. V.v. Hart came to Pennsylvania in the latter part of the summer, or
early fall of 16S2, preceding William Penn a'couple of months. The nth of
October, iGSi, he purchased one thousand acres of the Proprietary for the con-
sideration of £20"', and, on his arrival, he located five hundred acres in Byl'crry
and the same quantity in Warminster."* He settled on the banks of the Poquess-
ing, in Byberry, Philadelphia county, and, 1683, married Susannah, the daughter
of his friend. John Rush." ^Iv. Hart was a distinguished minister among
Friends, but went off with George Keith, and subsequently became a Baptist.
He preached to a small congregation at John Swift's, in Southampton, where he
laid the foundation of the Southampton Baptist church. About 1695, Mr. Hart
removed from Byberry to his tract in Warminster between the Bristol and
Street roads, adjoining Johnsville, where he lived the rest of his life, dying
there, 1714. Proud sa}s he was a man "of rank, character and reputation, and
a great preacher." His eldest son, John Hart, married Eleanor Crispin, By-
berry, 170S. ( )n the matern.a! side she was the granddaughter of Thonias
Hcilme. surve}-or-gcneral of the Province, \\hilc her paternal grandfather was
William Crispin, a captain under Cromwell, and an officer in the fleet of
Admiral Penn. his brother-in-law, and would have been the first chief justice
had he lived to arrive. John Hart's wife was a descendant, on the maternal
side, of a sister of William Penn's mother, who was ?ilargaret Jasper, daughter
of a Rotterdam merchant. John and Eleanor Hart had a family of ten
children, whose descend.'.nts number thousands, and are found in all the
states south and west of Pcnns_\lvania. Two of their sons reached positions of
distinction; Oliver, who studied theology with William Tennent at FreehoM,
New Jersey, and became a distinguished Baptist minister in Soutli Carolina.
and Joseph, of Warminster, this county, who was a colonel in the army of tlie
Revolution, and filled many prominent places in civil life. The South Carolina

3 The author has tlic deed of William Pciin to Jolin Hart, executed i6.Sr, at Wonu-
inghurst. conveying 1,000 acres to him.

4 Return of survey is dated May 2, 1709.

5 There has been some confusion as to John Hart's wife, wliether she was the daugh-
ter of William or John Rush. Tliat he married Susannah Rush there is no question. A?
John Rush was not married until 164S, he could hardly have a son old enough to have a
daughter of niarriagealile age -in 16S5. The Rushes, father, son William and wife Aurelia.
widi three rliildren, came over, jtS2. doubtless at the same time as John Hart and may
have come in the same ship, a-i lliey lived nciglibors in Oxfordshire, and it is possible t;e
may have courfed Iiis future wife on the voyage. Joseph C. Martindale, in his "History cf
Byberry and Moreland," speaks of John. Rush as "an elderly Friend," As there is no
evidence he l>roiight a wife with him, slie may have been dead. We get our information
frnm the Mart family paper? and believe it to be correct.

IH ';T^•

■> fjn.*<

HART HOMESTEAD. WARMINSTER; BUILT ITM.

Committee of Safety appointed Oliver Hart, in conjunction with Hon. William
Dravton, to visit the western part of that state to reconcile the inhaljitants to
the new order of things in the Revohition. A descendant of John Hart, Samuel
Preston Moore, Richmond, Virginia, was surveyor-general of the Confederate
army during the civil. war, and his brother, Stephen West JNIoore, a graduate
of West Point, was inspector-general of Louisiana, and both were officers of
the United States army prior to the war. The Hart homestead in Warminster
remained in the family one hundred and seventy years, descending from father
to son. John Plart, the elder, was one of the first men in the slate to write and
publish a book. While living in Byl-)erry, 1C92, he and Thomas Budd published
an "Essay on the Subject of Oaths." We have never seen a copy and do not
know that one is in existence. The Hart tract, in recent years, in Warminster,
was owned by the families of Wynkoop, Twining, Kirk, Hobensack and others.
The Bingley tract lay in the southeast corner of the township, adjoining John
Hart's five hundred acres, and probably extended southwest of the Street road.
The village of Ivyland is built on the Hart tract. The Hart mansion, the
second on the site, built by John Hart the second. 1750, is still standing and in
good condition. On the west end is a date stone of the following shape and
inscrijition. The initials stand for Jolin and Eleanor Plart, and he imdoubtedly

1750

actual life, and did not die
inside and the half-tone illus-
ai)pearance. At the time it
best house in the neighbor-
the home of Colonel John
Hart of Revolutionary mem-
the homestead tract, but is
the family. He was born
April 0. iri^J. died June 18. 1S40. He was a prominent man, v.as a member of As-
sembly, and served an enlistment in the war of 1S12-15. Two of his sons served
in the civil war; Janio 11.. a maj.ir in the First Xew Jersey Cavalry, was killed,
and Thompson U., licnunant-C'lunel of the One Hundred and Fourth Penn-
sylvania.

The following are the first three generatiims of the Hart family of War-
tninster, including the first two after their arrival in Pennsylvania : Christopher

built it, as he was there in
until 1763. It was wainscoted
tration shows the |)resent
was built it was jirobalsly the
hood. The mansion was
Hart, son of Colonel Joseph
ory, and was built, 1817, on
not owned bv anv member of

i82 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

and Mary Hart, of Witney, Oxfordshire, England, had issue, John, born X._-
vcmber i6, 1651, died September,. 1714; Robert, born August i, 1655, -'^'^^j,
born April i, 1658, Joseph, born October 24, 1601.

lohn Hart, "i.Ide>t son of Christopher and .Mary Hart, married Susanna':,
Rush, and had issue :

John, born July 16, 1684, died March 23, 1763; Thomas; Joseph, did
1714; Josiah; Zvlary, died 1721.

John Hart, eldest son of John and Susannah, and Eleanor, his wife, had
issue :

John, born September 10, 1709, died June 11, 1/43; Susannah, born April
20, 1711, died March 30, 1733; William, born Z^Iarch 7, 1713, died October o.
1714; Joseph, bom September i, 1715, died February 25, 17S8; Silas, bora
May 5, 1718, died October 29, 1795 ; Lucretia, born July 22, 1720, died Decem-
ber 15, 1760; Oliver, born July 5, 1723, died December 31, 1795; Edith, born
May 4, 1727, died iMarch 27, 1805 ; Seth, born June 11, 1731, died October 31,
1740; Olive, born July 3, 1734, died August 13, 1734-

Joseph Todd, one of tlie early settlers of Warminster, took up a tract C'f
two hundred and twenty-four acres, and was conveyed to him by patent, 1701.
It lay on the Street road where the York road intersects it. The considerati'Mi
was £30 IDS. We know nothing of Joseph Todd, whence he came or whither he
went, but his descendants are probably in the county. Since then the prop-
erty has changed hands several times, and been considerably reduced in acreage.
It was in the Todd family for sixty-eight years, they building a stone house on
it 1719, two of the rooms remaining in good condition, with the date stone.
The subsequent owners were Samuel Lloyd, 1769, consideration £955 ; the Wal-
tons, the Reverend John r^Iagoffin, Thomas Dixey, $6,500, and after passing
through several additional hands to J. Johnson Beans, who sold it, 1897, to
Edward W. Adams, of New York. The latter sold the property, 1900. to
Richard H. Chapman, of Chestnut Hill. ]Mr. Chapman has entirely remodeled
the old homestead, skilled architects converting it into an elegant, modern man-
sion. The original building was erected, 1719, but by whom is not known.
While owned by Mr. ^Magotiin, seventy-five years ago, he made some alterations.
while the present owner has preserved some of the old walls and timbers. There
are few superior dwellings in the county.

Bartholomew Longstreth.'"* a Friend and a son of Christopher Longstreth,
was born at Longstreth Dale, Yorkshire, England, August 24, 1679, and im-
migrated to Pennsylvania, 1698. He purchased three hundred acres on Edge
Hill, which he began to improve, but soon sold it with tlie intention of return-
ing to England. Changing his mind he bought five hundred acres of Thomas
Fairman, in Warminster, for £175, and came into the township, 1710. This
tract lay in the square bounded by the Bristol, Street, Southern line, the town-
ship and Johnsville roads. He added to his acres, and at his death, owned a
little over one thousand. He immediately built a log home, and subsequently a
stone one, the second in the neighborhood, the joist being sawed out on the
pnemiscs with a whip saw. In 1727 he married Ann Dawson, Hatboro. then
the Crooked Billet, his age forty-nine, she twenty-three, and after spending a
useful, active life, died suddenly August 8, 1749, and was buried at Horsham.

5'.; It i? snid that r'.,irtl'.ulomc\v I.one-tretli ..pencd the ro.id from the C-oimiy Lino
across to the Street ro.nd, thence by liis own l.-ind to the Bristol road. Subsequently, and
while supervisor of Warminster, he opened the York road from the County Line to
Hartville and dov.'n to Hatboro.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 183

His widow married Robert Thomjikiiis. \\'arrin,c:ton. She died 17S5.
r.arlliokiniew Lcm.q^stretli had ele\en- children, aiul at his death, left
tlie hnnle^tcad farm to Daniel, the eldest son living, burn 1732.
He occu|iicd tlie father's place in society and was twice married,
the first time to Grace Michener, the second to ^vlartha Bye, Buckinf:^ham. 2d
month, 2Sth, 1779. He had nine children by his first wife, and died. 1803.
Rachel, daughter of Daniel Longstrelli, married Thomas Ross, son of John
Ross and Mary Duer. Solebury, and grandson of Thomas Ross, the Quaker
])rcacher. Thomas Ross was a distinguished lawyer and was usuallv called
"Lawyer Tom." He settled in West Chester, but practiced extensively through-
out the eastern circuit. By his first wife. Rachel Longstrcth. he had a daughter,
Rachel, born 3d month, 23d, 1782, died 7th month, 6th, 1S75, who married

\ "If ^i* ■» '- i'

LO.NGSTRETH HOMESTEAD.

Richard Maris. The late George G. Maris, Buckingham, was a son of this mar-
riage. Lawyer Thomas Ross' second wife was Alary Thomas.- They had sev-
eral children.

His son Joseph, born 1765, inherited the homestead, but, learning the hat-
making business, followed it several years at the Crooked Billet. He married
Sarah Thomas, 1797, had six children, and died in the house wherein he was
born, 1S40. Daniel, the eldest son of Joseph Longstrcth, born iSoo, and died
1846. was a man of culture and intelligence and a useful citizen. He was twice
married, first to Elizabeth Lancaster, I'hiladolphia, 1827, and then to Hannah
Townsend, 1S32, and was the father of nine children. In 1840 he opened a
boarding school in his own dwelling, which he conducted several vears success-
fully. A majority of his pupils were from adjoining counties, among them
David :VI. Zook, I^Itintgomcry, brother of General Samuel Ivosciusco Zook, who
fell at the battle of Gettysburg. Daniel Longstreth's sister Anna, who subse-
quently married Charles Rabb, kept a school for boys and girls in the homestead
about the close of the 2o's, and the author was one of her pupils. Daniel Long-
strcth, who de%-oted much of hi- time to surveying and convevancing, had a good

i84 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

knowledge of the sciences, wrote considerably for the county press, and died in
tlie home of his ancestors March 30, 1S46.'''- Daniel Longstreth was quite a
mechanic and methodical in his habits. He recorded, in a book kept for the
purpose, the deaths of the neighborhood from 181S to his own, 1,035 in all.
Among them were Reverend Thomas V,. 2vlontanye, September 27, 1829. aged
sixty; Thomas Purdy, F.si.juire, sh.eriiY, Xovemiber 10, 1844, aged forty-four;
Dr. Isaac Chapman, l'"ebruary 17, 1837, aged seventy-seven ; Dr. John- Wilson,
Buckingham, October 16, 1835, aged sixty-three; Reverend Jacob Larzelerc.
July_ 19, 1834, aged seventy ; Enos IMorris, Esquire, Newtown, February 18,
1831 ; Dr. John H. Hill, Hatboro, January 3, 1831. The Longstreths were ad-
vanced farmers. Joseph using the first hay rake in the county, 1812-13. Daniel,
the elder, used lime on his land about 1775, and Daniel's uncle, John, and great
uncle, Joseph, were among the first to sow clover seed and plaster on it. Of
his five children four, John, Sanuiel, Edward L. and Anna, live in Philadelphia."
The old homestead, owned by five generations of Longstreths, passed out of the
family many years ago. It was built at three periods : the middle part bv
Bartholomew, 1713, the east end by his son Daniel, 1750, and the west end by
the same, 1766, by Philadelphia workmen, and wdien finished was considered
the finest home in that section of country. The farm was sold to Isaac Rush
Kirk, 1850, and was owned for several years by his widow. In 1873 she had
the middle and eastern parts taken down, and erected a new dwelling on their
site. The Longstreth family retain the metal-moulds in wdiich Bartholomew
run his pewter spoons like other farmers of the day, and also the iron old John
Dawson used to smooth beaver hats. Bartholomew Longstreth was a man of
influence in his generation. The Longstreths owned land in other townships.
The land located by John Rush was probably not confirmed to him, or he
may have sold it to Bingley, to whom it was patented, for the tract of the latter
covered what is in Rush's name on Holme's map. Henry Comly, wdio came
with wife and son from Bristol, England, 16S2, located five hundred acres
in the northwest corner of the township, between the countv line and Street
road, and adjoining Warrington. The grant was made to him by William Penn
before leaving England. Comly died, 16S4, and his wife, who re-married, 16S5,
died 1689. His son Henry married Agnes Heaton, 1695, "^""^ soon after jnir-
chased five hundred acres in ^ilorcland, near Smithfield, wdiere he died, 1727.
leaving eleven children. He is thought to have been the ancestor of all who bear
the name of Comly in this state. Sarah Woolman's tract of two hundred and
fifty acres joined that of Henry Comly, but we do not know when she came into

fj'j In a commonplace book, among the Lonijstreths' manuscripts, we find the fol-
lowing stanza, one of several verses written after Daniel Long-treth's death, by Elizabeth
Hutchinson, liis wife's sister:

And dearest .Daniel, art thou gone
To travel o'er the spangled lawn,

With pleasure and delight ;
Where one perpetual blaze of day
Shines forth with luidiminislied ray

Kor sees the fall of night.

6 Departed this life in I'liiladclpliia. on t!ie evening of the rth of 3d month, iS.lj,
Margaret Longstreth, at the advanced age of 97 years, .3 months and 14 days, having
outlived the innst of her contemporaries. She was the widow of Daniel Longstreth. War-
minster, Ducks countv.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

tiie townsliip, but prior to 16S4. Xatlianicl Allen was also a large land-owner
in Bristol township, but probably never lived in Warminster.

The Nobles were ani.nig the very earliest settlers in Bucks county. We
find Richard Noble'''-' on the Delaware, 1675, where he held a local office under
the Uuke of York. He settled in Bristol township, and took up a tract of land
on the river above the ni.juth of Neshaniiny and was a surveyor. His son Abel
was an original purchaser in Warminster, where he owned six hundred and
nineiy-tlve acres at the resurvey, 1702.'-'- The original Noble tract lay on both
sides of the York road, that on the upper side running up the county line, not
reaching the Street road, and that on the lower side extending down it to within
half a mile of Johnsville. In 1743 Abel Noble conveyed one hundred and sixty-
five acres to his son Joseph, who, in turn, sold it and a few acresmore, 1763,
to Harman Y'erkes, the first of that family in WarnVmster. Abel and Job Noble,
sons of the first purchaser, were owners of considerable of the ancestral tract
at that time. Job was a man of many peculiarities. He left the grain uugath-
cred hi the corners of his fields for the birds. At the family mansion, built in
English style with hip-roof, on the site of the dwelling of the late Andrew
Yerkes on the Y'ork road, he built a stone apiary with the back to the road, and
intended to have cut upon it the ten commandments, but it was never done. The
story is told of one of his Irish servants, who, discovering a tortoise in the field,
ran breathless to the house and reported that he had found "a snake in a box,"
nor would he return to his work until some one went to "demolish the craiture."
Noble died, 1775, leaving two daughters, one marrying a Gilbert, the other a
Moland. A daughter of the Alolands married a Wood, and their daughter was
the wife of Barzilla Gregg, Dovlestown, who was a well-known school teacher.
Descendants of the Gilberts live in Philadelphia. Job Noble's father joined
George Keith and became a Seventli Day Baptist. The remains of the Noble
family huning-ground are below the York road, near the coimty line, on the
Justice ^Mitchell farm on a knoll that overlooks a meadow in front. Half a
dozen graves, with a few feet of the old wall, are all that mark the final resting
place of these Warminster pioneers. The Nobles were related to the Long-
streths.

Jolm and Isaac Cadwallader were in the township quite early, and John
bought two hundred and fifty acres on the county line. Isaac died, 1739. W^ar-
minster had a sprinkling of Hollanders at an early day, who probably came
from I.ong or Staten Island instead of direct from Holland. Among them we
find the Cravens, Vansants, Garrisons. Corsons and other families. The Cravens
probably came first, and James was a owner of land in the township as early
as 1685, for we find that the 9th of April, 1740, he paid to James Steel, receiver

C'/i He came from Eiigl.and in the Joseph and Mary, Captain Mathew Payne, the
first vcssi-1 that landed passengers at Saleni, New Jersey. May 13, 1675.

6''. Abel Xoble was a son of William and Frances Xohle. of Bristol, England.
In T752 lie owned ;oo acres in Warminster llie tract bcinc: cut by the York road and
cxtendinK fr"'" the county line to the Street road. In 1750 Herman Yerkes bought land
•of the No!)ies. Abel Noble married Mary Garrett, dauglitcr of William and Ann Kirke
Garrett. William Garrett lived at Harby, County Leicester, England, 1672-1684. In
l(i>!4-&S Abel Koble bad land surveyed to him between Second pnd Third streets, Philadel-
phia. He landed at Salem, X. J,. 1675. May 13, and was the owner of lands in Bristol,
near the confluence of Nesbaminy and the E)elaware. Mrs. .■\nna Longstretli Tilney.

Alicl Noble's only daughter. .Anna, married David Thomas, a blacksmith from
W.'ilcs, wiio settled at Darby. Delaware county, am! removed to Providence.

iS6 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

of taxes for the I'roprietaries, '■four pounds, two shillings, and six-ijcncc. in
full for tifty-livf } cars" quit-rciit due on one hundred and tifty acres of land iu
Warminster. The Cravens were living- in the township, 1712, and James and
Thomas were there, 1730 and 1737.' In 1726 one of the name came into War-
minster from Richmond county, Statcn Island. In January, 1725, he bought a
farm of one hundred and fifty acres of William Stockdell, adjoining lands of
Peter Chamberlain and Bartholomew Longstrcth, for £290. Possession was
given the 1st of June, 1726. The Corsons came from Long Island, the first of
the name being Benjamin, whose receipt of July i, 1723, states that he had re-
ceived £7 6s. of one ^^'essells, "on acconnt of Jacob Kraven." Harman Van
sant was Brigadier-Inspector, 1821, afterward Brigadier-General, and died
September 13, 1S23, aged sixty-six years.

The Yerkcs* family made their first appearance in Bucks county about
one hundred ;uid lifty years ago, settling in Warminster, where Herman, or
Harman, bough-t one hundred and eighty-one acres of the Noble tract on the
Street road.

About 1700, Anthony Yerkes, wdth wife IViargaret, and sons Herman,
Adolphus and John, came from Germany and settled on the Schuylkill. He
was one of the Burgesses of Germantown, 1703 and 1709, bought of John
Plolme three hundred acres at Shclmire's mills on the Pennypack, in the manor
of 2iIoreland, Philadelphia county, now I^.Iontgomcry. After the death of his
first wife, Anthony Yerkes married Sarah Eaton, widow of Rev. John Watts,
who died June 27, 17.^5. Anthony Yerkes had three children, Herman, born
16P9, died 1750-1, Adolphus, living, 1744, and John who probably died un-
married. Herman, who doubtless came with his fatlier from Germany, married
Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. John Watts, February 11, 171 1, becoming the
son-in-law of his step-mother. They had ten children, and at the father's
death, he divided eight hundred acres on the Pennypack among them. Silas
sixth child, born February 15, 1725, died September 25, 1795. married Hannah,
daughter of Thomas Dungan, Warminster, and for a time lived there. They
had ten children, from one of wdiich, the late William L. Elkins, of Philadelphia,
was descended, and was buried at Southampton. His brother Plerman born
January 18, 1720, and died about 1800, was the first Yerkes to settle in Bucks
county, about 1750. He married Mary Stroud, daughter of Edward Stroud.
Wliitemarsh, IVlontgomery county, March 26, 1750, who died in Warminster,
1770. .All his children were by her. For his second wife, he married Mary
Ploughton, widow of Ricliard Clayton, New Britain, September 30, 1773, who
died January, 1785. In her will she left money to build' a wall around the
Southampton graveyard which is still standing. For his third wife he married
Elizal.icth Ball. v.i<low of John Tompkins, and died 1819. Herman had eight
children, Elizabeth, Catharine, Edward, Sarah, Stephen, Mary, Harman and
William. Elizabeth married John Hufdale, April 14. 1770, and has descendants
in Western Pennsylvania. Catharine, born June 19, 1755, married Reading
Howell, I^Iarch 28, 1782, who was born in Hunterdon county. New Jersey,
1743, and died November 26, 1827, in Warminster. He was a noted engineer.

7 In Warminster, M.iy I'l, 1835, Isaac Cravens, aged 76. He was born on the prem-
ises where lie died and was a soldier of the Revolution. He was probably born and died
on the farm, on the co-Lin;y line, where the British burned General Laeey's woimded, at
the battle of the Crooked Dillet.

8 The name is cf German oritjin and has been variously spelled, Terghcs, Jerghas,
Gcrkes, Gerghes, GLiyehas, Gcikes, Yerkas.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COL'XTV. 187

and served in the Revolution as quartermaster of the Second Regiment, Hunter-
don county militia. He was prominent in several walks of life ; a commis-
sioner to surve\- the Delaware and Lehigh rivers, projected the map of Penn-
svlvania bears his name, 1792, surveyor of Philadelphia, 1804, to his death,
and built the first railroad in the United States, 1S09, from Leiper's quarries
to Ridley Creek, Delaware county. Reading Howell and his wife Catharine
Yerkcs were the parents of eight children, of whom the youngest, Catharine
Augusta, born August, iSoo, married Brigadier General Tliomas Flourney,
United States Army, War 1812-15, of Augusta, Georgia, and died in Phila-
delphia, Xovember 21, 1900, aged over one hundred years, the last of the family
of that generation.

Stephen Yerkes, son of the Warminster Herman, born October 20, 1762,
and died 1823, spent his life in this township, and married his cousin Alice
Watson, granddaughter of John Yerkes, son of the first Herman. She was born
November 17, 1787, and died November 17, 1859, on her seventy-second birth-
day. Their children, born in Warminster, all became prominent ; Edward, died
1825, major in a Bucks county regiment. War 1S12, \yith Samuel D. Ingham,
was a man of wide influence. Pie married ^lary Shelmire, who became the
wife of Moore Stevens. John W. Yerkes, born December 22, 181 1, died Jan-
uary 24, 1SS4, was a miller and in 1875 was elected Prothonotary of ]\Iont-
gomery county, serving two terms. I\Iary Yerkes daughter of Stephen, born
September 27, 1815, and died July 15,' 1896, married John IVIcNair, born June
8, 1800, died at Aquia Creek, Virginia, August 12. 1861. At one time he was
principal of a famous school for boys in [Montgomery county ; then read law,
was admitted to the bar and subsequently practiced at Norristown. He was
elected to Congress in the JMontgomery district and served two terms, 1851-55.
His son, F. V. McXair, born January 15, 1839, a graduate of the x\nnapolis
Naval Academy, served with great distinction through the Civil War, 1S61-65,
a portion of the time on Admiral Farraguf's flag ship in the Mississippi, became
the senior Rear Admiral of the U. S. Navy, and died at Washington, D. C, Ne-
vembcr 28, 1900. He is credited with having prepared the Asiatic fleet for the
naval victory Admiral Dewey achieved at Manila Bay, which he turned over to
his successor shortly before the Spanish-American war. The remaining chiW
of Stephen Yerkes, the Rev. Stephen Yerkes, born June 27, 1817, died March
28, 1896, was educated at Yale, became a Presbyterian clergyman, removed to-
Kentucky, where he acquired distinction as Professor of Greek in the Transyl-
vania University, and occupied the chair of Hebrew and Oriental languages in
the Theological Seminary for forty years. His son, John W. Yerkes, was the
Republican candidate for Governor of Kentucky, 1900, and was recently ap-
pointed by the President, commissioner of Internal Revenue. Harman Yerkes,
son of the third Harman, born July 25, 1767. died February 12, 1857, married,
1790, Margaret, born January 8, 1771. died March 4, 1849, daughter of Capt.
Andrew Long, second son of Andrew and Mary Long, born about 1730, and
died in Warrington township, November 4, 1812. He served in Colonel Samuel
[Miles's regiment. Continental Army, and in 1779 was appointerl a justice of
the Bucks county court, 'serving several years.

Of the ten children of Plarman and Margaret Long Yerkes, Vv'illiam, b^^rn
July 8, 1792, married Penelope, daughter of Giles TVlcDowell. a noted school
teacher of ye olden time. Their daughter married William H. Force. Andrew
L. Yerkes, born .-\ugust 25, T795, died Julv 14, 1862, a soldier in the war of
1S12. married Eliza Everhart, iSoo. Thev had seven children, one of whom.
Dr. H. P. Ycrkcs lives in Dovlostown. Eli;:abcth Yerkes, born ^Lav 26, t?oo.

i8S HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

died ^laj- 24, 1S75, married John C. Beans, and were the parents of nine cliil-
d.ren, mostly living in Warminster township. Their son, J. Johnson, was elected
sheriff 1S90, and served one term. Clarissa Yerkes, born October 12, iSo::,
died Decemi)er 12, 1S75, married Samuel Montanye and had six children, Ed-
win H. Yerkes, born November 26, 1804, died June 26, 1864, married Catharine
Williamson, and died without children. Harman Yerkes, born ^larch 9, 1S07,
died i88q, married Rebecca \'a!entine and had eleven children. Stephen Yerkes,
youngest son of Harman and ^largaret Long, born in W^arminster, jMay 19,
1809, died July 25. 1S65. married January 13, 1831, Amy Hart Montanye, daugh-
ter of Rev. Thomas B. ?vIontayne, of Southampton. She was born October 23,
181 1, died ]\Iarch 22, i860, and was the mother of Judge Harman Yerkes,
Doylestown. Another son of the third, or Warmister settler, Herman Yerkes,
was William, born in Warminster, June 29, 1769, and died there 1823. He
married January 2, 1795, Letitia Esther, daughter of Captain Andrew Long
and sister of .Margaret, the wife of his brother Harman. Of their sons, Harman
died in Washington, D. C, 1S60, aged sixty-five. Joseph Ball Yerkes,
born .A.pril 29, 1797, and died at Hatboro, was the father of Judge William H.
Yerkes, I'hiladelphia. major of 199th Pennsylvania regiment. Civil war, died
October 10, 1885, and of Rev. David J. Yerkes, a distinguished Baptist divine.
Andrew Long Yerkes, son of William, died in Cecil county, Maryland, 1889.
The daughter of William married John Thornton, and their son is a prominent
journalist in Illinois. He learned the printing trade in the office of the Doyles-
town (Pa.) Doiiocrat.

The Yerkes family furnished several soldiers to the Revolution, and on the
rolls are found the names of John, Silas, Herman, Elias, George, Anthony.
Jonathan and Stephen, of Philadelphia, and Harman, Henry and Edward of
Bucks. A son of Stephen married Sarah Purdy, descended from the common
ancestor of the family of this name of Bucks and IMontgomery counties. In
1799 several of the descendants of Stephen Yerkes, son of the first Herman,
and some of the Purdys, removed to Seneca county, New York, and thence to
Michigan.

The celebrated John Fitch, to whom justly belongs the honor of inventing
the method of propelling boats by steam, spent several years of his life in War-
minster, and was his heme until he took up his residence in Kentucky. Fitch

was born in Connecticut, January
21, 1743, inherited a fondness for
reading and study from his father,
who had a genius for astron-
omv, mathematics and natural
FiTCHS ALTOGR.^PH. history. Hc Icamed clock mak-

ing after marrying a woman older
than himself at twenty-four, whom he deserted, 1769, and came to Trenton.
New Jersey, where he established himself as a silversmith. On the breaking out
of the Revolution he turned his talents to gunsmithing. The British destroyed
his tools and other property, valued at £3,000, when they t(X)k possession of
Trenton, DecemlnT, 1776. He afterward made his home in Bucks county, fol-
lowing the trade of a silversmith, frequently traveling through the country. He
was a patriot and an otiicer of the first company raised at Trenton ; he held the
same rank in the army at Valley Forge, and was afterwards a sutler in the army
in the west. At one time he served as armourer or gunsmith. He led an un-
settled life. He went to Kentucky in 17S0, to survey public lands and located a
large tract, but afterward lo^t the title to it and was captured by the Indians in

HISTORV OF BUCKS COUNTY. 1S9

IJS2, while preparing to make a trip to New Orleans with flour. He visited
I. on Jon in 1793, and died in Nelson county, Kentucky, about 1798. In person
Fiich was tall, six feet two inches, straight and spare, with tawny complexion,
black hair and piercing eyes. His countenance was pleasing, and his temper
quick. He was a man of good morals, and truthful and honorable in all his
dealings. He was the father of two children, a son and daughter; the former,
bhalcr Filch, died in Trumbull county, Ohio, 1842, and the latter, Lucy, mar-
ried Colonel James Kilbourne, Franklin county, Ohio.

When John Fitch was driven from Trenton by the British, 1776, he came
into Bucks county, first to the house of John JNIitchell, Four Lanes End, now
Langhorne, and afterward to Charles Garrison's, Warminster, half a mile west
of Davisville. During his sojourn in this township he earned a livelihood by
repairing clocks and silversmithing, making his home at Garrison^s or in the
neighborhood. He was recognized as a man of genius and associated with the
most intelligent people. Fie was on intimate terms with Reverend '^^Ir. Irwin,
pastor at Nesahminy, who took great interest in his mechanical contrivances
and encouraged him. Fitch frequently walked four miles to hear him preach.
One of his intimates was Cobe Scout, a man as eccentric as himself, a wheel-
wright, gunsmith and silversmith, who was

"Everything by turn.
But nothing long."

It was at Scout's shop I'itch suddenly appeared one rainy Saturday afternoon,
on his return from his captivity among the Indians. After a glance of recogni-
tion they rushed into each others arms in tears, and the next day went together
to the Southampton Baptist church, where public thanks were returned for
Fitch's safe delivery by the Rev. David Jones, former chaplain in the Continental
army. While living at Charles Garrison's, Fitch engraved a map of the
"Northwestern part of the United States" in Cobe Scout's shop and printed it
on Garrison's cider press.

The first model of a steamboat, that ever floated, was made by John Fitch
in Warminster in a log shop where Sutphin ^IcDowell carried on weaving on
the farm lately owned by Alitchell W^ood, four hundred yards east of the Mont-
gomery County line. He said the idea of a steamboat first occurred to him as
he and James Ogilbee were walking home from Neshaminy church on a Sunday
and were passed by a Mr. Sinton and wife in a riding chair at the intersection
of the York and Street roads." After pondering the matter a few days he
made a model and submitted it to his friend Daniel Longstreth, the Rev. Na-
thaniel Irwin and others.'''-. \Mien completed the machinery was of brass, the
paddle wheels of wood made by the late N. B. Boileau,^" who lived on the county
line road near by, a student at Princeton college, but at home at that time. The
late Abraham JMcDowell, of Warminster, who claimed to have witnessed the

9 In April, 1902, the liiicks County Historical Society erected a granite monument
to mark the spot where John Fitch conceived the idea of propelling boats in the water
by steam. The monument stands at the southwest corner of the York and Street roads,
Warminster township.

gli The late Daniel Longstreth, Jr., thinks this was in .\pril, 1785.

10 John L. Longstreth, son of Daniel, Jr., told the author in recent years that, on
one occasion, when, a boy, walking with his father, they tnet Nathaniel B. Boileau, then
living at Hatboro, who said he made the paddle wheels fur Fitch's model.

it

FITCH'S STEAMBOAT.

trial tri]) of the model, said it took place on a pond, or dani, below the present
Davisville, in Southampton townsliip, and that the party consisted of Fitch,
Cobe Scout, Abraham Sutphin, Anthony Scout, John jMcDowell, William Vaii-
sant and Charles Garrison. A couple of hours were spent in the experiment; at
the end (if the time the little boat was declared a success, when the witnesses to
the trial returned home. Since that time the application of steam to the pro-
pulbion of vessels has revolutionized commerce and naval warfare. In 17S6-7
Fitch built a steamboat that made several successful trips on the Delaware, be-
tween Fhiladelphia and iBurlington. This was done with the assistance of a
number of public-spirited citizens who subscribed to the enterprise. The
"Indenture of Agreement," after being executed was deposited in the archives
of the Philadelphia Fliilosophical Society, where the author saw it recently. It
is (lateil die ninth of February, 1787, and to it are signed the names of the fol-
lowing subscribers for stock w'ith the number of shares each one took, although
the value of the siiare is not given : Samuel \^aughan, one share ; Richard
Well-;, one share; Benjamin \\'. }iIorris, one share; Rich. Stockton, three
shares; J. Morris, one share; Joseph ljudd,,one share; Benjamin Sny, two
shares: J. H. Hart, one sb.are ; Mags. Miller, one share; Isaac W. Morris, one
share ; (j. Hill Wells, one share ; Thomas Hutchins, one share ; Richartl Wells,
one share: Ricliard Stockton, for John Stockton, one .share: Israel Isr:iel, one
^hare : William Rubel, one share; Edward Brooks, Harve}- \'oighl, five shares;
Henry Tciland, one share ; Tho. Palmer, one share.

In the proceedings of the Philosophical Societv of the date of September 27,
1785, Tuesday, a "sp^ccial occasiiin.'' at, which Benjamin Franklin and eighteen
other members were present, we find the following entry:

"The model, with a drawing and description, of fl machine iV.r working a
boat against the stream by means of a ;-tiam engin.-, was laid Inf. ire the si.iciety
by Mr. John Fitch." This was iimbalily the model ihat is still there.

Daniel Long-treth writes in his di.iry. under date of 2 mo.. 18, 1843: "I
visited u.ncle Isaac Longstretii, who tnid nie that Robert l'"ult<in was apprenticed
to tlie person that built John iMtch's large steambnat. and was then in his
twentii-th vear."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. ' 191

Wliile there is no dispute as to whom conceived and built a model of and
inade a successful experimental trip with it, there is a ditterence of opinion as
to the exact spot where the model was first tried, and although it is not important
whether the boat was first tried here or there, we give it consideration by ex-
amining the question. The witnesses all agree the trial was not made in War-
minster, but on the creek known as Southampton run, in the vicinity of the
present Davisville. I'he Longstreth manuscript and the articles written by
l)aniel Longstreth, the younger, for the Bucks County Intelligencer of February,
12, 1845, agree in saying that "It was first tried in Southampton run a short dis-
tance east from Cobe Scout's wheelwright shop were it was built." When the
author of "Watson's Annals" made inquiry of Mr. Longstreth for information
on the subject, he made the same statement. In a letter John L. Longstreth
wrote the author, he claims the initial experiment was made in "Southampton
Run about half a mile below Davisville in Joseph Longstreth's meadow. }ilr.
Longstreth was living in Southampton township as late as 1792. His farm of
two hundred and sixty-seven and one-half acres fronted the County Line and
the road to Davisville, and subsequently belonged to the Rev. Thomas B. ]\Ion-
lan)e." On the other side, Abraham ^McDowell, a boy of about eight years,
claimed that he accompanied the party, and the trial experiment was made in
a dam, then on the Watts farm, fed by the Southampton Run, and a few hun-
dred yards nearer Davisville. We repeat, it makes no ditterence where, in that
same creek the first and successful trial was made of Fitch's model of a steam-
boat. It was made thereabouts and was a success, and all who furthered its in-
terests are equally honored. But for the encouragement Fitch received f{om the
Longstreth family, we doubt if his invention had proved a success.

iMr. Longstreth, Daniel the elder, says the Fitch family came originally
from Saxony, crossed the channel into England, and settled in Essex, where it
was respectable, if not noble, each branch having a coat of arms. He gives the
arms of John Fitch as follows : "A chev between three leopards heads, or, crest
a leopard's head embossed or, in his mouth a sword proper hilt or." In a letter
written by r\lr. Longstreth about this period, 10 mo., 11, 1791. he says: "I have
jiaid John Fitch for the surveying instruments and maps, about iio, or £12.
15s.'' One of these mai)s is said to have been worked ot"f on Charles Garrison's
cider press, in Warminster township, and is in the Pennsylvania Historical
Society.

The Longstreth manuscript tlirows additional light on the personal history
of John Fitch. Mr. Longstreth was on intimate terms with the family and
whatever he says of this remarkable man may be relied on implicitly. As we
have already remarked. Fitch came into Bucks county after the British took
possession of Trenton, and made his home in Warminster until he went West.
After the British occupied Philadelphia, Fitch buried his gold and silver imdcr
a large chestnut tree on Charles Garrison's farm at night. He was watched by
a negro, who dug up the treasure and divided it with the son of a respectable
farmer. After the British had left, Fitch went to get his money, but was sur-
prised to find it had been stolen. The young man's father agreed to refund
part of it which Fitch accepted on condition the rogue should leave and never
return. While the Continental army lay at Valley Forge, the \\ inter of 1777-78.
I'itch assisted to keep it sui-jilied with provi.-ions, receiving his pay in continental
money, which he kept until Si.cv.rw wire tmlv worth $100 in specie. .-Vfter the
armies had left this scciiou. I'itch rct.urncd to Trenton. gathere<l up the tools he
had left there, brought them over to Cobe Scout's shop at Charles Garrison's

192

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

where lie carried un business until the spring of 17S0, when he went West."
The l^ung-.-ireih manuscript describes the personal appearance of John Fitch as
follov.s: "lie had a piercing <z\c, tall and thin, six feet in his stockings, could
outwalk a Ik r^e a long or short distance, had a shining face, of tawny compiex-
ion, very black short liair, walked with a great swing, pitched forward, was a
smiling, not a grum ni:in, c|r.i!ck tempered, but soon over, honest in his dealings
and free Idjui falseh.uod." \\'hile at Charles Garrison's Fitch joined the }kIasonic
Lodge at Treucon."

"Cobe'' Scout, mentioned in connection with Fitch, his friend and intimate
companion, was an eccentric character in Warminster, made his home part
of the time with Charles Garrison, who lived on the road from Davisville
to the JMontgomery county line in the first house on the west side. Fitch taught
Scout the art of silversuiithing to which he added gunmaking. Occasionally a
few of his silverspoons, or one of his long rilies, turn up in some old homestead.
Three quarters of a century ago the good housewives of Warminster and South-
ampton held Scout's silver spoons in higher estimation than any other make, and
a few have been handed down from mother to daughter as precious heirlooms.
His rifles were equally celebrated, one of which he carried in the Revolution.
While ihc American army lay on the west bank of the Delaware, 1776, and the
enemy occupied Trenton, Scout shot a Hessian dead across the river, in punish-
ment for some insulting gesture, and John Davis, grandfather of the author,
witnessed it. This added greatly to Scout's reputation. He died 1829, at the
age of ninety-three, and was buried in the \'ansant graveyard, Wanninster, and
many ^cars after the late Josiah Hart, Doylestow n, erected tomb stones at tlie
grave. Scout's Christian name was James, or Jacobus.

The first steamboats on the Delaware after John Fitch's experiment of
1788, carrying passengers between Philadelphia and Trenton, were the Phoenix
and Philadelphia. The Phoenix, built at Hoboken, N. J., by John C. Stevens,
1807, made her first trip to Bristol, Sunday, July 30, i8og. She was commanded
by Captain Davis, or Davidson, and the engineer, Robert Stevens, son of the
builder. She was the first steam vessel to navigate the ocean between Xew Yorlc
and Philadelphia. Her speed on the river was eight miles an hour with the
tides. After running a few years her machinery gave out, and was taken out of
her. She was laid up and finally rotted down on the Kensington flats. Hundred*
of people at Bristol went down to witness the first arrival, among them the late
William Kinsy. The Philadelphia, familiarly called "Old Sal.'' also built by
Stevens, commenced running between the same points, 1815. She was com-
manded by Abisha Jenkins, leaving Trenton at 7 a. m. and Philadelphia on her
return trip at 2 p. m. Her speed, with the tides, was ten miles an hour, and on
her arrival at Bristol and Ijurlington, she fired a small brass cannon mounted en
Jier forward deck. It bur.-t on one occasion, killing one of the hands, and after
that, a gun was dispensed with. Burlington and Bristol were the only stopping
places, and passengers were received and landed in small boats by signals from
the shore. Many people believed there would never be a boat built that could

II B.TrthoIoniew L. Fu^sell, nephew of Danii-1 Lons^treth. tlie ..Idcr. and Jolin Fitcli,
made brass wire from old kettles belonging to Joseph I.ong^trcth, as wire could not be
bnncrht durliii; the Rcvoliilii-Miary war. They n'^ed it for making button!:. They also made
wooden buttons at Joseph Lon^strctli's. Fussoll. in conversation willi Daniel Longstretii,
the younger, wh.i dieil. 1S4C), slated that he turned out, polished and shanked a gross of
buttons one niorninc: by 11 o'elock. This "points a moral and adorns a tale," in evidence
of tlie deprivations our fatlur^ luul to endure in tlu; times that "tried men's souls."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

193

make better time. The Philadelphia was followed in the early thirties by a
bi.'ai called the "New i'hiladelphia," which had the same run.

IMany etYorts have been made to rob John Fitch of the honor of inventing
or discovering the art of propelling boats on water by steam, but they have
bignally failed. Recent investigations show that John l-'itch made a successful
c.Kperiment of propelling a model boat by steam, on Collect Pond, New York
city, in 1796. It was called the Perseverance and the experiment was
\\itne:>sed by Robert P'ulton and Robert Livingston. In 1846, John Hutchings,
who was present, made an affidavit of the facts attending this experiment. This
was six years before Fulton made his experiment on the river Seine, and ten
\ears before he put his boat, the Clermont, on the Hudson. A model of Fitch's,
boat was recently found in the New York Historical Society, New Y'ork City..
It is to the credit of Robert Fulton that he never claimed the discovery of steam
propulsion, but only made use of it for commercial purposes.

There is a private graveyard near Johnsville, on the farm lately owned by
Eliza Vansant, deceased, to whose family it had belonged. In it lie the reir.ains.
of "the rude forefathers," the early Holland settlers of that section, the Van-
saiits. Garrisons, Cravens, Sutphins, AIcDowells, Vandykes, and others, rela-
tions or immediate friends. The oldest stone marks the grave of Harman Van-
sant, who died, 1769, in his S4th year, and Giles Craven, September 8, 1798, in
his Soth year. A handsome marble slab is erected to the memory of Dr. William
Bachelor, a native of ■Massachusetts, and surgeon in the army of General Gates,
who died September 14, 1823, at the age of seventy-five. His wife was a daugh-
ter of Silas Hart, Warminster. He lived and died at Hatboro and had a large
practice. It is related of him tliat, on one occasion, when called to visit a man
whose leg was badly hurt, he wanted rum to bathe the injured limb and a quart
was sent for. After the wound had been dressed, the patient, who was fond of
a "drop," was told by the doctor he might take a little internally, whereupon he
smiled his blandest smile, remarking: "Doctor, I always did admire your judg-
ment."

The famous "Log College" was in Warminster township, on the York road,
half a mile below Hartsville, on a fifty acre tract given by James Logan to his
cousin, William Tennent, 1728. When Mr. Tennent first went there, Logan
sent him provisions from

Philadelphia, evidence the
congregation provided him
a slim living. He occupied
the property lately Corne-
lius Carrell's. and the col-
lege was on the George
llanna Icits.^- In tlie fire-
filace of the oUl Canvll
house is the fire crane used
by Mr. Tennent, and part
of the old wall, two feet
thick, runs across the end
of the kitchen. Three Eng-
lish pennies bearing dates
premises some years ago.

trom
Mr.

-■tt

1.11 his personal property

LOG COLLEGE, 17iU. .

1710 to 1719, were found on the

Tennent, who died May 6, 1746.

to his wife, Kathren, and at her

More recently owned by J. W. Gwyii.
1.3

f94

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

"death, the real estate was to be sold, and the proceeds divided among his heirs.
■On September 5, 18^*9, the founding of the Log College was celebrated on the
-farm that formerly belonged to it, under the auspices of the "Presbytery of
rhiladelphia, North."' The presiding officer was the Reverend Thomas
JMurphy, D. D., and the exercises consisted of sacred music, reading of the
Scripture, prayer and addresses, followed by a lunch. Among the speakers
^vas Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, and Postmaster-Gen-
eral Wananiaker. The audience was large. '^

The most famous school of tlie period, next to the Log College, was 'kept
at '"Hart's School Plouse," Warminster, on the road from the Street to the
Bristol road, half mile from Johnsville. Three buildings stood on, or near,
the same site, and took its name from an influential family living near, and
active in establishing it. The first house was erected early in the eighteenth
century, probably of logs. It was an old building in 1756, for, at a meeting of
the patrons, held September 13, it was resolved to build a iieiu school house, as
the one "in which James Stirling death now teach, as it is too small, dark and
otherwise insufticient to accommodate the scholars that do at present attend
the same, so as to answer the purpose intended (to-wit) the learning of Lating,
Greek, etc., as well as English." It was to be 33 by 18 feet, one story high, with
a good partition through the same, a good fire-place in one end, and a stove in
the other, Joseph Hart and Daniel Longstreth being appointed "sole managers."
The house was probably built on a new site, as a lot was bought of Longstreth.
The deed was executed ]\lay 2, 1757, and acknowledged before Simon Butler
August II, 175S, and the house erected that fall. The conveyance was made
to William Folwell, Southampton, John Dungan, Northampton, Anthony Scout,
Warminster, and John Vanosdale (Vanartsdalen), Northampton. A third
school house was erected there, 1S31, at a cost of S320.28. This was torn down,
1860-61, when three new houses were erected for the public schools, at a cost
of $1,315.65, on the Street road. James Stirling, the first teacher we know of,
probably quit teachir.g in the spring of 1765, when a new contract was made
with Thomas D. Ilandcock for the ensuing year, from June 4, for £63
($173.33). Elijah Beans and William Maddock. who taught several years in
the I S3 1 school house, were not new teachers. The subscriptions for building
the 1757 school house were as follows: Joseph Hart £8, John Dungan £3,
Dcrick Kroesson £3, James Stirling £2, \\'illiam Ramsey £1, and James Spencer
£2. "Hart's School House" was the centre of a good deal of the nientai
activity of the township in the eighteenth and part of the nineteenth centuries.
In 1793-94. and how long continued we know not, the "floral Societv" nut
there for debate. Fourteen names are signed to the constitution, including
those of Longstreth, Eyre, Rees and ^latlack. Spectators were not admitted
and each member was obliged to deliver "one sheet of paper, one candle or one
penny, for the use of the .society." In 1S11-13 a new society sprung up in the
hands of new men. It likewise met for debate, the questions taking a pretty
wide range, and. among the members, we find the well-known names of Hart,
Longstreth. Mile:;. Craven. Ramsey, Prior, \'ansant, Crawford, Daniel, Long,
Yerkcs, Shelmire and l'.rad\-.'*

13 .A. full r.ccninn of the Log College and it'; clistir.guijlied graduate-; will be loiiiid
in CliajHer on Historic Chtirclics.

14 In addition to the schools alrcndy mentioned in Warminster, there was a log
schoi)l lif.nse on iho Street road a few li'undrcd yards above the Yi.irk road, and another
on the York road hall ;i nnle below the Warminster tavern at Jnhn C. Beans' gate.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY.

^95

Warminster has three villages, Johnsvilie, at the junction of the Xewtown
anil Street roads, a mile from the lower line of the township, Hartsville, on the
■^'.irk road, where it crosses the Warwick line, and Ivyland, on the Northeast
I'oiuisylvania railroad, half a mile south of the Bristol road. The foundation
(if Johnsvilie was laid, 1814, when James Craven built a store house for his son
ji ';n on the only corner of the cross roads not covered with timber, and a store
iia; been kept there from that time to the present. The village contains twenty
d\\ ellings. Almost fifty years ago Robert Leans, son of Stephen I'.eans, War-
minster, established an agricultural implement factory there, and carried it on
successfully until burned down and not rebuilt. The greater part of Hartsville
is in Warminster, the store and tavern being on opposite sides of the township
line. The old name was "Cross Roads," and occasionally an old-fashioned
citizen still calls it by this name. It was only called Hartsville in the last fifty
years, after the Hart family lived there. The tavern, in Warwick township,
was kept for many years, at the close of the eighteenth and begiiming of the
nineteenth century, by William Hart, and a human lieart was painted on the
sign board. In 1818 it was known as the '"Sign of the Heart,'' and owned by
Joseph Carr. William Hart died, 1831, at the age of eighty-four. The post
utlice was established, 1826. The old stone bridge, half a mile above, spamiing
the Xeshaminy where it crosses the York road, was built 1793, and had a heart
cut on the date stone. Ivyland, the youngest village of Warminster, was
founded by Edwin Lacey, 1S73, and he built the first dwelling. Several shortlv
followcd, streets were opened, named and lighted ; station and freight houses
were built and the first train stopped there 2\larch 29, 1S91. The population
has increased to over two hundred and fifty. The 25th anniversary of its found-
ing was observed August 12, 1S98. Among Ivyland's improvements and organ-
izations are a Presbyterian chapel, Christian Endeavor Society, two lodges,
and truck and ladder company. Breadyville, at the crossing of the Bristol
road by the Northeast Pennsylvania railroad, is a hamlet of half a dozen dwell-
ings, tavern, store and station.

Hartsville has played a more important part in the social, religious and
educational world than any village of its size in the county. The Hartsville
Presbyterian church is known as the "Xeshaminy Church of Warminster," and
the constituent members originally belonged to the "Neshaminy Church in War-
wick." In consequence of the choice of Reverend fames P. Wilson, as pastor,
by a small majority of the congregation in Xovember, 1838, one hundred mem-
bers withdrew in a body, Saturday, February 10, 1839, and held service, for a
time, in the school house in the graveyard, claiming to be "the Nesaminy Church
and Congregation." On that day Reverend Mr. Howard preached for them as
a su]jply. They worshiped for a time in private houses, and then, in a tem-
porary frame structure called the "Tabernacle," erected in the woods at the top
'if Long's lull on the Bristol road. The question of title to the original church
property was trieil in the court of Bucks county, but finally decided b\- a com-
i>romi3e in the winter of 1 84 1-42. It was sold and bought by the congregation
then -worshiping there. The pastors, in their order, have been Reverends
Thomas B. Bradford, installed April 29, 1S39, resigned March 9, 1841 ; Henry
R. Wilson, from 1842 to his death in 1849; Jacob Belville, from 1850 to- iSoo;
Alexander ^I. Woods, i860 to 1870; (Icrshani \\. Nimmo, 1870 to 1891, when
he was called to the Torre-idaie cluirch, where he died. 1898. "Wr. W^ood went
friini Hartsville to Mahanoy City. wJiere he died. The present pastor is the
Reverend \\'. R. Preston. The building was erected. 1842, and the congrega-
tion is large. The most pleasant feature, in connection with these congrega-

196 HISTORY OF- BUCKS COUXTY.

tions, nioihcr ami dauglitcr, is that tliere is entire liannony between them, anj
the bitterness cf sixty \ears ago has been buried deeper than plumniit ever
sounded.

Hartsville and vicinity was an educational centre ahiiost from the time oi
the Log College. The schools of the Reverend James R. Wilson, Robert Uel-
villc, Jacob Belville, D. K. Turner, and the Messrs. Long and others, gave
it a wide reputation, and partially or wholly, educated many prominent and use-
ful men. Samuel Long, principal of a classical school, met a sad end, being
killed by the limb of a tree failing on him while giving directions to some wood
choppers, killing him instaiilly. This occurred in December, 1835. A Friends'
meeting house was erected nearly tlft)- years ago on the Street road half a mile
above Johnsville. Gideon Pryor, who died in Warminster, February 14, 1S54,
was one of the last Revolutionary soldiers to die in the county. He was born
in Connecticut, August 5, 1764, served in Rochambcau's army at the siege of
Yorktown, 1781, and witnessed Cornv,-a!lis' surrender. After the war lie fin-
ished his education by graduating at Dartmouth College. He started south on
foot, but was taken sick near Hartsville. and spent his life there. He lived and
died in the first stone house, north side of tlie Street road below the York road.
One son, Azariah, became a minister of the gospel, and died at Pottsville.
Gideon Pryor was a very fine scholar.

In so far as we have any means of knowing there had been but two taverns
in Warwick since its settlement, until in recent years, a third one was licensed.
The oldest was probably on the site of the present one, known as the "War-
minster tavern," on the York road just below where the Street road crosses it.
As early as 1730 Thomas Linton petitioned the court for a recommendation fr.r
license "to keep a house of entertainment for man and horse." In the petition
he states that he is an inhabitant of Warminster, "Coiinty de Bucks," and owns
a house and good plantation on the York road near the cross roads. In 173J
Thomas Davids, Northampton, attorney in fact for Thomas Linton, sold his
farm of one hundred acres to David Howell, Philadelphia, whereupon Lint. p.
removed to Xew York. This old hostelry became much more noted and popular
in later years. In the twenties of the last century a JNIasonic Lodge was insti-
tuted aiifl held its sessions in the attic of this famous old inn, where such \s dl-
known :\Iasons as Dr. John H. Hill and Jolin Kerr officiated. It was forccil to
the wall by the anti-Masonic crusade growing out of the ]\Iorgan. affair. Its
existence had been almost forgotten until a few years ago, when the ^vlasonic
Lodge at Hatboro was instituted, the late William' Williamson, of Davisvillo,
appsrared and presented to the new lodge the jewels and habiliments of the old
one. He had cherished them carefully for over half a century. Three quarters
of a century ago. when horse racing was much more common than now, this
tavern was frequented by those who indulged in racing. It was then kept by
Thomas lieans."'-' a famous horseman. At elections and militia training a half
mile track was cleared on the Street road, where favorite nags were put on their
speed. Mr. Beans had a fine circular half nude track laid out on his farm hack
of the buildings. The death of a rider at one of the races down the Street road
did much to break up the practice, which was wholly discontinued manv vears
ago. Warmister is the only township in the county without a grist mill. lior is
it known that it ever had onoV This comes from its surface being level ; there
is no stream of sufficient size an.l fall to drive a mill wheel. Manv vears ago

15 In 1769 Thomas Beans owned 200 acres on the north side of the Street r.^ad.
extending from Johnsville iipwaid.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 197

Kubcrt Darrah built a saw mill on his farm near Hartsville, which is still in
11 ;o, the present owner being- John ]\I. Darrah. The west branch of Neshaminy
cuts across its northwest corner, near the Warrington line, and affords a good
inill '-itc in the latter township, where a mill was built near a century ago.

Warminster is well provided with roads, having one on each of its four
reciilincal sides, three of thrm, the Bristol and Street roads and the ]\Iontgom-
cry county line, being part of I'cim's system of great highways laid out on
northwest lines. These are intersected by lateral roads laid out and opened as
tliev were recjuired. Of these cross roads that between Warminster and War-
rington was opened about 1785, by one of the Longs who had lately built a grist
mill, and was then building a saw mill where this road crosses Neshaminy. The
roail that crosses the township half a mile above Johnsville, and at that time
the line of travel between Horsham and Wrightstown, was opened in 1723.
and the one on the Southampton township line in 1769." As early as 1709 a
road was viewed and laid out to allow the inhabitants of Warminster to reach
the new mill on the Pennypack. The road across by Johnsville \vas probably
opened about 1724.

An institution for the education of male orphan children of African and
hidian descent was located in Warminster on a farm of one hundred acres on
the Street road, a mile below the Warrington line. It was known as the "Enilen
Institute," and was founded about fifty years ago by Samuel Emien, Burling-
ton, New Jersey, who gave $20,000 to trustees for this charity. The institution
was first organized in Ohio, soon after the founder's death, but removed to a
farm of fifty-five acres in Solebury. In 1872 it was again removed to Warmin-
ster. By careful management the original fund had been increased to $30,000,
several thousand of which have been expended on the present property, improv-
ing the buildings, etc. The pupils are instructed in the mechanic arts, and other
useful pursuits. The income was sufficient to maintain and educate about
twenty pupils.'''

The earliest return of the inhabitants of \\'arminstcr that has met our
notice was made over a century and a quarter ago, but the exact date is not
given. It comprises a list of housekeepers and single men, with the quantity
of land owned by each, the acres in with corn, with the cattle, .^.heep, etc. There
were then but fifty-eiglu housekeepers and twelve single men in the township.
Joseph Hart was the largest land-owner, four hundied and thirty-five acres,
uitii three hundred acres cleared and sixty in with corn. He owned twenty-
four cattle, eight horses and thirty-live sheep. Daniel Longstreth was the next,
who owned four hundred and ten acres, tv.'o hundred cleared and forty-four in
with corn. He was the owner of thirteen cattle, three horses and twenty-three
slux-p. This return gives two thousand, eight hundred and one acres of cleared
land, of which six hundred and seven were planted with corn. The whole num-

16 This rond was resurveyerl, and the direction probably somewhat changed, Decem-
'iT 10. 1816, the following being the new line: Beginning in the Street road at the corner
between Harman Ycrkes and William Craven, thence between their land south 39 degrees
wc?t 160 perches, thence tliro' Henry Puff's land, south 44 degrees, west no perches, and
the same course thro' I-aac Cravens' land to the county line, 50 perches. The jury was
composed of Samuel GiHinghani, John Watson, Andrew Dunlap, Thomas Hutchinson,
.loM.nh Shaw and .\aron Hastburn. John Watson was the surveyor.

17 Tlie Institute was ringed if^U, and the properly sold to James Keitli, Newt'-'Wii:
then to a Mr. Gartenlaub. and he to a syndicate of Episcopalians. Philadelphia, who in
lS97 est.ililishpj on it a cliaril.v known as "St. Stephens' Orplianage."

198

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

bcr of <J(jm(.'stic animals was two huiulr(.-(l ami thirty-six cattle, sixty-five horses.
sixty-seven mares, and twrj hundred and seventy-eight sheep. There were but
eleven ncj;ro slaves in the township. In 1784 the township contained 368 whitt-
inhabitants and :28 blacks, v.illi 66 dwellings. The population at stated periods,
since 17S4, was as follows: 1810, 564; 1820, 695; 1830, 709, and 155 taxables ;
1840, 934; 1830, 970; 1S60, 987; 1870, 840, of which thirty-two were foreign
birth; k^8o, 1.061 ; 1891, 969; 1900, 973.

The first postotlice in the township was established in 1S23. .and Joseph
Warner, who lived on the Street road jnst above Davisville, was appointed post-
master. The office was removed to Da\'isville about 1827. Among the aged peo-
ple ^\•ho have deceased in ^\'arnli^ster during the last half century, may be men-
tioned Mary, the widow of Andrew Long, who died January 17, 1821, aged
ninety-five years, and John Harvey, who died the 31st of the same month, at
the age of eighty-seven, ^^'arminste^ is the middle of the three rectangular

townships bordering the ^Montgomery
line, and is four miles long by two wide.
After rising from the valley w'here some
of the headwaters of the Pcnnypaek
have their source, the surface of the town-
ship is generally level, with but little
broken or untillable land. There is nut
better land in the county than tlie plains
of Warminster, which extend eastward
to the hills of Xeshaminy, and the inhab-
itants are employed in agricultural pur-
suits. It can boast of good roads, rich
and well-cultivated farms and an intelli-
gent, happy population.

Just over the southwest border of
Warminster, in !Moreland township,
jMontgomery county, is the flourishing
village of Hatboro, lately incorporated
into a borough, Avith a bank, weekly
newspaper, an academy, two churches, a
valuable library" and a population of one
thousand. It is thought to have been
of London, who, with his wife Dorothy, daughter
and possibly two sons, immigrated to Pennsylvania

m

,1-

kj5«:viV--4^''f,'sia».vjj

':^^-.it* J vrfgyjo

LOLLER ACADEMY.

first settled by John Dawsf
Ann, then five vears old.

18 The lilirary was or.5a!iized, 1755, and some of the most active men in the work
were of Warniin.^ter, including Joseph Hart and Daniel Longstreth. During the Rev'Ui-
tion the books, for safety, were stored in the Longstreth garret. This is said to have been
the first country district library established in Xorth Ainerica.

The library building was erected in 181 r, on a bequest for that purpose, in the
v.\\\ of Robert Loiler, was nan.ed "Loller Academy," after him. and is still standing. In
it a classical scliool was kept many years, and became quite famous. The first teacher
was Gcrge Murray, the same who subsequently kept a boarding scliool in Doylestown.
Rev. Robert flrlville. many years pallor at Xeshaminy, and father of Rev. Jacob Eclville,
taught at Loller .Academy. iSio. T!ie building wa= u>;ed for public ilebates, and some
di^tinguish^■d men have measured political and polemic swords there. In 1S44, during the
Folic and Clay campaign, General Jolm Davis and Ib'ii. Josiah Randall discoursed in the
pan.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. . 199

111 1710. He was a hatter, a Friend, and carried on his trade there several years.
The ])lace was tlien called "Crooked Billet," from a crooked stick of wood
painted on the tavern sign where he kept nt one time. He erected a stone house,
liis daughter Ann carrying the stone and mortar for him in her apron. It is
said she was engaged in this occupation when Bartholomew Longstreth decided
to marry her. He had more courage than the modern swain is credited with
possessing. She rode to Horsham meeting on a pillion behind her father, and
after the marriage rode behind her husband to his house in Warminster. Ben-
jamin, the youngest child, established the iion works at Phoenixville, and died;
1798, of yellow fever. John Dawson had seven children. In 1742 Dawson
lived at the southwest corner of Second street and Church alley, Philadelphia,
in the first house erected on that site. The present name, Hatboro, is said to
have been given to the village out of regard to the occupation of the earliest
inhabitant. On the evidence of William J. Buck, the earliest name given to the
place, when hardly a hamlet, was "Hatboro," and is found on Lewis Evans'
■'.Map of the Middle Colonies," published at Philadelphia, 1749. Doubtless the
village took the name of "Crooked Billet" from the sign tliat swung at the
tavern door, a crooked billet of wood. John Dawson, a maker of hats, was there
soon after 1700, and his occupation had something to do with the name. Botli
names were probably applied to it at the same time. In 1759 the public house
was kept by David Reese, whose daughter, Rebecca, born 1746, married John
Hart, of War!llin^te^. The village was the scene of a spirited contest between
American militia, under General Lacey, and a detachment of British troops, on
May I, 1778. The retreating militiamen were pursued across Warmisier Vj
the Bristol road, killed and wounded, on both sides, marking their route. ^^
The descendants of John and Dorothy Dawson number about two hundred per-
sons. The Dawson family is an old one in England. The first of the name.
Sir Archibald D'Ossone, afterward changed to Dawson, was a Norman noble-
man, who accompanied William the Conqueror to England, 1066, and received
the grant of an estate for services rendered in battle. It is not known that John
Dawson was descended from him, and probably was not.

The Longstreth manuscrijits give additional information on the Crooked
Billet fight of an interesting character. John Tompkins" tavern on the York
road was British hcadiiuartcrs. This was in the stone house, still standing, on
the west side of the road about three hundred yards below the county line as
we enter the village. Wc believe it is used as a dwelling. It is the tradition
that Robert Iredell piloted the enemy, and that Isaac Dillon and a ''Colonel"
William Dean had something to do with it. They were probably Tories. Captain
Isaac Longstreth commanded a company of militia and Abraham Sutphin stood
guard on the bridge at the lower part of the village the night prior to the morn-
ing of the attack on Laccy. Lacey and his aid-de-camp quartered at the house of
Jiihn Guilbert. a sti me dwelling recently taken down on the west side of the turn-
pike, about half way from the county line to where the monument stands, and
occupied an end room next the road. The night was moonlight and Mrs. Guil-
bert, not being uble to sleep, got up and on looking out one of the back windows;
saw British soldiers in the ai)i)le trees. She dressed, went down and awakened
Lacey and his aide, who gr.t their Imrscs and rode to. camp. The refugees \vere
cruel and gave no nuartor. An English officer had his thigh broken near the
Longstreth gate, and two soldiers were seat for a blanket to sling him between

19 Wiili.-im CarnrilKui, a Revolutionary solrlier, diet! in Warminster township, 1S39,
aged ninety- I'nur, iu„,il,ly a ■^nrvivor nf tlic Crookcil Billet figlit.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

horses. The soldiers began to phuiilcr and an officer who was sent after them
■took Daniel Longstreth up the lane to point out his goods. A refugee demanded
his silver shoe buckles, and dismounted to take them off, threatening to run him
through unless he gave them up, but Longstreth appealed to the soldier's two
■comrades, who shamed him and he rode away.

Safety Maghee, of Northampton township, at the age of ninety-three,
■rehted to the author, 1858, what he knew of the battle of the Crooked Billet.
He said: "In 177S I was Ii\'ing with my uncle, Thomas Fohvell, in South-
-ampton, where Cornell Ilobensack lives, on the road from Davisville to South-
ampton church. On the morning of the battle I heard the firing very distinctly,
and a black man named Harry and myself concluded we would go and see
what was going on. I was then about thirteen years old. W'e started from the
-house and I went directly toward where the firing was. When we came near
to where Johnsville now stands we heard a heavy volley there, which brought
us to a halt. The firing v.'as in the woods. The British were in pursuit of our
militia and charged them from Johnsville to the Bristol road, and also through
the fields froni the Street road to the Bristol road. They overtook the militia in
the woods at the corner of the Street road and the one that leads across to the
Bristol road. When the firing had ceased we continued on to the woods, where
we found three wounded militiamen near the road. They appeared to have
been wounded by the sword, and were much cut and hacked. When we got to
them they were groaning greatly. They died in a little while, and, I understand,
•were buried on the spot. They appeared to be Germans. We then passed on,
-and, in a field near by, we saw two horses lying dead. They were British. One
of them had been shot in the head and the gun put so close the hair was
scorched. While we were in the field, liarry picked up a cartouch box, that
had been dropped or torn off the wearer. Shortly after we met some of the
militia returning, and, when they saw the black fellow with the cartouch box,
thev became verv indignant, and accused him of robbing the dead, and took
it away from him. Three dead horses were on the farm of Colonel Joseph Hart.
Soon after tins we returned home. The last man was killed on the Bristol road
at the end of the road that comes across from Johnsville."

Tlie first Sunday-school at Hatboro was opened September 5, 1824, in
Lollcr Academy. At that time there was no church there. The Baptist church,
the first to be organized, grew out of a woods meeting held in the summer of
1835, in a grove halt a mile below Southampton, and a mile from that church.
During the meeting, the Rev. L. h'letcher, one of the officiating ministers,
preached one evening in the Hatboro Academy. Several converts having been
made at the woods meeting, and the Southampton Baptist church not being
in sympathy, a question arose as to wliat v/as to be done with the new converts.
Mrs. Yerkes, wife of the late Joseph B. Yerkes, who had recently come to Hat-
boro, solved the problem by suggesting that a church be organized. The sug-
gestion was accepted and, out of this muvemcut, the prosperous church at Hat-
boro grew.

CHAPTER XV.

NEWTOWN.

1703.

Main stream of settlement.— Called Newtown, 16S7.— Lands taken up, 16S4.— Christopher
Taylor. — John Mariindale. — Thomas Hillborn. — The Lintons. — Wiliiam Buckman. —
Map of 1703. — Townstead. — The common. — Joseph Briggs. — Durham and other roads.
— John Harris. — James Hanna. — Charles Stewart. — First site of church. — Area of
township. — Population. — Tradition of borough's name. — What called in 1795. —
Newtown in 17J5. — Laid out in 1733. — Tamer Carej-. — Samuel Hinkle. — Newtown in
1805. — James Raguet.— Newtown library. — Academy. — Brick hotel. — Joseph Archam-
bault. — Romantic career. — Death of Mrs. Kennedy. — Edward Plummer. — Doctor
Jenks.— The Hickses. — Isaac Eyre. — Oliver Erwin. — General Francis ^lurray. — Pre--
byterian church.— Episcopal. — Methodist, and Friends' meeting.— Newtown of to-day.
incorporated. — Population. — Pa.xson Memorial Home.^First temperance society.

It will be found, on investigation, that the main stream of English settle-
ment tlowed up tlie peninsula formed by the Delaware and Xeshaminy. For
the first forty years, after the county was settled, the great majority of the in-imi-
grants settled between these streams. West of the Xeshaminy the territory i;
more circumscribed, and the current of English Friends not reacliing above \\ ar-
minster. The pioneers, attracted by the fine rolling lands and fertile valleys of
Newtown, Wrightstown, and Buckingham, early pushed their way thidier,
leaving wide stretclies of unsettled wilderness behind. Newtov>-n lay in the track
of this upward current east of the Neshaminy, and the smoke of the English
settler was hardly seen on the Delaware before the sound of his ax v\-as heard
in the forest north of !Middlctown.

It is not knov.n when Xewtown township was laid out. or the name first
given to it, but it is possible it was so known and called some years before the
date given to it at the lu.-ad of this chapter. It was probably surveyed by
Thomas Holme, and on his map, 1684. its boundaries are nearly identical with
those of the present da^-. This district of country was called "Xewtown" as
early as 16S7, in the inventory of Michael Hough, near which he had two
hundred and fifty acres of land, valtied at £15. Samuel Paxson was appointed
"overseer of liigh^\a}-5" for Xewtown. 1691. In the early day it was called
"Xevv township." a new township laid out in the woods, and no doubt the orism
of its name, and it is probable the ?\l!ab!e "ship" was dropped for convenience,
leaving it "Xewtown" as we now have it.

HfSTORV OF BUCKS COUXTV.

In 16S4 its lands were pretty well apportioned anion;; proprietors, some to
actual settlers, and others to non-residents. Richard Price owned a tract that
ran the whole len;^th oi the 2^Iiddletown line. Thomas and John Rowland and
Edward Braber (probably a misspelling) along Xeshaminy, Thomas Revel,
Christopher Taylor, and William Bennet, on the Wrightstown border, Arthur
Cook, John Otter, Jonathan Eldrey, Abraham Wharley, Benjamin Roberts,
Shadrack Walley, William Sneed, Israel Ta\lor, and a tract laid out to the
"governor," along wliat is now Upper Maketield. All these several tracts
abutted on the townstead. Some of the parties had land located for them before
their arrival. Of these early proprietors we know but little. William Bennet,
of iMiddlesex, England, came with his wife Rebecca, November, 1685, but he
died before the year was out, and she was left a widow in the woods of New-
town. On the 9th of September, 1686, Naomi, daughter of Shadrack Walley,
was married at Pennsbury to William Berry, of Kent county, r^Iaryland. In
1709 AN'alley owned twelve hundred acres in the township, probably the extent
of his original purchase.

Christoph.er Taylor was an early settler, coming sometime in the '8o's, and
owned five thoiisand acres in the county in several townships, a considerable
tract in Newtown near Dolington. He died on the estate leaving two sons and
one daughter, Israel, Joseph and 2vlary. In 1692, two hundred and fifty acres
were patented to Israel Taylor, doubtless the son of Christopher, on the south-
east side of Newtown borough. This he sold to James Yates, who, dying, 1730,
the land went to his heirs, and soon after 1736, Samuel Cary became the owner
of the greater part of the tract. Cary built a stone house on the premises, 1741,
and called die place "Retirement." Pie died there. 1766, leaving the homestead
to his son Samuel, who srild it to Nathaniel, father of Nathaniel P. Burrows,
1801, for $5.8(>o. It then contained one hundred and forty-six and one-lialf
acres. It was next o\\ ned by Thomas Porter, and a school kept there, known as
"Porter's Academy." Tlie next owner was David Roberts, father of the late
Stokes L. Roberts, and there the son was born. The daughters of the family
were remarkably liands(5nie women, Eliza being often spoken of as the "hand-
somest woman in Bucks county." She married Colonel Peter Ilirie, Easton.
Twenty years ago the farm belonged to John B. Tomlinson, who pulled down
tlie old house, built 1741. and erected a nev,- one, 1878. He called the place
the "Fountain I'arni." The James Yeates who owned this farm after Israel
Ta}'lor, is said to have walked the Indian purchase of 1684, and it was subse-
quently Owned by his son, James, who was one of the walkers in the "Walking
Purchase," 1737, but gave out the morning of the second day and lived but
three da}s. These facts make the place of histcpric interest.

The five hundred acre tract of Thomas Rowland, extending from New-
town creek to Neshaminy, probably included the ground the Presbyterian
church stands upon. It was owned by Henry Baker, 1691, who conveyed two
hinidred and forty-eight acres to Job Bunting, June, 1692, and, October, 1697,
the remainder, two hundred and fifty-two acres, to Stephen Wilson. In 1695
Bunting cfmveycil his acres to Stephen Twining, and 1698 Wilson did the
same, and Twining now owned Thomas Rowlan-l's whole tract. In 1757 part
Or the whole of this land was in the possession of Benjamin Twining. In 1702
Stephen Twining owned six hundred and ninety acres in New town, which John
Cutler surveyed March 10.

Twining, a ccinimon i]ame in Great Britain, of Anglo Saxnn origin, one
authority says is composed of Saxon words meaning "two meadi'ws." The name
of John Twining, an Abliot. of Wincho"'nib, Glr)ucestershirc, make^ its appear-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

ance the middle of the tifteenth century. W'iUiam Twining was a freeholder at
Yarmouth, Cape Cod, .Mass., 1643, and liis son W'iUiam. witii his family settled
in Newtown. i6';5, dying there Nov. 4, 1703, and his wife Elizabeth Dean,
daughter of Stephen, December 28, 170S. From that time Newtown has been
considered the home township of the family, from which the members have
gone forth to make their way in the world. Stephen, son of William Twining,
born February, 1659, married Abigail, daughter of John and Abigail Young,
and had eleven children, and died Feb. 18, 1720. The first of the Twining
family to be born and live in Bucks county were the children of Stephen, fifth
son oi Stephen 3d, born December 30, 1684, married Margaret Mitchell, Octo-
ber, 1709, and died at Newtown, June 28, 1772. The wife died July 9, 1784,
in her ninety-ninth year. Their issue was : William ; Elizabeth, born April 30,
1712, married Isaac Kirk : .Abigail, born December 24, 1714, married Samuel
Hillborn; Stephen, born February 20, 1719, married Sarah Janney; [Nlary,
married John Chapman, October 8, 173S; \ViIliam, born April 7, 1723; 2\Iar-
garet. married Thomas Hamilton, and had a large family.

John Martindalc, born in England, 1676. settled in Newtown before 1700,
and married Mary Bridgeman, daughter of Walter Eridgeman and Blanch Con-
stable, 3.Iiddletown. She died, in 1726, leaving six children, from whom liave
descended a numerous family. Of these descendants we can trace John, of the
second generation, born in 1719, and married ]\Iary Strickland. Amos, of the
third, born 1761, married ilartha Merrick, Charles, of the fourth, born, 1801.
married Phrebe Comly. and Doctor Joseph C. the fifth in descent from the
progenitor, born 1833, in Philadelphia county. The latter achieved considerable
distinction. Witliout the advantages of early education he took a respectable
position in the walks of literature and science. Flis active life was spent in
teaching and practicing medicine. In his hours of leisure he wrote, A Historv
of the United States, for schools, of which seventy thousand were sold in the
first six years; History of Byberry and MoreUmd,' A Scries of Spelling Books.
First Lessons in Natural Philoso'phy, and a volume on Anatomy, Physiologx
and Hygiene. He left unpublished, at his death, 1S72, "A Catalogue of the
Birds, Animals and Plants" found in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Doctor
Martindale was a man of great industry and accomplished much under adverse
circumstances.

A map of Newtown township, as surveyed and laid out by John Cutler,
1702. gives us the
names of the land 1 ■ — r^

owners_at that ! ^ ^'^•V^"^/' ^ .v^^V'-.- . -^

time. They had
c h a n g e d since
l68j. with some
new-comers ; Ste-
phen Twining, al-
ready mentioned,
William Buck- j
man, who died in |
1716, Michael and
Samuel H on gh.
Ezra Croa^ciale, |,.„^ ; .
Henry Pax-on, Iro^^^^
Israel Morris,
Thomas IIillh..ra.

7^

\:

i'jyy^'^sia^'u.itjL.

v.\Tts nmsi:. Ni.'.vrow.s.

204

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

who died in 17-3, James Eldridge, Mary Haywortli, and James
Ycales. i!y this lime Shadrack Wallej', who had become the largest
hmdowner in the township, owning one thousand three hundred and
ninety-seven acres, liad absorbed mos't of the land that Richard Price
owned on the JMiddletown line, 16S4. A small portion of Price's land
was now owned by Yeates. Israel Morris was the smallest land-owner in the
township, one hundred and sevents'-cight acres, if we except Edward Cowgill,
who owned a few acres adjoining the north-west corner of the town common.
James Yeates died in 1730, and was probably the father of the James Yeates
who took part in the Great Walk of 1737. John Frost, who gave the name to
Frost lane, on the northern edge of the borough, was there in 171 1, and died in
1716. There were either Germans or Hollanders settled in the township as
early as 1724, for in the survey of the road from Newtown to Falls meeting-
liouse, of that >oar, there is mention made of "the Dutchman's plantation."

Thomas Hillborn, ancestor of the Bucks county family bearing this name,
was an English F'riend, who came to Newtown from Shrewsbury, N. J., in the
spring of 1702. The year previous he had purchased seven hundred and fifty
acres adjoining JNIakefield, including twenty-five acres in the Newtown town-
stead. August 20, 1702, he purchased one hundred and thirty acres additional,
making in all, per Cutler's resurvey, nine hundred and eighty acres. On De-
cember 12, 1688, Thomas Hillborn married, at her mother's house, Shrewsbury,
Elizabeth Hutton, at an appointed meeting of Friends. Twelve children were
born of this marriage, the first six at Shrewsbury, the rest at New town, viz :
Samuel, born 8 mo. 20, 16S9; Robert, born 5 mo. 31, 1692; Mary, born 10 mo.
7, 1694; Elizabeth, born ist mo., 2, 1697-98; Katharine, born i mo., 30, 1699;
l)eborah, born 3 mo. 25, 1701, died 1703; Thomas, born 1703; John, born
1705; Joseph, born 170S, died 1731, unmarried; Amos, born 1710, died 1710;
Rachel, born 1711 ; Hannah, born 1714, died 1714.

Thomas Hillborn died at Newtown, 1723, leaving a will dated 1719, his
wife surviving him several years. Her will, dated 1728, now in possession of
one of her descendants at Omaha, Nebraska, does not seem to have been pro-
bated. Elizabeth Hillborn, widow of Thomas, had purchased of Richard Sun-
ly, a farm in W'rightstown, and bv the above will, she devised it to her son, Jo-
seph, subject to his maintenance of her aged mother Elizabeth Hutton, but she
subsequently sold the farm. Thomas Hillborn, Sr., in his lifetime, conveyed
two hundred and twenty-nine acres to his grandson, Samuel Hillborn (son of
Samuel, deceased) 6 mo. 7, 1717, which Samuel conveyed to Thomas, 1739,
Thomas to his son Robert, 1779. and Robert to his son Amos, by will, 1793.
On October 22. 1717, Thomas Hillborn, Sr., conveyed two hundred and fifty
acres to hi? son Roliert, and Robert I'ying 1720. devised it to his son Thomas,
who, in 1741, having removed to Kurlington, N. J., sold the whole tract to
Feter Taylor. The balance of the tract was devised to his son Thomas and to
the widow Elizabeth, and they conveyed the same, separately, to John Hillborn,
1726 and 1737, respectively.

Samuel Hillborn, eldest son of Thomas and Elizabeth married. 171 1, Mar-
garet, daughter of Christopher and J^Iargaret Atkinson, who came here from
Yorkshire. England. Cliristophcr dying on the passage, or soon after his arrival.
Sanuicl HiUhnrn died. 1714. leaving an only son. Samuel, who married Abigail,
daughter of .Stephen Twining, and had bv her eight children: Samuel, who re-
moved, to Du.rham t nvii^hip : Jo^cph. who married .'Xnii \Vilkin5on, and settled
in Smithfield. Philadelphia county: Mary; Elizabeth: Juhn, said to have been
captured by Indians, 1775. and carried to Canada, but returned to Peimsyl-

HISTORY or BUCKS COUXTV. 205

vania; Thomas, married Sarah Bruniinage, removed to Canada, 1S06-7, his
son. KH H. Hillborn, Hving at Toronto ; Wilham and David, died without issue ;
Marv, married lames Paxson; Elizabeth married Thomas Millard. Robert,
second son of Thomas and Elizabeth, married Hilary, daughter of Thomas
liarJintr, 1715, tlicJ ij-'o, leaving two children, Tliomas and Alary, the former
removed to ilurlingion. New Jersey, 173S-39, where he was living, 1741 (see
deed of record Bucks county), and later removed to Lower Dublin township,
and was a member of Byberry meeting, and died about 1770. Robert, his eldest
son, born 2 mo., 6, 1740, in New Jersey, removed to Portland, Aiaine, 1775-76,
where he enlisted in United States service, married and settled and has numer-
ous descendants in New England. In an affidavit made in 94 to establish his
claint to a pension, he said he was born in New Jersey. The other children of
Thomas and Alary Hillborn were Thomas, born 10 mo., 23, 1741 ; Alary born
9 mo., 10, 1744; Joseph, born 2 mo. 12, 1743; Benjamin, born 8 mo. 30, 1746,
and Elizabeth.

Mary Hillborn, eldest daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth, married Amos
Watson; Elizabeth married Abraham Darlington, Chester county; Katharine
Hillborn was unmarried, 172S; Deborah, born 1701, died, 1703; Thomas, born
1703, married 1726, Ann Ashton, daughter of Thomas and Deborah Baines
Ashton, had sons Robert and Samuel ; Robert died at Newtown, 1793, leaving
sons, Amos, Thomas, Robert and John ; daughters, Rach.el Beans, Elizabeth
Saylor, Fanny and Mercy. Of these, Thomas, who married Rachel Haj'hurst,
was the father of Isaac Hillborn, Philadelphia; John Plillborn born 1705,
married 3 mo., 1730, Rachel Strickland, and removed to Philadelphia and died
there, 1747, leaving five children, Amos, Allies, Joseph, Elizabeth and Frances.
When the tov.nship was laid out there was reserved and surve3-ed, at
about the middle of it, a "townstead" of six hundred and forty acres on which
the borough of Newto'.vn stands. To encourage purchasers, Penn allowed each
one to locate a lot in the townstead equal to ten per cent, of the quantity he took
up in the township. There was left of this reservation, lying on both sides of
Newtown crock and nearly one half within the present borough limits, a \-acant
strip containing forty acres, and known as the '"common." The i6th of August,
1716. this piece 01 land was ])atentcd to Shadrack Walley, William Buckman
and John Frost, for tlic use of themselves and other inhabitants of the township.'
These parties died without perfecting their title, and the vacant strip of land
lay as common imiil the close of the century. The ist of April, 1796, the in-
habitants authorized William Buckman, Francis Afurray, James Hanna, Thomas
Story, William Linton and John Dormer Alurray to procure the title to this
property from the state, with autliority to sell or lease, and the proceeds to be
equally divitled between the academy, a free scliool in the village, and schools
in the township, in such manner as the trustees miglit direct. The patent was
issued July 8, 1796, and the consideration was of £79. 6s., with a reservation of
one-sixth of all the gold and silver found on it. The following were the metes
and bounds of the common: "Beginning at a stone, an original corner, etc.,
thence crossing Newtown creek, along lands of Aaron Phillips, formerly James
Yeates, south eighty-three and one half degrees cast thirty-five perches to a
stone in Bristol road, in line of Joseph A\'orstairs lot. thence along the same
and sundry lots of said town, of lands originally of Shadraclc Walley, Mary
Hayworth and Jonathan Eldridge, north eight and a quarter flegrccs, east two

I It was conveyed to the inlnbitants of Newtown townsliip "tor tlic convenience of
ronils, passages to ye water, and other btnefits to ye said township.''

, j^.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 207

luiiuired and eleven and four-tenllis perches to a stone set as a corner of Samuel
C'arev, originally Thomas Ilillborn, and a corner of the seven acres belonging to
and snrveyed to Francis Murra\', thence by the same, re-crossing the creek, north
eighty degrees ^vest twenty-nine eight-tenths perches to a stone, now set as
another corner thereof, on the westerly side of Taylor's ferry road, at its inter-
section of the Durham road about the corner of Aloses Kelly, originally Ezra
Croasdale, and Jacob Bnckman, originally Samuel Hough's, thence by said
IJuckinan, James Hanna, Esq., Thomas Buckman and Jesse Leedom, and others,
originally Aiichael Hough's, William Buckman and Stephen Twining, south
nine degrees thirty-eight minutes west two hundred and thirteen and four-
tenths perches to the place of beginning, containing forty acres and ninetv-sevcn
perches." The common was two hundred and twelve and three-tenths perches
and two hundred and twelve and five-tenths perches on tiie east and west lines,
respectively, and twenty-nine and nine-tenths perches and thirty-tive and five-
tenths perches on the north and south lines. It was divided into fifty-five lots,
of unequal size, thirty-seven, fifty-five and one hundred and thirty feet front,
and from one himdred and sixty-eight to two hundred and forty-two feet in
<.Ie]jLh, which were put up at public sale August i, 1796, and most of tliem sold.
Those numbered from one to twelve, inclusive, were sold in fee-simple, and the
remainder on ground-rent, payable on the ist of August, forever, with the right
of redemption. Those sold in fee brought from £32 to ±104, while those on
ground-rent ran from £5. 12s. 6d. down to i8s. Cd. The common embraced all
that portion of the present borough of Newtown lying between 2\Iain street on
the east and Sycamore on the west, and Frost lane on the north down to a line
a little below Penn street on the south, and the titles are held under the several
acts of Assembly relating thereto. As many of the purchasers under the act of
1796 did not comply with the conditions of sale, and the old trustees being dead,
with no persons capable of acting in their stead, the legislature cured the defect
in 1818. By this act Enos },Iorris, Thomas G. Kennedy, Jacob Janney, Phineas
Jcnks, Joseph \\'orstall, Jr., and Thomas Buckman were made "trustees of the
Newtown common." They had power to sell and lease, previous titles were
confirmed, and the same disposition was to be made of the proceeds as under
the act of 1796.- W'h.en the common lots were sold Alain street was left o'pen,
but in 1798 a jury laid, it out along the east side of the common sixty-six feet
wide, and likewise Bridge and another cross street forty-nine and one-half feet
wide. In 1795 ^'^"^ common was called "graveyard field." Main street was de-
clared a public road in 1785.

The Lintons were early settlers in Bucks county, but we have not the date
of the famil\'s coming. They were here before the middle of the eighteenth
century. \\"illiam Linton, one of the trustees for selling the New-
town Common, was the si.n of John and Elizabeth Hayhurst Linton, of
Wrightstown, and born 1742. He married, first, 1766, Sarah Penquite, daugh-
ter of Samuel, Wrightstown ; second, 17SS, Alary Janney, daughter of Thomas
Janney, Newtown township, a iK-.scendant of Thomas Janney, Provincial Coun-
cillor: third. Letitia (Harvey) l-Illicott, widow of Nathaniel EUicott. Bucking-
ham. He had two children by his first wife, John and Elizabeth, none by his other
wives. William Linton bought fr,r himself at the trustees sale, lot No. 8. and
shortly erected on ii facing .Main .--treet. one of the finest mansions then in the
town, and which is still (1901) standing. The property is shown on the map

i In i/td ten ."icrcs wore Kr.TntcIl to Thoni.is Mayberry. out of the "vacant land in
the townsteail ■.•I Xfuion, in the cunitv "i Ilnok^." for a settlement to carry on his trade.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

of 1S12 in his name, adjoining the north hnes of the county property and the
Academy lot. ThL'se two lots, being nm^.tly open ground, gave Linton's house a
fine uninterrupted view, and with its central location in the town and the court
house nearly oi'poiite, made it a most desirable situation for a residence. }<It.
Linton lived in this house, in colonial style behtting his position, until his deadi,
1S02, and his widow maintained an establishnKui of some pretention until her
decease, 1S17. They both belonged to v. ealtuy and prominent families for the
time. The property was inherited by William Linton's daughter Elizabeth, wife
of Joseph Luckman, 1S19, who sold it to iNlaria H. Wirtz, and she conveyed it
to Dr. Reading Beatty,-'- 1S23. Dr. Beatty lived here until his death and left
it to his son. Dr. Charles C. Beatty, who, 1S32, sold it to Joseph P. Norris, Jr.,
Philadelphia, trustee for Anna iNIaria, wife of ^Morris Buckman. In 1842, after
twenty-three years cf outside ownership, this house came back into the Linton
connection, and on ^vLarch 7, after two transfers, the property was conveyed to
Joseph Briggs, in whose family it has remained. At this time IMr. Briggs lived
in the old Court Inn, which we have mentioned elsewhere. Modern improve-
ments and the encroachment of business have shut of? the pleasant outlook from
this semi-colonial mansion.

Down to 1723 t!ic Durham road appears to have been the only traveled
highway by which the inhabitants of the township could reach the outside world.
Necessity was now fell for wagon communication with their neighbors east and
west. The road to Taylorsville, via Dolington, was opened in 1723, and that
from Newtown to Fallsington via Summerville, 1724. At the June term, 1730.
the court w-as petitioned for a road "from Thomas Yardley's mill and the ferry
at the said Yardley's landing."^ This road was opened, 1734,^. and tliat to Ad-
disville about the same period. ° In 1760 a road was laid out from ^vIcKonkey's
ferry" to Newtown. In 174S several of the inhabitants of Newtown and Make-
field petitioned for a- road "from William Croasdale's lot'' along the line of
John Croasdale and others into what is now the Durham road. This road prob-
ably started about Dolington, or in that vicinity. The road to the Buck tavern
was laid out in iSog, and ordered forty-five feet wide.

John Harris came to Newtown and settled at the townstead, probably as
early as 1750. Seven years later he was keeping store there, when be purchased
sixty acres of Benjamin Twining, part of the Thomas Rowland tract on the west
side of the creek, which cost him £320. September 21, 1767, he purchased of
Nelson Jolly what was called his "upper farm," on the west side of the common.
The Presbyterian church stands on tlie south-west corner. The greater part

2yi Dr. Reading Bentty, born Dec. 23. 1757, son of Rev. Charles Beatty by his wife
Ann. daughter of Governor John Reading, Xew Jersey. He ^vas a student of medicine at
the outbreak of the Revolution, but went into service as ensign in Captain John Richard-
son's Company, Colonel Magaw's battalion, 5th Pennsylvania; prisoner of war, 1776-177S;
May, 1778, appointed cn?ign, 6ih Pennsylvania regiment, Continental line; May i, 17S0,
surgeon l6lh Pennsylvania regiment, Continental line; September, 17S1, transferred to
Proctor's .Artillery and served till end of war. He afterward settled in Bucks county and
practiced medicine, his residence,, after 1S21, being the Linton house, Newtown, where
he died October 29, 1831. He married .'Xpril 20, 17S6, Christiana, daughter of Judge Henry
Wynkoop.

3 Now Yardlcy.

4 It was re-laid in 1705 two poles wide.

5 Rclaid thirty-three feet wide in 17S7,

6 Formerly called B.iker's ferry.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

209-

, f this tract is now owned by Alexander German, and the old yellow lionse,
known as the ""Washinijjtcin headquarters," was the homestead of Harris,
liradiially Joiui Harris became a cunsiflerahlc lanil-owner, owning- over five
hundred acres in all. Two hundred and fifty-seven acres lay in Xewtown, ami
as much in Upper ^lakefield, jiart of which was bought of the trustees of the
L^'udon company, the remainder from the manor of Highland. He grew to
he a man of note among his fellows and before 1770, was written "John Harris,
merchant" and "John Harris," Esqr." He died August 13, 1773, in his fifty-
sixth year, and his widow administered on his estate.

John Harris married Hannah, daughter of Charles Stewart, Upper Make--
field, and had seven children: John, Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Kachel, and
Hannah. Of the children of this marriage, Ann, sometimes written Anne, was
married twice, the first time to Dr. Hugh Shicll, riiiladelphia. He was a native
of Ireland, took his degree in medicine at Edinburgh, settled in Philadelphia at-

■^.x^.;.^

the beginning of the Revolution, was a personal friend of Robert Morris, and
subscribed L^,oo<:> sterling to establish the bank of Xorth America. Dr. Shielf
first met Miss Harris at Mr. Morris's lionse. The mother opposed the match,
but the young people went to church and settled the matter for themselves.
He was a man of fine education, good iiianners and full of humor. They had
but one child. Catharine Harris Shiell. born .\ugust 19. 17S3, who married and
died at Lexington, Kentucky. June 24. 1S41. aucl her husband, June 11, 1833, of
cholera. At the death of i)r. Shiell. his wid-iw niarried Judge Harry Innes,
Kentucky.''-- Their child. Maria Knox, first married her cousin. Judge

7 John Harris \v.-\s .1 taiuier as well as a mcrcliaiit, and fifty years after his death,
in dipping the foundation fo.r a milk-house on the German farm, they came to an old
wall, vats, hark, and other remains of the tannery. The oldest inhahitant could tell nothing
ah. lilt them.

7'j hi the "J^nirnal of a Jiinriicy Thrnnsli the I'nited States, iyn}.--n6," by ThoTnas
Chapman. F.^q.. an Enijlishman, we find the follnwint; reference to the Inncsscs -while at
rranktnrt, Ky. : "On Wednesday evenin's. Decemhcr 2. I went out and --Ippt ai Judv;e
Ir-ines's, who has pot a plantation about five miles from Frankfort, where I staid all night

210 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUSTY

Harris Toihl. and at liis death became the second wife of Hon. John J.
Crittemien."

Sarali Harris married Captain Charles Smitii, of Wayne's army; Elizabeth,
Judge TlKJmas Todd, L'nited States Supreme Court, whose second son, Charles
Stewart Todd, was aid-dc-camp to General Harrison, war of 1S12-15, and
represented the L;i>vernuient at St. Petersburg- and Colombia, South America.
]\Iary Harris married James Hanua, a lawyer of Newtown, and had four chil-
dren. Commodore Spotts, of the navy, was a grandson. Jack Harris married
Jane Hunt, New Jersey. His son \Villiam, a commander in the Navy, was
drowned off \'era Cruz during the Mexican War, trying to save the life of a
brother officer.' After the death of Charles Stewart, Mrs. Stewart with her
daughters. Mrs. Hunter. Mrs. Harris, and Mrs. Shiell, a daughter of Ivlrs. Har-
ris, all widows, with their children emigrated to Kentucky, where their de-
scendants are aim'ng the most distingxiished people of the state. Charles Stew-
art, the father of }ilrs. Harris, had other children ; Robert, who died unmarried
at Trough Springs, Kentucky ; William, a schoolmate of Daniel Boone, who
accompanied him on his second visit to Kentucky, and was killed at the battle
«f Lilue Lick: Mary, who married James Hunter, and Charles, who died at
Newtown, 1773, at the age of thirty-seven. Charles Stewart, the father, died
September 16, 17^4. aged seventy-five, and was buried in the Presbyterian
church yard. He was born in Scotland, 1709. His wife was Sarah Lawcll.
widow of David, born 1 709, and died in Kentucky. iSoo. When Charles
.Stev.-art caine to America is not known. In 1787. Hannah Harris went to
"Kaintuckee,"- to get her share of her brother William's estate. The following
is a memoranda iif her disbursements and expenses: "Trip from Newtown,
Bucks county, I'ennsylvania to Danville, Kentucky. £70; boat to ascend the
Ohio river £18; supplies for myself and family for two years and expenses of
return to Newtown, Ducks county, Pennsylvania, £350; expenses of a negro
man in Kentucky, ami going and coming, £36. 5s. lod; Thomas Lowrie, service
in Kentucky and on my return, £45. 14s. 3d. ; loss sustained in horses in my
journey to. stay at, and return from Kentucky, £80; making a total of £0io. id."

John llurrows, the grandfather of Charles P. Burrows, of Pineville, came
to Ijucks count\- from New Jersey. He settled about Morrisville, where he
lived in a cave, and, on selling his property to Robert Morris, removed to New-
town township, on the road to Yardleyville. When the Revolutionary war
broke out, John Burrows carried the mail from Philadelpliia, but the mail
carrier from Princeton to New York siding with the British, Burrows was
ap[)ointed to carry the mail through to New York. Great dit^culty was ex-
perienced, and sometimes his son carried the mail in a little bag around his neck,
frequently swimming the Delaware. aTid creeping thniugh the .grass to esca['e
enemies. Burrows was elected either door-kee]5er or Sergeant-at-Arms of
Congress, when it sat at Philadelphia. He accompanied it to Washington,

and was highly ciitLrtaincl hy the pohte and affable beliavior of the Judtje and his lady.
Mr. Innes 15 a Fedi-ral Judije with a salary of i.ooo dollars per annum."

8 Mrs. Innes. tlic mother of Mrs. Crittenden, was visited at her home near Frank-
fort. Ky . June. 1S40. hy the Rev. Robert D. Morris, who was iii^trnnieiitat in her conver-
sion anil baptized her. lie also bapiti:'ed Mrs. Crittenden's early friend, Mrs. Hapcnny,
at the ase of seventy five S!ie was a dau.cjhter of .-Vinos Strickland, who built the old end
■of the brick tavern. .Vmlwwn

9 Hannah and Rarhel Il.irris died unmarried. The Ifannas lived near N'ewtown,
bclon^jcd to the i're>liy;erian eluireh anil rrkewi.-.e removed to Kentnckv.

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

vl'crc lie died at the age of ninety-six, after many years service. His son, Xa-
tluuiiel lUirrows. was born at Newark, in 1756, and came to the county with his
lather. He married Ann, daughter of Lamb Torbert, Xcwtown township, and
died, 1840, at the age of eighty-four. He was a soldier in the Revolution, and
he and his father both drew pensions to their death. X'athaniel Burrows had
eiglit children, Sanuiel, William, John, Joseph, George. Margaretta, Charles
and Mary. Charles and one sister are still living. The wife of Xatlianiel Bur-
rows died, 1838, at the age of seventy-nine, and she and her husband were both
buried in the P'resbyterian graveyard, Xewtown.

The original I'resbyterian church of Xewtown stood on the "old Swamp
road" a mile west of the village on the farm owned by Alexander German, and
was probably founded before 1740. A new church was erected near the borough
limits, in 1769, on a lot given by John Harris, when the old frame building was
abandoned. It 'was afterward sold and converted into a wagon house at the
John Thompson farm near the Chain bridge, in Northampton. A number of
tombstones are still in the old grave yard, bearing dates from 1741 to 1756,
some of them of quite elaborate workmanship. There is a tradition that a
wicked sinner, named Kelley, hired a negro to fetch him a marble slab from
the old grave yard to use for a paint stone, and that when liis act of vandalism
became known, public opinion drove him from the neighborhood. About 1750
sixty acres of land on the west bank of the Xeshaminy, below N'ewtown, with
a dwelling upon it, were given to the Presbyterian church for a parsonage. It
was sold about the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, and the proceeds
invested in six per cent, state warrants. These were stolen from the house of
John ThcMiipson, the treasurer, and lost to the church. ^lany years ago the fol-
lowing lines on the "old grave yard,'' were suggested by a remark of the late
Doctor I'liineas Jenks, in a lecture before the Newtown Lyceum, and published
in the NciL'tozi-n Journal:

Overgrown and neglected, deserted, forlorn,

A thicket of dogwood, of briar and thorn.

Is that home of the dead, that last place of rest

For the mouldering clay of the good and the blest.

Where once, up to heaven, upon the still air.
Rose the music of praise and the murmur of prayer;
Where crowds came to worship, from valley and hdl.
Rests a silence like death, 'tis so cjuiet and still.

Not a vestige remains of the temple, whose roof
Echoed oft to the loud earnest preachings of truth —
Time's pinions have swept every fragment away.
And the people who listened, oh where now are they?

The stones which affection once placed o'er the dead.
Their names- to preserve, and their virtues to spread;
Displaced and disfigured, the eye should, to see,
Have the aid of thy chisel, "Old .Mortality."

Soon the plough will o'erturn the root and the blade
Of the sod once upheavctl by the mattock and spade;
And the place, once so sacred, will then be forgot.
With the beings who wept and rejoiced on this spot.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

Among- the iiiliabitants of Xewtown township, of a past generation, v,a>
one who attempted to shuflk otif this mortal coil by jumping down a well forty
feet deep when a little deranged in his mind. He repented the act when he
reached the bottom, cried lustily for help and was fortunate enough to be drawn
out alive. Some people were uncharitable enough to say that his insanit) wa>
a dispensation ui Providence in ininishment for driving off his neighbor's cattle
to the r.riti>h di'.riiig the Revolutionary war.

Xewt(.)wii t^jwnship is bounded by the Xeshaminy on the west, which sep-
arates it from Xorthani[)ton, north by W'rightstown, east by the two Makt-
fields and soutli by ]\liddletown. The area is six thousand two hundred and
forty-six acres, a. trifle more than ten times the quantity in the original townsteacL
We believe the boundaries to be the same as when it was first laid out. The
surface slopes to the soutli. and the soil is productive. It is .watered by Xesh-
aminy and its tributaries, Xewtown creek running the entire length of the town-
ship, and Core creek flowing through its southeast corner into Lower }ilake-
field. On the Xeshaminy is a valuable quarry of brown stone, used extensively
for ornamental building purposes. The main industry is farming. Jenks's
'ulling-mill, two miles southeast of Xewtown, is probably the oldest mill of its
Oia^s in the county, and was raided by the British during their occupancy of
Philadelphia in the Revolution.

The first enumeration of inhabitants of Xewtown that we have seen, is that
of 1742, when there were forty-three taxables and nine single men. The tax
raised was £12. 18. gd., and Samuel Carey the heaviest payer, was taxed ten
shillings. In 1754 the taxables were 59; So in 1761, and 82 in 1762. In 17S4 it
contained 497 whites, 28 blacks, and 84 dwellings. The population in 1800 was
7S1 ; iSio, 982: 1S20, 1,060; 1830, 1,344, and 2t,t, taxables; 1S40, 1,440; 1850.
765 whites, jj blacks; i860, 933 whites, 67 blacks, and in 1S70 the number 01
the whites was the same, of whom 95 were foreign-born, and 50 blacks; iSSo,
970; 1890, 759: 1900, 715. The apparent falling of? in the population after
1840 was caused by the incorporation of the village of Newtown into a borough,
and the separate eiunneration of its inhabitants.

The borough of Xewtown has possibly borne its present name longer than
any other village in the county. The exact time of its founding, and the origiiT
of its name, are both involved in doubt. Tradition tells us that, on one occasion,
as William Penn, with a party of friends, was ridijig through the woods where
the village stands, he remarked to those about him, "this is the place proposed
for my new town ;" and a ncxv tonii in very truth it was, to be founded and
built in the depth of the Bucks county wilderness. Whether the village took
the name of the township, or the township of the village, we are left to con-
jecture, but the probability is in favor of the latter. The last course in a tract
of two hundred and twenty-five acres, laid out to Shailrack Walley, October 25.
16S3. nuis nortlua^t by east by "Xew Town street, twenty-eight perches,'' and
twenty-five acres in "Xew Town-stead." In the patent to Thomas Rowland,
dated I2th of 12th month, 1684, for four hundred and fifty acres, on the "east-
ermost side of Xoshaminoh (Xeshaminy) creek," calls for fifty acres in the
"village or townslead," one side of which is "bounded on the street or road of
said village." The 12th month, 17th. 169S, Stephen Twining, carpenter, of
Piurlington. Xew Jersey, sold two hundred and tiftv-two acres of the Rowland
tract to Stephen Twining, yeoman, "being in the countv of Bucks, at a place
called Xew Town." These are the earliest mention of the name we have been
able to find, and thev carrv us back to within a vear after the arrival of Willian:

lUSTOliY OF DUCKS COUSTY. 213

I'cnn. On the map of Oldniix'iii, 1741, it is spelled "Xewtnwne," and "Xew-
t.>n" in Scott's Gazetteer uf 1705-

On the authority of John Watson, in a communication to the I'hilosophical
Society, there was a white man, named Cornelius Spring-, livini^ at Newtown in
ltti)2. He was possibly une of the very oldest and earliest inhabitants of this
ancient village, but ])robabl_\- he and others were there before that time. The
farmhouse of lohn Tomlinson is supposed to have been built near the close of
the century, but the dwelling of Silas C. Bond, in the lower part of the village,
is thought to be the oldest house in it. The kitchen, more modern than the
main building, was built in 1713. As late as 1725," when the county seat was
removed from Bristol to Xewtown, it consisted of a few log huts built along
the Durham road, now State street. This event gave it an importance not
hitherto enjovcd, and for almost the. ninety years it remained the shire-town it
was considered the tirst village of the county. The five acres bought of John
Walley to erect the public buildings on, and for other county purposes, lay on
the east side of State street, and extended from Washington avenue down to
I'enn street, forty perches, and twenty perches east. The present Court street
cut the lot in twain from north to south. In 1733 the ground was laid out into
-six squares of equal size, one hundred and ninety by one hundred and forty-
two and a half feet, and streets opened through it. The court house and prison
were erected on square number one, bounded by land of John \\ alley, that ex-
tended to Washington avenue. State, Sullivan and Court streets. The same
year the commissioners sold a lot in the fifth sciuare, sixty feet on Court and one
hundred and forty-two and a half on King street, to Joseph Thornton, on which
the Court inn was subsequent!}- erected. Gradually the whole of the five acres,
not occupied by the public buildings, were sold to various parties long before the
county seat was removed. When that event took place there was only that por-
tion of plot number one where the court house, jail and little old oflice stood to
be disposed of. The five acres are now in the heart of the town and covered
with buildings. We have no means of even gfuessing the population of
Xewtown when it became the county scat. Eighty years ago it contained
about fiftv dwellings, and tradition tells us that at that time one house in ten

10 Newtown was made the seat of justice of Bucks county in 1725, by an act nf
Assembly of 1723; and William Biles, Joseph Kirkbride, Thomas Watson, M. D. and
Abraham Chapman were appointed commissioners to purchase a piece of land in Newtown
township, in trust, for the use of the county and build thereon a court house and prison.
The same act provided for holding the elections at Newtown. The trustees were author-
ized to sell as much of the land purchased as would not inconvenience the
•court house and other public buildings. The prison proving too small, a m-w
one was built uiultr an act passed. 1743-45. The tire-proof office was not built until
1772. It was designated a "strong and commodious house," was 12 by 16 feet in size, of
•stone masonry two feet thick, brick arch 12 inches deep, with chimney and fireplace in
west end. Prior to this the ooiinty records were kept at the private homes of the officers.
The act for building the fireproof provided that "the papers and records shall be deposited
and kept in the said house under a penalty of £300. any usa.ge or cu<tnni to the contrary
notwithstandin.g." One of tlie jailors at Newtown was "Paddy" Hunter, who kept a bar
and sold rum in the prison oftioc. and prisoners and others who Iiad tlie money C' uld
rilways huy the .irticle. .\s:i Carey -luccecded "P.nddy" .-it the lattcr's dcatli and stoppoil ;''.e
Siile of rum ami the escape of jiri-oucr-i. lie \\:is the la^t jail^ir at Newtown and tlie
lirst at D'lylcstowii On returning to Xewtown he married Tanior Woorstall, celelirated
for lier cakes ami |iie-.

214

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV

had license to scU liiiiuir, lit-sicks ihe keeper oi the jail, and the only kiiuwn
buildings along the \\est side of ^lain street were the academy and that occu-
pied bv the National bank. The built-up portion of the town was on the east
side of Main street, between Penn street and Washington avenue. Ruiiert
Smock's estate owned all the land on that side of the street, including the Brick
hotel, from the aveiuie u\> to the Iiridge across the creek, except one lot. A map
of that period gives but nineteen building lots on the east side of Main, between
Penn street and Washington avenue, and only twenty real estate owners on
that side as far as the street c.Ktends, not including the county. Of the streets,
that on the west side of die creek was known as the '"Other"' street, while those
crossing the common, from the lower to the upper end, bore the names of
Lower, Bridge, ^'iddle, now \\'asliington avcmic, Spring, Yonder, and Upper
streets. At that day Newtown had four taverns. The property on State street,
in recent years. T. \\'ilson [Miller's, was ownetl by John Torbert, and kept bv
Jacob Kessler, who married Doctor DeNormandies' widow. It next came into
the possession of Asa Carey, who called it '"Bird in Hand,"" then to his widow
Tamar, whose ginger cakes gained great celebrity. To his duties as landlord
Mr. Carey added tiiose of postmaster. The temperance house was kept by one
Dettero, then by Samuel Plealli, and next by Samuel Hinkle, a German, who
was the standing court-interiireter, and, in his al.isence, his wife officiated."'*
The property at one time belonged to General Murray but the name under which
it was kept is I'jst. Hinkle moved from there to the Brick hotel, whose history

Wil: ^'?^

--^■Mt

UKICK UOTEl.. NEWTO\SN.

I! 'Ihir. hnu^c 1^ called in iimiciU iMiucyanccs "Old Uucni" ,iiid tlic "Old liouje."
Tile h..ii-v noxt m rth ..i it is c.iIIlmI "the Ju-^ticu's lu.iisc." in oldon tnm-;. "Bird in Fliind"
occurrid anionij; the trades token^, nnd represented the [irn\erb "r.ne hird in the hand is
worth two ill tin liiidi/' h wa~ liuraliy rendered hy a hand liuldiii'.; a bird.

Il'j When HinkU made applie-atiim tor liceii-e iVir thi> hun^e, An^-nst term. iSji. it
wa.s Sjiiikeii of as "The- •^igii of Cuacli and. hor?e." The western end had net yet beer,
built and the ea-teni o-r main part was only two siorits hi'^jh.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 215

V. ill l)e given (.-Ijewhcre. The fourth tavern stood on the cast side of Court
vtreet, near the court-house, and is now a private dweUing. It was huilt, 179J,
.Mid called "Court Inn." It helon<;vd at t<ne time to Joseph Thornton, but the
last keeper was a Wilkinson, who gained celebrity in nicking and setting horses
tails. One large room, known as the "Grand Jr.rv Jvouni." was used as a ball
room, and in it the late loluucl Elias Gilk>son first met the lady he married,
loseph J-iriggs bought the Court Inn, 1817, and used it as a dwelling; though
large, his family found it none too large, as he had five or si.x children of his
own, two unmarried sisters and one of his wife's lived with him.

In early life Joseph I'.riggs owned a hat manufactory, possil)ly left him by
his father, but while quite young, had retired with a comfortable fortime. and
the rest of his days lived tlie life of a country gentleman. He was sotnediing
of a student, spending much of his time in reading, and for his day, had quite
a good library, the books relating mostly to the Society of Friends. Besides
several other town lots, he owned farm lands in Newtown township, which he
kept in charge of overseers. He was a son of John and Letitia Buckman
Briggs, and descended from several prominent families of the neighborhood,
the Croasdalcs, Hardings, Penquites, etc. His wife, Martha Dawes, was a
daughter of John and .-Mice (Janney ) Dawes, of Lebanon township, Hunterdon
county, New Jersey, but of Bucks county descent, among her ancestors being
the Wilkinsons, Coves. [Mitchells, etc. Tlie Court Inn was sold after his death,
by his heirs. In his time the lot ran along Bridge street, afterward Sullivan,
now Centre avenue, the eastern end, beyond Court street, being then called
"Back Lane," by those living along it up to Congress street. The Inn, itself,
was subsequently usdl for a school room, but within the last ten years, was
turned into a store.

Ninety years ago Newtown was still the county seat, with the stone jail,
court-house, and "row ottices" on the green. It was the polling-place for the
middle and lower end of the county, and the second Tuesday of October was
made a day of frolic and horse-racing, accompanied by many free fights. The
streets were lined with booths, where cakes, pies, and beer, large and small, w ere
freely sold. Newtown in early times, was the sent of public fairs, at which the
whites and Llnrl^s from the surrounding country gathered to make merry, in
large numbers. Isaac Hicks, justice of the peace for many years, lived on 2^lain
street below Carey's tavern, and dressed in breeches. Charles Hinkle kept tl:e
Brick hotel, and was succeeded by Joseph Archambault about 1825. The two
principal stores were James Raguct's,"'^ a French exile, who died suddenly in
J'hiladelijhia in 1818. and Josejih Whitalls. who kept where Jesse Hcstc« «Hd.
and failed before 1820. Count Lewis, another l-'rench exile, died at Raguet's
house in 1818. James Raguet's son Henry. Imrn February 10. I7(i'>. died at
Marshall, Texas. December 1. 1877. He setiled at Cincinnati. TMiio, early in
life and u:is a merchant several \ears. He went to Texas. 1832. and settled at
Natchitoches. When the Texrm war broke out with Mexico, 1835, he was jirom-
inent in the movement in Eastern .Texas, and General Houston's celebrated
letter of Ajiril K), u's^f'i, annouticing his intention of meeting the enemy, was
addressed to Raguet. This was on the eve of die battle of San Jacinto, the
decisive acti(in of the war. He was one of the leading and must patriotic citi-
zens (.f l!u- sl.Ue. and 11. ''el f.ir his geiienisily and enterprise. He left a willow
and several cliiMren. .'\t ,-i laler period Jolly Longsl'.oiv became a fann ms New-

K;i^;uct was in Wwtdwn a^ e.Arly as 17S5 He marrifd .\iiii.i Wyiikoop, August

2i6 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

town storekeeper. lie h^niL^ht out Rai^uel's sons ininiediately after the war of
1812, and continued in the business many years. The Raguet store was in tlie
two-.story brick where I'a.xson Purscll ke]it, and what was later known a> the
"Middle store'' was Kayuct's wagon-house, on the opposite side of the street.
The leading physicians were Doctors Jenks, Moore, I'lunily, and Gordon, all
■men of note in their day. Moore was as deaf as an adder, Plumly fond of
spirits, and Gordon, who li\ed tvvcj miles from town, and was a tall, handsijme
man, was a zealous advocate of temperance. Doctor Jenks practiced medicine
in Newtown about f(irt\' \ears, and died there.

The Xewtown library, one of the oldest institutions in the village, was es-
tablished, 1760. August 9. a meeting was held at the public house of Joseph
Thornton, and Jonathan DuDois, Abraham Chapman, Amos Strickland. David
Twining and Henry Margerum were cliosen the first board of directors, with
John Harris, treasurer, and Thomas Chapman, secretary. The books were first
kept at Thornton's house, and he was made librarian. On the list of original
subscribers, twenty-one in number, who paid one pound each, is the name of
Joseph Galloway. The library was incorporated March 27, 1789, under the
name of the "Newtown Library Coiiipan}," and it is still kept up. In 1824, a
new building was erected at an expense of $106.66. by subscri]3tion. the bal-
ance appropriated from the treasury. Dr. David Hutchinson was the most
active man. The mason work was done for ninety cents a day. and Edwari'
Hicks, whose bill was one dollar, doubtless painted the sign with Franklin's
likeness on it, and a latin motto over the door. The latter we have not been able
to find. It is thought the books were kejH in the old court house, and when
that was taken down necessity compelled the erection of a new library building.
A new one was erected, 18S2, at a cost of S1.600. By the will of the late Jo5e[)h
Barnsley, the library company will receive $r5,ocx) at the \\i(lnw's death for the
purpose of Cbtablishing a free reading roum; S5.000 ti> be used for the
■erection of the building. In 1897 the librarv comjjany held its one hundred and
thirty-seventh annual meeting, attended b\' one hundred an;l forty-one share-
■holders. A Masonic lodge was instituted March 4th, 1793. by authority of the
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The officers were Reading Bcatty. master;
James Hanna, senior, and Nicholas Wynkrio]), junior warden. The members
numbered fifty-seven. Authorit}- was given to hold the lodge at Newtown, or
within five miles of that place.

The Newtown acadcmv jjlayed an inipnrtant jiart in tlie cause of education
in that section, and was the fir^t school of a high grade established in the
county.'- It educated inany teachers, and for a number of years, with the
Presbyterian jKistor at its head, was the rigln arm of the church." It is said
the first teacher of grammar in r.uckingham tow nship was educated there. The
pastor and other friends r)f education applied for a charter, 1794, the site was
bought, 1796, and the building erected, 1798, at a cost of four thousand dollars,
The charter was surrendereii: 1852, and the building sold. Previous to its
erection the public buildings were used for scho(jl ynirposes. The Academy lan-
guished in the first thirty \ears of its existence, but it was revived about 1S20. In

!-> Ilio \'rut.)\vn .•n-ri(li:iiy sw-i- th'- n'nuli in lliv state, ami $-|.(XKi uurc appropnati^il
tnuard Its trfili 111. 111.,- char-rr pr i\ id-.-d tlial the triisli-t.-s shall cause ten poor children
to he taiielil Kf '''■^ ■U ""e time,

I.-! 1-^rom the eliureli .iiid -.eh. ol there \<-eii'. tMrtli ahmit 25 ininisters of the gospoJ. to
;ill parts of the eoiiiilry .

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

iSo6 it Nv.is in charge of one P. Steele, who made great pretensions to teach
elocution, hm it amounted to little. Tlie Reverend Alexander Boyd was prin-
cipal for several years, and among other names who taught there may be u'.en-
tioned Messrs. Nathaniel Furman, Doak, Fleming, Trimble. McKinney, Wil-
liam Ij. Keyser, Lemuel I'arsons, James L Bronson,^^ president of Washington
(I'ennsylvaniaj college, and others. Three quarters of a century ago the
teaclier of Latin was Josiah Scott, a young graduate of Jefterson college, but a
-distinguished lawyer, and a judge of the supreme court of Ohio. Josiah Chap-
man opened a select boarding-school for girls in Xewtown, 1S17. July 10, 1829,
lohn Taylor Strawbridge, student at the Academy, was drowned in Xesha-
miny while swimming across with his preceptor, ^Ir. Fairfield. ^"^

The land of Amos Strickland, an early owner of the Brick hotel, lay out
along Washington avenue, then called Strickland's lane, a well-known race
course when the courts and elections were held at Xewtown. In 17S4, after his
<leath, eight acres of his real estate, divided into twenty-seven lots, were sold at
public sale by Sheriff Dean. They embraced that part of the town south of
Washington avenue and east of Sycamore street. Strickland was a farmer in
Xewtown township several years. He bought the Brick hotel, tlien called Red
Lion, iy(jo. and 1763 built a two-story brick, which he kept.

Joseph .Archambault, many years owner and keeper of the Brick hotel,
which he bought of Joseph Longshore, an e.K-ofificer of the great Napoleon,
came to Xewtown about 1821. At first he worked at the trade of tin-smith in
the old Odd Fellows' hall, but afterward studied dentistry and practiced it sev-
eral years while he kept the hotel. He -ivas an eitterprising business man, and
ac(|uired considerable real estate in the village, including the large square
bounded by ^^Lain. Washington avenue. Libertv, and the street that runs west
over the upper bridge. In 1S35 he laid out this square into building lots, fifty-
three in number, and sold them at public sale. On it have since been erected
some of the handsomest dwellings in the village. He gave the land on which
old Xewtown hall stood, and was instrumental in having it built. It grew out
of the excitement that attended the preaching of Frederick Plummer in the
lower part of the county in 1830-35, whose followers were called "Christians"
and "T'lummerites." li was built for a free church. '° and was maintained until
recent years, when it was taken down and a public hall built on its site. Fred-
crick Plummer tirst made his advent in this county at Bristol, coming by in\-ita-
tion of Edwaril Badger, father of Bela Badger, who was acquainted with him
in Connecticut and was one of his followers. This was about 1817. About 1820
a church was built for him half a mile above Tullytown. He first preached in

14 The Rov. T,->.nics L Bpmson. D. D.. LL. D.. was horn nt Mcrccrsbiirg, Pa.. .March
14. 1817, ami (hcd at Wa-^l:; 11,51011, Pa., July 4, iSoQ. He stiuliej divinity at Princeton, and

■came to teach at tlic Xewtown academy, iS,!7-.3S. remaining nearly a year. He was a
distinguished minister and wliile at the Xewtown academy very popular.

15 Whvn tlic academy was sold. i.'^^52, at pul.lic sale, hy virtue ot an act of .-\sseniMy.
it was houi;ht hy the Rev. Robert D. Morris, who. after givintr ?r.00O and puttiuii it in
"fder. raised $5,000 addirional hy suhscripti.'n to euahle the rresbytcrian church to own
it. He was a former pastor of the Xewtown church

16 The fir.-t mcctinii in the interest of the free church. Xewtow!i. was held in Joseph
.\rchanihault's brick tavern. June 5. iS.^o. Thomas Uiickinaii was cliairmaii and Sami:;!

■Sny<ler secretarv. J oserh .\rchanihault, Amos Wilson .ind WilHani Brown were ap-
pointed.-, conimif.c; to ^olicit subscriptions. .\u adjourned meeting was held the I'.'ih.

2i8 HISTORY OF BUCKS COCXrV.

BailgcrV liouio. I'.risii'l townshi]), ju=t o\ cr the borough line. Caiitain Arch-
ambault retired from ti.e hotel lo a fanii near Dovlejl'.'wn. and then to Phua-
deli>hia, where he died.'"

Newtown was the ^cene of a very ],ai;;ful occurrence the 2Sth of Jul)-, 1817.
A little son of Thomas (1. Kennedy, then sheriff of the county, while amusing;
himself lloating- on a board on the creek at the upper end of the village, fell ott
into deep water. His niuiher, hearing Ids cries, ruslied into the water to hi^
rescue and sunk almo.-t immediately. Mr. Keiuiedy was exhausted in his attempt
to save them. He and the child were rescued by the citizens, who flocked to the
spot, but the body of iiis wife was not recovered luilii life was extinct. She was
Violetta, daughter of Isaac Hicks.'''*

Among the leading citizens of Newtown in the last century were Docb^r
Phineas Jenks and ^^lichael H. Jenks, who were probably the most prominent.
They descended from a d mimon ancestry, the former being a grandson and the
latter great-grandson of Thomas Jenks, the eldcr.'''= Phineas was born in Alid-
dletown May 3. 1781, and died August 6, 1851. He studied medicine with Doc-
tor Benjamin Rush, graduated in 1804, and practiced in Newtown and vicinity.''
He was twice married, his first wife being a daughter of Francis Alurray, and
his second, Amelia, daughter of Governor Snyder. He served si.K years in the
Assembly, was a member of the constitutional convention of 1838, and active in
all the reform movements of the day. He was the first president of the Bucks
County ^ledical Society, and one of the founders of the Newtown Episcopal
church. .Michael H. Jenks was born 1795, and died 1867. Brought up a
miller and farmer, he afterward turned his attention to conveyancing and the
real estate business, and followed it to the close of his life. He held several
places of honor and public trust.- was justice of the peace many years, commis-
sioner, treasurer, and associate-judge of the countv. and member of the twenty-

17 Joseph .\rchnnil)auh had a romantic career. He wp-> born nt Fnntrinbleau. near
Paris, August J2. 1796. and educated at the military ?chuol at St. Cyr. Being left an
orphan, he became a ward of the Empire through family influence and was attached to
the Emperor's household. After Elba he \va=; again attached to the Emperor's suit and
followed his fortunes. He was wounded at Waterloo and left upon the field, but rejoining
the Emperor, himself and brother were among the number selected to acconipany him to
St. TIclcna. Rcfusins; to give up his ^^word. he broke it and threw the pieces into the sea.
Landing in New York May 5. 1S17, he spent tlie ne.-ct four jears with William Cobbctt
at his model farm. L'-ng Island, with Joseph lionaparte. Borden.town. and at other places,
coming to Xcwtovvn. iSji. where he lived until about 1850. He died at Philadelphia,
July 3. 1S74. nuanwb.ile living a few years on a farm at Castle Valley. Buck; county. H<'
served in the cavalry tor a tiine in the Civil war. 1S61-65.

17'i In 17'/) a riot took place at ririLig's null, near Xewtown. supposed to have been
on the site of the present Janney's mill. The cau-c is not known, but several persons wlia
took part in it were indicted and brought to trial. Tlie ringleader was probably John
Hagerman. as he is the I'.rs; mentioned in the subpa'nas, wliich are signed by Lawyer
Growdcn. "then the leader of o^r bar and clerk of the court."

17! 1' George .A. Jenks. Jeli'erson county. Pa.. Democratic nominee for Governor I'f
Pennsylvania. \i^j^, is a liner'' descendant of the Piucks county Jonkscs.

tS His thesis on graJv.ating. '''An investigation endeavoring to sh^iw the similarity
in cause and effect of the yellow fever of American and the Egyptian plague," wtis pub-
lished by the university and re-published in Eur..pe.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 219

cii^lnli Consre^s. He was married four times. His youngest daughter. Anna
F.arl. was the wife of Alexander Ramsey, the first Governor of Minnesota,
sen;'.tor in Congress from that state, and a member of President Hayes' cabinet.
\\<! lately deceased.

The Hickses of Newtown were descended from John Hicks, born in Hng-
lanJ about 1610. and inunigrated to Long Island. 1643. His great-grandson.
("lilbert. born 1720. married 2^Iary Rodman. 1746. and moved to Bensalem. 1747-
4S. He built a two-story brick house at Attleborough. 1767, and moved into
it. He was a man of ability, education and of character, but made the fatal mis-
take of clinging to the fortunes of Great Dritan in 1776. His fine property was
confiscated, and he died in exile by the hand of an assassin. Isaac, son of Gil-
iK^rt. and the first Xcwtown Hicks, born in Bensalem, 174S. and died. 1S36,
married his- cousin Catharine, youngest daughter of Edward Hicks, a merch.ant
of Xew York.- Her sister was the wife of Bishop Scahury, Elaine, and of her
brothers, William studied at the Inner Temple. London, and was afterward
Pnithonotary of Bucks county, while Edward was an officer of the British
army, and died in the West Indies. Isaac Hicks held several county offices. Ele
was a man of great energy of character. His marriage docket contains the
record of six hundred and six marriages in forty-seven years. Edward Hicks.
the distinguished minister among Friends, whom some of this generation
ren>eniber, was the son of Isaac and born at Four Lanes End, now Langhorne,
4th month, 4th, 1780. He was brought up to the trade of coach painting, mar-
ried Sarah Worstall, 1803, and joined the Society of Friends. He removed to
Newtown. 181 1, where he established himself in the coach and sign-painting
business and was burnt out, 1822. He had a taste for art, and his paintings of
"Washington Crossing the Delaware" and "Signing the Declaration of Inde-
pendence" were nuich noted in their day. A few of them are preserved as
relics of great value, one of them, "Washington Crossing the Delaware," being
owned by the Bucks County Historical Society. He became a popular preacher,
and had few equals in persuasi\ e elociuence. He died at Newtown August 23.
i849.''"'-" Thomas Hicks, one of the most distinguished artists of Xew Yi-rk. is
a nejjhew of Edward Hicks, and descendant of Isaac. He was born in Newtow!i,
and in his boyhooii was apjirenticed to his uncle Edward to learn the painting
trade, but. exhibiting gre.it iVindness for art. left his trade before manhood,
and went to New York to receive instruction. He subsequentiv spent several
>ears in It;dy and in other parts of the continent, and on his return home touk
high rank among artists as a jiortrait painter.

Francis Murray, an Irishman by birth, and born about 1731, settled in tliis
county quite early. He was living at Newtown before the Revolution. He
owned several farms in the vicinity, was the possessor of considerable wealth
and occupied a highly respectable standing in the community. He was mai-ir
".n a Pennsylvania regiment, in the Continental armv. and his c 'mmission, signed
by Jr-hn IL'inc'ick, bears date l-'eliruary 6, 1777. ^^c was justice of the peace,
and held other local offices, including that of general in the militia. In 1790 he

iS-< It is said tiio f.ithcr of Kdwru-il Hick? wi^licd liim to bo .t l;uvyer. .and because
'no would not, bound liim appreniice to the co.icli- paintiiis; trmlc to r-iic Toniliiison. and lu-
ric^inirid a high rL-putatinn. He began lnisino-;<; at Hiilmcville. but removed to Xewtowii.
iSiT. He was the first of the family to join lh<- SoeiLiy of Frii-nd^. Hi- -^on. Tlioniai W.
Hicks, who died at Newtown. March J').- lS.S"<. in lii-; nnietioth year, \va? born at Huhne-
ville. Jannary 20, 170.''.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COi'XTY.

bought the dwclhiii; opposite the court house, later Jesse Lecdom's, where he
died, iSiO. Tile late Francis .M. Wynkoop, who cuimnanded a reg-iment, and
(listinguiihed hiniscli in the Mexican war, was a native of Xewtown and granil-
son of Francis Murray. In its day the Wynkoop family exercised considerable
local intluence, and always held tlie highest position for integrity.

Isaac Eyre, Xewtown. 15 a descendant of Robert Eyre, ancestor of that
family in I'ennsylvania. Fie came from England. t(>So. and settled on the site
of Chester, Delaware count}-. Isaac, a grandson of Robert, removed to iNIiddle-
town, 1762. on marrying Ann. daughter of Jtinas Preston, who erected the first
grain mill in the townshijj, at Bridgewater. F'reston's wife was a Paxsou from
near Oxford \'alley. Isaac, a son of Isaac, born at Chester, 1778, a ship builder
at Philadelphia, assisted to build gunboats for the government, on the Ohio,
at the beginning of the century. He married Eleanor Cooper, daughter of
William and Margaret, abi.nit 1801, removed to Bucks county, 1S28, on a farm
he bought in Middletown. and died at Langhorne, 1831. On his death the farm
<i\mt to his son Isaac. Xewtown. who sold it to Alalachi White, Jr., 1854, and
purchased the Jenks farm, same township, 1862. This was part of the one
thousand acres surveyed to John Shires, 1682, of which John Drake bought five
hundred acres, 16S3. The farm came into the Jenks family, 1739, when Toby
Leech sold it to Thomas Jenks. and got a patent, 1744. It was called "'Walnut
Green." The original family name of Ayre or Air, was "True Love,'* as will be
seen by references to the deeds of "Battle Abbey." One of the family was a fol-
lower of William the Conqueror, and was near him when thrown from his horse
at the battle of Hastings, and had his helmet beaten into his face. True Love,
seeing this, pulled the helmet olt his face and assisted William to remount,
when the Duke said to him, ''Thou shalt. hereafter, be called Eyre or Air, for
thou hast given me the air I breathe." The Duke finding his friend had been
severely wounded in the battle, having his leg and thigh cut off, gave him land
in Derby. The crest of the family in England is a "cooped leg."

At the close of the eighteenth century Oliver Erwin, from Donegal, Ire-
land, came to this country and settled at Xewtown within the present borpugh.
As one of his decendants put it. he was a "hard-headed Scotcli-Irishman."
Presbyterian in faith; had emiihasized his conviction by taking a hand in the
rebellion of 179S-09. ami doubtless "left his country f-a-'his country's good."
The new immigrant. 1812, took to wife Rachel Cunningham, and became the
father of five children : James, married Ann FI. Davis, and died, 1844. Mary,
.A.nn married John Trego. Ixith dving yomig.John never married, Sarah mar-
ried Lewis B. Scott, both dccease<l. leaving a son and daughter, and William,
married- — — , and dieii about i8go. John Erwin went into the war for Texan
Independence, and was either killed or died suhsequentK. He was in the attack
on Mier, Mexico, was captured with the party and compelled to draw beans,
but drew a white one. William Erwin was for several years civil engineer of
construction at \\'est Point, and erected several public buildings. Judge Henry
W. Scott. Easton. is the m'U of Lewis B. and Sarah Scott, nee Erwin; his .son
is a graduate of .\nnapolis. and served on Admiral Dewey's flagship, the
Olympia. at the battle of .Manila, ("iliver Erwin liad anoiher son. .\lexand-r,
but all trace of him is lost.

Xewtown has tour organized churche- anil the Erieiiils' meeting, Presby-
terian, I'lpiscopal. Meihodi-t. and Africau Metliinlist. The r'resbyierian church
'was erected in \~<'^. and is a kirge and iiiihiential organization, of which ;l more
particular account will bo given in a tulnrc chapter. .\n effort was nuule to

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

Liiiltl ail Episcopal church at Xtwtown as early as 1766. Thomas Barton^
iindiT dale of November 10, that year, writes to the society for propagating the
gospel in foreign parts : "At Newtown, in Ducks county, eight miles from
iJristol, sunie members of the- church of Englaml, encouraged by the liberal
and generous benefactions of some principal (Juakers, are building an elegant
brick church." Mr. Barton wants an itinerant si-nt to supph' Bristol, Newtown
and other places. The 22d of October, 176S, William Smith enclosed a letter
to the secretary, ■'fr(,>m-the churcli wardens of Bristol, and another congrega-
tion now building a church in Bucks county, about twenty-five miles from Phila-
delphia." He repeats Barton's story that they were much encouraged by the
Friends, and adds that they are "desirous of seeing the church flourish froni a
fear of being overrun by I'resbyterians." We know nothing of this early
effort beyond this record. The present Episcopal church was founded in 1S32
by Reverend George W. Ridgely, assisted materially by Doctor Jenks and
James Worth, \vhose daughter Air. Ridgely married. Air. Ridgely was likewise
instrumental in founding tlie Episcopal churches at Yardleyville, Centreville
and Hulme\ille. He was then pastor of Saint James" church, Bristol. The
Methodist congregation was organized and the church built about 1840.
Friends' meeting was established in 1S15. and service held in the court house
until 1817, when the first meeting-house was built. ^^

Sixty years ago Newtown was a stated place of meeting for the volunteers
of the lower and middle sections of the county to meet for drill. The spring
trainings alternated between this place and the two Bears, now Addisville and
Richborough, and were the occasion of a large turn out of people of the sur-
rounding country to witness the evolutions of a few hundred uniformed militia.
These musters brought back the jolly scenes of fifty years before when it was
the general election ground for the county. The streets were lined with booths,
on either side, where pea-nuts, ginger-cakes, etc., were vended, and the music
of the violin, to which the rustic youths of both sexes ''tripped the light fan-
tastic toe," mingled with the harsher notes of the drum and fife on the drill
ground close by. The scene was seasoned with fights, and foot-races aud jump-
ing matches, and not a few patriotic politicians were on hand to push their
chances for office. Tlie frequenters of these scenes cannot fail to rementber
Leah Stives, a black woman, vender of pies, cakes and beer. Her husband
hauled her traps to the ground, early, with his b' iny old mare, that she might
secure a good stand. Leah was a great gatherer of herbs, and noted as a go.jd
cook. .She died at Newtown in 1872.

The first "First Day School" in the countv among Friends was kept at New-
town by Dr. Lettie A. Smith, in her own dwelling, t868. Tlie early First Day
Schools, conducted v^'holly. or in part, bv Friends, were missionary schools and
date back over one hundred years. The present organization of this class of
schools, by the Society of Friends, was begun. 1861, in Green street meeting
house. Philadeliihia. Martin Luther was probablv the father of Sunday schools.
being originally opened for the benefit of children who could not attend week-
day schools.

19 In 1886 .T Presbyterian cli.ipel was erected at a cost of $8,000; iSg.v St, Luke's
Protestant Kpiscnpal congregation Iniilt a parish bnililin.e at an expense of S5.000 ; 18-/)
the Mctlioflists l)nill a new liroun stone chnrch, cost ?i.i,ooo: ami i8()S, the .-Kfrican M. K.
congregation erected a brick bnilding that cost $3,oai. Few conntry villages arc better
supplied with churches.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

In 1893 an institution of learning- called the "George School,"' of high
grade, was erected on the soutli side of tlie Durham road, half a mile below the
borough of Xcwtown. It was founded under the will of the late John M.
George, who left the bulk of his fortune, some $600,000, for the purpose, with
the proviso that it be named after the family. For a more lengthy account of
this school see cliaiitcr on "■Schools and Education.'" \'ol. ii.

t
/5\

1

L_

GEORGE SCHOOL. XEWTOW N.

The Xewtown of tvvjay differs materially from the Xewtowu of half a cen-
tury, or even thirty years, ago. It i,-^ a pretty and flourishing village, the seat
of wealth an.l culuire, ami possesses all the appliances for comfort and con-
venience known to the period. The dwellings of many of the citizens display
great neatness and taste. Among the public institutions may be mentioned two
banks and a lire insurance company, with a capital of S350.000, a national bank,
organized 1S64, a buiMing and li>an association, and (Jdd l-'ellows' hall, built
for a hotel three-quarters of a century ago, and the academy and library
already mentioned. There are lodges of Masons and Odd I'ellows and Good
Templars, and a literary society known as the Whitlier Institute. Of industrial
establishments, there are an agricultral imj'lcnKui lactoiy, a f'.undry of nianv
vt-ars standintr. carria^'e l.icturv. tan-vard. whrrt- the W'orstalls-'' have carried

JO Kdw.-ird Wor.-tall. Xewtown, is the fiftli in tlosceiit from John Wor^t.^ll, who
ni.-irricil F.lizabctli W'ihhtian. T7J0 In liis veins he carrifs the bhiod of the Hestons.
lIiM.H-^. il.-ilU., W.irnors an.J .-\iu!rcw^c..

HISTORV OF BUCKS COUXTV. 223

on tannine; nearly a hundred years, gas works, steam saw-inill, and steam sash
and door lactory, a brick and' tile-kihi and wholesale cigar manufactory. The
"Enterprise" and "Triumijli" buildings, handsome brick structures, with man-
sard roof, erected some years ago, are occupied by various branches of business.
Newtown has a newspaper, and the usual complement of shops, stores, mechani-
cal trades, and professional men. It su[)port5 two public inns. .\ railroad was
constructed between Philadelphia and Newtown, and may be e.Ktended to New
'^'ork. The road was formally opened to Newtown Saturda\-, February 2, 1S78.
Two trains, with about one thousand excursionists came up from Philadelphia,
the people of the village entertaining them at lunch in the exhibition building.
The late General John Davis, then in his yoth year, who had digged the hist
barrow load of earth when the road was begun, six years before, made an open
air address in the snow storm that prevailed. It was a day of rejoicing for the
villagers. A trolley road has recently been built from Doylestown, via Newtown.
.-V railroad from Bristol to Newtown was chartered, 1S36, but never built.

The residence of the late widow of the late Jslichael H. Jcnks, one of the
few ante-Revolutionarv landmarks at Newtown, was formerly called the "Red
house," from the color it was painted. It is said to have been built by the
Masons for a lodge, before the war, and who sold it to Isaac ?Iicks for a dwell-
ing. Since then it has been occupied, in turn, for school, store, and private
resklcnce.-^

Ninety years ago. while the courts were still held at Newtown, Enos 'Morris
was a leading member of the bar. He was a grandson r)f Morris ?i[orris, who
came to the county aliout 1735. and settled in New P.ritain. ]Mr. Morris studied
law with Judge Ross, of Easton, and was admitted to the bar about 1800, at the
age of twenty-five. He was tw ice married to widows of great personal beauty,
Mrs. Elizabeth Hough and Mrs. Ann Lccdom. He was a member of Sontii-
ampton Baptist church, where he was buried.

We have no means of giving the population of Newti^wn borough before
1S50, when it was 546 white and 34 black inhabitants. In 1S60 it had gro\vn
to 652. and S59 in 1S70; 1880, i.oot ; 1890, 1.213; 1900. 1.463. The population
is slowly but steatlil}' increasing. Eleven public roads lead to Newtown, nearly
all of them opened at an early day, evidence alone that it has been an
important centre in that section of the county. There is probably not another
point in the county in which there is access by the same number of roads.

Newtown was incorporated- in 1838. There have been several newspapers
printed there the past century, but none earlier. Ani'jng these were the Bucks
County Bee, 1802. Fanners' Gacettc and Bucks County Rc^^istcr, 1S05, Herald
of Liberty. 1814, The Star of Freedom. 1817, Xezi'tozcn Journal, 1842, Xe:^-
tozvn Gacette, 1857, and the Xeivtoivn F:nterprisc, 1868, the \oungest, and onlv
living of all the newspajiers established there, the others having gone, one bv
one, to that undiscovercil country, the last resting-i^lacc of defunct journals.
The postoftice was established in 1800, and Jacob Fisher api)ointed jjostiuaster.
Newtown \\as one of the most im])ortant points in the county during the
Revolutionary war. It was. at one time, the hcadc|uarters of Washington, sev-
eral times trr.ops were stationed then.', and it was a depot for military stores.
The captured He>-ians weie brought diiect from Trenton to Newtr.wn the same
(lay of the battl.-. 'I'lic robherx of Jrjhn Hart, at Newtown, while county treas-
urer, by the D.ian- an! their cnfederates. in ( ictf'ber. t7.'^:, was an event that

21 \V.Ts po-siiily Iniilt liy tlio joilge nrgani^ctl. 179,^.

224 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXl'Y.

made great stir at the time. After they had taken all the money they
could hnd at his dwelling, they went tu the treasurer's ottice tit the court
house, where they got much more, iiie rubbers divided their plunder at the
Wrightstown school house. In a subse(juent chapter there w ill be found a more
extended account of this affair.

There are but few, if any, of the descendants of the original land owners in
the town.-'hip at the present day. Of the present families, several are descended
from those who were Settled diere in 1703, among them the Buckmans,-- Hill-
borns, Twinings and Croasdales. The draft of the township at that date will
show to the reader that several of the old families ha\e entirely disappeared.
The old public buildings were pulled down about 1830.

The i'.ridgetown and Xewtown turnpike was organized at the Temperance
House, Xewtown, March 3, 1S53, and work begun in April. Samuel Buckman
was the first president; Michael H. Jenks surveyed the road for $3, and labnr-
ing men were paid Si per day and worked from 6 to 6. The number of shares
was two hundred and eighty-four, yielding S7.100.00; cost of the road, S7.-
121.34; old tools sold for S21.82, leaving a net balance of 48 cents. When fin-
ished the Go\ernor appointed Antliony Burton, Joseph C. Law and iMalachi
White to examine it.

The Buckmans were early settlers in Xewtown, no doubt before 1700.
William, the ancestor, was an English Friend, who owned six hundred and
si.xty-eiglit acres in the township and fifty-nine acres in the townstead of Xew-
town at the time of Cutler's re-survey, in 1703. He died about 1716, leaving
sons, William, David and Thomas, and daughters, Elizabeth and Rebecca. The
oldest son, William, died about 1755, the owner of considerable land, leaving
six sons and one daughter, Jacob, William, John, Joseph, Thomas, Isaac, and
Sarah. Thomas, the youngest son of tlie first William Buckman, married
Agnes Peiiquite, of Wrightstown, had three children, Thomas, Rebecca and
Agnes, and died about 1734. Elizabeth Buckman, the oldest daughter of the
progenitor, was married to Zcbulon Heston. at Wrightstown meeting, in 1726.
Her husband became a famous minister among Friends and was the uncle of
General John Lacey. The Buckmans were members of ]vIiddletown meeting
until a monthly meeting was established at Wrightstown, in 1724. The family
is now large and scattered and the descendants numerous. They have always
been large land owners, and a ccinsiderable percentage of the land owned by the
first William IJuckman in the township is in the possession of the present gen-
eration of Buckmans. The late Monroe Buckman, of Doylcstown, was a de-
scendant of the first William.

The map of Xewtown appended to this chapter gives the distribution of
land as it was at Cutler's re-survey, 1702-3.

The most ancient relic at Newtown was in the possession of the late Mrs.
Alfred Ekiker. in the shape of a very old Bible. At the beginning of the Xew
Testament is the following: "The Xew Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Translated out of Greek Ijy Theodore Beza. with brief summaries and exposi-
tions by J. Tomson, London. 1599." This Bible was brought to .\merica in 1775
by Susannah Gain, of Belfast, Ireland, who became the grandmother of Mrs.
Blaker. Miss Gain married Tames Kennedv, an Irishman, the father of Thom.as

22 Buckmnn is proliably a compotiiKj worH, and had its origin in "Bock," which, in
S.-ixon, mcnnt a [rcchnUi. and with the addition of man. makes Bockm.^n, changed ta
B\ickinan, the Iiolder of a freehold, or a frcctiuiii.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUSTY.

225

iSi. Kennedy. In the old book is the memoranda: "Thomas Hunter bought
tiR- book," "Edward Hunter, 1745," and "David Hunter," witliout date.
I'ossiljly the grandfatlier of Miss Gain was a Hunter. Tlic old Bible has
descended on the maternal side, and will so continue.

Un July 4, iSj6, the fiftieth anniversary of American Independence, a civic
and military celebration was held at Xewtown. The troops were commanded
by John Davis, then colonel of the first regiment of Bucks county vohniteers.
'i'lu- e.xercises were held in the Presbyterian church, of which Reverend Mr.
iJMvd was pastor, and afterward a dinner was given at Hinkel's tavern. The
company was quite large, and among those present was the Honorable Samuel
D. Ingham. The band of sixteen pieces was led by the late Aden G. Hibbs,
a prominent citizen of Ohio and the only survivor of it, at his death a few
years ago.

Xewtown has made ver}- decided progress in pcipulation and otherwise in
the past two decades. In 1883, old Newtown hall was rebuilt, improved and
enlarged, and is much resorted to on pviblic occasions. In 1888 the "Newtown
Building and Loan Arsociation" was incorporated, capital $100,000, which has
added a number of dwellings to the borough, and the same year the "Newtown
Artesian ^^'ell Company,'' with a capital of S30.000. and "Newtown Improve-
ment Company," with a capital of Sio.ooo. were incorporated and put in opera-
tion. In }ilay, the following year, an "Electric Light and Power Company"
was incorporated, with 820,000 cajntal, and a "Fire Association" in the fall,
which was soon equipped with a "Silsby steam fire engine" and a hoc>k and lad-
der truck. Xewtown made one of its most advanced steps. 1897. by incor|ioratiiig
a "Street Railway Company." and buiMing a trollev road to Langhorne, four
miles, and C(^nnecting with Bristol. The capital stock is ^loo.ooo. and the road
was opened ill December. The same \ear a comjian}- was organizeil to build a
trolley' line to Doylestown, the countv seat, fourteen miles, and was completed in
1899. , This will be an important improvement for middle and lower Bucks.
In the matter of public schools, Xewtown keeps abreast of her sister boroughs.
In the summer, 1S94, the schcxil building was remodeled by the School Board

P'"»''#'7t''^';\*rp5?7^^:)2P:^?*^4r^"^''^'^^^

A^a

bllAKON. Kl£SlDt.\CH Ol' JAMbS WORTH, NtWTONVN. \>M.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

at a cost of $10,600, and, iS^jJ, tlic old Methodist church was purchased and
remodeled for school purposes at a cost of $2,000. The schools are graded and
under good control. A new building was erected for the National bank, 1883,
at an expense of $14,000. In 1891 tlie streets of Newtown were macadaniued
at an outlay of $iO,ooo and 4 per cent, bonds issued to pay for it.

The hrst temperance society in the county was organized in Friends' meet-
ing house, Newtown, September 25, 1828, under the name of the "Bucks County
Society for the Promotion of Temperance;" its object to discourage the use of
ardent spirits except for medicine, and the members pledged themselves to
abstain from its use. At that day the brandy and whiskey bottle were seen ou
.every side-board, and the first salutation on entering a neighbor's house w.'is,
"Come, take something!" To refuse was almost an insult. The following
persons signed the constitution and may be considered the pioneers of tem-
perance in the county : Aaron Feaster, Jonathan Wynkoop, J. H. Gordon, M.
D., Joseph Flowers, Joseph Brown, M. B. Lincoln, Isaac VV. Hicks, Reverend
J. 1'. Wilson, Docti3r i'hineas Jenks, John Lapsley, Joseph Eriggs, David Tag-
gart, Charles Lombart, Thomas Janney, O. P. Ely, Charles Swain, and the Rev-
erend R. B. Bellville. The otticers chosen were Aaron F^easter, president ;
Joseph Briggs, vice-president ; John Lapsley, corresponding secretary ; Doctor
.J. H. Gordon, recording secretary, and Jonathan Wynkoop, treasurer. The
first annual report of the society was made in September, 1829. In January,
1831, the membership of all the societies of the county was three hundred. The
parent society was reorganized, 1832, and the same year a general convention
.of all the local societies was held at Doylestown, the Honorable John Fox pre-
siding. The interest was kept up for a few years, but then began to decline,
the stringent resolutions prohibiting members giving alcoholic drinks to
mechanics and others in their employ, being objectionable to many of the mem-
bers. Women first appeared at the Bucks County Temperance Conventions at
Buckingham school house. August 29, 1840, and all die real temperance work
of value was done by them after 1850. The last record in the books of the
Biicks County Temiierance Society was made April 29, 1874. About this
time the first teini)erance nev.s])aper was issued in the counlv, the OH: c
Branch, by [•"ranklin P. Sellers, at Doylestown. but its violence injured its
usefulness.

The first public meeting lield in the county, to take action on the approacii-
ing quarrel between Great Britain and her colonies, was at Newtown. It was
the proper place lor such actic^n. as it was the county capital and necessarily
the political centre. This was on January 9, 1774, and Gilbert Hicks, Esquire,
was chairman. The announced purjjrise of the meeting was "to consider the
injury and distress occasiimed by numerous acts of the British Parliament,
oppressive to the colonies, in which they are n^t represented."

Among the public buildings recently erecterl in Xewtown is "The Pa.Kson
Alemtirial Home," built in 1899. by the Honorable Edward M. Paxson. as a
nicmoiial to his jiarcnts, anrl npene<l in the spring nf k^qo. It is intended as a
home for aged l-'riends trf both sexes, and is proviilcd with every apjiliance tliat
contributes to comfort and convenience. Tl^e style of architecture — colonial —
presents a lian Nome api)earanoe. and is finished throughout in the liest manner.
The outer v>aHs are built <»f Xev.town brown ^tone. It is not a charital)le insti-
tution in any sense. The society h:is raise'd an endowment for its partial suio
port, but those having the means will be allow eil to rent rooms and pay iKiard.

; -jK ; iW I* ^"^ 'i-^'^ ' -1

It will accommodate about fifty guests and the requisite help. The followiiUT
inscription is engraven on a bronze tablet in the hall ;

'"This building was erected in 1899,

In memory of

Thomas and Ann Johnson Paxson,

By their son,

Edward M. Paxson."

"Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

We have mentioned, in a previous chapter, that Washington recrossed the
Delaware the next day after his victory at Tr(.'nton, and took quarters at New-
town, with his army, and remaining there until the 29th of December, when he
recrossed into New Jersey. Among the officers with Washington at Xewtown,
but did not recross the Delaware into New Jersey, remaining at Xewtown, was
Culonel Williaui Palfrey, paymaster-general of the Continental army. On the
5tli of January, 1777, Colonel Palfrey wrote the following letter'--' to Henry Jack-
^'ln,-* to be opened by IJenjainin Hickbourn, the letter being carried bv Cap-
tain Goodrich :

Dear Sir : — Colonel Tudor-'" acquainted me that he had received a letter
from you and other Gentlemen of ISoston, reqiresting that we would furnish
\ou. from time to time, with intelligence from our Armv. You mav be assured
\\ e will do this with the greatest pleasure, and as often as we can find a proper
conveyance.

"You have doubtless before this time had the particulars of the action at
Trenton, in which we took about r.ooo Hessians Prisoners. Seven Standards,
Six brass Cannon. i.2<x) Stand of Arms, 12 Drums and several wagons with

J3 Tlie letter i-; in pr)>sos>ion of ihc Burks C'"i'ny TTi-turical Society, .md w.ns inund
ip. a house in VirK'nia by a geneml ofTieor of the l'iii'">ii .nriny. It is undoubtedly szeiuiine.

J4 Henry j;u-!<-on uas a O'louel in llie C'iut:ueul;d service .lud iii.ide .1 I!riL;:idicr-
General ncir the close.

25 Colonel Tudiir. of Massachusetts, w.ts Jud.ye Advircate of the Contiueutal army.

22% HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Baggage. This glorious Affair was cffL-ctcd with the loss of but 6 or 7 uil-u
on our Side. The iiexi Day the General and the Annj returned to this side the
Delaware, wheie he remained two or three days. (Jn the 29th he passed the
Delaware again and joined General Cadwallader. who m the meantime had
entered Trenton with the Brigatle under his Conmumd.

■'The time fi t which the o.M Army had enlisted being near expired, the
General prevailed \vith them to slay Six W eeks longer for a Bounty of ten dol-
lars pr. Man, wiiicli they almost all accepted. On the 2d instant at noon advice
was brought that a large Body of the Enemy were ad^•ancing from Princeton
to attack us, according in the Afternoon they appear'd, when General Washing-
ton quitted the Town and formed on the Heights near it. The British Troojis
attempted to enter it by passing over a bridge, when they were so gall'd by a
iieavy tare from our Cannon and ]\Iusquetry that (they) were twice repulsed,
w^ith very great slaughter. They however entered the Town. In the Night
General Washington made one of the grandest Manoeuvers that ever was beard
of. He ordered his I\Ien to kindle up large Fires that would burn all Xight,
and then march'd off in the most Secret manner towards Princctown ; at S
in the Morning at a place called Stony Brook about two miles this side of
Princeton he met with two Regiments, the 17th and 55th, who were on their
March to reinforce the British Troops at Trenton. These he immediately
engaged and cut them all to pieces, the 17th especially. I have seen a Prisoner
belonging to that regiment who was taken since the Action, and informs me
that he does not think live of the wh(jle Regiment escaped. In this Action it is
said the General took five pieces of Cannon, a nuinber of Prisoners and twenty
Baggage \\'agons. Our Army then went to Princetown where the 40th Regi-
ment remained and pass'd through there in the forenoon, but we have as yet
received no certain intelligence respecting the 40th, tho' it is reported they were
all made Prisoners. That part of the British Army which was at Trenton
quitted it and marched to Princetown where they arrived about five hours after
General Washington had marched awa)-, so that we imagine he intends to touch
at them when he returns.

"Upon the whole our People behaved most nobly, and ga\'C the Eneni}'
convincing proofs that we are able and willing to fight them in their own way.
In the action at the Bridge a \'irginia Regiment marched up within 40 yards
of the Front, and having some Rilleman posted on the Flanks made terrible
Slaughter.

■A\'e are in expectation every miunent of receiving further intelligence,
which I shall Conmumicatc to you by the very first opportunity. I beg you will
let me hear from you by every ojifjortunity. My love to Xed and family and
comjilinients to all friends. I am most Sincerelv, Yours,

(Signed). ' WILLIAM PALFREY. _

"I forgot to mention our Friend Knox^'" liehaved most nobly, and did him-
self and his Country great Honour — he is made a Brigadier General.

"Dr. F.dw.-irds-' writes from Trent'Mi that Generrd W.-i-liington"" is slii^iitlv
wounded, and that Gen'l ^ifcrcer is missing. Suppose either killed or made
Prisoner. We have ccrtainlv taken all their Baggage at Princetown."

j6 "Our friiMul Knox." u.ns ilu' (li<;lil^^'l•.i^h<■■(^ General Ftt-nry Knox, rif the Ui.voIiri'ii

2' Of Doctor l-'dwards we find no lucntlnn.

.38 The wmindincr of Washinprton cvid.-ntly refers to the IktuIc of Priiicetnn, where

he ni.iy h:ivc been strnck by a 'Jpcnt Iiall.

CHAPTER X\T,

WRIGHTSTOWN.

1703.

A .-mall township. — John Chapman first settler. — Ralph Smith. — First house erected. —
Dcaih of John Chapman. — William Smith. — John Penquite. — Francis Richardson.-^
James Harrison. — Randall Blackshaw. — The Wilkinsons. — Township organized. —
Townstead. — When divided. — EtTort to enlarge township.— Richard ^^litchel!. — Set-
tlers from New England. — Friends' meeting. — Meeting-house built. — .\nn Parsons. —
Zehulon Heston. — Louisa Heston Pa.xson. — Jesse S. Hcston. — Thomas Ross. — Im-
provements.— CnjajJaie. — Warner. — Charles Smith. — Burning lime with coal, — Puie-
ville, Peim's Park and Wrighlstown. — The Anchor. — Population. — Large tree. —
Oldest house in county. — Firrt settlers were encroachers.

W'rightstown, one of the smallest townships in the county, lies wedged in
between liiickingliani,, Ujiper Makefield, Newtown, Northampton and War-
wick, with Ncshaniiny creek for its southwest boundary. The area i.^ ti\e
iliL",i-:uid eight hundred and eighty acres. It is well watered by a number of
^niall .-iireanis which intersect it in various directions, the surface rolling and
the siijl fertile. A ridge of moderate elevation crosses the township and sheds
the water in opposite directions, toward the Delaware and Neshaininy. The
gpnmd was originally covered with a fine growth of heavy timber, with little
nndeibrush, which greatly reduced the labor and trouble of clearing it for
cultivation. At tirst the settlers did little more than girdle the trees, plant the
cfirn and tend it with the hoe. The favorable location, the good quality of the
S"il, and its easy ctiltivation had much to do, no doubt, with its early settlement.

Two years and three months after William Fcnn. and his imiiierliate fol-
I'Hvors, landed upon the ljank>- of the Delaware, John Chapman, of the small
town of Stannah.- in Yorkshire, TCngland. with his wife Tane and children Mara.

I We acknowledge the assistance received from Doctor C. W. Smith's history of
N'i'ri;.;litstown township, and from the Chapman MS. kindly loaned us by Judge Chapman.

J There is ntitlier town, nor parish, by the name of Stannah" in England at tlie
I'niuit day. It is th.uu;lit ihat llii-; place is identical with tlu- present Stanhope in tl'.e
\.'.Hoy of the river Wear, in Durham county. The church records o; Stanhope show tliat
'■■ I Chapman-i belnnged to that parish before John joined the Friend^, and there he wa>
'.ri;iMd, .\s ihc f.iurlv record- :,'i\e Vnrk-hire as tin- la-t countv he re-idcd in before

tllSIORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Ann and John tcjck up liii residence in the woods of ^\'rig"htsto\vn, the firsL
white settler north of \ewtown. Being a staunch I'ricnd and having suffered
numerous persecution- iV.r opinion sake, including loss of property, he resolved
to find a new honu- in the wilds of Pennsylvania. Of the early settlers of
Wriglitstown, the names of John Chapman, William Smith and Thomas Croas-
dale are mentioned in "Jlcssies" Collections," as having been frequently fined and
imprisoned for non-con fimnity to the established religion, and for attendance
on Friends' meeting. Leaving home the 2tst of June, 16S4, he sailed from
Aberdeen, Scotland, and reached Wriglitstown sometime toward the close of
December. Before leaving England, Mr. Chapman bought a claim for five
hundred acres of one Daniel Toaes, which lie located in the southern part of the
township, extending from the park square to the Xewtown line, and upon
which the village of Wrightstown and the Friends' meeting-house stand. A
portion of this land lay outside of the purchase made by William ^larkham.
16S2, and to which the Indian title had not been extinguished, when John
Chapman settled ^pon it. Until lie was able to build a log house himself and
family lived in a cave, where twin sons were Ijorn February 12, 16S5. Game
from tlie woods supplied them with food until crops were grown, and often
the Indians, between whom and the Chapmans there was the most cordial
friendship, were the only reliance. It is related in the family records, that on
one occasion, while riding through the woods, his daughter ]Mara overtook a
frightened buck, chased by a wolf, which held quiet until she secured it with
the halter from her horse. The first house erected by him stood on the right-
hand side of the road leading from Wrights'town meeting-house to Pennsville.
in a field formerly belonging to Charles Thompson, and near a walnut tree by
the side of a run. After a hard life in the wilderness John Chapman died about
the month of Mav, i('),)4. and was buried in the old graveyard near Penn's
Park, whither his wife followed him in Utyiq. She was his second wife, whose
maiden name was Jane Saddler, born about i''i.^3. and married to John Chap-
man. June 12. ihjo. and was the mother of five of his cliildren.-'' A stone,
erected at his grave, bore the following inscription :

■'llfliolil Joliii Cliapni.Tii. that ii'.ri4ian man, wlio first began.

To settle ill this town;
From worMly c:irc- :niil doubtful tfars, ;;nd Satan's snares.

Ts here laid do\vi> ;
Ili* soul dutU rise, above the skies, in Paradise

There to wear a lasting crown."*

The children of John Chapman intermarried with the families of Croas-
dalc. Wilkinson, fjlden, Par.sons and Worth, ami liave a large number of

ccmini; t" America, be probably changed his dwelling place after he became n Friend.
rJnrha.m and Vnrk-bire are adjoining counties. .\s Stanhope is in Durham, and not in
Yorkshire, the confusion of locality remains.

.-^ M:.ra. b.>rn iJth month. 2, 167 r ; .Ann, born oth month. .-(. \''<y6; John, born Tith
montli. TI. V'lj^. .Xbrabam and Tij epli. t.vin-, Ijtli month, tj. KiS^;.

4. "B. W.," in an ailicL- written to the Doylestown Dfiuocrat. says John Chapman
and wife had a long stone at the head of their graves and ''no statement was ever made
that it bore any inscription.'" Our authority for the verse was the MS. verse loaned us
by the Lite Judge Chapm:in.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUKTY.

231-

(kbcciiilnnts. The late Doctor Isaac Chapman, of W'nglitstown, and Abraham
( hapman, of Dovlestown, were grandsons uf Jusepli, one of the twins born in
liic cave.^ The descendants of jolni Chapman have held many places of public
trust. We find them in the Assembly, im the Ijench. at the liead of the loan-
I'tVice, county surve\-ors, cimnty treasurers, etc.. etc."' In the early history of
the county they did nuicii to mould its public affairs. Ami Chapman, the
datijrhter of John, became a distinguisheil minister airiong I'Vicnils. She
traveled as early as 170O, and made several tri]>s to England. Tlie familv added
larj^ely to the real estate originally held in W'rightstown and elsewhere, and
alxjut 1720 the Chapmans owned nearly one-half of all the land in the town-
ship. In 1734 John Chapman's son John bought one hundred and ninety-five
acres on the Philadeljjhia road adjoining the reiiquite tract, which was subse-
quently owned by John Thompson, the grandsun of the first settler of that name
in the township.'

.\lthough John Chapman was the first to penetrate the wilderness of
W'rightstown. he was not long the only white inhabitant, for within two years.
William Smith, of Yorkshire, came to dispute with him the honors and hard-
ships of pioneer life. He bought one hundred acres of Mr. Chapman and after-
ward patented several hundred acres adjoining, extending to Newtown and
Ncshaminy. His dwelling stood near where Charles Reeder lived. He was
twice married, first to Mary Croasdale, of Middletown. in 1690, and afterward
in 1720, and was the father of fourteen children. ?Ie died iti 1743. His se>n
William, who married Rebecca Wilson, in 1722. purchased nearly all the
original tract of his brothers and considerable in L']iiier Makefield, and died
wealthy, 17.S0. The land remained in the family down to 1812. The original
tract embraces several of the finest farms in that section. He was the ancestor
of Josiah B. Smith, of Xewtown. John Penquite, who came over. September,
16S3, and died, 1719, was the third settler in the townshi[). where he took u]3
three hundred and fourteen acres between the jiark and Ncshaminy. It was
originally patented to riiineas Pemberton. in 1692, but secured to Smith, 1701.
In 1690 he married Agnes Sharp who probably arrived in 1686, and died in
1719, his wife dying 175S. upward of one himdred years of age. He was a
minister among Friends for nearly seventy years. His son John inherited his
estate, and at his death, it was divided between his four daughters. Jane mar-
ried William Chapman, who built Thompson's mill.

In 1763 Ralph Smith, son of William Smith, the immigrant, with his three
srvns, William, .\aron an.l Zopher. went to South Carolina, and settled in the
Sfiartan.sburg district. He held the office of justice of the peace under King
Ceorge III. but resigi\ed when hostilities with the colonies Ijroke out, and en-
tered the army. He and his young son. Samuel, were arrested and confined in
tlie loathsome prison at Ninety-Six. His son .Aaron was killed at the battle
of the Cowpens. and Zopher fought at the same battle.

William .Smith, eldest son of Ralph, burn in WriglUstown. September 2T.
I75i> became a di.stinguislied man, his militarv career beginning against the

.s Some rt'itiaiiT; rf t'lciii were to be seen as late as 1768.

fi In iSii .Se'.li rb.ipnian. XeutdUii, was niPii.iiittd |>resi(!ent imlKO "f the Ki^lith
disirict.

7. Sc-ver.il of the pioneers of \V'ri[;IU';to\vii. tile Cbapn'.ans. Vi'ariicrs. and others
were buried at ilie obi rrioids' Meelint; ITous,-. west of llic present Wriglitstown, a one-
Mi ry bniM iiK' .1 mile below Peun's Park.

232

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUSTY.

Cherokee Iiulian^, 1775; when the Rcvnlutinn lirnkc out he entered the service
and remained to llie close, reaching the rank of major, ile took part in sevend
battles inchiding Guilford Court House, one of the severest in the State, and
saved the dav at Musgrove Mill by disabling the JJritish commander. He wa.-,
an iinconipreaiiising patriot in the darkest hour in South Carolina, when others
were seeking Royal protection. He was equally distinguished in civil life. After
the war he was elected county judge, member of Congress, 1797-99, and a mem-
ber of the state Senate for twenty years, and he died June 22, 1837, in his eighty-
sixth year. Josejih M. Rogers, the historian, sa} s of him : "He was leader of
the House, a solid man of some eloquence, and had he remained longer in Con-
gress, would have become a leading figure in American politics." Simon C.
Drafier summed up liis eulogy in these words: "Few men served the public
longer of more faithfullv than Judge Smith."

William Smith was the father of fourtec:n chiMren, and four of his sons
became prominent in State politics: Colonel Isaac was a state senator for many
years : l")r. William, a physician, was a state senator and memlx-r of the House of
Representatives; Major Elilui served eight terms in the Legislature, and Dr.
Eber Smith, an eminent physician, was also a member of the Legislatiu-e. .An-
other son, Eliplias. who removed to Alabama with his family, was a captain in
the Mexican war, and upon his return, was appointed judge of the Circuit Court.
Daniel Smith, the boy imprisoned at Ninety Si.x, served in the war of 1812:
David Smitii, the brother of Ralph, subsequently settled in South Carolina, but
removed with his family to Indiana, and his descendants are li\-ing at luiiicm-
apolis and Terre Haute.

In 1684 five liundred and nineteen acres, patented to Francis Richardson.
were laid off for him in the east corner of the township, but he never settled
upon it. Richardson owned twelve hundred acres in all, some of which is said
to have been in the southwest corner of the township on the line of Xewtown,
and some, or all, of it was conveyed to Thomas Stackhouse in 1707. In a few
years it fell into the hands of other persons, John Routlige getting ojie hundred
and seventy, and Launcelot Gibson one hundred and seventeen acres. Two
hundred acres were patented to Jose])!! Amliler, in the northeast part of tlic
township in 16S7, which descended to his son and then fell into the hands of
strangers. Some years ago the Laceys owned part of this tract. The same
year two lumdred acres, adjoining Ambler, were patented to Charles Briggham,
which, at his death, descended to his two daughters, Mary, who married
Nicholas Williams, and Sarah, to Thomas Worlhinglon : Amos Warner subse-
quently owned part of this tract. Briggham's tract harl a tannery on it. in 174^-
but there is no trace of it now. William Penn granted one thousand acres to
John and William Tanner, t68i. who sold the grant to Benjamin Clark, Lon-
don, iCS'}^. and. three vcars afterward four lumdred and ninety-two acres were
laid out to his .son Benjamin, of Xew Jersey, on the northeast side of the town-
sliip. extending from the Briggham tract to the Xew Hope road, which con-
tained five hundred and seventy-five acres by Cutler's re-survey. Clark did not
settle in the township, and. in 1728, the land was sold to .Abraham Chapm.an
for £350. .'^oir.e vears ago it was owned liv John F.astbnrn. Joseph Warner and
Timotiiv .Xtk'inson.

Tames Harrison located i>ne tliriur;and acres in Wrightstown by virtue of a
patent fnim William Penn. dated the utii monih, 1082. but he never became a
settler. He s.vld two h\indred acres ti > J:une- RadclilY, a noted jiublic Frien.l
who removed to Wri''ht^town. lO'^o, liul the remain^ier, at his de:ith. descended

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV. 233

to liib daughtt-T riiLicbej wile of i'hincas i'L-nibcrloii. Uy 1718 it had all come
iiiio the possession of her son Israel by descent and purchase. .\t dilterent
tiu'.es lie sold three hundred and seven acres to John Wilkinson, two hundred and
muety to William Trotter, and the rest to Abraham X'ickcrs, in 1726. This
tract lay on the s<.'uthweit side of the township, running from the park to the
Xc-linminy. then dnwn to the mouth of Randall's creek and from Randall
Dlacksliaw's to Radcliffs tract. Harrison mubt have owned other lands in
W riglUstown. fur Henry Baker, Makefield, bought four hundred acres
of him before 1701. This lay in the northwest part of the township; prob-
ably Harrison had never seated it, for it was patented to ]jaker's son
Henry, who sold it to Robert Shaw in 1707, for £100. Subsequent survey made
the quantity four hundred and ninety-four acres. Shaw sold it to several per-
sons before 1723. It does not appear that Shaw received a park dividend in
17 19, although he dien owned one hundred and twentv-one acres. Randall
Dlackshaw, an original purchaser, took up two hundred in the west corner of
the township, which, 1713. was owned by Peter Johnson, who came in 1697,
and at his death, 1723, it descended to his son John. Garret \"ansant came into
the township in 1690. and settled on a tract in the northwest corner. He sold
two hundred acres to Thomas Coleman in his life time, and, at his death, sub-
sequent to 1 711;. the remainder was inherited by his sons, Cornelius and Garret.
The \ansant family lies buried in the old graveyard on the Benjamin Law
farm.' Richard Lumley and Robert Stucksbury came about 1695. In 1709.
one hundred and tifty acres were surveyed to Stucksbury, which afterward
passed to the possession of Thomas Atkinson.

The Wilkinsons of Wrightstown are descended from Lawrence Wilkin-
son, of Lanchester, county Durham. England, a lieutenant in the army of Charles
1, and taken prisoner at the surrender of New Castle, October 22, 1644. He
settled at Providence, R. I., about 1652. John Wilkinson, second son of Samuel
Lawrence, and a descendant of the immigrant, settled in Wrightstow^n, 1713, on
307 acres on Xesiiaminy, purchased May 27, near the present Rushland. It lay
in tile three tuwnships of Wrightstown, W^arwick and Buckingham. He v,-as a
ju'lge of the cuirt of common pleas for some years, and a large holder of real
estate His will is dated 1751, and proved April 23. Ichabod Wilkinson, an-
other son of Samuel Lawrence and also a descendant of the immigrant, settled
in Solebury. 1742. and married Sarah Chapman, 1743. John and }.Iary \\ ilkin-
son had seven children, :\lary born July, 170S. married Joseph Chapirian, Au-
gust, 1730; Kissiah married Thomas Ross, and was the mother of Judge John
Ross: John married .Mary Lacey, daughter of John Lacey and sister of Gen-
eral Lacey. May 27. 1740, and Joseph moved to Chester county, 1761. The
second wife iif Juhn Wilkinson was Hannah Hughes, daughter of ]\Iatthe\v
Hughes. John Wiikinson became a prominent man and was much in public
life. He was a memlxr of Assembly, Judge of the Cnurt of Common Pleas:
member >>i the Pr.ivincial Conference. July 15. 1774. Lieut. Col. 3d regiment,
Bucks county Associators ; member of the C' mimitlee of Safety and of the
Committee of Correspondence: member of the Constitutional convention. 177O.
■and held other iiublic trusts. He ehed. May 31, 17S2. the Pennsylvania Goccifc
of June 9. paying a high tribute to his personal worth and patriotic .service m

8. Ilchne'? maii r.'!ii,iin> die iiainc< i.f tlu- fnllnvinp; rcil e-t.ltc "\vner> i". Wriyhts-
iMwn, i(k^4: Chn-iMpIur Uarnn,!. lloi-.ry [lakL-r. I'linuia^ riickcr-^on, Kan.lall I',l;.ck4iaw.
Jaiiit^ Harri-Ti. .l.ii'.u^ Uack-lilY. ami llcrlicrt Sprini;ot.

234 HISTORY OU BUCKS COiWll .

tlic Kcsi-ilmion. Hi.- was the father nf nine cliibhen, who iiUurmarricd with
the 'J"v, iiiiiig.-, Chapniaiis, liuyhes. Smiths and other well-known families.
Hli^ha Wilkinson, y._.i;iigcst child i>i Colonel John W'ilkmson, \\a> the most
prominent member of the family the j.ast century, lie was born 1774, and died
at Philadelphia, 1840. He developed a fondness for military affairs in early life.
In 1807 he was Lieutenant Colonel of the 31st regiment of militia, and Assistant
yuartermaster in the campaign on the Lower Delaware, 1814. Ho was also
prominent in civil life, being sheriff of the county for two terms. He was popu-
lar ani.f ■>'":dcly known ; a great sportsman, fond of good stock and did much to-
improve it. In 1814 he purchased tlie tavern property- at Centerville, and kept
it several years. Here he was visited by many of the leading men of the period.
The late Ogdcn D. Wilkinson, and liis brother-in-law, Crispin Blackfan, built
tiie Delaware-Rariian canal between Trenton and New Brunswick, 1S32. Colo-
nel Elisha Wilkinson tvas twice married, his first wife being Ann Dungan, a
descendant of Rev. Thomas Dungan, of Rliode Island, who settled at Cold
Spring, Bristol townsiiip, 1683, and founded the first Baptist church in the
Province. Walter Clark, half brother of Thomas Dungan, was governor of
Ivliode Island, 1696 to Hjgj.

We have n'lt been able to find any record giving tlie date when Wrights-
town was organized into a township, or by whom laid out. It was called by
this name as early as 1687 in the will of Thomas Dickerson, dated July 24th,
wherein he bequeaths to his kinsman, Thomas Coalcman. "two hundred acres
of land lying and being at a place called Writestown." Iti the deed of Penn's-
Commissioners to Phineas Pemberton, in 1692, it is called by its present name.
The mile square laid out in it was called the "village'' or ''townstead'' ot
Wrightstown. Land was surveyed in the township as early as 1685.
It was hardly a rec'^gnized subdivision at these early dates, but the
name was probably apjdied to the settlement, as we have seen was the case in-
other townships. It will be remembered that the first group of townships was
not laid out until 1G92, and Wrightstown was not one of them, and we are
safe in saying it was not organized until some time after. We have i)laced the
date 1703, because that was the time of the re-survey by Jolin Cutler, and we
kn()w- that it was then a recognized townshi]i.

When Wrightstown was laid out. a mile square townstead.. aljout in the
centre, was reserved bv the PYoprietary. whose iiilcnlii'in is thought to have
been to devote it to a puiilic park for the use of the township. It was .-.urveyed
i-" i''i95. At the end ■-<! thirteen years the inhabitants became dissatisfied with
the reserv'iti'iii. and. t-n jietition of the land-owners, the Proprietary allowed
it to be divided amon^ fifteen men who owned all the lanrl in the township.
This was according to the terms of a deed of partitirin executed in 1719. These
fifteen laiul-owners were Smith. Penijuito. Parsons. Lumley. Stuckliury. \ an-
sant, Johnson. Pemhcrt'-in. Ambler, Trotter. Clark, John. Abraliam and Joseph
Chayiman. and Nicholas \\"illiams. James Logan agreed to the terms for tlic
Penns an.l Jolm Cha[)man surveyed the square, whicli was found to contain
six htniilrei.l and fifty-eight acres, one-tenth of the area of the township, In
1S33 Doetr.r C. W. Smith made a survey of the original boundaries of the
s(|iiare. which he found to he as follows: "Beginning at the east corner of
the park at a hickory tree in the line between Benjamin Lacey's land and Isaac
Cliatiman's land : thence south forty-three- and a quarter degrees west along the
said line-fence, to Edward Chapman's land: crossina: said land and crossing
the Durham rond north of his house: ci>'S-ing the farms of Charles Thompson

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 23s

and Garret D. Percy; following the line between the lands of Charles IlarL
a;ul Mary Roberts to a stone, the corner of Mary Roberts' and Albert Thomp-
son's land, this being the south corner of the park ; thence north forty-six and
three-quarters degrees west, along the line between }\Iary Roberts' and Charles
Gain's land, crossing the I'ineville and Richborough turnpike road about one-
fourth of a'niile below Pennville; crossing Charles Gain's land following the
iiiirth-west line of the old graveyard lot; crossing }iIahlon \V. Smith's land,
ir'ining in with, and following, the public road in front of his house and cross-
ing lands of Abner Reader and John Everitt ; then following the public road
leailing to Carver's mill to an angle in said road, the corner of Sackett \\'eth-
erill's and Jesse Worthingtiju's land, this being the west corner of the park ;
thence north forty-three and a quarter degrees east, crossing lands
of Jesse W'orihington, Benjamin Lair and Edmund S. Atkinson, and
following the line between Ednnind S. Atkinson's and Thomas 3.1artinda!e's
land, crossing the land of William Smith north of his buildings, to a point
between William Smith's and Thomas Warner's land, this being the north
corner of the park : thence south forty-six and a quarter degrees east, across
Th.omas Warner's land, south of his buildings, across William' Smith's land,
crossing the Durham road near the Anchor tavern, following the line between
I ':e<.irge Uuckman's and Thomas Smith's lands, thence crossing lands of Thomas
Smith, Joseph ^lorris, and Benjamin Lacey, to the place of beginning."

At the time of the division of the townstead all the land in the township
was located, but it was sparsely populated, and only a small portion had been
brought under cultivation. One account gives the township proprietors at
seventeen, but tlie names of only sixteen can be found, of which seven were
non-residents. John, Abraham and Joseph Chapman received a park dividend
of one hundred and forty acres, all the other residents one hundred and ninety-
six acres, and the non-residents, who owned half the land in the township, three
hunderd and twenty-two acres. At a later period the Chapmans owned about
three-fourths of all tlie land in Wrightstown. Before 1789, Henry Lewis, of
Westmoreland county, had come into possession of one acre and ninety seven
jjerches of the park, through the Pembertons. Penquites. William Chapman anil
others, and which he sold October 17th. that \ear, to Robert Sample, i^f Buck-
ingham, for £30 Pennsylvania currency.

In 1720 an ettort was made to enlarge the area of Wrightstown, by adding
to it a portion of the manor of Highlands adjoining, in what is now L'pper
Makefield. The petitioners from Wrightstown were John Chapman. Jose[>h
Chapman, James Harker. William Smith. William Smith, jr.. Thomas Smitli.
John La>crick. Launcelot Gibscin. Abraham Chapman. John Wilkinson. Richard
Mitchell. Nicholas Allen. Edward Milnor, Peter Johnson. Garrett Johnson, John
Parsons, and John Johnson. John Atkinson and Dorothy Heston were t!ie
only two petitioners from the manor. The territory proposed to be added was
about one-half as large as Wriglitstown. and the reasons given for the annexa-
tion were because a certain road tlirough the m.anor was not kept in repair, am!
that the interests of the people to be amicxed were more closely united with
those of Wriglitstown. The strip of lanil wanted was nine hundred and thirty
perches lon'j liv four hiindrLil and ^e\■e^t\•-h'nr wide.

In 171S. Richard r^liLchell I)OUght seventy acres of Joseph Wilkinson on
the east side of Mill creek wliei'e he built a mil!, long known as Miicliell's
mill, which fell into disuse when the Elliotts built one lower down cm the
stream. Mitciiell wa- a man nf high ^tanding. and iliod in 1750- Eor several

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

years tliis mill supplied the settlers (if a larn^e scij])e of country to the north
with tlour. In \J2J the inhabitants of I'erkasie petitioned for a road to be laid
out to this mill which also opened iheni the wa\ to Bristol. The mill, and
farm belonging, of two hundred and tifty acres, were purchased by Watson
Welding, in 1793, and contiiuied in the family near half a century. The mill
is now o\\'ned by Hiram Reading, of Hntborough, INIontgomery county. The
Sacketts came into the township from liuutcrdon county, Xew Jersey, Joseph,
the first comer, settling there about 1729 and purchasing two hundred and
twenty acres of John Hilborn, a portion of the I'emberti.in tract. He kept sture
for several years. Part of the property is held b\- his descendants. John La\-
cock, a minister among Friends, piu-chased one hundred and twenty acres of
John Chapman, in 1722, and died in 1730. Joseph Hampton, a Scotchman,
settled in 1724 on t\\-o hundred and fifty acres he purchased of Zebulon Heston.
It w as on his land, still owned by his descendants, that stood the "corner white
oak."' near an Indian path that led to Flaywicky mentioned in the Indian pur-
chase of 16S2. It is a singular fact that of all the original settlers in Wrights-
town, the families of Chapman and Smith are the only ones of which an\' de-
scendants are now living in the township.

About 1735 there was an influx of settlers from the East, a few families
coming from Xew Englan<l, among whom were the Twirdngs, Lintons and
others. The \\'arners were there ten years earlier. Joseph, bi;>rn in 1701 and
married Agnes Croasdale, of Middletow'n, in 1723, settled there in 1726, and
afterwaril purchased one hundred and fifty acres of Abraham Chapman, part
of the original Clark tract. The old mansion is still standing, one himdred and
seventy-five years old. An addition was built to it, in 1769. He was grandsovi
of the first \\'illiam who died at Elockley in 1706. The ancestral acres were
in the family in recent years owned by Thomas Warner, the fifth in descent
from Ji.'seph ^\'arner. It is thought one thousand seven hundred persons
have descended from Thomas Warner, one of the first settlers in
Wrightstown. 'I'hey \vho came into the township at this period \inv-
chased Land of the original settlers sometimes with the improvements. With
few exceptions the early settlers were of English or Irish descent, although
there were some from other European couiUries. In 1750 Joseph Kirkbridc,
of Falls, patenie.i t\\o hundred and five acres :i<liijining James RadclitY, and e.K-
tending from the park tii Neshaminy. but we cannot learn that he was ever
a resident of the tllwn^hip. Robert Hall, an early settler, came with his wife,
Elizabetli and a son and daughter, but the time we do not know. John Thomp-
son came early, acquired large i)roperty and became prominent and influentia!.
He was elected .Sheriff of the comUy and filled the office with great acceptance.

The first meeting of Friends was held at J'^hn Ch:i|inian"s. in iTiSG," ruvl
afterward at John Penqnite's, an accejjted mini^ter, Meetings were held at
private houses muil 1721. These early I'riends were members .n' Middlet<i,\n
monthly that met at Xicholas Walne's. In 1721 Falls (Juarterlv gave permis-
sion to WriglUst'iwn to build a meeting-house, which \\as erected on a four-
acre I'.t the gift cii Jcjhn Chapman. The first gra\evard was nu the road fri-m
^\'ri^lltstrlwn nieeling-liouse to Rusji \-alIev, just bevond Penn's ]*ark and \\:i~
recently kni^'wn as '•the schnoMiouse lot." It is now owned bv Charles Gain.

') The first nui-;iiif; fiT wr-liip -iv.k in lie lu-ld once a ninntli. ''to lioeiu next First
d.ir. cnnK- Wfck .ti'i.t .iil, 4:li nionlh. Kk^i." Ijut .'il \\\c rci|Ufst nf Jnliii CI\:ipni,-in. f6i)0,
it \v,T, Ik!.! ivtiv ihr.H- \vt,,ks. .

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

'-37

IfefctJih^-^^jtR-jy

WRIGHTSTOWN MEETING HOUSE.

and was sold to his father ,~~ ~ .»■;-.;_• v> ■•■5*v?.'W3|

a quarter of a century j ' ■•.?;..' '' ' '' .;

ago. Tlic liji \\;'.s walled | •■!''. ^\

ill, but fifty year.- asjo | '"' .-• - ;>;

Amos Dijauc used the 1^ -. . "-"ri

stiMie to build a wall on !*'' '■ ;

his farm. This graveyard ;. -..- _^;;

was on the llarker iract. • '' .,

purchased of \\'illiaiii ,V, -.i

Trotter, and, at his death. '._, ; 7*

Harker.^" gave it to the " :^

W'riglustown m o n t h 1 y

meeting. There have not ^ j

been any burials tliere
within the memory of
the oldest inhabitants.
The lot was reserved from cultivation, but the graves of the first settlers were
nnitilated by the plow years ago. In 1734 W rightstown was allowed a monthly
meeting. The first marriage recorded is that of Bezeleel \Mggin5 to Rachel
Ha}hurst, of ^liddletown, May, 1735. Down to the end of the century there
Were celebrated three hundred and thirty marriages, the names of the parties
being those of families well-known at the present day in the middle and lower
sections of the county. The meeting-house was enlarged, 1735, by an addi-
tion of twenty feet square, an.l the Bucks Ouarterl}- meeting was held there for
the first time that fall. Afterward it rotated between V\"rightstown, P'alls, ]\[id-
dletown and Bnckingham. A wall was built around the graveyard. 1770, at
a cost of $506.50, and, in 17S7 the present house, seventy by forty feet, was
erected at an expense of S2,io6. An addition was made to the graveyard to
bury strangers in, 1791. In 1765. Friends adjourned ^Monthly meeting because
it fell on the day of the general election. W'rightstown meeting has produced
several ministers among Friends, some of whom became eminent. Of these
may be mentioned Agnes Penquite. who died in 175S aged upward of i?ne
hundred years, Ann Parsons, born 1685, died 1732, David Dawes, Ann Hamp-
ton, Zebulon Flestent and Thomas Ross. Doctor Smith says but one riding
chair came to W'rightstown meeting, 17S0, that of Joh.n Buckman. The women
were good riders, and generally came on horseback but some of them came on
foot several miles.

Zebulon lieston removed from New Jersey to Falls, where he remained
until 171 1, when he came up to Wrightstown with his wife and children. Of
his seven chili'.ren, Jacob was the only one born in the township. His son
Zebulon became a noted preacher and in his seventieth year made a missionary
visit to the Delaware Indians on the !\Iuskingum river, Ohio, accompanied by
his nephew Joint, afterward General Lacey. ^Ir. Heston died ?vlay 12, 1776.
in his seventv-fourth vear." The meeting-house of Orthodox Friends was

10. Ihirker was elected poiin(l-kei-|ier of the township. i7.vS, "the pound to he kept
on his I.iikI ni.-ar the hichway."' prc'b.TliIy in die vicinity of PLnnivillc.

11. Mr>. L'.ni^a Hciion P.ix-oi;. p;re:it-t:r.nn<ld,uiL;liii r of ^iluiton Heston. and
Crnndilinshtcr of lii> con IMw.Trd. (lied .it I le^tom i!le. I'bihidelphu Cvuiiuy, March 26.
1S90, in Ikt i>'~^tli year. Her fatlier was proniiiient in the Revolution, and served in the
Continental army, rearliiii^ tlie rank of Lieiitenant-CuJonel. He was sul'sei]uently a jud^e

23S HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

torn down, 1S70, when the few families which had worshiped in it joined the
meeting at Cuckingham. The buriaUground was enlarged in 1S56 by adding
a lot from George Warner, and the whole surrounded by a substantial stone
wall. It is more than one-fourth of a mile in circumference. During the last
thirty years nearly one tlmusand perMUis have been liurietl in the yard.'-

A spirit of impruvement s<.t in about 1720, which gradually put a new
phase on the apjiearance of things. Down to this time the town.ship was entirely
cut oil from the outside world by the want of road.s. The opening of a portion
of the Durham road down toward tlic lower Delaware, and the one now
known as the 2^Iiddle road, leading from Philadelphia to Xew Hope, which
meets the former at the Anchor tavern, near the centre of the township, de-
stroyed its isolated situation. A number of new settlers now came in. Those
without money took improvement leases for a term of years, and were the means
of gradually bringing large tracts of non-residents under cultivation. Some of
the large tracts of the original holders were also passing to their children and
being cut up into smaller farms. About this period was ccmimenced that
■wretched system of farming which cultivated a single field until it w as farmed
to death, when it was turned out for exhausted nature to recuperate. This
retarded the clearing of land and was almost the death of agricultuia! improve-
ment. The opening of the road to Philadelphia was an in\itation to the
farmers of \\'rightstown to take their produce there to sell, of which they grad-
ually availed themselves. Instead of wallets slung on horses, simple carts
now came into use to carry marketing, and the men began to go to market
instead of the women. At this time the inhabitants lived on what their farms
produced, w"ith a small surplus to sell. The men dressed principally in tanned
deer-skins, and the women in linsey and linen of their own manufacture.

About 1756 Croasdale \\"arner, son of Joseph, bought a tract of land ad-
joining Joseph and Timotliy Atkinson, on which he built a pottery and carried
on the business for several years. It was accidentally burned dow"n, 1812, and
not rebuilt. This was probably the earliest pottery in central Bucks county,
or possibly anywhere in the county. The inhabitants of W'rightstown took an
interest in the cause of temperance at an early da\' and discountenanced the
general use of intoxicating liciuors. The I2tli of June, 1746, thirty-one of
her citizen^ petitioned the court to "suppress"' all public houses in the township,
because of the great harm they were doing to the inhaljitants. To this peti-
tion is si!;iie(l tlie name <>i Thomas Ross, ancestor of the Rosses of this county.
Charles Smith, of Pinexille, a cleseendant of Robert Smith, of Buckingham,
was the first person to burn lime \\itli hard coal. His experience in burning
lime goes back to 1706. and he was engaged in it niLire or less all his life. Plis
fust allem])t, and the fir^i in the county, was in 1S26 when lie used coal on the
top of the kiln, and continued it until 1S35. The method of arching the kiln,
and arranging the wood anil coal so as to burn lime to the best atlvantage, was

•nil the Coniinoii Plens ln-mh. I'iula<l'jlphi:i. .TinI ,-\l!<o a member of tlie Sl.ite Sen.ite. Mr*.
I'ax^on wa5 a n.nl "Daiv.;lUiT of tlie Revolution," and a few years ago the National Society
|jre<cnti.il lu r a iiold soiiver.ir.

\2 In iS.'V) the Iiuok^ County lli-torical Society erecteil a ni<imimi-m near the corner
<if the WriglU'^towu Lrra\ey:iril to mark the -trirtini; \h,un nf the "\\':ilkiii>; I'urcha^e."
17, '7 M-irlha Chapn;.in '.^ue tlie gi' imil, and Ok- ni..nnii'ent s'.amls in the sniuhea-t
con er of th.e r. .ad from rtini'< Park make-; uitli the Diiriiani road, i-s the ^ite of tlie
;he-tnui tree mentioned in the "urdk "'

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV

239

txiicriniciitcd upon several year->. In 1835 'i^' l^^'-t ^ l^'l'i to hold thirty-hve
hundred bushels, and burned in it twenty-tive hundred and fifty-three bushels
L'i luiie. in another he burned twenty-two hundred and four bushels with wood
and coal, which cleared liini one hundred dollars, and the same month, he
hiirned a third that yielded him twenty-three hundred and ninety-eight bushels,
i he >ame year he constructed a kiln at Faxson's corner in Solebury, to burn
ci>al alone, and in May, 1830, he burned a kiln that yielded him twenty-eight
lunidred bushels, and another in October that produced three thousand and
i, .riy-one bushels. Contemporary with Charles Smith in e.Kpcriments was
James Jamison, a successful and intelligent farmer and lime-burner, Bucking-
ham, and he and ^^Ir. Smith frequently compared their plans and consulted
togetlier. 2^Ir. Jamison was killed in his lime-stone quarry by a premature
explosion.

In W'rightstow n are three small villages, Pineville in the norlhcrn, Wrights-
town in the southern, and Pennsville, more frequently called i'enii's Park, the
name given to the post-office, near the middle of the townsliip. Pineville was
known as "The Pines" a century ago, and was called by this name for many
years, from a growth of thrifty pine trees at that point. One iumdred years
ago it was called "Pinetown," and consisted of a stone store-house adjoining
a frame dwelling, kept by Thomas Betts, near the site of the late Jesse P.
Carver's store. The dwelling house and tailor-shop of William Trego stood
on the point between the Centreville turnpike and the Buckingham road. Ies^e
S. Heston kept store in the bar-room of the present tavern. Soon after that
period Thomas Belts removed to Lahaska, where he kept store many years in
the building recently ticcupied by R. R. Paxson. Ileston went from Pineville
to Xewtown and formed a partnership with John Tucker, where they carried
on for many years under the firm name of Heston & Tucker. .Mr. Heston re-
moved to Bristol, went out of bu.siness and died there. He was the father of
Dr. George Hestrm, Xewtown. Heston wa? succeeded at Pineville by Kinsev
r>. Tomlinson, who removed h.ence to Xewtown, and for man\- vears kept the
store subsequently occupied b\- Evan Worthinglon. Tomlin.>on was president
of the Xewtown Xatioual Bank. Isaac Colton, a bound boy uf Jesse Heston,
grandfather of Jesse S. Heston, Xewtown. was the last person to wear leather
breeches in the vicinity of Pineville. This was about 1S00-1810. \\'hen he
wore them to school he was the butt of the other boys. Another dwelling and
David Stogdale's farm hi>usc. with a school house near llie present store, re-
moved, 1842, completed the village at the period of Nshich we write. It had
neither snu'th shoi). tavern nor wheelwright shop. The post-office was estab-
lished after 1831), with Sanuie! Tundinson postmaster, when the name was
changed til Pineville. The hr.-t ta\ern. licensed 1833-31), wa< kept by Tomlin-
son after ha\ing been a temperance house fur several vears. The village now
contains 25 dwellings. Joh.h Thompson kept store at the Pines l.iefore the Revo-
linicin, and also owned a mill on tiie Xeshaminw

Pennsville, or Penn's Park, is Ijiiilt on land that James llarker bought of-
^\'illiam Trotter within. the park in. 1752. It is situated in the southern part
of the town-liip. 'm th.e Pine\-i!le and Richljornngh turnpike, and within the
iriLjinnl i)ark "r !■ iw n-siiu;!rr I'liil oui liv direction of William Penn. The popu-
l:'ti'>n is I ;o. wiih 35 due'.lin.;-, one churcli. Methoilisl Pjiisciiprd: store, post-
ofiioe. e^lalili-he 1 in 1^^'''_'. and T. .O. .\tkinsi>n apii''inted pi ■-ini.i-.ier. and \ari-
ous mechanics' sh'ips. Penn's I'ark was originallv called "I.-ogiown." .\mong

■i

._ ■ .- - -._ ;aisa!»dfc^

EIGHT S'jL'AKi; SCHo'iL Hoi SE. PhNNS PARK. WKlGHT.-,TO\VN.
Now used as a Jwelline.

ihe dwflling'.^ at Peon's Park is an old eight-square school house at the toll-
gate on the I'ineville and Richborougli turnpike, but a school has not been kept
in it for many years. The land was lea^ed by the Uursons for a term of ninety-
nine years for schoijl purposes. This lease, having expired, places the building
in the nineteenth century. We do not know wlien it was buUt, but the half-
tone illustration will give the reader its present appearance. Wrightstov.n is
only a small hamlet, with the meeting house, store and three or four dwellings,
and takes its name froni the town^liiji. It was built on the original tract of
John Chapman, on the road to Xewtown, originally the Durham road. Tlie
township has three taverns, at Pineville, I'ennsville, and the Anchor, where
the Middle and Durham road intersect. The township is traversed by these two
highways and a number of roads that intersect, or lead into, dicm. The road
from the river side at DeauniontV to the Durham road, near \Vrightsto\vn
meeting-house, was opened 1763. Among the aged men who died in Wriglus-
town, possibly within the rceulleciion of some of those now living, were W'ill-
liam Chapman, grandson of tiie first settler, July 1, 1810, aged 93, and An-
drew Collins. I'eljruary 28, 1817, aged 92 years.

The earliest enumeration of taxables is that of 1704, when they numbered
67. \N"e do not know the poi)uIatiou earlier than 1810, when it was 56:? : in
1820, 618; 1S30, 060. and 14S taxables; 1840. 708: 1850, 812 whites: i860,
853 whites and 9 blacks, and 1870. 811 whites and 12 blacks, of which 771
were native-t)orn and 52 foreign; 18S0. JJ^; 1890, 838; 1900, '^j^.

The large huttonwood that stands in front of Thomas Warner's house
grew from a riding-switch his father brought from Hartford county, Maryland,
in the spring of 1787. and stuck in the ground. It measures eleven feet in
circumference twelve inches above the ground. An ash, planted in the same
yard. 1S32, measures nine feet around it.

It is well known to all who ha\'e examined the subfect, that the original
white settlers ab'ive Xewtown were cncri\acher> on the country owned by the
Indians. The 1 'rii]irietary was censured for fiermiuing this intrusion on the
Indians, and ih.e Latter made mild prote'-t against it. Tlie ujiper line of Mark-
ham's inirchase. Jul\- 15. 1A82, ran through Wrightstown, a short distance
below the Anchor, and therefore all the settlers in this towiisiiip north-west

240

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 241

vi il were intruders. The same may be said of those who first settled in Buck-
nghain and Solebury, and all above. In truth, all the land settled upon north
01 Xewtown prior to tlie "Walking Purchase;' 1737, belonged to the Indians,
and tr.e whites were really trespassers. John Chapman settled on land to
\sliich the Indian title had been extinguished before he left England, but some
1,1 the early settlers were not so careful to observe treaty obligations.

Some light is thrown on the origin of the name "W'rightstown," by which
it was called soon after it was settled, by the following extract from a letter
vi I'hineas Pemberton to William Penn, in England, dated 27th, nth month,

"The land I have in \\ rightstown is twelve hundred ackers, and only
one settlement upon it. I lately oft'ercd to have given one hundred ackers it
he would have seated there, and he has since bought at a very great price,
rather than go so far into the woods. There is about five hundred ackers yet
lo lake up in the townc. The people hereabout are much disappointed with sd.
Wright and his cheating tricks he played here. They think much to call it
after such a rimagadoe's name. He has not been in these parts for several
vcars, therefore I desire thee to give it a name. I have sometimes called it
Ccntrelown, because it lyes near the center of the county, as it may be sup-
posed and the towne is layd out with a center in the middle of 600 ackers or
thereabouts. "

The Wright, here referred to in Pembcrton's letter, is thought to have
^)ccn Thomas Wright who was associated with William Penn in the West Jer-
sey venture. He arrived in the JNIartha 1677, and settled near Burlington. In
1O82 he was a member of Assembly. The name was first applied to the settle-
ment and intended for the prospective township, but, at the time Pemberton
wrote, there was no townsliip organization. When he speaks of the "towne"
he evidently refers to a settlement in the middle of the townstead. W'illiam
Penn did not see fit to change the name, although it was called after a "run-
agado."

When Abraham Thompson tore down his old dwelling, 187S. erected back
in the eighteenth century, he found, under the roof, an assessment paper dated
.'\liril I. 1809. It was made out in the name of Amos Warner for the tax on
that farm, assessed at $21 per acre. The assessor was Jesse Anderson.

Xcar the Windy Bush road, running from the Anchor tavern, W'rights-
ti^wn. stands an old stone school house in which, about 1845. Charles C. Bur-
leigh was rotten-egged while advocating the abolition of negro slavery. The
person who threw the eggs subsequently perished in a snow storm.

1.1' ?;'^^^ ^^ i §v'

--J1

i?^^4,-^4 1 i^ ^'1

-I,

^■l-

f'.'yyrtr:'-/.-'

//t

^-?T^--

CHAPTER XVII,

BUCKLXGHAM.

1703.

'1 he empire township. — Vale of Lahaska. — Surface broken. — Diirh.-im and York roadi. —
Origin of name. — First settlers.— 'Amor, Paul and Samuel Preston.- — James Streator
aiid Richard Parsons. — The West and Reynolds tracts. — Robert Smith. — The VVorth-
intrtons. — Windy Bush. — Gen'l A. J. Smith. — Thomas Canby. — William Cooper. —
Thomas Bye.— Edward Hartly. — The Paxson family. — The Watsons. — John Watson,
the surveyor. — Matthew ilughes and others. — Joseph Fell. — Jesse Fells burns hard
coal in a grate. — Gillingham Fell.— The Carvers. — Meetings for worship. — Meeting-
hoi!.=e' built — Burned down. — Used as hospital. — Births, deaths, marriages. — The
Laceys. — General John Lacey. — Old house. — Taverns. — Cross Keycs. — Lenape Stone.
— Ann Moore. — Earliest boundary. — Old map.^ — The Idens. — Doctor John Wilson. —
Schools. — Amos Austin Hughes. — Justice Cox. — Doctor Cernea.— Buckingham library.
— Nail factory. — Big Ben. — James Jamison. — The villages. — Population. — Caves anj
sink holes. — African church. — William Simpson. — Scythe and a.\ factory. — Catching
pigeojis.

Tlie central location of Buckingliaiii, it.^ productive soil, valuable quarries
'-'i limestone, its wealth, inlclligence, population and area, eighteen thousand four
lumdred and eighty-eight acres, entitle it to be considered the empire township
of the county. The stream of immigration, that brought settlers into the
woods of W'rightstown. carried them up to the "Great mount.iin,"^ and they
sirndnally spread over Iluckingham and Solebury, originally one township. It
is well watered by the Lahaska creek and tributaries, which meander th.e town-
ship in several directinns. and branches of Pine run, Pidcock's creek, and
Pannacussing." which rlrain its east and north corners and along the north-east
b..rdrr.

.-\ n'lte to tlic "\'rdc of I^ha-ka.'' written by Samuel Johnson in 'i^^^,
says Lahaska was the name of wiiat is now called Buckingham mountain. Tins
i~ an error. On an old manuscript map of part of the township, drawn in
iy2i''. the name is written, "the Great mountain, called by the Indians Pepa-

r C.'illod by the Iniii.Mis l.alri-kcki'-c. S.Tnuiel T're.^tnn saiii the Inilian name was
"I-1-keek." In an old pa[icr it is writtcu ''Lclioskuk" hill. In iSi; it was called, by
some. "Lackawissa."

3. The Iiid an nniv.o was Pannanissiiu-k.

3i:l

244 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

eating," probably I'cpacatck, as "ing" is not an Indian terniinatioD 'fijc
moiuuain must have been named after the townsliip at a later date. It lies
in tlie lap o£ one ot the loveliest valleys in the county, running nearly north-
east and south-west and about two miles long. It is rich in agricultural anil
mineral wealth, and. in the middle of it, is a natural well around which the
Indians cleared off the timber, and built a village for the sake of the water.
The poet of the valley drew a true picture when he wrote :

"From the brow of Lahaska wide to the west,

The eye sweetly rests on the landscape below ;

'Tis blooming as Eden, when Eden was blest,

As the sun lights its charms with the evening glov/."

The surface is broken by Buckingham mountain. -'-^ A vein of limestone begins
back of the Lahaska liills, widens as it extends into Solebury, the many lime-
kilns it feeds adding greatly to the productive wealth of the township. The
soil in all parts is naturally fertile and the famous valley is unsurpassed in fertil-
ity. The population is well-educated and intelligent. The original settlers
were almost exclusi\ely English Friends, whose descendants form the bulk of
the population. Two of the main highways of the county, the Durham and
York roads, pass through the township in its entire length and breadtli, inter-
secting at Centreville, while lateral roa-ds run in every direction. Before Sole-
bury was cut oft, about 1703, Buckingham contained thirty-three thousand
acres, but with its present area is the largest township in the county.

The name "I'uckingham" is of English origin and in Etigland is borne
by several localities. We have Bushing from bcccii, the beech-tree, then Becen-
ham. then Bushingham, the village among the beeches, and lastly Buckingham.
Probably it was given this name from a desire to retain it in the county, after
that of Bristol had been changed from Buckingham to what it now bears.
In 1706 the township was called New Buckinghain, probably to distinguish
it from Bristol which was still callctl "Buckingham." It is possible the nan:o
had not been given to it in 1700, for in the return of survey of James Strcatcr's
land it is said to be laid out in Bucks county, township not mentioned. Jcjhn
\\'atson records, that in cutting down a white oak, in 1769, there were found
in it several large marks of an ax, which the growth of the tree indicated must
have been made some tifty years before the Province was granted to Penn.

It is impossible to say who was the first settler in Buckingham, or the
time of his arrival, but it could not have been more than a year or two after
Jolin Chapman had seated liimself in the wooils of \\'rightstown. It is prob-
able all the first settlers of this region made a halt in Falls, or the neighboring
settlements, liefnre they push.ed tlieir way back into the woods about the grtat
momitain. They were mostl}' members of Falls meeting, and it is said some
of them walkeil all the way down there to attend Hicetings before they had per-
mission to hold them in Buckingham. These settlers were of a better class,
many of them were intelligent and educated, and the energy required in the
settlement of a new country developed their he'-t mental and physical qualities.
Surveys were made as early as 16S7, and. before 1702, nearly all the land was
located. This was before the Indian title had been extinguished to an acre

2;', On the finuniit, and near the niiddle of the range, is a rocky cavern, called
''Wolf Rock*;." '^aid to have had its hermit, and some romantic stories are fold about it.
The mo\intniTi is much frequented in tl.c spring of the year by young people.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 245

if. tin; lowiiship.^ Until grain encaigh was raised to support the pioneers of
i'-iL-kinLjliani and Solcbiiry a supi>ly was fetched from Fails and Middlctown.
At the lime Buckingham was svntled there was no store north of Bristol, and
• >riur to 1707 grain was taken to Morris Gwin's mill, on the Pennypack, to be
^T'jf.nd.

It is claimed that Amor Preston was the first white man to settle in Bnck-
iiic^l'.am, but the time of his coming, or whether he was actually the earliest
scaler, is not positively known. He is said to have followed his trade, a tailor,
.'.t W'iccaco where his cabin was burned, whereupon • the Indians, who lived
aiiout the Buckingham mountain, invited him to move up to their village.
I lis wife, the child of Swedish parents who lived on the Delaware above the
ir.iiuth of Xesliaminy, was brought up in the family of James Boyden, who had
live hundred and forty-one acres surveyed to him in Bristol township, in 1682.
'I'lieir eldest son. Nathan, erroneously said to have been the first white child
1.. irn in Buckingham, was born. 171 1, married Mary Hough in 1737, died, in
177S, and was buried at Plumstead. His widow died in 1782. The descend-
nnts of Amgr Preston claim he married his wife at Pennsbury in the presence
of William Pcnn; but as they were not married until 1710 or 1711, several
years after Penn had left the Province not to return, this claim is not well
founded. His widow died in 1774, at the house of her grandson, Paul Pres-
t'ln. in Buckingham, aged upward of one hundred years.* She used to relate
tiiat she saw William Penn land where Philadelphia stands. °

This family produced an eccentric, and. to
some extent, a distinguished member in the pcr-
M>n of Paul Preston. By close application he
became a fine mathematician and linguist, study-
ing in a small building he erected off from his
duilling. He led an active life until upward
of sixty, dressed in homespun clothes and
Icatiiern apron, ate off a wooden trencher and
<iied from a fall into a ditch at the age of eighty-
four. His widov.-. Hannah Fisher, whom he
r.inrricd in 1763. lived to her ninety-fourth year.
He Vvas county surveyor, tax-collector, and trans-
later of German for the courts. He was six
f' et six and three-quarters inches in height. Paul
Preston was the friend and associate of Franklin. prestos coat-of-akms

i^^H-

1 •.

■'A

3 Among the original settlor.^ were John and Thom.is Bye, George Pownall, Edward
Henry, Roger Hartley, James Streater, William Cooper, Richard P.urge.-^s. John Scarbor-
"■J'.4h, flenry Pax.-;on, John and Richard Lundy, John Large, James Lenox, William
l-icey. J(,hn Worstall. J.-icob Holcomb, Joseph Linton, Joseph Fell, Matthew Hughes,
Tl-'nias Weston, Amor Prc^on, Joseph George, Lawrence Pearson, Rachel Parsons,
IXiiiiel Jackson and Joseph Gilbert. Some of these settlers did not come into the town-
ship until after 1700.

4 The Preston homeslc.id was the farm owned and occupied by Benjamin Goss. near
tl.e east line of the township.

5 The Preston Bible says that Amor Preston was born at Frankford, Philadelphia
Co., Feb. 7, iCfi^-s. In it is the followincj made by the f.-ither. Willi.mi Preston: "I
left old England, with my wife and children, the loth, 4th month. 1683. We arrived in
i'cnnsjlvani.i joih, 6th month, 16S3." Wiili.ini Preston's wiie, the mother of Am.ir,

246 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

who esteem him hiqlilx'. It is related, tliat a frieivl of Franklin.
about to CO to Cdiirt at XewtiAvn. a'^ked for a letter of introductirin
to Preston, but the d'.ictor declineii ii.i L'ivc it. sayincT he would know him
easy enougii, as he will be the tallest man, the liomeliest looking man and the'
most sensible man he would meet at Xewtown. His son .Samuel"^ born in ijjf'i.
and died in 1834, was the first Associate Judge of Wayne county, where his
descendants reside."'- Samuel Preston used to relate of liis grandmother that *
when a little girl, tending cows in the swamp near Xeshaminy, she discovered the |
dead body of a white man in the water, a peddler who had been seen the day |
before. She was sent to the nearest house, one Johnson's, to give the alarm. |
and that as she entered a little girl said her father had killed a man the night 1

before and a woman was then wiping up the blood.' 1

James Streater, of Alsfre, England, and Richard Parsons each owned \

five hundred acres they located soon after 1683. The former bought |

the tract which Penn granted to George Jackson, of Wellow. in Sejitembcr, i

l68l, and by the latter to Streater. in 16S3. wliich Penn confirmed March 5. |

1700. He sold it to Edmund Kinsey, 1714, and, at his death, it passed to his- I

heirs. The meeting-house stands on this tract. It was a parallelogram in 1

shape, and lay on both sides of the York road from the township line to about |

Greenville. In 1714 Streater styles himself, '"practitioner in physic," but as he |

was a grocer in 1683, he must have studied the healing art between these dates. \

Perhaps he practiced without study, and exclaimed with Shakespeare, "Throw \

physic to the dogs." Parson's tract, above Streater's, was granted in 16S2.
He conveyed it to Thomas Nicholas, New Castle, 1727, and at his death, 1746,
three hundred and thirty-four acres were bought by Stephen Perry, of Phila-

was Ann Taylor. The will of William Preston, Frankford, Philadelphia Co., is dated
5 month, 29, 1714, and probated Oct. o. 1717 — witne":;, Thomas Canby and Morris Morris.
The children mentioned are Amor, Abell, Paul, Priscilla and Sarah. The executor*
were the widow and Paul Preston.

6 E.\tract from the Journal of Samuel Preston, Surveyor, 17S7: ''June 12. 17.^7-
I set out on my journey about eiglit o'clock in the morning. Traveled up Durham road
to the sign of the Harrow, where I fed and cat dinner; from thence by Burson's and
Brackenridge's to Valemine Opp's tavern, where I fed and rested about two hours.''
This extract is from the "Journal to the frontier of Northampton county for Henry
Drinker," to survey lands for Drinker and .Abil James, merchants, Philadelphia.

6;/ The Preston coat-of-arms is almost identical with that of the Preston family of
England, and llie motto nearly the same, assumed, by royal license, by Thomas Hulinii.
a descendant of the Prestons, who was created a baronet in 1S15. The family seat is at
Beeston, St. Lawrence, Xorfoi'K. The name of Preston is one of great antiquity in
Nortli Britain.

7 We find it impossible to reconcile the conflicting statements concerning Mrs. Pre=-
tou. If she were a "little girl" when she found the dead man (who v.as killed in May, 1692),
she could not have been over an hundred years when she died, in !774- If she were
married at Pennsbury, while the Manor house was building, and Penn at the wcddincr,
it must have taken place at his second visit, 1600- I/OI, for she was too young at his first
visit. The throry that her son Xathan was the first white child born in the township
is .spoiled by the fact that he was actually born in 1711, and as he was the eldest chiUl
of his parents we have the right to suppose they were married within a year of tl'.at tini''
The Buckingham Meeting records contain tl'.e date of birth of seven children of William
and Jane I'restim, of Bradley. F.nK'and, all born lictuicn jfoyi and I7T,V

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 247

ikllilii'i- The farm of Joseph Fell was part of it. In 16SS, a tract of a thousand
acres was confirmed to Richard Lundy, and at the close of 1684 a warrant for
icveral thonsand acres was issued to Thomas Hudson. The land was located
ill Ijuckingham and elsewhere, but not being taken up regularly it was finally
cuvereil with warrants to other persons. In 172J, two hundred and twelve
acres, lying on the Street road, were surveyed to Joseph Worth.

The 2ist of June, 16S7, nine hundred and eighty acres were surveyed to
Edward West, and nine hundred and eighty-four to John Reynolds, on the
south side of the mountain, the two tracts joining each other' and extending
to the Wrightstown line. The original purchasers never appearing, the land was
settled upon by others at an early day, without any color of title, and the im-
provement rights sold, down to 1769. The Proprietaries took bonds from the
tenants against waste. Im 1742 they sold five hundred acres of the W^est tract.
l-"roni 1752 to I7()0 there were ninnerous suits for the possession of these lands,
anil litigation was continued down to within the present generation. At various
times those in possession took out w-arrants to locale by actual survey. In 17S1
the Reynolds tract was declared an escheat to the Proprietaries, and the claim-
ants, under the escheat, were permitted to take out patents at the rate of £15 per
hundred acres. Those claiming to be the heirs of the first purchaser filed
caveats against issuing the patents, and, about 178S. one Reynolds, from Ire-
land, brought an action of ejectment, but was non-suited. The caveat claimants
afterward brought suit, but were defeated. In 1808 John Harrison Kaign
made claim to the property for himself and others. The last suit about these
lands was terminated within a few years, in which the late Thomas Ross was
engaged as counsel. The absence of Reynolds was accounted for by his alleged
loss at sea, and the Revolution was given as the cause of delay in bringing suit.
There are two traditions, one that he was lost at sea returning to England, the
other that he was lost coming to America to take possession of his tract which
had been located by an agent. On the trial several old letters were produced,
one purporting to be written by Joh.n Re}-nolds in England to his brother in
Chester county, stating his intention to sail for Pennsylvania to take possession
of the land. The absence of West was not accounted for.

Some steps were taken in more recent years to recover the Reynolds tract
for the heirs, but nothing came of it. The editor of the Doylestown DcniacrcJ
received a letter at the time, stating that the tract "descended to the late Samuel
Reynolds, Philadelphia, but three years of age when' his father, James Rev-
nolds, died, 1767; who was heir in common with two brothers, Nathaniel, the
elder, who possessed the land, 1794, and Chicestcr, the younger. They were the
sons of Reverend James Reynolds, rector of the Parish of Denertogney in the
P.arony of Inishanc, County Donegal, Ireland : that the Reverend James Rcy-
nnlds was the eldest son and heir-at-law of Nathaniel Reynolds, which Nathan-
iel Reynolds was the eldest son and heir-at-law of the original purchaser, who
came in the "Welcome" with Penn. The original patent of this land is in the
Land Department at Harrisburg, and the title is now in the heirs of the late
.'-■anniel Reynolds.

Robert Smith, the first of his family in P.uckinghnm, was the second son
of his father, who died on his passage from England. He arrived before 1699.
and in bis minoritv. His mother married a second time, and, on arrivinsj at

8. The two fr.icts were re-surveyerl by Cutler in 1703 by virtue of a warr.int dated
llth month, 5, 1702, and found to cont.iin two thouf.ind four hundred and fifty acres.

248 ; IllSTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

age, lie left the maternal home bare-footed. He took up five hundred acres of
land, lie made his way well in life, married, 1719, and died, 1745, possessed
of seven hundred acres in Uucl^ing-hani, Makefield and Wrightstown. He had
six sons, and John Watson, the surveyor, said they were the six best penmen
he had ever met in one family. He was the grandfather of Robert Smith, sur-
veyor and conveyancer three quarters of a century ago, and the ancestor of
Carey Smith, of Spring X'alley. About the time of Robert Smidi's purchase,
came W'illiam Smith with his son Thomas and purchased five liundred acres
adjoining Robert. When the township lines were run the latter's land fell
into Upper Makefield, and was known as the "Windy bush" tract. These two
families were not related. Joseph Smitli, who introduced the use of anthracite
coal into this county, and Charles Smith, of Pineville, the first to burn lime
with hard coal, were both descendants of Robert Smith, the elder. Robert
Smith, but from which of tlie original Smiths descended we do not know, was
one of the pioneers in burning lime, having burnt a kiln as early as 1785. It is
uncertain wiien die first kiln was burnt in this county, but probably as early as
1761."'- The account book of Samuel Smith, grandfather of the late Josiah
B., Newtown, who lived on the Windy bush farm, shows he paid John Long
and David Stogdale for "digging limestone," June, 1761. This work was prob-
ably done in F.uckingham. In 1774 he charged Timothy Smith iifteen shillings
"for hauling five loads of lime." and about the same date, with one hundred
and eighty bushels of lime at eight pence a bushel. January 2. 1819, the lime-
burners of Buckingham and Solebury met at Xewtown to petition the legisla-
ture for an act to establish a bushel measure for lime. Buyers and sellers of
lime were invited to attend. Thomas Smith, the elder, of Buckingham, planted
the seed that grew the tree that bore the first Cider apples raised in America,
on" the farm where the first Robert Smith settled. This now excellent apple
began its career as natural fruit. The name, "Cider apple," was given to it
by an Irishman who lived at Timothy Smith's. }ilahlon Smith said he remem-
bered the tree as a verv large one. At one time there were ten Robert Smiths
in the same neighborhood in Buckingham. Samuel Smith, a soldier and officer
of the Revolution, was not of this family, but a son or grandson of Hugh Smith,
a Scotch-Irisli settler on the Reynolds tract in Buckingham. He was born Feb-
ruary I, 1740. and died September 17, 1835. He entered the Continental Army in
1776, and served to the end of the war. He rose to the rank of captain, and was
in some of the severest battles. Fie was an officer in Lafayette's brigade. After
the war he married a daughter of John Wilkinson and settled down as a farmer.
In the war of 1S12-14 he commanded a brigade of militia at Marcus Hook. He
\vas the father of General Andrew J. Smith," of the United States Army, who
distinguished himself in the Civil \\'ar.

S' J. Linjo^tone \va.^ quarried, and probably burnt, in Bucldngham as early as I/OJ.
In a dLcd frt.ni Lawrence Pearson to his brother Enoch Pearson, for lOO acres of the
I'lX) bou.dit by Lawrence of John Burgess in the Lundy tract, conipriiins the western
p.'.rt of ilie farm of Samuel E. Brnadhurst and the Anderson farm, the 100 acres to be
taken off next the Lundy, or Eastern side, and dated March 8, 1703-.). is this reservation:
''Except the privili-!,'c of gcttinij liincstonc for the said Lawrence and his cliihiren's own
use with full egress and regress for fetching the same." Deed Book No. 3. pg. iSr.

9 .\iiilrew Jackson SmitlV was l)orn in l'>uckintih:im towii<l:ip. Ilncks Co-. I'c~ .
iSts. ai:d died at St. Louis, Mo., January 30, l?97. lie entered West Point. 1S34. gradu-
ated, iS.vS; on recrnitiiiK service. i.'^.;rj-45: promoted l~t lieutenant and served in Mexican

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 249

Samuel A. Smith and wife, UxforJ, Chester county, rennsylvania, son
«.f General Sam.uel Smith, celebrated their golden wedding, November 6, 1877.
Ihere was a large comiKiny present, embracing four generations of the Smith
iiiinilv. At that time Samuel A. Smith had three brothers living, George A.,
Zion Hill, Maryland; Andrew J., United States Army, and Jenks Smith, Fhila-
.li-lphia. .\mong the guests was a JMrs. Waddleton, New York, a sister of ^Irs.
Smith, and bridesmaid at the wedding tifty years before. The occasion was one
vi great family interest. George A. Smith died at Zion Hill, January 7, 1879,
111 his 85th year. The deceased was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

Thomas Canby, son of Benjamin, of Thorn, Yorkshire, .England, born
.-ibuut 1667, came to Penns) Ivania in 1683, as an indentured apprentice of Henry
ilaker, and was in Buckingham before, or by, 1690. He bought part of the
I.undv tract, near Centreville, and married Sarah Jarvis, in i'X)3. He was mar-
ried three times, and was the father of seventeen children. Selling the Lundy
]iropertv to Samuel Baker, he purchased pan of the Scarborough tract in Sule-
bur\-, including the Stavely farm, which he sold to his two sons, Thomas and
Benjamin, and afterward bought Heath's mills 011 the Great Spring creek, near
Now Hope, where he died in 1742. His descendants are nearly numerous
enough to iicoplc a stale. Among the families who have descended, in part,
from this ancestry are the Laceys, Hamptons, Smiths, Elys, Fells, Staplers,
(.iillinghnms, Paxsons, \\'ilsons, Eastburns, Johnsons, Watsons, Pickerings,
Parrys, Newbolds, ]\Iagills, Duers, Prices, Tysons, etc., etc.

\\'illiam Cooper,"'^ one of the earliest settlers of Buckingham, was descended
from an ancestor of the same name, of Nether, sometimes called Low Elling-.
ton, a hamlet on the river ^'re, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England.
He was born August 16, 1649, and in the registry of his marriage at Masham
the name is written, '"Cowper." He immigrated to Pennsylvania, 1699, and
jirobalily came first to Falls, but settled in B.uckingham the same year. His
wife's name was Thomasine, whom he married about 1672, three years
briMfe he joined the Friends, by whom he had eight children, all
<'f whom came to America witli him. He purchased five hundred
acres from Christopher Atkinson, who died before the deed was
made, but, under the will, the title was confirmed by his widow, Margaret, "'of
Belmont, of Bcnsalem." In this conveyance the name is Nvritten Cowper, as it
is in the parish record of England. Friends' meeting, in Buckingham, w^as
lirsi held at his house. This early settler died, 1709. His children mar-
ried into tlic families of Euckman, Huddleston, Hibbs, Pearson and Bond.
Tile famil}- here recorded is not identical with that of Cooper, the novelist.
His ancestor. James Cooper, settled in Philadelphia in 1683, and then owned
the lot on which the deeds office stood on Chestnut street, opjiosite the custom-
house. He was probably a brother of \\'illiam Cooper, of Coleshill. llertford-
?hire, England, born 1632, died 1710, who settled at Pine point, now Camden,
New Jersey, in 1679, with his wife Margaret and five children. Some of his
<lesccndants and relatives married into Bucks county families, his daughter
Hannah to John Woolston. i6Sr. and his nephew, William Cooper, to Mary
Groom, of Southampton. Their .son James married Hannah Hilibs in 1750,

w.ns. C.npt.xiM, iS+S. and soi vcj !linn!.:;h the Civil wnr re.ichinc; the rank of brevet major-
Roiieral. l[i_' was appointed colonel ;ili U. .'^. Cavalry al'ier the war, and was retired 1SS9.
0'.' In "Bcs^ics' Sufrerjnt:'^." vol. j. p. 771. wc read that in Ki'jo \\'iHiani Cooper, of
Yorhsiiirc, was fined "S, 6d. Tins was our Buckingham William.

so IIISTORV OF BUCKS COUXTY.

and anoihcT ni ilu-ir suns. Thomas, niarricil I'lia'bc Ilililis. and lived ni.any year-
in Solfbur}-, wiktc Ik- died at the clnse of the ninetfi-ntli century. Hainiali
Hibbs \\a^ the yraiuhnother of James I'enimore Cor.per. who thus dcsceuds 'jf
a Bucks county family in the maternal line. In 17^3, and for some years fol-
lowing, his ancestor owned one hundred and fifty acres of land near Quaker-
town. James Cooper, the grandfather of Fenimore, took by bequest, under
the will of his uncle Sanuiel, in 1750, "ye plantation att Buckingham that
Nathan Preston did claire out of ye woods ;" and his brother Thomas took by
the same will "the plantation that William Breston did claire out of ye woods."
These were grandsons of James Cooper, who died in 1732, having lived fifty
years after his arri\al in America, and descendants of two Bucks county
mothers. The first wife of James Cooper, of Philadelphia, was Sarah Dunning.
of Southampton. 2^Iore recent inquirv proves that the ancestor of the novelist
was probably born in 1645, ^^ Bolton, in Lancashire."

The ISyes were in the township before the close of the century. In 1699
Thomas Bye bought some six hundred acres of Edward Crews, Nathaniel
Park and others, laid out by John Cutler, October 6, 1701, It ran down to the
mountain. The land Crews and Park conveyed to Bye was granted to ihem,
1681, but they were probably never residents of the township. He received
two hundred and fifty acres from each of them, and one hundred acres from
Samuel Martin, part of three hundred acres that Park conveyed to him. The
Bye tract was bounded by lands of Richard Lundy, James Streater, John
Scarborough, and vacant lands. The 5th of March, 1702, Nathaniel Bye, son
of Thomas, bought two hundred and fifty acres of Edward Simpkins, of Soudi-
wark, England, for £9, lying in Buckingham, and. in 1706, Thomas conveyed
the six hundred acre tract to his son Nathaniel, but it was not to be sold during
the lifetime of the grantor and his wife. The grandson of the first Thomas
Bye. also Thomas, died in Buckingham, December 27, 1827, in his 88th year.

Plezekiah Bye married Sarah, daughter of William Pettitt, who owned the
mill at, or near, the Ingham spring. Some years after they removed to
Centre county, where their daughter, Charity, bom 1780. married James
Packer, and became the mother of several children, one of whom, William F.
Packer, was elected Go\ernor of Pennsylvania, 1857. Hezekiah Bye was a
noted hunter. Late in life he and his wife removed to Ohio, where they died.
A daughter of Governor Packer married Elisha Ellis, member of the Easton
bar. The late ^lary Bye, of Buckingham, was thouglit to have been a lineal
descendant of Thomas Bve, the immigrant.

The 3d of ^fay, 1702, three hundred acres were laid off in Buckingham to
Edward Ilartly, by virtue of a warrant dated December 31, 1701. This was

10 Tiie Oswego (New York) Times, of Alay 3, 1849, contains the following obi-
tuary nolice nf a Buck'; county Conpcr : "Jainc; Co.ipcr ilicil at cii,'lit o'clock last even-
ing at tlie resilience of liis son, C. C. Cooper, esquire, of this city, after a sh.ort illness, in
the ninety-seventh year of his age, having been born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on
the 6th of Marcli, 175.1. lie was a brother of the late Judge William Cooper, and uncle
of James Fenimore Cooper. Till within a few days Mr. Cooper retained in a remarkable
dci^ree the powers and faculties of an athletic frame and strong intellect. He emphati-
cally belonged to the iron race of the Revolution, to an age gone by, and was the friend
and intimate .acquaintance of Washington. At the cnmmcnccinent of the Revolution he
served in the navy of Pennsylvania, and subsequently in the militia of his native state,
p.iriic'pating in the hard fought battles of M.,iunouth and Gcrnianto%vn."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXT)'.

j«,irl ff a twenty-five hundred aero tract that Pcnn coineved to John Rowland,
V. till, (I\ing intestate, hib brother took tlie land and conveyed to Harlly. Before
170J Panl Wolf, Stepl'.en Beaks and John Scarborough were landholders in
the township. A thousand acres were surveyed to Isaac Decow'^ as early as
:sliout 168S, which bounded Richard Lundy's land on the eastern line at its
Duper corner, and, lOSy, three hundred acres were surveyed to Henry Pauiin,
under a warrant dated .May 3, 16S6.

Tlie Paxson family came into Buckingham from Solcbury, where the an-
cestor. Henry, ^- settled in 1704. His father, William Paxson, from Bucking-
hamshire, settled in INIiddletown in 1682, whence the son removed. Thomas Pax-
sun, of Buckingham, was the fifth in descent from Henry, who settled in Sole-
bury, through Jacob, his fourth son and second wife, Sarah Shaw, of Pknn-
stead, whom he married in 1777. But two of Jacob Paxson"s large family of
children became residents of Bucks county, Thomas, who married Ann. a
pranddaughter of William Johnson, and was the father of ex-Judge Edward
M. Paxson, of the State Supreme Court, and -Mary, who married William H.
Johnson and died, 1S62. William Johnson was born in Ireland, and received
a good education. He came to Pennsylvania after his majority, bringing with
him an extensive library for the times, settled in Bucks county, married Ann
Potts, and removed to South Carolina, where he died at the age of thirty-five.
His sons were all cultivated men, Thomas becoming an eminent lawyer, and
dying at New Hope, 1S38. Samuel, the youngest son, spent his life in Buck-
ingham, married Martha Hutchinson, and died, 1843. ^^^ '^'^'^^ ^ po*-'*^ *^^ con-
siderable distinction.

The Watsons came into the township the beginning of the eighteenth ceTi-
tury. Thomas Watson, tlie first of the name, a malstcr from Cumberland,
England, settled near Bristol, at a place called "Ho;iey Plill," about 1701, with
his wife and sons Thomas and John. He brought a certificate from Friends'
meeting at Pardsay Cragg. dated 7th month, 23d, 1701. He married Eleanor
Pearson, of Robank, in Yorkshire. In 1704 he removed to Buckingham on four
hundred and fifty acres bought of the sons of John Hougli (who were devisees
of Francis Rossil, the Philadelphia merchant), bounded on the northwe.st by the
York road.'-'= Being a man of intelligence he turned his attention to medicine,
and there being no physician within several miles, he grew into a large practice
before his cjeath, in 1731 or 1732. He was interested in the education of the
Indians, and, it is said, kept a scheiol for them, but lost his most promising
pupils by small-pox. Of his sons, John, a man of strong and well cultivated
intellect, and of greater medical knowledge, took his father's place, was a suc-
cessful practitioner, and died in 1760. He was sixteen years a member of As-
sembly. Thomas, the eldest son, died before his father. His son John, born
about 1720, finished his education at Jace^b Taylor's Academy, Philadelphia,
and became one of the most eminent men in the Province. He was a distin-
guished mathematician and surveyor, and assisted to run the line between
Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, and was noted for his elegant penman-
sliip. He died. :76i, in his forty-second year, at William Blackfan's. and was
buried at Buckingham. The newspapers of the day expressed great regret at

II Probably a miinomer. Surveyed by Chri-itophcr Taylor.
I-! W.is in the Assembly in I7P3-I70-.

iJ'j He refused to survey tlic tr.ict on Peiin's w.irr.int without consent of the
Indians.

252

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV

his death. '^ John Watson was secretary for Governor ?vIorris at the Indian
treaty, Easton, 1756. Franklin had promised to find the Governor a good ptjn-
man, and mentioned 'Mr. Watson. When the Governor's party passed up the
York road, JNIr. Watson was out mending fence, barefooted, but, on invitation
to accompany them, threw down his ax and walked to Easton without prepara-
tion for the journey. He engrossed the treaty on parchment, and his penuian-
sliip elicited great admiration. Franklin says that after the treaty was engrossed
the Governor took off his hat to W atson and said to him : ''Since I first saw
you I have been trying to make out what you are. I now have it. You are tlie
greatest hypocrite in the world.'' He was a large, heavy man, with a forbid-
ding appearance. He was both a scholar and a poet and spoke good extempore
verse. It is stated that on one occasion an Irishman, indicted for stealing a
halter, asked Mr. Watson to defend him, who consented. The testimony was
positive, but he addressed the jury in fine extempore poetry, beginning:

"Indulgent Nature gtncrously bestows
All creatures knowledge of their mortal foes," etc.,

and the fellow Vvas acquitted. A memorandum of John Watson states that
he grafted two apple trees w ith the "Xew York syder apple" in February, 1757,
on his farm in Buckingliam. Thomas Penn wanted him to accept the office of
Surveyor-General, 17O0, but he declined.

C3n the back of one of the sheets of "Cutler's Survey," 1703, found ainong
the papers of John Watson, Jr., was the drawing of a bee hive with a recijie
to keep millers from the bees — "induce them to light on the end of a pole," but
nothing more; also a recipe to preserve the taste of cider — '"put four ounces of
pearl ash into a barrel of cider when pretty well worked, and it v.ill not turn
sour." Watson also made use of the back of a surveying book for a good deal
of general scribbling, and, on one of them, we found a copy of Dr. John Wat-
son's famous pastoral of the ''Jolly Boatman:"

'"T!ie jolly boatnicin, down the ebbing stream.
By the clear moonlight, plies his easy way.
With prosp'rous fortune to inspire his theme,
Sings a sweet farewell to the parting day."

These were among the Longstreth papers ])laced in our hands while pre-
paring the revised edition of Bucks county. The Longstreths and Watsons
were warm friends.'^

13 The coast-survey oflice is now engaged in collecting material to publish the
biography of the surveyors who run Mason and Dixon's line, of which John Watson
was one. He had previously run the line between the Penns and Maryland, but while
engaged on the Mason and Di.xon line he contracted the influenza that proved fatal. lie
caught a severe cold on a warm day, and such was his anxiety to reach home he dropped
cvrr\ thing and hastened to William Blackfan's. Solebury, riding over 60 miles in one day,
whore he died. His will is dated 5th, nth month, 1760, and probated Sept. I, 1761. There
was a pathetic side to John Watson's last illness. He was engaged to Mr. Blackfan's
datishicr, Hannah, and his anxiety to see her induced him to make the lide that hast-
ened his death. He left to her a Iar;.;e share of his estate, out of a sincere friendship,
ani.1 hoiir.rable esteem he entertained for her.''

14 In Buckingham. May 5. 1S16. Euphcmia, wile of John Watson, and daughter of
the late Dr. Jonathan Iiiyhain, aged 40 years.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 253

Among those \vho came into the township about the time of Thomas Wat-
suii were Matthew Hughes, Joseph Fell, the Lintons, John Hill, Ephraim Fen-
luu, isaac Pennington and William Pickering. JNIatthew Flughcs was in the
Assembly for several years, was a member, 1725, and commissioned a justice
in 1738. Fie was a man of ability and great integrity of cliaracter, and much
esteemed.

Joseph Fell, ancestor of the Fells of this county, son of John and Margaret
I'ell, was born at Longlands, in the parish of Rockdale, county of Cumber-
land, England, October 19, i66S. His father died when he was two jears old.
lie learned the trade of carpenter and joiner with John Bond, of Wheelbarrow
hill, near Carlisle, and worked at it as long as he remained in England. Fie
married Elizabeth Wilson, of Cumberland, at the age of thirty, and in 1705
immigrated to America with his wife and two children. They sailed in the
Cumberland, making the capes of Virginia in twenty-nine days from Belfast.
Landing at the raouth of the Potomac, they made their way by land and water
via Choptank, Frenchtown and New Castle, where they took boat for Bristol
in Ibis county. He lived in Upper Makeficld a few months, and then removed
to Buckingham. 1706, where he died. About 1709 he married his second wife,
Elizabeth Doyle, of Irish and New England-parentage, but born in this county,
with whom he lived the rest of his life. He was the father of eleven children,
and left thirty-five grandchildren, his children marrying into the families of
Scarborough, Kinsey, Watson, Haines, Kirk, Church and Heston. He was the
ancestor of Joseph Fell, of Buckingham.

J. Gillingham Fell, long a resident of Philadelphia, where he died October
27, 1878, was born at }^Iechanicsville, Buckingham township, November, 1S16.
Fie was the son of \\'illiam Fell and Mary Gillingham. At his father's death
his mother married Dr. John Wilson, who was a father to the two orphan
children of William F'ell. After receiving his education, Gillingham Fell
turned his attention to civil engineering, and, among his early work, was estab-
lishing the lines and grades of Doylestown at its incorporation, 1S38. After
spending some time on the Island of Cuba, he went into the Lehigh coal
region, and formed a business connection with the late Ario Pardee, which
continued to !^Ir. Fell's death, and resulted profitably. He accumulated large
wealth, and was highly esteemed. His private charities were numerous. ^Mr.
Fell married Amanda, daughter of John Ruckman, Solebury, and they were the
parents of two children, a son and daughter. The former is deceased, the lat-
ter is the wife of the son of the late Bishop Flowe. iNIrs. Fell died February
7, 1900, in her 8 1st year.

Jesse Fell, son of Thomas and Jane, and a
descendant of Joseph Fell, the elder, born in Buck-
ingham, April 16. 1 75 1, was the first person to
make a successful experiment of burning anthracite
coal in a grate. About 1700 he removed to Wilkes-
Barrc, Luzerne county, where he became a respected
citizen, held several c-unty offices, including Asso-
ciate-Judge, and died August 11, 1830. He had crest of the fells.
burnt hard coal in a nailery, and was satisfied it

would burn in a grate if it were properly constructed. He atid his nephew,
Edward Fell, made an iron grate, that \vas set in tlie fire-place of his bar-room
the afternoon of February 11. i^oS;. His attempts had attracted considerable
attention, and created no little merriment aini.nu;- his neighbors. He invited

254 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

several of them to ciiiiic and witness the experiment, hut cinlv two came Irnni
fear of being hoaxed. Among otliers he invited tiie irlonorablc Thomas Couper,
then I'resident-Judge of the Courts, and afterward president of South Carolnia
College, to stop at his tavern on his way home. He did so and saw a nice coal-
fire Inuiiing in the grate. Judge Cooper, it is said, became angry on seein"-
he had been anticijiated in the discovery, and walked the floor, muttering ti
himself, that it was strange an illiterate man like Fell should discover what lie
had tried in vain to hnd out. Mr. Fell made a memorandum of the successful
experiment on the lly-leaf of "The Mason's ^lonitor," which he signed with
his name and date.

The Carvers, who came into the township early, are probably descended
from William, the second of three brothers who came over, 16S2, and settled
in Jjyberry, I'hiladelphia county. John, tlie eldest brother, took up six humlred
and ninety acres on Poquessing creek, in the northeast part of the township.
The liLimestead remained in the family for six generations, until 1864. It is
claimed that his eldest daughter, ^lary, was born in a ca\ e on the site of Pliila-
delphia, the first white child born of English parents in the Province. John
Carver planted two pear trees which he brought with him from England, which
are said to have been standing a few \ears ago. Several of John Carver's
descendants married into Bucks county families, his grandson John to Rachel
Navlor, Southampton, one great-grandson, John, to j\Iary Buckman, Wrights-
town, and another, ]\lahlon, to Amy Pickering, Solebury. The latter was born,
1754, and kept the Anchor tavern at one time. William Carver traded his farm
in Bvberry to Silas \\'alm^ly for land in Buckingham, near Bushington. His
eldest son, William, married a daughter of tienry Walmsly and removed to
Buckingham, but wc do not know whether the father did. The latter's wife
dying, 1692, he married again and had four children. Either the lather or son
is supposed to have built the Green Tree tavern at Bushington. Among the
descendants of William Carver and Elizabeth Walmsly is Elias Carver, of
Doylestown. Thomas Parsons took np five hundred acres, which were sur-
veved to him April G, 1700. George Claypole owned eleven hundred acres,
mostlv in Buckingham, wdiich formerly belonged to one Mary Crap. This tract
probablv extended into the eastern edge of Doylestown township.

In 170C) the quarterly meeting granted leave to the Buckingham Friends to
hold a iTieeting for worshi],i, which was first held at the house of William
Cooper, alternating at John Gillingham's, James Streater's and Nathaniel Bye's.
In 1705 Streator conve_\ed ten acres, in trust, to build a meeting-house on, and
for a burying gmund, with the privilege of roads to get to it. This was the l';>t
where the meeting-house now stands. On the west side of the road that wound
up the hill, and near the lower side of the graveyard, a small log mccting-house
was soon afterward built.'' C'n the establishment of a monthlv meeting. 1721,
a new frame house was built a little further up the slope nf the hill. In 1731
a sliine house, with a stone afldition one story high for the use of the women,
was built still higher up the hill. Some wanted to build w here the present luiuse
stands, but prejudice fc^r the old spot was too strong. In this house, 173^.

T5 III Juno, 1705, r,-,u-kitii;!Kim FriciiiU in'tir.ed P-'nll^ nico'.iii:.; tluv iir.cn. In! to l>n:M
a in',ciinuc-linu-c, and a.-ki-rl tlnir advice, wlicii S;cplicn \Vil':nn ,ind T^'lni Watsiin were
.■i|>I)c'niicd til collect money an'.onc I'ricnd-; ..t T'.nckin.uh.im, Tlu- li.n'.-c wa-; cnnnncnoid
liiat year, but not bcincr fmi'^lioil liy Scpleraber, i;nS, Falls nicctinfr ,-ppointed Tlioni.-;
S'r-nicr and Thnnias \Vat<nn "to '.ia d^nc witli >;pccd."

■ "'..■'>"

-^.^

'%■

i

•1 ■

4

BUCKINGHAM MtETIXG HOUSE.

liuckingliam Friends held their first monthly meeting. Jt caught fire April 8,
i/OS. from a stove during meeting, and was burned down. The present house was
erected the same season at a cost of iy^O, 14s, ijjd., a fine old-fashioned stone
edifice, forty bv seventv feet, two stories high, with a panel partition to separate
the women from the men.^" Until the new house was built and ready to occupy,
I"irst-dav meetings were held at the house of Benjamin \\'illiams, near b\'."

The meeting-house was used as a hospital a portion of the Revolutionary
war, and several soldiers were buried about where the turnpike crosses the hill,
some of whose remains were uncovered when the pike was made. On meeting
davs tlie soldiers put one-half the house in order for Friends, many of them
attending service. The 1 >nlv monthly meeting held out of the house during the
war was February i, 1777, in Thomas EUicott's blacksmith shop. Buckingham
Friends were among the earliest to see the evil effects of the use of whiskey
at vendues, and the monthly meeting of April. 1724, re])orted against the prac-
tice. In 1756 the meeting bore testimony against war by advising all Friends
'"not to he concerned in a military match, by attending in jierson or pa\ing
toward it." Two years afterward ]<Am Love was "dealt with" for enlisting as
a soldier in the king's service. The two old horse blocks remaining, one at each
end of the meeting-lKUise. were Idiilt at the linie the house was, 1768. Then the
young )>eople of both sexes went to meeting on horseback, the general way of
traveling from home.

The record of births, deaths and marriages go back to 1720. From 1725
1i> I7.vt Buckingham and Wrightsluwu had a joint meeting at the house of the
former, where the marriages of the two meetings were celebrated. The first
\\a> that of Thomas Lancaster to I'luebe Wardell, both of Wrightstown, Oc-
tober IQ. T725, and the sec'md. Zebulon ] leston. uncle of General Laccy. to
Elizabeth Euckman. Newtown. During these ten years there were fift\-five
marriages, and. among the parties, arc the familiar names of Large. Paxson,

I'l Thi' nia^on work niiil iil.iMcriii'.r wrrc dmip liy >raMii.n=: Hntchin^nn, of Snlilinry,
.-ciul the carpenter work l.v F.lwc.r.I Cvn]. ,,f Plr.nr^toa.l, t.ilhrr nf \allian G0...I.

I" "I i.e fariii licl'iiiuin^' in rn'int \vir< tn R.'i'rvt .\:-li. an.l an liiiiiilrcil yrar> a'^o
ti-> I'n'iiian-i!! Kiu-cy. ui.- ii.irt "f lIi- I'.iV- m:> trac;. it is rcLitcd t!iat a wild dcor nno d.iy
■.\.i!kod -.ii'.o llic <ild meeting diiiiHc. !■» kiil roiuid at llic people and walked out asaui.

2S6 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Fell, Chapman, Preston, Janney, etc, etc. Among the menibers of this meet-
ing, who were active in the ministry in former times, may be mentioned John
Scarboroii;,'h. born in Utickingham, abont 1713, and died, 1769, |ohn
Simpson, born in Falls, 1739, removed to Uuckingham wlien an infant, and died,
181 1, on a ministerial visit to Ohio; Samuel Eastbuni, Benjamin Fell.
Elizabeth Fell, Phcebe Ely and Ann Schofield. Ann }.Ioore, a native of
Bucks county, but we do not know that Buckingham was her birthplace, liv-
ing in Byberry, about 1750, was one of the most celebrated preachers of the
day. She was brought up without much education, and married unfortunately,
but she conquered all difliculty in the way and became a pozverfiil preacher.
Doctor John \\'atson said of her that the "truths of the gospel flowed from her
tongue in language, accents and periods somewhat resembling the style of the
poems of Ossian." She and her husband moved to Byberry, 1750, where they
resided four years when they removed to 2^Iaryland.

\\hile the yellow fever prevailed in Philadelphia, 1793, Jesse Blackfan and
Benjamin Ely, merchants of that city, brought their goods up to the Bucking-
ham school-house, still standing on the meeting-house lot, in the second story
of which they opened and kept store until it was safe to return to the city.
The meeting to form the first agricultural society organized in the count)- was
held in this school-house.

William Lacy, the immediate ancestor of the family in Bucks county bear-
ing this name, was an early settler in Buckingham near the line of Wrights-
town. He came from the Isle of W'ight. England, but we neither know the
time of his arrival nor where he first settled. He was a member of the Society
of Friends. In 1701 William Penn granted to William Parlet and William
Derrick, a tract of 292 acres, but this grant not havitig been confirmed, and
Parlet and Derrick meanwhile dying, Penn granted the land to William L.icey.
the son-in-law of Parlet, the conveyance being dated 171S, and the land was
surveyed to him. The original order of Penn, to Parlet and Derrick, dated at
Pennsbury located the '"tract" near '"Wrightstown." Their names appear on
Cutler's resurvey, 1703. In 1718 W'illiam Lacey conveyed to his son jolui,
seventy-three acres, and an additional one hundred and twenty acres 1733, and
in 1736. one hundred acres to his son Thomas, making in all two hundred and
ninety-three acres. The stream known as "Randall's Run,'' runs through the
tract. We are not informed as to the names of other children of William
Lacey, if he had any besides the two sons mentioned. A mill was built on the
property, 1743. by John and Thomas Lacey and is now known as the ''Vande-
grif!" mill. It was owned many years by the Carver family.

In 1718. John Lacey. son of W'illiam, married Rachel fleston, of New Enu-
land descent, whose familv had come to Bucks county a few )ears prior. Jolin
and Rachel 1 Meston) Lacey had a family of eleven children, five dying in their
minority and three marrying: Rachel to John Terry, 1738, John to Jane Chap-
man, 1746, and Jo?eph to Esther Warner. December 7, 1748. Ji>hn Lacev. son
of John and Jane (Chapman) Lacey and grandson of John and Rachel Laei>.
was the most consjiicuous member of the family. During the Revolution he
was in both the military and civil service of the Colonies, being a captain in
the Continental army, and Brigadier General of militia in active service, and.
member of A>-cnih!;,\ ami of the State F.xeciuivc Committee, and held, other
place? of pulilic trust. He m.arricd a daughter of Colonel Tlionias.Reyni'M-^.
Burlington ciiunty. New Jeisey. and one of thiir daughters. Kittv, became lii'"
wife of Dr. William Darlingt.)n, the distinguished botanist of Cliester couniy.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

257

('.ciicral Lacey was born in r.uckingham, 4th of 12th month, 1752, and died at
New Mills, iJurlin^on county, New Jersey, February 17, 1814.

The Lacey homestead, built cither by William Parlet, William Derrick, or
William Lacey, was in the Lacey family until within about fifty years. It was
>tanding until 1 877, on the farm of Charles T. Bewley, part of the original tract,
and at tliat time
was probably the
(West house in
(lie county. It was 'C
built 1705 or 1706, J; ';,

was still used as '■*''', -

a dwelling;, and ■

qr.ite comfortable. ^^,,
It was built, of ~"^

l^j^s clapboarded, :■•_-,■ ' /'

with a great cliim- .-.'\ ' ■ ' . ■

neystack in the '{ . , . ■

middle, the eaves '' '-■

coming down al- '.. .,■,-■''

most to the ground rr'..,\ i_„; , ^^.i.. ' r .^.^'i'+j

and all the rooms — — -_^4^-^_- - \ ____ ■^.^i

on one floor. Mr. '"'-'^ .' .^r- ^ ";^ ■ — -' — ^'--;

Bewley, a descend- '----^^ ■> . , \. . ; - ..,,——-. — .-rr-

ant of William La- "■ " t - ' " ' _:"—.,. 0.

ccy, was the owner olukst house in bicks cou.stv. wkightstown,

of the old family

bitile printed at Cambridge, England, 1630. If this old dwelling had possessed
"the gift of tongues." it could have told a more interesting story of the past than
an}- pen can write. This venerable dwelling was taken down on a Saturday after-
noon in the spring of 1877. Air. Bewley invited a number of his neighbors to as-
sist at the obsequies, and after it had been laid low, a lunch was served. The
main timbers were of black oak, and the boards, used inside, of the toughest red
cedar. The timbers were generally sound. The property is now owned bv
.h;'hn E. ]\Ialloy. I visited the Lacey house twenty years ago accompanied bv
the late Thomas P. Otter, artist, who made a correct drawing on the spot,
painted it on canvas from which the picture that illustrates this page was
i:iade. In this house General John Lacey was burn.

The carlie.-t boundary of Buckingham that we have seen is that entered of
record the 15th of September, 1722, atid was subslantiall_\- as at present. How
l<ing the township had been laid out w ith this hoimdary is not knc^wn. The only
charge noticed is on the southwest side by the formation of IJovlestown. and
th.e taking in of some lands across Little Xeshaminy. The following is the
boundary given : 'Tt sl'.all begin at a corner by a street which lies between the
said Buckingham township and Solebury township, and to run from thence .S.
\\ . by line of niarked trees, i .493 perches to a corner by Cliiypolc's land ;
tlunce X. W. by the said Clayiiole's 430 jierches to a corner; thence S. W. 210
perches to a corner; thence X. W. bv John Rodman's lanil i.oGo perches to a
c.inuT by the Sc'cieiv laml : tlunce X. ]•".. b\- the s'lid Seu-iety's land 390 perches
to a corner; thcucc X. W.. by the same, 547 ]>erclus ti> aiinib.er cnrncr ; thence
X. E. by Riduird. Hill's anc'i Cliri-t-i'her Dav'; land 053 perches to anc'thcr
cnrncr; thence X. W. 8n percbe< to a C'Tuer li\- Tlnruias l'.rnwn'> land; thence
X. K. 300 pcrcl'.e- t(' another ciirner; thence by the said street 2.1S4 percr.'s to

258 • HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

the first-mcntionod corner, the place of beginning." W'e met with an old map
of Jiuckinghani, dated 1726, which embraced tlie whole of the township from tlie
Solebury line to the west end of the mountain. On it is marked the York road,
"falsely so called," tlie Durham road to "Ephraim Fenton's land" above Centre-
ville, and a few other things of no special interest. All but a single tract of
land is marked with the owners' name, twenty in all.^" Another old map,
drawn a few years later by John Watson, tlie surveyor, of the Israel Pembertun
tract, embraces the territory from about Bushington to the Warwick line. Tlie
only two enclosed portions are those of A. McKinstry, three hundred and
twenty-seven acres and twenty-eight perches, and Air. Watson's, four hundred
and seventeen acres and one hundred and thirty-four perches. The tract is now
divided into twelve or fifteen farms. Doctor John Rodman bounded it on the
_ Warwick side, and William Corbet and Ely Welding in Wrightstown. The
quality of the soil is marked in several places, and the map has on it "a branch
of Hickory Hill run," and Roberts' now Robin run. Like all of Mr. Watson's
work, the map is elegantly drawn. The Street road which separates Buckini;-
ham from Solebury, was projected about the time the lands on the line of the
two townships were surveyed, and vras probably run by Phincas Pemberton,
county-surveyor, 1700.

The Idens had been in the county many years before they made their ap-
pearance in Buckingham. Randall Iden, the first of the name we meet with,
was probably married as early as 1690. In 1710 his daughter Dorothy married
William Stogdale, an ancestor of the Buntings on the female side, and, on the
i6th of June, 17.24, a Randall Idcn, Bristol township, probably the son of the
former, married Margaret Greenfield, "Middle townshij)." Randal! Iden, grand-
father of the late James C. Buckingham, son of Jacob, Rockhill. married
Eleanor, daughter of Samuel Foulke, Richland, March 9, 1772. Their mar-
riage certificate contains the names of twelve Foulkes and thirteen Robertses.
The great-grandiathcr of James C. Iden, on the maternal side, was John Chap-
man, of Wrightstown.

The Wortliingtons^' claim descent from three brothers, John, Samuel and
Thomas, who settled in Byberry about 1705. John married IMary Walmsly,
1720, who died 1754, and he 1777. They had eleven children; Elizabeth, born
I, 15, 1721 ; Mary; Thomas; Hannah; John; William; Isaac, Jo^cph, Martha,
Benjamin, and Esther, who married into tlie families of Tomlinson. Duuca!i,
Homer, Carver, Malone and others. William, Isaac and Joseph \\'orthingtnn
removed to Buckingham, where William died, 1S16; Isaac went to Chester
county. 1783 ; and died there 1800, and Joseph, born 1737, died 1S22, and his

iS Names of l.-iiu!-owncrs : EphrRim Fenton, Saniiicl Hough, John Prc-;toii, Gc'iriic
Ilijv.in!, Joseph Fell, T. W'orral, I<aac Pennington, Mercy Phillip?;, John Harford. JacoS
Holc.'inl). Thomas GilSert, Thomas Parsons, John Fell, Joseph Large, F.dnuind Kin~ey,
Matthew Hewes. lames Lenox, Richard Lundy and Nathaniel Rve.

19 The name ''Worthington" in an old one in Lancashire, Ensrland, whence the
family came. The etym.'locty is said to be three Saxon words, \\'onh-in-ton, i'. c. Farm-
in- Town. Thtre is a town of W'ortbin.ccton in Lancaster, 20 miles north of Liverpool,
where the family lived many generations. It can be traced to Worthington de Worthing-
ton, _'C>;h of Henry i'L There arc many Wortbingtimi in Ohio. p..s<il]Iy descendanis
of Thi'inias, son of Richard, who sealed there. The i.iwn of Wortbiiiglon, a icw
miles from Cohinihns. was intended !■) dje the Siate cijiital, but iinhieiicc located it
on tb.c bank of the Sciota.

HISTORV OF BUCKS COUXTV.

259

wiic, Esther, 1S2S. The Buckingham Worthingtons claim immediate descent
If. 'HI Richard, who settled in the township, 1750, purchased land of Thomas
l,;LCLy and died 1806. Their children were -Vlahlon, born 12, 19, 1750, John,
Joseph, Mary, Thomas, Sarah • Elizabeth, Tamer, John, tiannah, Letitia,
\\ illiani and Isaac, born i, 20, 1773. The will of Ricliard Worthington, dated
.March 21, 1803, was probated August 26, 1806. A Samuel Worthington
brought his certiticate to Buckingham meeting from Abington, 1736, and settled
in Xew Britain, where he died, 1775. In his will, probated ^Nlarch 20, are men-
ti'jiied his wife JNlary, sons, Jonathan, David, and Samuel, and daughters, Sarah,
Hester Kimble, Rachel Rue, and Pleasant Lnp. The descendants of Samuel
Worthington are known as the "Plumstead Worthingtons," the late Aaron
Worthington being a grandson of Jonathan. Thomas Worthington \vas re-
ceived as a member of Buckingham monthly meeting, 1732, but shortly removed
to Abington.

Doctor John V\"iIson, one of Buckingham's most distinguished citizens,
three c|uarters of a century ago, was the son of Thomas and Rachel Wilson,
Southampton, ^s■here he was born, 176S. After leaving the ordinary country
school, he went to I'hilailelphia, then taught and after attended a classical school
at Southampton Baptist Church kept by Jesse ]\Ioore, subsequently a Judge in
IVnnsylvania and where Judge John Ross and Doctor Charles ^leredith were
pupils. Here he was a close student, studying eighteen hours out of twenty-
four. He next taught classics in a school where the late Samuel D. Ingham
was a jiupil, uhere a friendship was contracted that lasted through life. He
graduated at Dickinson college, 1792. He commenced reading medicine with
Doctor Jonathan Ingham. aiuU after his death by yellow fever, 1793, entered
himself a student with Doctor Casper Wistar, Philadelphia, and attended lec-
tures at the Uni\ersity of Pennsylvania, where he graduated, 1796, being one of
the first medical graduates from I'ucks county. He worked his own way
through college and his medical studies by teaching and surveying, his father,
being averse to his studying medicine, refused to assist him. After graduating
he married iMargaret Mitchel. daughter of Richard IVlitchel, iliddletown, and
settled at the place known as "Walton's mill," ju-t below Ingham's paper-mill.
Within a year he purchased, of the late Samuel Johnson, the place known as
I'llm Grove, Buckingham, where he resided until liis death. October, 1835. His
first wile died in 1821. In 1S24 he married 'Sl^ivy I-'ell. the widow of ^\'illinm
hell, and daughter of Joseph and Phcebe Gillingham. By these two marriages
he left four children. Ricliard and Sarah were chP.dren of his first wife. Rich-
ard studied mediciiw and settled in St. Jago de Cul)a, where he acquired a large
estate, and died in I'hiladelphia during a visit in 1S54. Sarah married Elias
Ely, New Hojie. and died of cholera, 1850. By his second wife Doctor Wilson
had two sons, Elias and Henry. The first is supposed to have been mur<lered
Deccmlier 24, 1868, at the head of tlie Red sea, while making a visit to the
"Fountain of Moses,'' in Arabia.

Doctor A\'iIson possessed a rare combination of desirable qualities. In
stature he was tall and straight, light Imt vigorous, and with an excellent phy-
sique. In all out-(li-/i->r exercises, of which he was ^■ery fond, he had few su-
fieriors. He was a fine horseman, as rider, driver, and judge of the animal, and
in his youth was celebrated as a skater and swimmer. He hail great quickness
of perception, an intrei>i(! spirit, aiul \sas equal {'< any eniergi ncy in his profes-
si'in ov out of it. He was a tiuo surgeon, and iicrfrirnicd cafiital operations
v.ith great success. Put few nicii equalled liiui in the best comliination of learn-

26o

HISTORY or BUCKS COUNTY.

ing, praclicnl ?kil! and common seiibC. The late Lewis S. Corvcll, a shrewd
oliseiver nf human naiure, and an extensive ac(iuaintanee with prominent men of
liis da_\, once i\:;r;.rkeil i>t him : "Doctor Wilson knew more, from a potato-hill
up, than any other man I «ver knew.'" He was handsome and courtly, his wives
elegant and graceful women; and, for many years, his home at Elm Grove was
the siat of a rethie<l and generous Imsjiitality.

I'.uckingham ha> been fortunate in the quality of her schools, some of which
were well endowed befr.re the common school system was adopted. In 1755.
Adam Ilarkcr, a benevoli-nl and prominent Friend, left £40 by his will toward
settling and maintaining a free school in Buckingham, under the care of the
monthly meeting. In 17S9, Thomas Smith conveyed to the township a lot of
laJid for a school hou^-c, on the northwest side of Hyrl's run, for a term of thirty
vears at an annual rent 01 a pepper com. This was on condition that the town-
ship build a house tweniy-tw o by twenty feet, on the lot before the expiration of
tlie year, the school to be governed by a committee of four. This was known as
Ihe '"Red school house," which stood on the Street road, one himdred yards
northwest of the creek. A new house was erected on the northeast side of the
road manv vears ago. and is now used as a dwelling. Toward the close of the
last century, the Buckingliam meeting raised a school fund of $2,072, by subscrip-
tion, the interest to be api-ih'ed to educating children of members of monthly meet-
ing ill the first place, tiien 10 the children of those in straitened circumstances,

and afterward all other
children of members of
the meeting. The heav-
iest subscribers were
Andrew EUicott and
Oliver Paxson, twenty-
five dollars each. When
the society divided the
money w^as loaned in
small sums, to the two
divisions. A school is
still supported by the
fund.='' About 1S08 the
school fund of Bucking-
ham and S o I e b u r y
amounted to £758, los,
near $3. 000, but we are
not informed of its pres-
ent amount and condi-
tion. In 1790, several of
the inhabitants of the
township subscribed
£99, iSs. 3i<d. for
building and furnishing
TYKo HALL. .\ i-AN!-0LS .SCHOOL. =' school house crcctcd

r '/%

I

JO J(ii!:i',h,ui LdiiKNiretli, \\'arniins;cr, laiiglit tin's scliool 1705-''). tlie contract hiiiv,'
ex(ciin->1 J ..(1 nioiUh. for 3 iDotnhs at 12^. 6(1. per scholar. At first he had only four
^ubscrihcri, Malliias Ilutcliiii-;on. Joseph Wilkinson, Thomas Bye and Thomas Black-
!<-ilt;c, 6] 2 .-ichDlars. Th.crc \va> some friction between Longstreth and Joseph Harold, a
patron. The latter wrote him I-"eb. 15, 1700: 'i have ^ent my 5on to pay you fjr hi<

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 261

oil the cross road just ahove Greenville, on a lot given by David Gilbert
in trust.-' It was governed by three trustees elected by the contributors.
.\ eonslitution for the government of the school was adopted May 16, 179.2.
it was <;iven the narne of Tyro Hall, and was at one time in a flourishing condi-
iii.n. The building is still standing, but the school was closed in 1859. The last
lu.ard of trustees was Jesse Haney, John C. Shepherd and Joseph lieans, in
1S54. Some good scholars were graduated at Tyro Hall. Among those who
Janght there were \\'illiani H. Johnson. Joseph Price. Albert Smith, afterward
a member of the bar. and died about 1S33, and Joseph b'ell.

.\ noted school in Ijuckingham in the past was the boarding school for
girls at Greenville, now Holicong, established 1S30. by Alartha Hampton and
llannali IJoyd. sisters. Boarding schools were then rare in the county, and this
\enture by two women comparatively little known, one a widow with four chil-
dren and slender means, was an enterprise of great risk. They bought the long
wliitc house still standing on the northwest corner of the cross roads, opened
>clii)(->l and went to work, one taking charge of the household, the other
the school, each eminently fitted for her task. The school soon became
a success and the house was filled with pupils from Bucks, ^Montgomery, Phila-
'■leljihia and New Jersey. A day school was subsequently opened in connection
and Elizabeth and Sarah Ely, sisters of the late State Senator Johathan Ely,
Siilebury, were given charge. A few boys were admitted to the dav school,
among them the late Judge Richard \\'atson, e.K-Chicf Justice Edward ^.l.
j'axson, John Ruckman, Albert S. Pa.xson and Samuel E. Broadhurst, presum-
ably the "gilt-edge" boys of the neighborhood. The school was discontinued
iijion the death of Hannah Lloyd at the end of several vears.

Amos Austin Hughes, at his death, 181 1, left, by his will, the plantation on
which he resided in Buckingham, and the remainder of his personal estate,
amounting to S4.000, and S.'.ooo more, at the death of his sister, to create a
fund for the erection and maintaining a school, to be called "Hughesian free
school." It was to educate the poor children of the township, and such others
as stood in need, forever, and, when necessary, they w'ere to be boarded and
e'lOihed. A charter was obtained. 1812, and a building erected soon afterward,
in which a school is still maintained, governed bv a board of trustees. The
amount of funds, held in trust, is 821,450. Mr. linghes, \\dio died at the early
age of forty-four, was an invalid from his youth. lie was a quiet, patient suf-
ferer, was contined to his room for many }ears, and spent his time chietly in
reading and meditation. He contributed freely to the relief of the poor and
aillicted during his life, while his generous bequests are evidence he diil not f'lr-
get them at his death.

It is said that when the Hughsian school house was built the townshi|] was
canvasse<l to make up a school of '"poor children" to be educated in it, but none
cMuld be fMund, and, Ijy advice of counsel, a public school was opened. This was
in 1 85 1. Tlie first board of trustees was composed of John Ely. Nicholas
Austin, John Watson, Jr.. V.'m. Ely, Thomas Bye, John Wilson, M. D., Sanuiel
Johnson, Joseph Shaw. Isaiah Jones, Joshua Anderson, Joseph Watson and
Stephen Wilson, all of lruckin:;ham. When Pennsylvania passed the public
school law the will of Amos Austin Hughes became inoperative, as it was in-
schooling-, but not for whipping him." Loiissireth replied tlint he considered himself
"p^^scsscd of full powers, both legislative and executive, to deal with his scholars for
«iii<;be!iavior in school, and referred the matter to tlie committee.'"' — Lonc;streth MS.

21 The deed i< m pn,ic.-~i..M of die family of tlie laie Wai-^on Fell, Buekinsluun.

262 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

tended that his estate should only beiieht those who could not afford to go t.. n
pay school, and there was none such now in the township, all being free. What
action was taken to change the direction of the bequest we are not infornuii.
but the school was reorganized, 1841. This resulted in an increase of schol.ir>
and the doing of better work, the trustees cquipi)ing the school to meet niodcru
requirements. The school is graded in three departments, primary, inter-
mediate and grammar, with an average of forty scholars in each, or one hundreil
and twenty in all. It has three teachers, two paid by the trustees, and one bv
the township school board. The branches taught include Latin, German, Bn^k-
kce]:ping, higher Algebra, Geometry and Astronomy. The candidates for gr:id-
uation are examined by the county superintendent. In 1897, the graduates *•{
the Hughesian l-'ree School, thirty in number, organized an association at the
dwelling of Charles P. Large, Buckingham, and completed it, January 3, iSij><.
Only four males were eligible. Annual reunions are held. A leaflet, published
12, II, 1841, says the middle room of tha Hughesian Free School was rented
of the trustees, furnished and school opened by Miss Burson. the 12 day, i mu..
1842. The teachers were paid 3 cents per scholar per day, and $15 per moniii.
and later increased to $20, the teachers furnishing pen and ink, the pens maile
of quills. Joseph Fell was the first teacher paid by the trustees, 185 1, and to
December 31, 1898. there had been twenty-six principals and eighteen assistants
connected with the school.

Although Justice Cox came into the township at a recent date, he can trace
his ancestry back among the earliest in the state. He is a descendant of that
Peter Cock who settled between the Delaware and the Schuylkill in 1660. who
was commissioner on the Delaware in 1662, a counsellor, in 1667, and in in").
Governor Lovelace confirmed to him the patent for Tiniciim island. In the
course of centuries the name has been changed from Cock to Cox.

Doctor Arthur D. Cernea. a prominent practitioner of medicine, as well as
a leading citizen of Buckingham, was a resident of the township over forty
years. His history is an exceeding romantic and interesting one, sufficiently so.
we think, to warrant the sketch of his life and adventures found in the \v>\c
below.-- Thomas Cornea, son of the Doctor, was one of the most skilled arclu-

22 Doctor Cernea was born in Philadelphia, of Freiich parentage, about 1S06. I!i>
father, an officer 01 the French army, came to the United States near the close of the
lylh Century with his wile. Site wa? likewise of a French family, v.hich had lost a iarijc
portion of their estate? in the West Indies during the Revolution of I79r. Contemplatii-g
a visit to France, from which they intended to return in a short time, they placed their
eldest ion, Arthur, a lad nine years of age, at the Moravian school at Nazareth. To th?
present time no tidings of them have been received, except information obtained from tlie
records of a lodge of French Masons lately discovered in the possession of the Historic:!
Society of Pennsylvania. It is there stated that his father arrived in Philadelphia about
1703; the time of his departure on his visit to France, a few years later, his mother":
name before marriage, parentage, etc., etc. The anxiety felt by the over-absence of tli'-
parents was kept from the son until discovered by the failure to receive his regular stipend
of spending money. It was the opinion of those to whom young Cernea had been en-
trusted tliat the vessel had been lost at sen. or some other unknown calamity befallen them.
It was supposed he would remain at the school until cared for, but the spirited boy,
«ensitive that a portion of his dues remained unpaid, left the school unknown to tJte
faculty, with a small sum of money in his pocket renli.red from the sale of a box of
paints. Thus alone in the world he started on foot for rhiladelphia in search of his
parents, stopping for the night at the inn Jcnkintown. Here he met one who provei?

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTY. 263

ti-ct- I if Philadelphia, and planned a number of handsome buildings, including
l.ci.ipe building, Do_\lesto\vn, 1874.

d"lu- Buckingham librar) was organized October 31, 1795, and the hy-
I.ivvs revised in 1S20. For a number of years it was a flourishing institu-
i: 'u. and the means of disseminating intelligence throughout the neighborlK jnd,
I'lt interest in it gradually decreased until 1S53, when the corporation was dis-
.-•.Ive 1 and tlie books sold at public sale. In this connection we must mention
t!;c "Cuckingliam lyceum," a literary society of some local note sixty-five years
ago. and which enabled many a fledgling in literature to get his productions
before the public.

In a letter Joseph Erwin, Tinicuni. wrote to Geo. Wall. Solebury. under
dale of September 10. 1801. he says that Mr. Smith (prolwbly Joseph Smith,
v,l',o founded Smithtowni, tells him "Goodwine's Political Justice," that had
liLea jiurchased for the Buckingham library, had been condemned to the flames
bv the board of directors, "as containing damnable heresies, both in religion and
)"jlitics."'

In 1S06 Moses Bradshaw had a nail factory near Pool's corner, a mile
from Doylestown, but in 1807 it was removed to Thomas Fell's smith-shop, on
the road between what was then Rodrock's and \'anhorne's tavern, now Centre-
\ille. In 1S17 a peace association was formed in Buckingham, with William H.
J.'Ini.'ion as president and John Parry secretary. In June, iStq, the farmers held
a meeting at Euckingham school house to fix wages for hay and har\esting.

a kind friend, Elcazer Shaw, Plumstead, on his way to market, widi whom he rode to the
city, and to whom -he related his story. After a fruitless search for his parents his kind
friend persuaded him to go home with him, which he did. At this titne young Cernea
w.is about thirteen years old, having been more than four years at Nazareth. There he
had acquired a taste for study, and he now devoted his leisure to self-improvement,
encouraged by those with whom he had found a home. By his own exertions he
qualified himself to instruct others, and at eighteen commenced teaching at the "eight
S!iu;ire'" school-house. Plumstead, which, from its quaint appearance, was a landmark
an'....n,:; the places of instruction in the olden time. He taught, in turn, at the Mennonite
meeting-house, Tinicuni church, and at Quakertown. At the latter place he coinmcnced
'^i.- study of medicine with Dr. IL-.mptcn Watson, afterward Judge Watson. Kansas.
l:i 1831 he graduated at the University of Pennsylvania; soon afterward married Sarah
Lester, daughter of Thomas Lester, Richland; and removed to Buckingham where he
associated himself in the practice of medicine with Doctor Wilson, an eminent and well-
known physician. .At the death of Doctor Wilson, a few years later, he continued the
practice, removing to Ccntrcville, a more convenient location. Here he lost his wife,
a most estimable woman, and afterward married Sarah Taylor, daughter of William
Taylor, a minister among Fricr.ds. Although no doubt of Catholic parentage. Doctor
Cernea was naturally drawn to the Friends, from their great kindness to him in his
tr..ublo5, and he joined this religious body, of which he was a useful and active member.
During the busy years of an arduous practice, aside from being a diligent student in
his own profession, he foup.d time to devote to literature and the sciences, for which he
had a natural fondness. He gave much attention to botany. He was an industrious con-
tributor to the Buckingham lyceum, a liteary society of some merit in its day. When
the subject of anti-slavery and temperance began to agitate the public mind. De>ctor
Cernea, a/man of strong convictions, became an earnest advocate of these reforms. This
was at a time when such advocacy was at the expense of personal interest. He lived
to see the principle he advocated recognized. In his retirement he looked back upon a
well-spent and useful lift, colurcd with ennugli romance to make it interesting to others.

264 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Samuel Ilaniii, a dibtinguishcd, suU'-tauyht niailuniatician, died in 1820, at tlic
age of seventy-six. Of ihc rciads in the township, not already mentioned, tliat
from tlu; Tnhickiin through Greenville over the nuamtains, was laid out in 1732,
and from Wilkinson's ford, on Xcshaniiny, to Durham road in 1771.

Xot the least imijortant resident of Buckingham fifty years ago was a giant
black man, known the county over as "Big Ben." He was a slave of \\'illiani
Anderson, of Baltimore county, .Maryland, from whom he escaped when young
and settled in this township. He was arrested by his master, 1844, on John
Kitchen's farm, Solcbury, after a hard fight and sent back to slavery, but the
citizens of Buckingham raised money to purchase his freedom, when he
returned. His arrest caused great excitement in the county. Ben spent the last
years of his life in the Bucks county alms-house, where he died in 1875, aged
oyer seventy. He was a man of immense strength and great size, his foot
measuring sixteen inches from heel to toe.

Isaiah Michcner, who died in Buckingham, !\[ay 25, 1S99, son of Thomas
and Sarah Bradshaw Michcner, was born January 25, 1812. He was tlie grand-
son of Meschach, eighth child of William Alichener, who settled in Plumstead,
1723. Isaiah Michener was probabh- born in Plumstead, but went to Horsham
with his father, and afterward settled in Buckingham, living with an uncle.
This was in 1830. He married Esther Good, Plumstead, 1836, and at her death,
Rebecca Scott. He stuflied at Dodd's \'eterinary College, Boston, subsequently
graduating at Penn College, Philadclpha. He became prominent in the profes-
sion; contributed much to veterinary medical literature; was a member of the
national society and the oldest practitioner in the State. Pie was prominent as
a citizen and held many public functions, including the ofifices of president of
the Doylestown Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute, and Carversville
Normal Institute. He was a member of the Society of Friends and left nu-
merous descendaiUs.

The county is more indebted to the late James Jamison, Buckingham, than
to any other one man, for the introduction of the present method of burning lime
in fixed kilns. He found, by repeated experiment, that by putting lime and coal
in the kiln in alternate la\ers from top to bottom, the whole supported by grates,
with space underneath tor wood to kindle the lower layer of coal, the manu-
facture of lime was much expedited and cheapened. Before this, wood had been
exclusivelv used, liut the cost of lime was now reduced about one-half. The con-
sequence was it came into extensive use as a fertilizer, and was hauled twelve
or fifteen miles in wagons for tliat pur])ose. Of course, coal was more exten-
sively used to burn lime after the Delaware Division canal was opened. \\'hiic
it was burned exclusively with wood, lime was too dear to be generally used as a
fertilizer, nnirli to the detriment of agriculture.

There are nine villages in Buckingham : Cenireville. MechanicsviUe,
Lahaska. Hi>licong. fMrmerlv Greenville. Mechanics \'allcy. formerly Spring
\'alley. Furlong, formerly Bushinglon. ?\Iozart, formerly Concord, Bucking-
ham Vallev and Forest Gro\-e. fornierlv I-'orestville, all post villages. Buck-
ingham (formerlv Centreville-^). at the crossing of the York and Durham

2.? Tl'.e initi.il stcp^ toward firganizing a parish and croctinc; an F.phcopal clmrch at
Centrcvi'.le. were taken in iS.V by Rev. G. W. Rulnly. roiM.ir at Xcwtnwn, holding open air
meetings, followed by service in lla>lct Gili^^n's coach .sliop. A public meeting was hchl
in April, iS.iQ. Mr. Rid^ly prcsi.'.ing-. to cmim.Ut the propriety of creeling a cluirch bmld-
ing. The subscriptions warranting the. expense, work was liegnn the same fall, and the
duirch finished in July, 1840. The lot was the gift of Joseph Anderson and wife, and

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUXTY. 26;

r<i:id>, is the largest, liaviny an l'',pisciipal clnirch, the Hughcsian Free
Scli'iols, two taverns, etc, and t\\enty-ti\e dwellings. Une of the inns,
jainoiis in its day and called "Bogart's tavern," in the Revohition, is over
a century and a quarter old. Under its roof the Bucks County Com-
i.iittes of Safety met, 1775, and in it Lieneral Green, for a time, had his
inaili[uarters during one of the nii'St trying ])eriods of the Revolution.
JJucWitigham postottice was established here in 1805, and Cornelitis \'anhorne
appointed postmaster. Three-quarters of a century ago Greenville was called
"Grintown," which name, we are told, was given it in this wise: A flock of
geese, driven by a Jerseyman down the York road to Philadelphia, becoming
unmanageable at this point, the people flocked to the doors to witness the poor
nian'.'t disconihture. On seeing these witnesses of his sliame, he yelled out in
his agony, "this is Grintown." The name stuck to the unfortunate village sev-
eral years. About iSio a number of young people were passing a social after-
noon at the dwelling of Josiah Shaw, when the name was spoken of in not very
respectful terms, and it was suggested that the state of society required a
change. Eliza Johnson, daughter of the late Samuel Johnson, was called upon
for a new name, when she proposed '■Greenville," which was adopted unanim-
ously and the company was pledged to support it. The other villages named
are pleasant little hamlets of a few dwellings each, some with public houses,
others without. At Lahaska is a Methodist Episcopal church, built 1853, rebuilt
in 1868. The postoftice at Mechanicsville was established in 1830, and Peter
Lester appointed postmaster. The hamlet of Cross Keys, on the Easton pike,
a mile from Doylestown, is partly in Buckingham. In 1804 Daniel Stradling
kept store there in a house opposite James Dunlap's tavern. He had formerly
been a partner c>f Joseph Morton at Willow Grove.

A Presbyterian church was built at Forest Grove, 1S55, and dedicateil
November 21. As early as 1846 the Reverend Robert D. JMo'rris, then pastor
at Newtown, began holding services here at the home of John Gray, and was
subsequently assisted by other clergymen. The first pastor was the Reverend

Henry E. Spayed, elected September 11. , installed November 11, ,

and resigned in 1S67. The church now had sujiplies until the winter of 18619,
when the Reverend Jacob Krewson was called and ordained ]\[ay 20. Pic is
still pastor, one of the longest in continuous charge in the county. A postofflce
was established at Forest Grove, December 12. 1S77. and William Kirk ap-
p)ointer jiostniaster. One of the first meetings in the State in favor of internal
improvements was hcLl at Ceiitreville about 1S22-23. Samuel D. Ingham,
chairman, was the leading spirit, anil one of three delegates to make favor with
the Legislature. John \Vatson, father of the late Judge Richard Watson, was
one of the warmesi friends of internal improvements in the county.

The township records do not extencl back nmch over one hundred years.
In 1722 the tax-rate was two-pence half-penny per poiuul, and seven shillings
six-pence a head on single 'men. Thomas Brown, Jr.. was the collector."* In

cost of building ?640. llie first rccior was Rev. W'iltlicrgcr, called September, lS-).l,
and preacliLd his first sernnjn October lo. On the resignation of Mr. Wiltberger, 1S53, '
tlie Centreville and Doylestown parishes were served by the saine rector for the next
20 years. Tlie late William Stavely. lUiekini,'h.ini, was a liberal contribiitur to Trinity
•church and parish. :\\\ inleresting history of tlie church was recently written by Albert
S. Pa.xson.

24 In 1710. Jolin Dawson boiii;Iit a cow of John Llye for £,3. los., t!ie low price heiiii;
in keepiiiij with tl'.c times.

rC6 HISTOKV OF BUCKS COUNTY.

1767 a throc-pcnny tax raised £22, 5s. 6d. in tlic township, and John Lacey, Jr.,
was one of tlio auditors. About double the amount raised was expended on tiie
roads. From 1776 to 1781, the Revohilionary period, tlicre is no account of
money spent ior the lowiiship. The latter year, the period of greatest depres-
sion of Continental money, a tax of one penny raised £6,767, 8s. 8d. in the
township, which was al-o expended on the roads. The duplicate for 1797
amounted to £269, 13s. od., but to only £48, lis. gd. the following year. Since
1800 there has been a gradual increase in the amount of tax levied and collected
in Buckingham, being $179.50 for that year, and S455.90 for 1810. In 1820
the townsliip expenses were S706.72 ; in 1830, S483.12; 1840, ?925.68; 1850,
$972; i860, $957.26, and $741.56 in 1870. In 1722 there were fifty-three tax-
ables in the township, of whom nine were single men. The heaviest tax-payer
was Richard Humphrey I^Iorris, £1, 3s. gd., taxed for one thousand nine hun-
dred acres of land. Tlie taxables, 1761, were one hundred and fifty-five, and
one hundred and seventy-eight in 1764. In 1771 the householders were one
hundred and seventy-eight, showing considerable increase in population if the
figures be correct. The population of the township at different periods since
then was as follows: 1810, 1.715; 1820, 1,862; 1830, 2,193, and 467 taxables:
1840, 2,482; 1850, 2,596 whites, 171 blacks; i860, 2,960 whites, 128 blacks, and
1870, 2,910, of which lot were foreign-born and 143 blacks; 1880, 2,850; 1890,
2,544 ; 1900, 2,506.

Caves and sinks are common in limestone valleys, the former frequently
of great magnitude, while depressions or basins, occasioned by subterranean
water courses or other causes, are more frequent but limited m dimensi'^ns.
Several of these sinks are found in the valley extending from Rushington, in
Buckingham, to Limeport. in Solebury, and two or three are worthy of especial
notice. The castermost one, known as Large's pond, near CentreviUe, was never
known to go dry until within recent years. It was thought to be bottomless,
and a young man named Gilbert was drowned in this pond a century ago. The
washings from the turnpike and the diminished rainfall have exerted their in-
fluence m drying uji this once beautiful little lake. On the line between the
farms of Benjamin Smith and Amos Corson, a fourth of a mile southeast of
Greenville, is a locally celebrated sink, which the Indians gave the name of
"Holy cong." Init known to the inhabitants of the township as the "Conky hole."
It is a nearly circular, tunnel-shaiied basin, about forty yards in diameter, and
from forty to sixty feet down to the water. The water rises and falls in this
funnel ; formerly it at times was twenty feet across the surface, and then would
fall until it appeared to be not more than two. Several unsuccessful attempts
have been maile to fathom its depth, but the projecting limestone has proved
an insuperalile barrier. Tradition tells us that chaff thrown into this hole has
been known to come out at the Ingham spring. In former times it was con-
sidered a great natural curiosity, and many strangers visited it. It is known
the Indians frequently collected here to hold their councils and jollifications.
"Grintown pond" is tlie name of a basin of water in the valley nearly opposite
Greenville. Ninety vears ago it was the resort of all the I)oys of the neighbor-
hood who were ambitious to have a swim. Here the young Elys, Larges, Gil-
berts, Beanscs, Williamses, Joneses, Parrys, Linburgs, Johnsons. Byes, Shaws,
Fells, Hellvcrs. Watsons. Pax-ons, and others, resorted on Saturday evenings,
making the air ring with their hikirirx-. r^lany horsis were taken there to be
washed, and evcrv one th.-it went into the water had a boy on its back and an-
other on its t:ul. Tw.i old mm living 'in the neighborhood .some years ago. be-
tween seventy and tight) verirs <>\ age, were capering in the (lond one Saturday

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 267

when one saved the other from a watery grave. As he was sinking for the
l:i>t time his friend dove after him and hrouglit him up.

On top of Buckingham mountain is the ^[ount Gilead African MethocHst
I'.jiiscopal clnirch, built of logs, 1835-36, and rebuilt of stone, 1852. It is quite
a snug edifice, and near by is a graveyard enclosed by a neat pale-fence. The
Orthotlox Friends' meeting-house, Buckingham, was built in 1830, the date
being cut by Joseph Fell on a stone and placed in the front wall.

Sometime before the Revolution William .Simpson, from the Xorth of
Ireland, came into Bucks county and settled in Buckingham or Soleburv. The
vear of his arrival is not known, but on January 15. 1766, he made application
lo purchase one hundred acres, and the deed was executed by John Penn. May
23. 1767. He married a Hines, probably prior to that time. He had two sons
and two daughters, Ann, ]\Iary, John and Afatthew. John lived and died ia
Bucks county, and was the father of Mrs. Ann Jamison, Buckingham. Matthew
removed to Ohio, near Zanesviile, about iSio. Ann married John Davis about
1782. who moved to ^vlaryland. T795, and to Ohio, i8t6, settling on the Sciuta.
near Columbus. W'illiam .Siriipson was a soldier in the Revolution, and at the
battle of Trenton. On one occasion, when he came home to visit his family,
his house was searched by his tory neighbors, but failed to find him, as he was
in the cellar with a hogshead turned over him. James Simpson, son of Job.a
and Hannah, not related to the foregoing so far -as we know, spent part of his
Hfe in Buckingham, and became quite a celebrated preacher among Friends.
He was born in Solcbury. May 19. 1743. He was full of eccentricities and
widely known. He kept school for a while in Buckingham, but dreaming how
to make brooms he commenced and followed that business. He removed to
Hatboro. 1789. and marrierl Martha Shoemaker, a widow, and died at Frank-
ford, t8ii, at sixty-eight. He left some sermons and other wTitings.

There were other Simpsons in Bucks county besides those named in the
preceding paragraph, among them James Simpson and his wife Mary, who
lived in I3uckingham. Their son John, born in Buckingham or Newtown abort
1744, went to Lancaster, now Dauphin county, 1769-70, married Margaret,
dauglUer of James Murray, son. of ^Major Francis Murray, Newtown. 1776. and
sul>.sequently removed to Himtingdon county, where he died February 3, i8o<).
He was a lieutenant in Captain James Murray's Company of Associators in the
Amboy expedition the summer and fall of 1776. and is sai<l to have participated
in the battle of Trenton and Princeton. Of the other children of James Simp-
son, Martha married William Kerns, and lived in Northampton county ; James
married and was living in Botetourt county, \'irginia, 1783; Samuel, who died
in Wilkes county, Georgia, October 13, 1791, and William, who probablv re-
mained in Bucks county. The parents of James and Mary Simpson were living
in Rowan county. New Jersey. August 23, 17S3. In 1785 they removed to
Georgia, and were living in Wilkes county, April 10, 1793- William Simpson,
Jr., in letters to John .Simpson, dated respectively, October 27, 1773, and
August 7, 1796, and written at Buckingham, Bucks county, addressed him as
"cousin," evidence he must have been the son of a brother of James Simpson.
Benjamin anfl Jane Simpson, in a letter written at New Britain, Bucks county,
Pennsylvania. October 9. 1803, addressed John Simpson as "dear uncle," states
they were married December 2, 1802. and were then living about eighteen
miles from "Uncle William Simpson." These family letters are quite con-
clusive that William Simpson. Jr., was a son of James Simpson's brother
William, and that Janie-' S"n William reiuarried in Bucks cc^unty or its vicinity
as late as 1803. John .'^inipson. tlie eldest son of James, was the grandfather

268 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

of the late J. Simpson Africa, president of the Union Trust Company, Phila-
delphia. William Siirijison, Jr., was a justice of the peace. -■^

In olden times Edmund Kinsey had a scythe and ax factory about two miles
northwest of Laha^ka, where he had a tilt or trip hammer operated by water-
power. The remains of the race could be traced in recent years. Kinsev,
esteemed one of the first mechanics of the county, was born in Euckinghani.
There was also a s;r,', -mil! on the pro])erty of Paul I'reston, near his study,
where a part of the dam was to be seen a few years ag'O on the stream that
crosses the York road near Greenville. Three quarters of a century ago Jacob
Walton and Philip Parry were noted for their dexterity in catching pigeons.
Walton was quite a famous hunter as well. He dressed in buckskin Ijreeches
and vest, tanned after the Indian fashion, from deer-skins his own trusty rifle
had brought down. The garments were made up by himself and wife. Every
fall the old man made a trip to the mountains, and returned loaded with game.
Pigeons were formerly verv numerous in Buckingham. Walton and Parry kept
their stool pigeons and flyers in cages ready for the sport. When the time
arrived they would erect their bough-houses, of cedar limbs, in the fields most
frequented by these birds, set their nets in position, place the stool pigeons near
the net on the ground, liberally sprinkled with buckwheat, fasten a long string
to one or more pigeons, called llyers, and then retire to their bough-houses.
When a flock of wild birds was seen, the llyers were thro\vn into the air, keep-
ing them on the wing until observed by the flock, which approached and settled
down with the stool pigeons, when the net is sprung and hundreds of them cap-
tured. Those old men were also as fond of fishing as Izaak Walton is reported
to have been, frequently going to the Delaware, and to places renowned for
trout, and always returning heavily laden with their piscatory treasures. They
were both Friends, belonging to Buckingham meeting, and left numerous
descendants in the township.

There are five taverns in Buckingham, two at Centreville, and one each at
Bushington, Lahaska and the Cross Keys. The latter is the oldest of the group.
It was first licensed at June term, 175S, the applicant for license and new land-
lord being Alexander Brown, son of Thomas Brown, Plumstead. It is set forth
in the petition that he '"had settled by the side of the road that leads from the
Great Swani]) to Xcwtown, which crosses the road that leads from Durham to
Philadelphia." Among the names signed to the petition are : Henry Taylor,
William Foulke, \Villiam Thomas, John I. ester, Cephas Child, John Child,
Isaac Child, Henry Child, William Yavdly, Jonathan Fonike, Edward Thomas,
Thomas Thomas, Samuel Shaw. Thcophiius Foulke, John Thomas, Abel Rob-
erts, and Benjamin Chapman. The "Swamp Road" was the traveled highway
from Richland and other section of the northwest part of the county to New-
town, the then county seat. This brought the new inn considerable custom. It
has been a licensed house in all the one hundred and forty years since then,
with the exception of an interregnum of a few months, and the Keys of Saint
Peter have swung on its sign board. Its history would be worth writing up

25 The late J. Sinip.'on Africa, of IIiintini,'ilon, Ta., was a (k-sccn'lant of John Znv\<-
son. of Biickint;h.-ini. Ilis father was Daniel Africa, and the son was horn September 15,
lS,?2. anil 'Hc<! there in .-\u'ni-.t, 1900. lie was edncatefl for a civil engineer, which he
made I'.is profe.=,>ion. He became con.-:piciions in political, Ma'nnlc and financial circles
having fervcd one term as .Secretary of In^crnal .•\iTairs, and was many years president
of the Union Trust Company, Philadelphia.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 269

t \\\,\ it begotten at. Its location is on the Easton road, one mile above Doyles-

t All.

it was in Buckingham township the somewhat famous "Lenapc Stone'"
\,.i5 found by Bernard Hansell, the son of a farmer, while plowing in one of
■;.:- father's fields. It was in two pieces, the first found in the spring of 1872,
■: c -econd, 18S1, about four and a half miles east of Doylestown. Both pieces
sm:c [)icked up in the same field and near the same spot. When the pieces
■,'. ere put together they fit. The length is one inch and three eighths, one inch
^•I'i ti\o eighths wide in its widest part, and covered with rude surface draw-
i:!;:;s of what purports to be an aboriginal mammoth, and other designs. It was
\\xA given to Henry D. Paxson, Buckingham, who had a taste for such things,
but subsequently fell into the possession of Henry C. IMercer, of the Bucks
County Historical Society, who published quite an exhaustive volume on
!!;c subject. He and others pronounced it an Indian "Gorget" and genuine.
When submitted to foreign archoeological experts it led to wide discussion,
some pronouncing it a fraud. This opinion, however, cannot be accepted as
correct, unless we are prepared to say the tinder, and others, into whose pos-
session it first came, were swindlers. As the motive is wanting for respectable
persons to become cheats and frauds on the public, the author, for one. cannot
accept their diagnosis. A single breath, sometimes, ruins the title to the most
valuable real estate, but more is required in this case. If an unlettered youth
could ])roduce so good a counterfeit, it seems strange he should close his factory
after the production of a single specimen. To continue the work would pay
belter than farming.

CHAPTER XVI H.

SOLEl'.URY.

Origin of name unknown. — Buckingham and Solebury one township. — Land located
beturc 170J. — Early settlers. — Henry P;i.s>ou. — The Holcombs. — The Pellars. — James
Pellar ^Jalcolm. — Joseph Pike. — Gilt-edge butter. — Great Spring tract. — Jacob Hol-
coiub. — The Blackfan.s. — Inghams. — Easlburns. — Jonathan Inttham. — Samuel D.
Ingham, rcsigninir from Jackson's Cabinet. — The EUicotis. — Kichard Townsend. — John
Scholicld. — Thi. Elys. ^ Hurleys. ■ — Rices. — Williams. — Riches. — Hutchinsons. —
Neeieys. — Genera! Pike. — The Kendcrdiiies. — Ruckmans. — John Kugler. — Roads. —
The Scbring grave yard. — The villages. — Lumbcrville. — The Heeds — Luni-
berton. — Centre Bridge. — Reading's Ferry. — Carversville.— Milton, iSoo. — Excelsior
Normal Institute. — Post office established.- — Home of the Ellicotts. — Coppernose. —
View from top of it, — The Cuttalossa. — Spring and fountain. — Kenderdine's verse. —
Bucknian's tavern. — Old mine at Neeley's. — Dr. John Wall. — Dr. Forst. — Friends
Meeling. — Wni. B. Leedum. — School fund. — Charles Smith. — Ingham Springs.— Popu-
lation.

Solebury i< washcvl by the Delaware on its eastern border, and joins tlie
townshiiJS of I'luiriStead. Ihickincjliam and Upper jNIakefield. The area is four-
tfcn thiuisund and seventy-three acres. The origin of the name is unknown,
nor have we. been alile to liiid it elscwlicrc. In 1703 the name w-as written
■"Sonlbury." The surface is moderately hilly, witli a variety of soils; has good
building stone, and abundance of limestone: is well watered with numerous
creeks and springs, the most celebrated of the latter being the Aquetong or
Ingham's spring, three miles from Xcw Hope. Its farms are well cultivated
and productive, and its water-power is i)robably superior to that of any other
townshi]) in the cottnty. Tiie great body of the inhabitants are descenrlants of
Englisli Friends, the first settlers, and, in many respects, the}' retain the lead-
ing traits of tlicir ancestors.

We stated, in the jirevij.nis cha))ter. that Solcburv and P.uckingham were
originally one townsliip. Init divide<l abtiut 1700, the e.\act time nut being
known. The first mention of Sulebury we have met was in 1702. and it may
or may not have been a. separate townsliip at that time. These two townsliips
were settled about the snmc period, the immigrants reaching the hills of Sole-
bury throui^h W'rightstown and Buckingham, coming up from the Delaware.'

I -Vt the midsummer mcetin.e of the' Bucks County 1 listoricil Society, .'\ugu-it S,
iftjy, an cxli.in.^tive p.npcr on tl;e "Early Settlvrs of Solebury." wr, i read by Easihurn

HlSrORY OF DUCKS COUNTY

271

Tlie greater pari of the land was taken up before its rc-survey by John Cut-
ler, generally in tracts of consideralile size, but it is imjiossible to say who was
rie tirst purchaser or settler in the township. One of the earliest was George
White, who owned fifteen hundred acres lying on the Delaware, who, dving
loS", left one thousand acres to his four sons in equal parts. The farms of
W illiani Kitchen and John Walton are on this tract. The 14th of April, 16S3,
William Penn conveyed three htmdred acres to one Sypke Ankes, or Sipke
.Aiikey, or Aukoy, a dyer of Haarlingin, in Friesland, \\ho located it in the
nortiicrn part of the township. The 16th of August, 1700, he sold it to Renicr
lansen, and he, in turn, conveyed it to Paul Wolf, a weaver of Germantown,
Se])tember i, 170.2. In April, 1700. one thousand acres were granted to Thomas
Story. He sold it to Israel Pemberton, but it was surveyed by mistake to
Robert Heath, and the same quantity was given to Pemberton elsewhere. By
warrant of 17, 7th month. 1700. three hundred acres were surveyed to Erlward
and Henry Hartly, part of John Rowland's five hundred acre tract granted by
IViin. By virtue of a warrant dated loth, nth month. 1701, four hundred and
fifty acres were surveyed to Thomas Cams on the Street road, and the same
i;iu ntity in Buckingham, and four hundred and ninety-two acres to John Scar-
borough.- In 1702 five hundred acres were granted to James Logan,
known as the Great spring' tract, joining Scarborough on the north, and
ii'iv, owned in part by >drs. T. T. Eastburn. and five hundred acres
'to Randall Blacksliav,-, part of fifteen hundred acres which Richard Blackshaw
bought of James Harrison's five thousand. William Beaks had a grant of thir-
teen hundred acres from William Penn, five hundred and eighty of which were
laid out in Solebury on both sides of tlie Cuttalossa.'' At his death. 1702, it
• Icscetuled to his son Stephen, and by re-survey was found to contain si.x hun-
dred and twenty-four acres. It joined the lands of Edward Hartly, Paul Wolf,
liandall Speakman'" and ^Villiam Croasdale. In 1702 Samuel Beaks Ijought
three hundred acres, which he sold to William Chadwick, which next passed
to his brother John, then to Jonathan Balderston and down to the late owners,
of \s hom W'. J. Jewell and Nathan Ely were two. The remainder of the Beaks
tract was convevcd to William Croasdale. 1703, a son of Thomas, who came
from Yorkshire the same year and was sherifi' of the county, 1707. By the
same survey Joseph Pike is given two tracts in Solebury, one of three hundred

Reoder. It embraced 41 tracts, some of them containing several hundred acres, one
as high as 5,000. Among the real estate holders we find the names of George Pownall,
James Logan, Henry Paxson. John Dalderston, William Blackfan, Thomas Ross, Ben-
jamin Canby, John Simpson, Samuel Eastburn, Randall Blackshaw, Stephen Townsend,
James Ptllar and others. The paper was afterward printed in an S mo. pamplilet, making
57 pages with an index and appendix. The latter contains. the marriages that took
place at Falls Meeting, Middictown, Buckingham and elsewhere, where one or botli
I'f the parlies were resident ot Solebury, from 1686 to 1S49. The paper was prepared
with great care and gives mucli valuable information, obtained from deeds, wills, and
tlie records of Friends Mei tings.

-' Died in 1727.

,^ The Indians callc'l it .Aciiueiong.

4 "At Quati-.b.ssy."

5 The land wn^ laid out in .S|.(.aknian's name ns '■Daniel Smith'.; .-Xdmini^tralor "
The Spcakman holding now comprises the lands of the P.I.iekfans, Elys and other
tracts.

272 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV

and seventy-six acres, the other six hiimlred and tv,ent\-ioiir, one thfuisand
acres in all.

In 1704 Henry Paxsun, son of William, who settled in Middletown in
i6S^, and anix-stor of tl'.e Bucks county Paxsons, bought William Croa'sdale's
two hundred and fifty acres in Solebury. William Paxson lost his wife, two
sons and a brother on the passage, and in 1684 married Margery, widow of
Charles Plumluy, of Xortham[)ton. In 1707 Henry Paxson bought Jeremiah
Langhorne's tracts in Solebury, some of which is still held b)' the family.'
Jacob Ilolconib and his brother John, Devonshire, England, born 1670-75, came
to Penn's Colony about the close of the century, the former settling in Sole-
bury in the vicinity of the Great spring", where he took up twelve hundred
acres. He probably took up another tract, as a patent was issued to him, April
12, 1712, for five hundred acres. He was one of the heads of Buckingham
meeting, and died about the middle of the century. He raised a family of chil-
dren. John settled in Philadelplda, and married Elizabeth Woolrich, Abing-
ton, and removed to Xew Jersey, where he purchased a large tract, on part of
which the city of Lambertvilie is built. The descendants of John live in
New Jersey, and the family is quite numerous in this county.

Thomas Canby was an original settler, whose eleven daughters, by two
wives, left numerous descendants. Esther, born April i, 1700, married John
White, and became an eminent minister among Friends. Slie traveled exten-
sively in this country, and went to England, IJ42- Tradition tells the .story,
that, on one occasion, Lydia, yoimgest daughter of Thomas C'anby, a small but
active child, mounted the black stallion of Thomas Watson, while he was on a
visit to her father. A noise calling them to the door, tliey saw the girl astride
the horse, with his head turned toward home. Mr. Wats^ni exclaimed, "the
poor child will be killed," to which Canby replied, ''if thee will risk thy horse. I
will risk my child." The horse and child reached ]Mr. Watson's, near Bushing-
ton, lie white with foam, but gentle, when Lydia turned his head and rode back
to her father's. She died at the age of one hundred and one years. The old
cedar tree in the lower part of the Buckingham graveyard was planted l5\ her
at the grave of one of her children.

Tames Pcllar, whose family name is extinct in the county, of Bristol. Eng-
land, was one of the earliest settlers in Solebury. Several hundred acres, in-
cluding the farms of John Ruckman, Charles \Vhite. Eredei-ick Pearson, and
Tohn Betts, were survevcd to him on the upper York and Carvcrsville roads, on
which he built a dwelling, 16S0. It was torn down in 1793. His son James
was a conspicuous character in Bucks county. He was a great lover of poetry,
had a wonderful mcmorv and was exceedingly entertaim'ng. Franklin admired
and esteemed liiin. and spoke of him as a "walking library." He was the frit-nd
and companion of Ji>hn \Vatson, the surveyor, who said he had never seen any
other man who could "speak so well to a subject he did not imderstand." He
repeated Jijhn Watson's poetrv on all occasions. He was a large and slovenly
man, in dress, habits and about his farm. He carried Watson's chain and died
February 16, 1.^6, at the age of seventy-seven. His father, born in 1700, and
died in 1775. became an ICpiscopalian. On the female side the families of
Betts, Reynolds and Wilkinson are amoug the descendants of James Pellar the
first. James Pcllar Malcolm, an English artist of celebrity, was a grandson 01

(> We have two .Tcci'iinls 01 tlic P.nx^.-m^. n;i,' t'.Tit I'lKv came fr.iin Dycot Iioii>o. O.x-
f'Ttl-i'.irc. I'ttQ o-.Urr tliat \\vy came from Biickinpham^liirc.

7 There i.s a tradilion that this is the birthplace of Tcdyiiscung.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

273

James Pcllar. His father, a Scotch.innn, went to tlie West Indies, and then
came to Philadelphia, where he met and married ^liss Pellar, and died. His
son was born Au^u>t, 1767. Mis mother resided at Pottstown during the
Revolutionary war, where her son was partially educated, but returned to Phila-
delphia in 1784. They went to England, where he .'•tudied three years at the
Kuyal Acadcni}-, and became distinguished. Malcolm visited his mother's
relatives in this county about 1806, and was gratitied to find numerous rich
farmers among the Pellar descendants. He died at Somertown, England, April
15, 1S15, at which time his mother was about seventy-two. John Letch, v.ho
had the reputation of being a most monstrous eater, was the friend and associate
of the Pellars. Mince pies were his favorite diet. On one occasion, when indulg-
ing his passion at Robert Eastburn's, near Centre Hill, whose wife was cele-
brated for her hospitality and turn-over minces, Mrs. Eastburn expressed fear
lest he should hurt himself, but the incorrigible feeder said if she would ri.^k the
pies he would risk the stomach. On anoiher occasion, when eating a mince pie.
baked in a milk-pan, at a Mrs. Large's, of Buckingham, he was overcome by
the task and fell e.xhausted in the ettort.

Joseph Pike settled in Solebury before 1703, and took up six hundred and
twenty-four acres, which a re-survey increased to si.x hundred and sixty-five.
It was not patented imtil 1705. The meeting-house and burial-gromid are upon
this tract. Daniel I-^mith, from Marlborough. England, located five hundred
acres immediately north of the Pike tract, which his son John, of London, sold
to Owen Roberts in 1702, and within recent years was divided between William
M. Ely, one hundred and forty acres. Daniel Ely, one hundred and forty. Isaac
Ely, oiie hundred and twenty-two. Charles Phillips and Joseph Balderston.
William Penn had five hundred acres laid out to himself before 1703. of which
fine hundred acres were sold to Roger Hartley in 1737. and the remainder to
Gysbert Bogart. which afterward passed into the hands of Samuel Pickering
and James and Isaac Pellar. The Pike tract, within sixty years, was divided
into the following farms: Oliver Paxson, one hundred acres, Joseph E. Reeder.
one hinidred and thirty acres. Merrick Reeder, one hundred, W. Wallace
Paxson, one hundred and eighteen, Amos Clark, eighty-five, Rachel Ely,
forty. Thomas H. IMagill, sixty-two. V\'illiani .S. Worthington, sixteen.
David Balderston. fiiurteen. In 1763 the attorney of Richard Pike sold the
one hundred and thirty acres to Josejih Easiburn, junior, at public sale, for
^414. 25., lod., who erected the first buildings upon it, and commenced its
cultivation. It remained in the family until 1812. when it passed to Joseph
E. Reeder, a descendant of the purchaser, whose son, Eastlnirn Reeder, still
owns it. It is now known as Rabbit run farm, and quite celebrated for herd-
registered cattle, whose occupant. Eastbum Reeder. indulges his fancv for
gilt-edged butter, an article that costs more than it comes to. The 26th of
June. 1717, five hundretl acres, extending from the Logan tract- to the Dela-
ware, were patened to John Wells. In 1721 Wells conve\ed one hundred
and fifty acres to William Kitchen, who died. 1727. and was the first of the
name in Solebury. John Wells left tlie land for the graveyard on Hutchin's
hill, and his will jirovided for a wall around it.

The two contiguous five humlred aero tracts, survex'ed by mistake to Robert
Heath, in T700, adjoined the Crcat .'^firing tract, extending to the Delaware,
and embracing the site of Xew ILipe. 'i"hc >in\eys ar": da1e<l 1703 and 1704.
and the patent 2d month, nth. T7ip. Heaih had agreed to erect a "grist or
corn support mill" on the Crcat .Spring stre.im. and it was covenanted in the
patent that if he built the mill according to agreement he shiiuld have the ex-

274 HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

elusive use of the water so long as he kept it h\ repair. The mill was built in
1707, the first in that section of country and was resorted to for miles. .\t
Robert Heath's death th.e real estate vested in his son, and by the latter's wi'I,
dated 7th of Sth month, it was left to his five sisters, Susannah, Anna, Elizabeth.
Hannah and 2\Iary. From them it passed into several hands. In 1734 John
Wells bought one hundred acres of it lying on the river. The fulling-mil! u;:
this tract was built before 1712 by Philip Williams. Joseph Wilkinson bought
part of the mill tr;icl about 1753. The first, saw-mill was erected about 1740.
In -1790 Nathaniel and Andrew Ellieott bought one hundred and fifty-five
acres of what had been the Heath tract on which was the Pilaris mill. Before
1745 Benjamin Canby owned two hundred and thirty— five acres, in twu
tracts of one liundred and one hundred and thirty-five, on the latter
■of which he built a forge. There were now on the stream flowing from the
Great Spring a grist mill, saw and fulling-mill, and a forge. The forge was
sold by the sheriff in 1750 or 1751, after Canby's death. His widow lived at
the ferr}' until her death, about 1760, when that part of the property was sold
to John Coryell. The old grist-mill continued to enjoy the exclusive right t'j
use the water for grinding until about 1828, when William "Maris bought it.
He took the water from the stream to run his factory during the dry season.
which was considered a forfeiture of the right, and other mills were erected
lower down, ^^'hen he dug the foundation for his factory, recently belonging
to the Huffnagle estate, a log cut off with an ax, was found fifteen feet below
the surface.

The Blackfans arc descendants of John Blackfan,' of Stenning, County
Sussex, England, whose son Edward married Rebecca Crispin, Kinsale, Ire-
land, second cousin of William Penn, 1688. At the wedding were William
I'enn, his wife, son and daughter, whose names are on the marriage certificate,
now in possession of the Blackfan family, of Solebury. Edward Blackfan, con-
cluding to come to America, died before he could embark, about lOgo," but his
widow, with her yomig son. William, arrived about 1700. and was appointed to
take charge of the manor house, Pennsbury, at a salary of ten pounds a year,'"
paid by the council. They lived there many 3-ears, In 1721 the son married
Eleanor ^^'ood, Philadelijhia, and, 1725, the mother was married to Xeheniiah
Allen, of that city. .\b' ut this time William Blackfan removed to a five hun-
dred acre tract in Snklniry, surveyed to him, 1718, and confirmed. 1733. He
had six children, the two eldest being born in Pennsbury. -At his death. 1771,
at the age of eiq-hly, his real estate was divided between his sons, Crispin and
William, the former marrying Martha Davis, had nine children, and the latter,
Esther Dawson,' ' had the same number. All these children but two lived to

8 Wi. uuist Ikivc I)i.cn a zealous Friend from his rough treatment. In 1639 he was
pro<cfutfd f"r non-payment of tithes, 1662, sent to jail for refusing to pay toward
repairing a "steeple-liousc" ('church), and, 1663 and 1681 was prosecuted and ex-
conmuniicated for not attending public worship.

9 From the frequent mention, in I'enn's letters, 16S9, of Edward Elackfan beini:;
about to fetcJi otVicial docinncnts to the Council, he was probably on the point of sail-
ing when dcatli arretted him.

10 James I.ocjan wrilr? to Hannah Penn, under date of May 3r, 17J1: "Tliy cousin,
lllackf.'.n. is still at I'mn-hiuy."

ir Slie was the Hranddaiii^htcr ofjohn Dawson, SnfTolk, F.n'-rlami. horn about 1660,
who wa"". a soldier at the lloyne, lOtjO, married Catharine Fox, T'lO*^, catuo to .\uicrica,
1710. and iC'.tled on a 501 acre tract, Si.U-btiry, I/iy. His will was proved May :>'\ I7-'Q.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY. 275

.•■.irrv .'ukI left niinieri;>us descendants. John Blackfan, Solebury, born in
■ - ,), and married Elizabeth K. Chapman, Wrightstown, 1S22, was the son
,.i l.ilin, the eldest son of William, and the fourth in descent from the first
i'.ucks county ancestor. '"

i'lie first i)rog;enilor3 of the Eastburns are believed to have been Robert
.■i;<i .'^arah Eastburn, wb.o came to America with William Penn at his second
\isit, 1699, or abmit that lime, and settled in Philadelphia. In 172S their son
.<anniel married Elizabeth Gillingham in Abingtun meeting, and soon afterward
removed to Solebury on a farm near Centre Hill. Among their children were
two sons. Robert and Joseph. Joseph married rvJary \Vilson, Buckingham,
1753, and purchased a portion of the Pike tract, on which he lived to his death,
lluy had nine children, seven sons and two daughters, ^-'^ whose descendants
^re numerous in both male and female line. The Inghams, who made
dieir home in Solebury for a century and a quarter, were descended
frdui Jonas, an English Friend who came from Old to New England aljout
1703, thence to Solebury, 1730. His son Jonathan succeeded to the farm and
fulling-mill at the Great Spring, and became an influential citizen. The latter
left three sons, John, a religious enthusiast, Jonas, a student of the exact scien-
ces and author of many useful inventions, who died at the age of eighty-two,
and Jonathan Vidio became a distinguished physician. He devoted his leisure to
the languages and paid court to the muses. During the Revolutionary war he

ij Wiiliaiu Crispin, the ancestor of this family, came into England at the Norman
conijiicst, and bore an important part at the battle of Hastings. Sir William Crispin
took part in the strife betv.-een Robert, Duke of Normandy, and his brother, where he
.ittackcd the king and cut through his coat of mail. For his feats in horsemanship,
he had three horse shoes for his coat-of-arms. In the contest between Charles I. and
t!ie Parliament, William Crispin was one of Cromwell's train band, and afterward
captain of his guard. He served with Admiral Penn (they having married sisters),
in his attack upon Hispaniola and Jamaica. Subsequently Cromwell gave Crispin a
f>rfeitcd estate in Ireland, near the Shannon, not far from Limerick. When William
IVnn received the grant of Pennsylvania from Charles I. he appointed his cousin,
%\iniatn Cri'ipin, one of the three Commissioners to scUle the Colony. The vessel he
>aiIod in reached the Delaware, but finding contrary winds went to Barbadoes, where he
sh'irtly died. Penn appointed to the vacancy, Thomas Holme, who had been living with
^\ ilii.Tm Crispin in Ireland. Holme had been a Tnidshipman in the West India expedition.
'Ili'tni.is Holme brought wiih him to Philadelphia, Silas, the eldest son of William Cris-
pin, who married Holme's eldest daughter soon after their arrival. They settled on a
ir.-ict of 500 acres in Byberry, on the Pennypack, given him by William Penn. Their
lifit ciiih!, a son, was l)orn in the wigwam of an Indian chief. By a second wife he h.id
six children, Joseph, Benjamin, Mary, Abigail. Mercy and Silas. One of the daughters
n-.arried John Hart, ancestor of the Harts of WarmiiKter. Silas Crispin, the son of
V\"i!liam, first appointed s-.irveyor-general, had a sister, Rebecca, wlio married Edward
r.'ai-kla'i, the ancestor of the family of this name in Bucks county. There are numerous
<!escendants bearing the name of Crispin, in this State and elsewhere.

I2j'j Edward Eastburn, a member of this family, bicame prominent in business
and amassed a large fr.rtune, estimated at half a million. He was a son of Samuel
and Mary Eastburn, and born in Solebury, January o, l<^.Si. }i<^ went to Texas, 1850.
anil became cngageil in mercantile pursuits and 5ul)SeC|uer,tly interested in real estate,
br.ikrra.iie anil banking. It was his custom to spend liis summers in the Xonh. He
'bed at Philaddpliia, .-\\;gust 27. 1900, and was burieil at the Friends Buckingliam Meet-
uu; h nwc. .Mr l'-i<;iiurn luvor married.

270

HISTORY or BUCKS COUXTV

11-

gave his {'.rofc-ssional services to the army, when needed, and, 1793 he laborcij
among the veUow fever at Philadelphia. Catching the disease, he started for
Schoolev',-, mountain, accompanied by his wife and faithful slave Cato, but did
in his carriage r.n his way, at Clinton, Xew Jersey, October i, 1793,'^ and wn-;
burietl in the e '.go of the graveyard. The most distinguished member of the
family was Samuel D. Ingliam, son of Doctor Jonathan, born on the farm near

Xcw Hope, September 6, 1770.
The death of his father inter-
. „5_^^_ ..„^„..-, _.,,._ ruptcd his classical studies at tlu- |

_^v "{ age of fourteen and he was in- :

•"■C. i- A dentured to learn the paper-

'■'^'!15i'**i".;"'}i1 making business at the mill 0:1

Vif -jT^^"' ..'.■> V-"'! the Pennypack. He was a close

';'■''" '5 student during his apprentice-

■ 1 ship, being assisted in his studies

.'I by a Scotch immigrant in the

•d neighborhood, named Craig.'*

: -'.J At twenty-one he returned home

and took charge of the farm and
■ ■'"■■j mills. He was nmch in public

'-^^ life. Pic was elected to the .\s-

"fl senibly, 1805-6-7, was in Con-

; ' •' gress from 1812 to 1829, except

-^: — . - - _'.' three vears while Secretary of

~^ the Commonwealth and was a

I "•: leading member during the war.

' . 3 He was secretary of the Treas-

l- i ury under General Jackson, till-

''^' ' * '^ ing the office with distinguished

INGHAM iiorsE. SOUTHWEST CORNER. ability. He died at Trenton,

Xew Jersey, June 5. i860. The
homestead of the Inghams. until within recent years was owned by Andrew
J. I'.eaumont. and is the same winch James Logan granted to Jonathan Ingham
-May 15. T747.'-'

]\\v political events of that day created greater excitement than the
quarrel l>etween President Jackson and Mr. Ingham, his Secretary of the Treas-
ury, followed by the latter's resignation in May, 183 1. He returned to Bucks

ij His death from l!ie fevt-r, created great consternation in the neighborhood, and
tlic nia-ons. building the wall around the graveyard, left and would not return until
cold weather set in.

14 On one occasinn young Ingham walked to Philadelphia and back the same niK'.it,
30 miles, to obtain a much coveted book.

15 This tract was granted by Pcnn to Logan, on ship-board in the Delaware. Xo-
vembvt J. 1701. for 500 acres, but the survey made it $96}i. and was confirmed to hiiii
September 12. 17.15. J'nathan, higliam received 3<j6l;J acres at a ground-rent of £ji sterlii^g
a year lor seven years, and then £25 >ter!ii!g a year for 100 years afterward; a new vaUia-
tion to be put upnn tlie property at the end of each hinidred >ears. The remaining _>oo
acres conveyed to Jacob Dean. Mr. Ii:-!iam's brother-in-law. at the same time, on
ground rent. liy liis will. James Loiian lift the income !>■ ni this property to tl-e
Logjiniaii library C"mpapy. Philadelphia, and limited the office of lihrariati to his elde-t
male Iieir. pn.bably the only hcreihtary olTice in the country.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 277

coiiMty, where his friends gave him a royal reception. He was met at Phila-
•Ii-liiliia, on the 25th, by Judge John Fox and John JL'ugh, Esqr., who accom-
j..iuied hini the next day to the Sorrel Horse tavern, Montgomery county, on
ti'.c .Mid<!lo road, half a mile below the Bucks county line. liere he was received
].> p. number of his personal and political friends on horseback and escorted to
:i;.: county line, where he was welcomed by a large assemblage. A procession
was now formed of many horsemen and vehicles with General William T.
Ki'gers and Colonel John Davis as marshals, and the distinguished guest was
••scurted to the Black Bear tavern, Northampton township. His carriage was
>:irronnded by outriders, and in that immediately in front rorle General Samuel
Smith and Captain Francis Baird, revolutionary veterans. A large crowd
;i\vaited Mr. Ingham's arrival at the Bear. After a sumptuous dinner in the
.-liade of the trees in the tavern yard, >.Ir. Ingham was presented with a
fiirmal address by Henry Chapman, Esqr., and Captain Baird, to which an
;ili])ru[iriate response was made. Thence the committee escorted the distin-
'^iii.shed guest to his home in Solebury township.

.-Vndrew Ellicott, descendant of a respectable family, Devonshire, England,
frnin the time of William the Conqueror, settled in Solebury about 1730. He
J''lk>\ved farming and milling. About 1770, his three sons, Joseph Andrew and
Jnhn, ]Mn-chased a large tract of land in ^Maryland, at what is now Ellicott's
.Mills and removed thither,^" taking with them mechanics, tools, animals,
wagons, laborers, and several settlers and tlieir families. Tliere in the wilder-
ness they built mills, erected dwellings, stores, opened roads, quarries, built
school houses, and established the seat of an extensive and profitable business.
'1 hey became wealthy and influential, and occupied prominent positions in the
■comnnniity. They and their sons were men of sterling merit ; they introduced
tlio use of plaster of Paris into ^^laryland ancl were the authors of several use-
fid inventions. They first advocated the ir.troduction of a good supply of water
into Baltimore. John Ellicott died suddenly, 1795. Joseph, the eldest brother,
was a genius in mechanics, to which he was devoted from boyhood. About
1700, he made at his home in Soleburv a repeating watch without instruction,
wliich lie took to England. 1766, wliere it was much admired and gained him
i;reat attention. After his return, 1769. he made a four-faced musical clock,
the wonder of the times, which played twenty-four tunes, and combined many
"tiler woui.lerful and delicate movements. This clock is now in Albany. Joseph
I'.llicott died. 1780, at the age of forty-eight. His son Andrew, born in Sole-
bury, 1754. became a distinguished engineer. He was surveyor-general of the
I tiiicd Slates. 179J. adjusted the boundary between the United States
and Spain, 1796. laid out the towns of Erie, Warren, and Franklin in
Ibis state, and was tlie first to make an accurate measurement of the falls
"I Niagara. He was the consulting engineer in laying out the city of W'ashing-
t'Mi and com|)leted ihe work which ?\Iajor L'Enfant planned. He was appointed
I'rofessor of mathematics at West Point, 1S12, where he died in 1820. George
b.llicntt, a son of Andrew, was one of the liest mathematicians of the times,
and died in 1832. The EUicotts owned the mill at Carversville, and what was
known at Pettit's mill, Buckingham. Thcv were Friends.''

16 .Andrew did not permniienlly leave Bucks county until 1794.

17 .-\ndrc\v Ellicott w.is .nppointed cninniis^ioner on beli.ilf of the ITnited St.ntcs.
to determine the boundary between tlieni and Sp.iin, 1796. returning home the spring
ot iSoo alter an absence of nearly four 'years. Upon his arrival at rhiiadtlphia he
wrote tlie following letter to his uncle, Colonel George Wall, of Soleburv:

278 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Richard Townscnd, a celebrated minister among- Friends, of London, a
\\'elconie passenger, and carpenter by trade, settled near Chester, 1682, with his
wife, and a son born during the voyage. lie removed first to Germantown ami
then to near Abington, whence his grandson, Stei)lien, came to Solebury about
1735. He was a carpenter and miller, andassisted Samuel Armitage to erect
the first grist-mill built on the Cuttalossa. One end of the old Townsend house,
probably the oldest in the township, was built 1756 by Stephen Townsend, an<l
the other end some thirty of forty years later. The windows had broad sash
and small folding shutters, the lire-place was wide and capacious, and the out-
side door garnished with a wooden latch. It was taken down, 1S48, by the
father of C_\rus Livezey, who erected a handsome building on the site. It was
on this farm that the celebrated Townsend apple is said to have originated.
Tradition says this apple took its name from Richard Tc-wnsend, who, hearing
of a w^ondcrful apple tree, got the Indians to take him to it, which he found
standing in a large clearing near Lumberville. He bought the clearing, but th.e
Indians reserved the free use of apples to all who wished them. Samuel
Preston said that in his time Stephen Townsend owned the original tree from
which he, Preston, cut grafts, 1766.

]-)aniel Howell, who settled in Solebury, was a son of Thomas Ilowell. of
Plaxleston, county StalTord, England, born about i6(5o, and came with his
father to America in the Welcome, 1682. He first settled on a plantation on
Gloucester creek, now Camrlcn county, New JerseVj given him by his father.
This he sold to his brother IMordecai Howell, 1687. ITe married Hannah Lak-
in, Philadel])hia, September 4, 16S6, whither he removed, 1690, and served on
the grand jurj-, 1701. He subsequently removed to Solebury, Bucks county,
where he resided until his death. September, 1739. Just at what time he canie
to Bucks county is not known, but prior to 1734, for, on June 10, that year, he
conveyed to his granddaughter, Elizabeth Howell, two hundred acres of his
projirictary land in Xew Jersey. His wife probably died before him, as she is
not named in his will, which was executed April 14, 1739, and proved Septem-
ber 28. One of the witnesses to it was Chris. Search, and was recorded at Doy-
lestown. Daniel and Hannah Howell had live children ; Daniel, born about
1688, married Elsie Reading, and died 1733; Hannah, married Job Howell:
Benjamin, married Catherine Papen, died September 6, 1774; Joseph, married
Gertrude , died 1776; Catherine, married \\'iliani Rittenhouse, of German-
town, and died at Amwell, Hunterdon county. New Jersey, 1767. His will.
dated August 27, 1761, was proved October 19, 1767, and in it, names his wife.
Catharine, sons, ^^'iHianl, Isaac, Lott, Moses and Peter, and daughters, Pri —
cilia, Susan, Hannah and Anna. Catharine Howell is thought to have been the
second wife. William Rittenhouse was of the same family as David Ritten-

Dcar Uncle: Philadelphia, May 25th, iSoo.

It is with pleasure that I acquaint you with my safe arrival, and return to my family
and friends, after an absence of three years and eight months. Since I saw you last. I
have been exposed to hardships and daiiirers, and constavitly surrounded with diti'icultii.-,
bill, owing to ray good constitution and perseverance, I have completed the arduous task
entrusted to me by my coiintry.

I wisli murli Xr\ see ynu. and family, and intend payincr a vl^it to my friends in
Bucks in a few weeks. At present, I am indisposed with ague and fever, I expect
Doc'r Rush to sec me after breakfast. Please to give my respvcts to your family and
believe me to be your affectionate nephew.

Col. George Wall, (Signed") : .Xndrew EUicott.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 279^

house, the distinguished astronomer. Of this family of Howclls was dc-s.-ciiiled
l.icut. William liowcU, father of Jefferson Davis's wiilow.

lohu Scoficid, Buckinghamshire, England, settled in Solebury when a
\._'Uiil; man probabl}' beiure 17,30. He was married at the Falls meeting to Ann
ixno'.re, a I'rench Huguenot lady who had been banished from Acadia. They
had nine children, from whom have descended a numerous offspring in this and
odicr statt.-?. In this county we find their descendants among the Williamses,
Scliofields, Fells, and other respectable families. A grandson married Rebecca,
sister of the late John Bcanniont, and his daughter Sarah, who married P.cn-
jamin Leedom, was the mother of the late Tdrs. JM. H. Jenks. John Schofield
was the great-grandfather of Joseph Fell, Buckingham, who descends in the
tnaternal line from Samuel, the fourth, son of the first progenitor in the country.
It is related of John Schofield, that hearing his dog barking down in the meadow
one evening, he took his axe and went to see what was the matter. He saw
diere a large animal up a tree, and the dog a few feet ofif. Striking the tree
with the ax, the animal leaped down on the dog, and while they were struggling
he struck the varmint on the back with the ax and killed it. It proved to be a
large sized panther.

Th.e EI>s, of Bucks county, are descended from Joshua Ely, Dunham, Not-
tinghamshire, England, who came over 1684 antl settled on the site of Trenton,
New Jersey, on a four hundred acre tract he bought of Mahlon Stacy, his
brother-in-law. He was married twice, the first time to Mary Senior, who
bore him six children — Joshua and George born in England, John at sea, Hugh
1689, Elizabeth and Sarah after their arrival. Upon the death of his first wife,
he married Rachel Lee, 1698, by whom he had two chrldren, Benjamin and
Rulh. twins. Joshua Elv was a prominent man in the comnumity, h.oMing the
office of justice of the peace, and dying at Trenton, 1702. Of the children of
Joshua Ely, George, born 16S2, married Jane Pettit, 1703, daughter of Nathan-
iel, lived on the paternal estate and died there 1750. He left three sons and three
daughters, John, George, Joseph, Alary Green, Sarah, wife of John Dagworthy,
Rebecca, wife of Eliakin .Anderson, and a grandson, George Price, son of a
deceased daughter. Elizabeth. Joshua, the second son of George, born March
16. 1704. and married Elizabeth Ijell, New Jersey, removed to Solebury, Bucks
county, 1737, and settled on three hundred and seventy-five acres he purchased
betiveen Centre Hill and Phillips mill, the greater part of which is still in the
family. Of his children, Joshua married Elizabeth Hughes, George, Sarah
Magill ; John, tlugh, .Sarah, Haimah and Jane. The late Jonathan Ely, several
years member of Assembly, was a grandson of Joshua. George Ely was a
member of the Provincial Assembly, 1760. Hugh Ely, son of Joshua, the im-
migrant, born in New Jersey, 16S9, removed to Buckingham, 1720. purchasing
four hundred acres on the cast end of the "Lundy tract," extending from the
York road to the mountain,, and from Greenville to Broadhurst's lane. His
children were Plugh, born 1715. married Elizabeth Blackfan, Thomas married
Sarah Lowther, .\nna married John Wilkinson, and Ann married Peter Mat-
son. In 1773, Thomas removed to Harford county, ]\raryland, with his six
younger children. William, Joseph, ^Nlahlon, Afartha, Rachel and Ruth; his
sons. Thomas and Hugh, and daughter Aim, who married Thomas Ellicott.
following him, 1774. General Hugh Ely, Baltimore, a distinguished soldier
and statesman and several years president of the Maryland senate, born, 1795..
and died 1S62, was a son of Mahlon Ely abo\'c mentioned.

Thomas Ross, born in cojmty Tyrone, Ireland, of Episcopal parents,
T708, immigrated to Bucks county and settled in 172S. He located on the

28o HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Manor lands outside the London Company tract. lie probably brought a sister \\

with him, or she may have followed, for Elizabeth Ross was married to Thomas JJ

Bye, 9th mo., 1732. Thomas Ross joined the W'-riglitstown Meeting February ^

12, 1729, and l.ici-ame a, distinguished minister among Friends. He took great fl

interest in the welfare of the young. He married Kesiah Wilkinson, July or t-j

August, 1731, Abraham Chapman and James Harker being appointed to attend m

the wedding and "see it decently accomplished." He passed his long life mostly ^

in ilucks county, devoting much of his time to religious work. He paid a \

religious visit to England, 1784, accompanied by several of his male and female ||

friends, embarking in the siiip Commerce, Captain Trenton, the same who |j

subsequently became a distinguished officer in the United States Navy. They
were anxious to reach their destination in time for the Yearly Meeting, but
the captain said it was impossible. It is related, that one day, while ]\Ir. Ross
was seated beside Rebecca Jones, he said to her "Rebecca, cans't thou keep a
secret?'' She replied in the affirmative, when he added, "We shall see England
tliis day two weeks."' Land was seen the morning of that day, and it is said the
ca[)tain acknowledged that had not the passengers been able to see what the
officers and sailors could not, the vessel would have gone on the rocks, and
been wrecked. Alter attending the Yearly Meeting at London and trav-
eling in Ireland and the North of Scotland wliere he attended many religious
meetings, 2\Ir. Ross reached the home of Lindley r^lurray, Holdgate, near
York, where he was taken sick and died June 13, 17S6, aged seventy-eight.
The letter announcing his death to his widow, was written by John Pember-
ton, who spoke of the deceased in high terms. Among his last words were,
"\ see no cloud in my way. I die in peace with all men."'' Among his de-
scendants were Judge John Ross, of the State Supreme Court, Hon. Thomas
Ross, Judge Henry i'. Ross, and State Senator George Ross, all of Doylestown,
deceased. William Ross, probably a grandson of the immigrant, and a native
of this county, was a merchant of Philadelphia, and died on the island of
Saint Domingo, 1807.

iS Thomas Rn^s. Jr., vi.n of Thomas, Sr., was a stanch friend of the Coh:inies during
the Revolution, and he and the U'riyht^town meeting clashed, that body "reading him out,"
Of this transaction tin.- meeting record, of /di of 12th mo., 1779, contains the following:

"Whereas, Thomas Ross, Jr., having had his birth and education among Friends, but
li.ivipg so far disregarded the testimony of truth against war and lighting as to pay a fine
demanded of him for not associating to learn the art of war, and Friends having treated
with him in order to bring him to a sense of his misconduct; yet he continues to justify
himself in so doing; therefnre, we give forth this as a tesiiniony against such practices,
and can have no furth.er inii'.y with him as a member of our Society until he comes to a
scn-.e of his error, and cuiidenm the same to the satisfaction of Friends, which he may
do is our sincere desire fur him. Signed in and on behalf of the said meeting by

(Signed) ; "J. Chapm.\n, Clerk."

When the clerk had iinishcd reading the above testimony, Mr. Ross stood up and read
• the fi'llouing declaration to the meeting:

"Wliercas, the Socirty of tlic peojile called Quakers in North .Vmerica, in several
important particulars in both theory and practice, have deserted their ancient creed, and
inasmuch as in their ecclesiastical decisions and transactions, they have become extremely
partial, inconsistent and hypocritical, I do therefore give forth this, my testimony, against
their present practices and innovations, and can have no farther unity with them as a
member of their Society, until tliey shall add to a profession more consistcjit with
Christianity, a practice more agreeable to their profession. Signed on behalf of himself by

"TiioM.\s Ross. Jr."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 281

The Rices came into the townsliip ahout one hundred and fifty years SLgo.
Edward Rice, the great-grandfather of Samuel 11. Rice, was horn in the parish
of Kiliaman, countv Tyrone, Ireland, where he lived until he immigrated to
Pennsylvania. He brought with him a certificate of grxnd character signed by
the rector ami church wardens, and a protection or passport from the proper
authority, Ixith dated June 12. 173''). It is presumed he came immediately after-
ward, and made his home in riuckingham.

The Riches are descended from John Rich, who purchased land at the head
of Cuttalossa creek, 1730. He could trace his decent, it is alleged, to Richard
Rich, who came to America in the Mayflower, and settled at Truro, on Cape
Cod, Massacluisetts. In 1740, John Rich bought a large farm in Plumstead
township, south of the meeting-house. He had several sons, only one of whom.
Joseph, is known to have any descendants in Bucks county. He married Eliza-
beth Brown, and had one daughter, Alary, who married Jonathan Wells, and
removed to Chester county. Of his five sons who lived to manhood, Alexander,
Jonathan, John, Joseph anit Josiah, Alexander married ]\Iary Michener and had
three sons, John, Joseph and William ; Jonathan married Rosanna Kemble, and
had one son, Anthony, and. after her death, he married INIary Snodgrass. and by
her had two sons. Doctor James S., and Josiah : John married Mary Preston,
and had one son. Closes, and three daughters, Susan, jMartha. and Elizabeth ;
Joseph married Elizabeth Carlile, and had two sons, John and Joseph, and two
daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth : Joseph, youngest son of Joseph Rich, married
IMartha Preston, had one son. William, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary.
The descendants of these <!everal families are quite numerous, living mostly in
Bucks county.

We do not know when the Hutchinsons came into Solebury, but early In the
eighteenth century. Matthias, a descendant of the first settler, born, 1743- was
a remarkable man in some respects, and wielded much influence. He carried on
mason-work and plastering extensively, walking twenty miles to his work in the
morning and the first man on the scaffold. Such energy brought its reward and
lie became wcalthv. He enjoyed the confidence of his fellows, and was appoint-
ed justice of the peace and afterward Associate-Judge, which he resigned about
tSi2. Ahout 1765 he married Elizabeth Bye. whose mother was Elizabeth
Ross, sister of Thomas Ross, the preacher. Mr. Hutchinson owned the fine
farm subsequently WilliaTU Siaveh's. where he died. 1823, at the age of eighty.
He was a soldier in the French and English war and near Wolfe wdien he fell on
the Plains of Abraham.

William Neeley, the first of the name in the county, born in Ireland,
August 31, 1742, came to this country when a small boy with his widowed
mother. She married Charles Stewart, Upper Makcfield, with whom her son
lived in his minority. He learned the milling business with Robert Thomp-
son," Solcburv, and married his daughter June 24. 1766. His father-in-law
erected buililings fur him <-'n his tract, where he lived and died. While Wash-
ington's army was encamped in that neighborhood, 1776. several officers quar-
tered at his house, and lames Alonroc spent some time there after being wound-
cd at Trenton. William, Xceley died July 10, iRt8. and his widow. February
13, 1834. in her eighty-sixth year. He had two children, a son and daughter;

19 Robert Thompson had the rcr>ut;iti<Mi of never tiirniiiK a poor man away frnm
liis mill witli Ills t>at; empty, wliether \\e liad money or not. The old Tliompson-Xecley
mill stands near tlie Delaware canal, but was ruined wlien that improvement was
made.

282

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

the son, l\obcrt T., marryinof Sarah Beaumont, from whom deicendeil John T.
Neeley, Solehnry. and tlie daughter, Jane, married Jolin Poor, princii>al of the
first youuij laihes' seminary e5tabHsl^(^d in Philadelphia.-"

The distingui>hed Zebulun M. Pike, who fell at York, Canada, 1813, spent
several years of his life in Solebury, if not born there. As will be remembered
the Pikes w ere early land owners in Solebury. Joseph owning land there before

m

GEN. ^UbULON .M. HIKE.

20. hi l!<53 R. J. and \V. Xccley establi.slied tliciiisclvc5 in the lumber business
of Trcnto.i,-' New Jersey, January 5, 1779, and that his father, Zebulon Pike,
with his family soon afterward removed to Lumbcrton, where he resided several

20 In 1853 R. J. and W. Keely establislicd thcniselvc?: in the lumber business
in Virginia. They were sons o£ John T. Ncclcy, and their venture proved a siicces.^.
In 1891, John Xicley, a son of one of them, succeeded to the busiiuss, which he carries
on in Port'^nionth. \'a., on a large scale.

21 There i'; no positive evidence that General Pike was horn in Solebury, but
likely sotncwhcrc in that vicinity, but ccrtajniy in Bucks county, where his father resided
several vears before hi'; son's birth.

IIISrOKY OF BUCKS COiWTV. 283

vcars."- That was his Iionie, 1786, when himself and wife conveyed to Jonathan
Kinsey, Solebury, a tract of land in Nnrtlinniberland county. In the deed he is
styled "Captain." General Pike probably received hi.-, school edncation in Sule-
bury. The family lived in a red frame house, torn down, 1S34, on the site of
I'axson's mill. While living there the father subscribed the oath of allegiance
to the Colonies. He was a soldier in the Revolution, served in St. Clair's expe-
dition, 1791, commissioned captain in the regular army, JMarcli, 1792, lieutenant
colonel, 1812, and died near l.awienceburg, Indiana, 1S34, at the age of eighty-
three. General Pike entered the army as lieutenant, March 3, 1799, and his
military life is too well known to be repeated. Among his services to the gov-
ernment were several valuable explorations, that to discover the headwaters of
the Arkansas and Red rivers, 180O, leading to his capture and imprisonment in
Mexico. Tlie author has been in the old adobe building at the north end of the
palace where he was confined at Santa Fc.-^ A distinguishing feature of Gen-
eral Pike was a fine head of bright red hair.-''

The Kenderdines,-^ a prominent family in Solebury for many years, came
into the township less than a century ago, although much longer in the state.
The name is rarely met with. The family is supposed to have been driven from
Holland to \\'ales by religious persecution, sometime in the seventeenth century.
Several of the name are now living in the vicinity of Stafford, England, near
where the Holland refugees settled. The tradition of descent runs down through
two branches of the family, and is believed to be correct. Thomas, the ancestor
of the American Kenderdines, immigrated from Llan Edlas, North Wales, about
1700, and settled at Abington, Philadelphia county. Of his three children,
Mary married a Hickman and probably went to Chester county, Richard settled
on the property lately owned by Jolm Shay, Horsham, as early as 1718, and
Thomas on the Butler road half a mile below Prospectville, whose dwelling is
still standing with the letters T. and D. K. cut on a stone in the gable. The late
John E. Kenderdine, fourth in descent from Thomas, was born in 1799 and died
in 1868. He removed to Lumberton 1834, and spent his life here in active
business pursuits — milling, farming, lumbering, erecting buildings, etc. Pie
was identified with all improvements, and gave the locality a greater business
repute than it had enjo_\ed before. Pie was an active politician. In 1843 he
was defeated for the State Senate by two votes, and again in 1866 for Asso-
ciate Judge, with his whole ticket. His two sons, Thaddcus S. and Robert,
served in the Civil war, the latter being killed at Gettysburg. Watson Ken-
derdine, son of John E. Kejiderdine, succeeded his father in business on his
death, and filled his place in social and political life. Pie was born at Horsham,

22 There is a tradition that General Pike was born on the farm owned by
Ezekiel Evcritt, Solcbnrj', and a furtlur tradition among the old men, that wlicn
a boy he was noted for his crnelty,

23 The roof of the old hnilditiR, in which Lieut. Pike was confined, at Santa Fe,
fell in the day David Meriwether, the newly appointed Governor arrived there, lSs3, the
somewhat superstitions Mexicans considering this a good omen.

24 It is claimed that the family of Pikes, from which the General was descended,
was settled at Newbnry, Massachusetts, as early as 163S, whence a member removed
to Middlesex county. New Jersey, wlure his father -was born, 1751.

25 The distinguished English authoress. Miss Muloch, makes use of the name for
two of her heroines in "Woman's Kingdom," Edna and Lcttie, out of respect for a
\'cry intimate friend of her mother's, named Kenderdine.

^84 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

1830, four years prior to his father's removal to Bucks county, and married a
daughter of Nathan and ^larthii Preston, I'hniistead. He died March 19, 1900,
leaving- a widow and three daughters, two married and one single

Tiie Kuckmans settled earl) in I'lunistcad, where tlie late John Ruckman
of Solcbury was born, 1777. The family trace the descent back to John Ruck-
man, who immigrated from England to Long Island at a very early day. Thence
they removed nito New Jersey, where John's grandson, Thomas, was born,
1721. John Ruckman's father, James, was born, 1748, married ]Mary, sister of
Colonel William Hart, of l'lum.--tcad, whither he removed, and died there, 1834.
John Ruckman moved into Solebury on his marriage and probably settled at
Lumberville, where he was living, 1807, which year he removed out into the
township on th.c farm where his family now reside and where he died, 1861.
He was prominent in politics, and was Associate-Judge of the county several
years.

William Siavely, a prominent resident of Solebury, many years, died at his
residence "Partridge Hall," ^larch 22, 1877. He was a descendant of John
Stavely, who settled in Kent county, Maryland, 16S0, and was born in F'redcr-
ick county, June 24, 1800. Pie learned priming in Philadelphia, and carried on
the business there several years. He established the Episcopal Recorder. In
1839, 1^^ purchased the Guy Bryan plantation in Solebury, and there spent tlie
remainder of his useful life. His estate was one of the finest in the county, and
he did nmch to iinprove agriculture. It \vas largely through j\lr. Stavely's
efforts Trinity Episcopal church, Centreville, was built, and he was a liberal
contributor to all its necessities.

The first flour-mill in Solebury was undouljtedly that of Robert Heath, on
the Great Spring stream. 1707; before that time the inhabitants getting their
supply of flour from },liddletowu and the Pennypack. About 1730 Ambrose
Barcroft and John Hough erected a "water corn-mill'' on the Paunacussing,
at Carversville, which in 1765 was known as Joseph Pryor's. Besides this there
were Phillips's mill, 1765, Canby's in 1762, and Jacob Fretz's fulling-mill in
1789. The ElHcotts owned the mills at Carversville several years. The Armi-
tage mill, on die Cullalossa, was among the early mills in the township, built by
Samuel .\rmitage, who immigrated from Yoi"kshire, England, to Solebury, be-
fore 1750. It is still standing and in use, but it and the fifty acres belonging
passed out of the family, 1861, into the possession of Jonathan Lukens, Hor-
sham. Two hundred acres adjoining the mill property were recently in posses-
sion of the family. Samuel Armitage died, i8or, at the age of eighty-five. The
first mill at Lumlierton was built in 175S by William .Skelton, who continued in
possession to 1771, when he snld it to John Kuglcr. lie rebuilt it berween that
time and 178 J, when he soil it to George Warnc. It was subsequently used for
a store, dwelling and cC)Oper-shop, and taken down 1828.

John Kuglcr came to .\mcrica. 1753. when a boy of thirteen, landing at
Philadelphia. Being unable to pay his passage his time was sold to a Mr. East-
burn, who lived near Centre Hill. Solebury township, who brought the young
immigrant up. Kuglcr afterward learned the milling trade; married a Miss
Worthingtou and had one son, Joseph. He married Elizabeth Snyder, who bore
him four sons. John Kuglcr married twice, his second wife lieing Mrs. Rambo,
of South Carolina. He purchased tlie tavern [irnpcrty at Centre Bridge, and
while living there, bought the Luinbcrton mill. His grandsr.n. John, also a
miller, was the owner of four hundred and sixty-three acres on the east bank of
the Delaware, and the villa-je of Frenchtmvn was laid out and built upon it.
This bind was conveyed to him. 1782-83. We know of no person living in the

KL'GLER'S MILL. UMBEKTON.

county bearing the name of Kiigler. Some of the descendants oi John Kugler
are said to be Hving above Frenchtown, New Jersey, and also of Mrs. Rambo-
Kugler, bv her first husband. Kugler removed to New Jersey soon after his
purchase and passed the remainder of his life there. He was a man of great
enterprise, built a sawmill, burnt lime, farmed and freighted goods on the
Delaware to and from Philadelphia, in a Durham boat.

In Solebury, as elsewhere, the early settlers clung to the bridle paths
through the woods until necessity compelled them to open roads. We cannot
sav when the first township road was laid out. There was a road from the river
toDarcroft's mill, and thence to the York road, 1730. About the same time a
road was laid out from Coryell's ferry to the Anchor tavern, WrightstL.wn,
v.'here it united with the ^liddle or Oxford road, thus making a new contiiuKuis
highway from the upper Delaware to Philadelphia. It was reviewed, 1801. In
173G a road was laid put from John Rose's ferry, now Lumberville, to "S'ork
road, and from Howell's ferry, now Centre Bridge, 1765, and from Kugler's
mill, Luniberton, to Carvcrsville and thence to the Durham road, 17S5. Al-
though the Street road beiv,-een Solebury an<l Piuckingliam, was allowed about
1702, it was not laid out by a jury until Septemljer 2, \/',<'>.''^ It was viewed by
a second jury August 6. 1748. In 1770 it was extended from the lower corner
of these townships to the road from Thonijjson's mill to Wrightstown. The roa<l
from the river, at the lower end of Lumberville to Ruckman's was laid out and
opened 1S32. Owing to the ojiposition an act was obtained for a "state road"
from Easton to Lumberville, thence across to Ruckman's and down the Y«jrk
road to \\'illow Grove, which gave the local road desired, with but trilling al-
teration in the old roads. The late James ^I. Porter, of Easton, was one of the
jurymen, and Samuel Plart the surveyor. The "Suggin" road is probably the
oldest in the township ar.il originally a bridle path, along whicli the settlers of
Plumstead took their grain to the Aquetong mill, above Xcw Plope, to be ground.
It left the Paunacussing creek at Carvcrsville, running northeast through Will-
iam R. Evans's and Joseph Robert's farms, crossing the present n.iad near Jo-
seph Sachet's gate, thence through Aaron Jones's wonds to meet the present
road near Isaac Pearson's, and by Armitage's mill, Centre Hill and Solebury
meeting-house to New Hope.

26 The jury were Rolicrt .Smith, Franci'! lloutjh, John Fisher, Jolin Dawson, and
Henry I'.ixicn, and it was surveyed by John Chapman.

286

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

Half a mile southeast of Carvcrsvilie, on- the road to Aqneton^, is an old
graveyanl known as tlie "Sebring-"' graveyard, and in it were buried the former
owners of the four hundred and fifty acre tract of which it ^vas a part. The
tract is now surrounded by jmlilic roa'ls; ou the northeast by the road above
mentioned, the Luniber\ille road on the southeast, the Street road on the
southwest, and tlic.r":ul froni the Street road to Mahlon Carver's corner
on the northwest. It was laid out li- Thomas Carnes in 1702. He devised
it to his aunt Ellen Saunders of Yorkshire, England, the same year ; she to
George Parker, Yorkshire, same year, late of Philadelphia; he to Ambrose
Piarcroft, Talbot county, ^Maryland, in 1723. In 1724-25 Barcroft was
drowned in the' Delaware, when the property descended to his three
sons, Willianij Ambrose and John. The second Ambrose Carcroft and
John Hough were the builders of the Carversville mill, about 1730; and William
and John P.arcroft conveyed their share of the four hundred and fifty acre tract
to John Sebring in I74''i. Eater the tract was found U< contain but four hundred
acres. The Sebring family of Dutcli ancestry, came from Province of
Drcntiie, Holland, and settled on Eong E-land prior to 1700. JMajor Cornelius
Sebring was a large landowner on Eong Island and a member of Assembly in
i^)95-i7_'3. The family subsequently removed to Xew Brunswick, or rather
Roelof, a member of it did, settling at the Raritan, where he married a daughter
of the Rev. Joliannes Thcodorus Polhenuis. His son, Jan, or John, Sebring, re-
moved to Solcbury in 1742, where he died in 1773. in his seventy-second year,
leaving four sons, Roelof, John, Fulkerd and Thomas, to whom the land de-
scended. The son, Thomas, was a captain of militia during the Revolution.
Probably the oldest stone in the Sebring graveyard is that marked "A. B." sup-
posed to be the grave of Ambrose Barcroft. Sr. There also are found the tomb
stones of John Sebring, Sr., 1773. John Sebring, Jr., 1777, Hugh McFall, 1786,
John Leasman, 1793, and a number of others, ranging in dates from 1766 to
1779. Among the clescenilants of John Sebring are Judge William Sebring,
Easton, William .^ebring Kirkpatrick. late member of Congress from North-
ampton county, and the widow of the late General John F. Hartranft.

The villages of
Solcbury are, Eum-
berville and Lum-
berton lying con-
>,.^ tiguous on the iJel-
^ii^'.v aware. Centre
*->'■•' Bridge below on
, -;i.^ the ru'cr, Leiitre
' .~>''l Plill in the interior
sT:-' of the township,
- ~" Carversville on the
--?y Paunacnssing, Cot-
'.'~;, tageville, and New
"-.-J.7: Hope, an incorpor-
:^'V;. ated borough.
;.-—-- .Ybnut 1785 the

site of Eiunberville
\vas o\viu<l bv Col-
■' ■' onel George ' Wall

and William I laniblet'^n. We know but little of HamMei.'n. but W'M was an ac-
tive patriot of the 1\'-V' lutioii. and .a u-aw of inilui i.cv. Ik- built twi^ saw-mills

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 287

and carried on the lumber business, was justice of the i)eace, and followed sur-
veying and conveyancing. His dwelling and office stood on the site of Lukens
Thomas's new house. At one time he kept a school to instruct young men in
surveying, and died, 1804.-' Hambleton's dwelling was oiipositc Coppernose,
;it what was called "Temple bar," probably from a gravel bar in the river, and
w.'.s taken down, 1S28, when the canal was dug. He died about 1797, leaving
his estate to his son Thomas, who sold it in 1807. The place was known as
Wall's sawmill and Wall's landing as late as 1814, when the name was changed
to Lumberville b)' Heed and Hartley who carried on the lumber business there.
In 1810 there were a few dwellings, a store and tavern and other improvements
were made in subsequent years. The road then ran near the river, with the
houses on the upper side, but the canal destroyed it and the present road was laid
out. The tavern was burned down about 1828, and rebuilt. Since then several
new buildings have been erected, including a Methodist church, and a substan-
tial bridge across the river. The church was built, 1S36. and re-built on the
o])posite side of the road, 1S69, with a frame basement thirty by fifty feet. The
bridge was commenced in 1S54, and finished, 1857, built by Chapin and .An-
thony Flv at a cost of SiS.ooo. The Lumberville library was founded in the
fall of 1823, the first meeting on tlie subject being held at the Athenian school
h<>use near the village, which \\"illiara L. Hoppock, Samuel Hartley, Aaron
\\ hite, Joseijh Heed,-' and Cyrus Livezey attended, among others. Tlie shares
were five dollars each. }vlr. Hartley was the first librarian, and the library was
kept in his ottice. The b^oks were sold at public sale, 1833, because there was no
]i!acc to k'ccp the three hundred and fifty volumes that had accumulated. During
its short existence it did considerable to improve the literary taste of the neigh-
borhood. The post-office was established, 1835, and William L. Hoppock ap-
pointed postmaster.

Lumbcrton, less than a mile below Lumberville, was known as Rose's
ferr)-'-' before the Revolution, when there was a grist and sawmill belonging to
William Skelton. Jacob Painter and Reuben Thorne became the owners, 1796.

27 George Wall was one ot tlie must proniineiit men in the county during- tiiat
Revolutionary struggle. In l~7S lie was appointed lieutenant of Bucks with the rank of
colonel, and his commission is signed by Thomas Wharton and Timothy Matlack. In
17S7, George Wall invented and patented a new surveying instrument called a
" Trignometcr." The Legislature granted him a patent for 21 years, the act being
signed September 10, 1787. Among those who recommended the instrument were John
Lukens. Surveyor General of Pa., David Rittenhouse. the astronomer, and .Andrew
Ellioolt, subsequently surveyor general of the United States. In 17SS Wall published
a pamphlet descriptive of tlie instrument. George Wall, Jr. and David Forst were the
accnt^ for the sale of coniiscated estate in I'ucks county. "George Wall" and "George
Wall. Jr." were one and the same person. He was the son of George Wall, his mother
Dcin.g the widow of .\ndre\v EUicott and daughter of Thomas Bye.

28 The Heeds were early settlers in Solebury but we have not the date of their
.-irrival. Abraham Heed, who died May la 1S43, at the age of 102, was a remarkable
ni.iii. Beginning life as a farmer, by indolent habits he became bankrupt in a few years.
This dill not discourage him and he started anew as a gunsmith, his trade; then bought
re.il est.iie, built borne and inill. run linio kilns, carried on lumbering and other occupa-
li'iiis. being successful in all. He held the office of justice of the peace, and at his death
V.e left 142 descendants.

j'l The right of landing wa~ reserved to Jolni Rose in the deed of William Skeltuu
of Kngb.T, 1771.

288 HISTORY Ol' BUCKS COUA'TV.

The l.iUcr kept llie icrry, and the place was called Painter's ferry and had a
tavern and a sture. It was a favorite crossing for persons going- from upper
Jersey to I'hiladelphia wIkj fell into the \ ork road at Centre Hill. Painter, who
died, 1805, probably built a new mill and the subsequent owners were Joseph
Kugler, John Gillingham, Jeremiah King, Thomas Little and John E. Kender-
dinc. Tlie canal co\ers the site of the hrst mill, a long, low and narrow stone
building. Gillingham rebuilt the tavern, 1816 or 1817, about which time it had
fallen into bad repute, and was called '"Hard Times."-"''- A tavern has not been
kept there since 184:.'. When I\lr. Kenderdine enlarged his mill, 1S34, he pulled
down the old Pike dwcllnig. Luiiiberlon contains a lew dwellings and a grist-
mill. Here is a valuable quarry of light-colored granite, owned and worked by
a company, developed when the canal was constructed and the stone were used
to build abutments and wingwalls of bridges. The new locks at Xew Hope
were built of it. The quarry was bought by John E. Kenderdine, 1833, and sold
by his administrator, 186S. On July 12, 1877, a blast of twenty kegs of pov/der
made at this quarry, threw down a ledge 63 feet long, 27 feet high and 39 feet
deep containing about 60,000 feet of stone. The stone trimmings for the new
court house, Doylestown, came from this quarry. Mr. Kenderdine gave the
place the name of Lumberton. The Indian name of the island in the Delaware
opposite Lumbervillc was Paunacussing, which it retained until 1721, when John
Ladd and R. Bull bought a large tract in that vincinity, which soon fell into
the possession of Piull, and was then called Bull's island. Paxson's island,
lower down the ri\tr, took its name from Henry Paxson, an early settler
in the townshljj. PI is nephew, Thomas, inherited two hundred and nine
acres along the Delaware including the island, which contained one hundred
acres. The island was the cause of much trouble to the Paxsons, the Indians
claiming the title to it on the ground that they had not sold it to Penn. About
1745 they offered to sell it to Paxson for £5, but he refused to buy with the
Proprietary's sanction, in the first deed it is called a "neck," and 1745, ^^■as
an island only about three months in the year.

Centre Bridge, four miles below Lumberville, was called Reading's ferry
soon after 1700, from John Reading, who owned the ferry-house on the New
Jersev side, and afterward HowcH's ferry from the then owner. It was so
called, 1770. It was knuwn as ^Nlitchel's ferr\- before the present century. In
1810 it had but one dwelling, in which John Alitchel, the ferryman, lived, who
kept the tavern there for many \ears, and died, 1824. At one. time he repre-
sented tlie county in the Assembly. The bridge was built across the river, 1S13,
when it took the name of Centre Bridge half way between Lumberville and Xew
Hope. Since then several dwellings and two stores have been erected. The
posl-olhce was established at Centre Hill, 1S31, and John D. Balderston post-
master, but changed to Centre Bridge, 1S45,.

Carversville was originally called Milton, which name it bore in 1800. .-\t
the beginning of the century it contained a gristmill, store, smith-shoii, etc.
About 1811, Jesse Ely. built a woolen factory, oil-mill, and taimery ; the factory
was burned down, iSt(). and re-built. Isaac Pickering opened a tavern here
1813-14, and kejH it to his death. 1816, when it. and the property of Jesse Ely
were bought by Thomas Carver who carried on business to his death, 1854. A
po^t-o^^lce was established 1833, ai!<l the )>lace called Carver.sville. Since then

jo; J TIic siijn blew ilcwii .-md tlic Irin.TiOrd pul up a \vlnt^v^,^ll^^l winilow sluittcr in
its stc.Tl, on which iio wr. ae with ;;ir the words "Hard Times," and limos did Jock
hard enoimh l!icrcal)Otil<;. 1

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY. 289

tiic village has considerably iniprovc-d, several dwellings, Free and Presbyterian
clmrclics, a large schuul building, a store, etc., erected, and a cemetery laid out.
'i'lie I'resbytenan congregation was organized about 1870, and the church, a
pretty Gothic structure, that will seat about three hundred, was built, 1874, at
a cu>t of $4,500. In 181 1 a woolen factory was built at Fretz's mill, on the road
iium Carversville to the Delaware, and run until abuut 1819 or 1820. A clover-
niill was afterward biult, and burned down, 1S33, when a gristmill was erected
on the site. Centre Hill, known as the "Stone school-house" a century and a
half ago, contained only a store, one dwelling, and an old school house, in 18 10,
but, within more recent years, several dwellings have been erected, an additional
store opened and mechanics established. Cottageville has several dwellings, and
.1 schoolhouse. The Solebury Presbyterian church was organized, 181 1, mainly
through the efforts of ^vlrs. Rebecca Ingham, I\Irs. Johanna Corson, and ]\[rs.
Elizabeth Neeley, of the Xewtown congregation. It has about one hundred
members, and the yearly collections amount to nearly one thousand dollars.
The church was repaired in recent years by \\'illiam Xeeley Thompson, of New
York, but a native of Eucks, and is now one of the most beautiful in the county.
It is now known as the "Thompson Memorial church," after Thomas JNI. Tliomp-
son in whose memor_\- it was re-built by his son. It contains four very fine mem-
orial windows, to commemorate the virtues of two men and two women, one of
the former a loved pastor, the Reverend Doctor Studiford. The present pastor
is the Rev. Adolphus Kistler. The Solebury Baptist church grew out of a meet-
ing of twenty-one persons of this faith held at Paxson's Corner, now Aquetong,
the 6th of }ilarch, 1843. They resolved to organize a Baptist church, and it was
constituted the 2Sth of the same month with thirteen constituent members;
Charles F. Smith, Joseph Evans, Leonard Wright, Ann Walton, Catharine
Xa_\lor, George Gathers, Xelson H. Coffin, Jacob Naylor, David R. Xaylor, Ira
Hill, ^Margaret Smith and Susan Smith. The membership was increased to
thirty-one by the middle of the following May. The Reverend J. P. Walton
was the first pastor, serving the church to 1845, when it was supplied, until 1849,
by Reverend W. B. Srope, Lambertville, Xew Jersey. The Reverend Joseph
Wriglu was now called and remained until 1S54. In 1S51 an addition was
built to the church. The pastors in succession afterward were, Joseph N. Fol-
well, 1854, W. W. Beardslee, 1S56, Samuel G. Kline, 1859, ?\lartin ^L King,
iSCo, and Silas Livermore, 1863. The church was closed in Septeinber, 1866,
on account of the reduction in membership by death and removal, and was not
reo])eiicd for worship until October id, 1809. In November of that year George
H. Larison, M. D., a deacon of the First Baptist church of Lambertville, was
called to the pulpit, and served the church several years. He is now deceased.
He was ordained pastor in 1S72. Under his pastorate ninety-three were added
to the church bv baptism, and many others by letter. The house was repaired,
187 1, at an expense 01 S2.oeX), and is now a commodious place of worship.

In response t(.i a long-felt want and urgent need of a school for higher edu-
cation in middle Bucks, the Excelsior Normal Institute was established at Car-
versville, 185S, and a charter- obtained. The movement secureil tlie co-opera-
ti'in of the Rev. F. R. S. Hunsicker. then principal of the l-'reeland Seminary,
( 'r.lK.<rcville, Montgomery county. Mr. Hunsicker was appointed principal with
\\'illiaiu W. Fell. Mary Ilamplon and William T. Seal as-i.-taiits. The school
w;is opened in October. 1S59, with a good attendance, occuiiying a convenient:
building erected for the purpose. It was popular frum the rir>t and the most
prominent families became its warm supju^rters and |i:ttrons. Mr. Ilinisicker
retired in iShJ, and Iron.i that time in iSO^ the schni.'l in succession was in

.?90 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

charge of William T. Seal, William R. Evans, Air. Fish, Dr. G. P. Bctts, and
Samuel B. Carr. In 1S67 Air. Hunsicker again assumed charge, being suc-
ceeded by Simeon S. Overholt in 1872. The Normal Institute proper was
closed, 1874, but the academic department was continued a year longer under
Henry O. Harris.-"" The property was now sold to William R. Evans, who re-
modeled the building, and for a time was a popular summer resort. Among
•the popular instructors in the institute, besides those named were A. M. Dickie,
John Peoples, William G. White, William P. 2^1. Todd, George P. Belts, :\l!
D., iM. F. Bechtol and Lizzie Hunsicker and others. Alany of the pupils have
reached positions of honor, among them Judge D. Newlin Fell, State Supreme
x:ourt, Judge Pancoast, Camden, N. J., Judge Henry Scott, common pleas,
Northampton county, I'ennsylvania, county superintendents, Eastburn and
Slotter, and others in the learned professions. l"he "Excelsior Normal Insti-
tute" made its mark on the community.

On the banks of the Delaware, at the lower end of Lumberville, rises a
headland fifty ftet high called Coppernose. Local antiquarians say it was so
called because copperhead snakes were found there in olden times, and William
Satterthwaite, an eccentric poet and schoolmaster of the township, has the
credit of being the author of the quaint name. From the top of this bold
promontory is obtained a fine view up and down the river, with tlie islands, the
bold shores on cither side, with the hamlets of Lumberville and Lumberton
nestling at the declivity of the western highlands. Half a mile below, the Cutta-
lossa,^^ in a tortuous course of three miles, empties into the Delaware after
turning several mills. It is a romantic stream and its beauties have been herald-
ed in both prose and poetry.^- John G. \Miittier, the poet, lived on the banks
of the Cutlalossa during parts of 1839 and iS.;o, on the \\'atson Scarborough
premises.

Opposite the old grist-mill, and in hearing of the patter of its dripping
wheel, a beautiful fountain bearing its name has been erected. A never-failing
spring gushes out from underneath the roots of a large tree, on the summit of
a wooded knoll thirty yards west of the woods and twentv feet above the level
of the creek. Years ago the late John E. Kenderdine placed a wooden trough
to catch the water after it came down the gully, and utilized it for the traveling
public, and, in the summer of 1873, ^ f^^^' hberal persons, in and out of the
neighborhood, contributed money to erect the beautiful stone fountain that now
adorns the locality. A leaden pipe conveys the water down the hill and under
the road to the fountain where it falls into a marble basin four feet square.
A figure stands in the middle of the basin surmounted by a shell through which
the water escapes in threadlike jets to the height of twelve feet, and an iron-
fence protects it from intruding cattle. At the roadside near the spring is a sub-

30 Mr. Hnrrii and Mr. Eastburn are both members of the Bucks county bar settled
at Dnylc^t.^WU.

jt In 1S97 William J. Bvick issued a publication of ninety pages — originally printed
in the Bucks County Intclligcnci:r, 1^7-;, entitled "The Cuttalossa and its Historical, TraJi-
tior.al and Poetical Association." It is replete with matter of a highly interesting char-
acter, hut \vc have not space to inrlulire in quotations from it.

32 Tradition, not of the most reliable character, says it received its name from a
strayed Indian child, named Quattie, meeting a hunter in the woods and cryin.t; "Qunttie
lossa," meaning tliat Quattie was lost, .and from that the name was gradually chan.geJ
to its present. CutJalossa. It is called "Quatielassy" and "Quctyelassy" in a deed of
1702.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. zgi

.-.triiitial stone watering trough, flanked by a wall. At the two extremities of the
wall are columns, two feet square and six high, with a marble slab set in each.
I 111 one is the inscription: ■'Cuttalossa fountain, erected 1S73, by admirers of
ji-.e beautiful," and the other:

"Are not cold wells,
And crystal springs.
The very things.
For our hotels?"

A flight of steps ascends the steep, wooded bank at each end of the wall,
.-■.nd graveled paths lead to the grounds surrounding the spring. On the slope,
water, from other fountains supplied by branches from the main pipe, leaps up
from the ground and falls into miniature basins and a rustic bridge spans the
>treain just above. The grounds about are pleasantly laid out, seats placed in
inviting spots and hilching-posts for horses. During the summer it is a great
:-csort for croquet, and other parties, which spend pleasant hours in the shades
<■! the romantic Cuttalossa.^" The beauties of this locality have been sung by
i^olebury's sweetest poet.'*

"While Ciittalossa's waters

Roll murmuring on their way,
'Twixt hazel chimps and alders,

'Xcath old oaks <iuarled and gray,'*
While just across the valley

From the old, old grist-mill come
Tlie water-wheel's low pauer,

The niilhtone"s drowsy hum.'"'

Here sparkling from its birthplace.

Just up the rifted hill,
In tiny cascades leaping

Comes down a little rill.
Till ill a plashing fountain

It pours its crystal tide
Jn^t where the road gnes winding

To tlie valley opening wide.

Thy beeches old and carven

Willi names cut long ago ;
Thy wooded glens, dark shadowed.

Beside thy murmuring flow,
Thy spice-wood fringed meadows,

The hills that sloped beyond,
The mills that drank thy waters

From many a glassy pond.^'

T-,3 We have the authority of William J. Buck for saying that there was an Indian

village called Qualyelossa about the present dam of Armitage's old mill as late as
1705, and it probably gave the name to the stream.

34 Thaddi-us S. Kenderdine.

35 Referring to the upper end of the valley.

36 Alluding to the old mill, built 1758. ;

37 Referring to the foiint'in near the mill.

292 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Thy rivulets, laurel-shaded,

Thy hemlocks, towering high;
My home beside thy waters.

Thy river rolling by.
All crowd into my memory,

Called up by the conjuring Past,
Oh, I'll foryct them, never!

W'liile life and memory last."

At tlie middle of the last century there were three taverns in the townsliij),
at each of the three ferries, Rose's, lioweU's and Coryell's, principally to accom-
modate foreign travel. The hostelry at Rucknian's was opened at a later day,
but a public house has not been kept there for many years. At what time it was
first licensed we do not know, but was kept by one Da\-id Forst in 17S9, and
probably several years earlier.

In 1854, accident led to the discovery of an old mine on the farm of John
T. Keeley, two and a half miles below New Hope, the mouth covered with a
large flat stone. The drift, with an opening through solid rock, seven feet by
four, runs into the hillside about si.xty feet, where it meets a chamber fifteen
feet square and eight or ten feet high, with a pillar in the centre hewn out of
solid rock. Here is a shaft about forty feet deep, and to the riglit of the cham-
ber is an oblique shaft about ten feet wide and from thirty to forty high, and
opens further up the hill. The drift terminates in the solid rock. There are no
other evidence of mining operations, and no minerals found except a few pieces
of copper picked up among the debris. There is no tradition as to whe-n, or
by whom, the exca\'ations were made, but it must have been at the early settle-
ment of the country for large trees are now growing over the old excavations.
The Proprietaries sold the tract to William Coleman, and by him, about 1730,
to James Hamilton, Langhorne Uiles, Joseph Turner, William Plunistead,
William .Allen and Lawrence Growden. Three years after they sold it to Robert
Thompson, reserving to themselves the right to dig and search for metals. As
these gentlemen were interested in the Durham works, no doubt they purchased
the property to secure the supposed minerals and caused the excavations to be
made. Alany years ago the late John Ruckman leased the property and em-
ployed an engineer from New York to superintend the excavations. He tni-
covcred the jiassage and shafts. mentioned but did not find copper in sufticient
quantities to justify working it. The engineer decided that the original exca-
vations had been made b)- German miners. The location is on the west side of
Bowman's hill.

Among the physician:^ of the past and present generations, of Solebury,
wonh.y of notice are, John Wall, the son of Colonel Wall, who 'was
born, 17S7, and studied with Doctor Jnhn Wilsr^n. He appeared to be a physi-
cian by intuition, and would prcscrihe lor the most difficult case and conduct it
successfully without being able to tell why he u.^ed this or that remedy. He had
a large practice, and was popular and successful, but drank to excess, and died
at Pittstown, New Jersey, i8_'6. at the early age of fortv; David Forst, tlie son of
the host at Ruckman's, b..rn 17S9, a fellow student' of Doctor Wall, located
at kingwocxl. 1807. and .lid. 1S21. aged thirtv-fivc vears : Charles Cowdric
wasjiorn m 7833, siudicl with Doctors O. W. C. and L. L. Huugh. practiced
at Red Hill and hVer.chiowii. and dicil at tlu- latter place, Deccmiier -, 1 , i.'s;7r,
when he bid fair to become a ]ihysician of emiiKuce. Wc have alluiled else-
where, to the Doctors Ingham, father an,l sn,,, whr, ranked anK.n<' the fir^t
physicians of their day, botii l)orn in Soleburv.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 293

When the Solebury Friends separated from Buckingfham, in 1808, and
l.'.:ilt a meeting-house, tlic joint school fund was divided, the former townsliip
i;itting $4,500 as lier share. Since the establishment of public schools this fund
I'.as lain idle. Before 179 1 Samuel Eastburn conveyed a lot to John Scarbor-
. ■ui^fh and others for a school-house, but we do not know where it was situated.

On the farm of William E. Leedom, near Lumberville, stands a white oak
twenty-three and one-half feet in circumference, beneath whose roots flows a
>]iring that supplies the farm stock with water. Under it is a cavern that affords
shelter to the hogs and poultry, when it storms. From this farm the spire of the
IVesbyterian church, Doylestown, may be seen with a glass on a clear day.
\'r\ov to the Revolution tlie farm is said to have been owned by a stock com-
]);uiy for mining purposes, but was bought by Colonel George Wall, who occii-
])ie(l it during the war. He sold it to Malhias Cowell about the close of the
century and removed to Lumberville where he died.

The Great Spring, likewise called bv the names of Logan and Ingham, three
miles from New tlope, is one of the most remarkable in the State. It pours a
volume of cool, pure water from a ledge of redshale anl limestone and flows to
the Delaware in a stream that turns several mills. It was a favorite resort of
the Indians and is said to have been the birthplace of Tecdyuscung. The small-
f>ox broke out among the Indians at the spring soon after the country was set-
tled and great numbers died. Not knowing it was infectious, many Indians
visited the sick, contracted the disease and carried it home with them. Their
treatment was sweating which was fatal. Believing it was sent by the whites
lor iheir ruin, it came near breaking Indian confidence in the white man. The
last Indian children in Solebury and Buckingham, went to school at the Red
school house on the Street road, 1794, with the father of the author, then a
small boy. Tlie late Charles Smith, Solebury, disputes with James Jamison,
Buckingham, the honor of inventing a lime-kiln to burn coal. He is said to
have built the first coal burning kiln, and that all others were fashioned after
his invention.

The first paper mill in the county was built about 1790, by Samuel D. Ing-
ham on the stream that flows from the Great Spring. He learned the trade of
l)aper making at the mill on the Pennypack when young, and when out of his
time, returned home and erected the mill. The paper was made by hand, for
several years, and hauled to Philadelphia, and on it was printed the early Bucks
county newspapers. In 1836, a Fourdrinier machine was jnit in, the first mill
in the state to use one. At this mill was made the first wrapping paper manu-
factured from manila rope and bagging in Peimsylvania, bv Anthony Kelty,
who rented it. It is still in operation. It was once destroyed by fire and re-
built. The second mill was nearer the Delaware at Wells' falls, just below New
Hope. A third mill, erected tliere, tSSo, manufactured manila paper for wrap-
ping.

We know but little of tlie population of Solebury at early periods. In
1761 there were 138 taxablcs. In 17S4 there were 9S0 whites, but no blacks,
166 dwellings and 150 outhouses. In 1810 the population was 1,659; 1S20,
2.or)2\ 1S30, 2,961,^' and 503 taxablcs; 1840, 2,038; 1850, 2,486 whites, 148
colored; 1S60, 2,875 whites, 139 colored; 1870, the population was 2,791, of
which 156 were of foreign birth, and 125 blacks ; 1880, 2.648 ; 1890, 2,371 ; IQCO,
2,082.

38 The he.Tvy incrc.isc over 1R20, is evidently an error in tlie census figures.

/

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 295

llic map of New Hope, the largest village in Solebury township, drawn
a:ul L-iigraved from one of 179S, gives the names of all the owners of real estate
:ii it at that time. W'e insert it in this chapter, with the following explanation
<■! the numbers upon the map, viz.: Xo. i, mills of B. and D. Parry; 2, stables,
>iitto; 3, store and stone stables, ditto; 4, cooper shop, ditto; 5, orchard, ditto;
0, liouse and garden, ditto; 7, ditto, ditto; 8, Beaumont's hatter-shop; 9 and
10, Beaumont's tavern and barn; 11, house of Cephas Ross; 12, house of O.
Hamjfton; 13, house and barn of J. Pickering; 14, house of J. Osmond; 15,,
\'nnsarit's saw-mill ; 16, house; 17, house of B. and D. Parry; 18, house of B.
Parry ; 19, Vansant's house ; 20, house and shop of A. Ely ; 21, B. and D. Parry ;
22, Martha Worstall; 23. D. Parry's shop; 24, house, ditto: 25, Eli Doan's
house ; 26, Enoch Kitchen's house ; 27, John Poor's house ; 28, barn, ditto : 29,
Oliver Paxson's house ; 30, barn, ditto ; 31 and 32, Paxson's salt store and stable ;
33, Coolbaugh's house; 34, William Kitchen's house. In a subsequent chapter
will be found a lengthy account of the settlement of New Hope, with its present
condition.^"

39 Prior to 1745, there was not a two-horse wagon in Buckingham or Solebury, now
among the riehest and most populous townships in the county.

CHAPTKR XIX.

HISTOKIC CHURCHES.

1710 TO 1744.

Population previous to 1710. — Cb.urches bi-tween 1710 and 1720. — St. James' Episcopa!. — ■
The graveyard. — W'hitefield and Zinzendorf. — Churclies established. — Whiteiield at
Neshaminy. — Second visit. — The "Great Awakening." — David Brainard. — The "old"
and "new side."— Division at Neshaminy. — Ihe Log CoUcge and William Tcnnent. —
Samuel Blair. — Charles Bealty. — Neshaminy church founded. — Nathaniel Irwin. —
Mr. Bclvillc. — Southampton Baptist church. — John Watts, Samuel Jones.- — Mr. Van-
hornc, Mr. Montnnyo. — Deep Run church.^Francis McHenry.- — James Greir. — New-
town church. — Hugh Carlisle. — James Boyd.— Revolutionary. — Robert D. Morris. —
New Britain Eajnist church. — Child of a religious quarrel. — Growden gives ground. —
Joseph Katon. — Reconciliation with Montgomery. — Strength of church. — Ministers'
names. — Tohickon Reformed church. — Founded 1740-43. — Rev. Jacob Ries?. 1749.—
John .Andrew Strassburger, most famous pastor, — Twelve pastors in 122 years.

The population 01 lUicks county was composed almost exclusively of
Englisii Friends previous to 17 10, if we except the feeble settlement of Rhode
Island Baptists at Cold Spring, Bristol townshi]). Other sects and denominations
came in at a later period; in their order, the English Episi-opalians, the Dutch
Prolestanls, Scotch-Trish rresb_\terians, Welsh Baptists, and German Luther-
ans and Reformed. Each denomination marked a difi'erent people, and intro-
duced a new element into provincial civilization. Between 1710 and 1720 three
den(3minational churches were established, St. James' I'.piscopal, r)ristol, what
is now the Bcnsalem Presbyterian church, and the Low Dutch Reformed
church of Xorthampton and Southampton.

The St. James' E[n.-co|}al church, built 1711, and dedicated July 12, 1712,
owes its fotmdaiion to the ".Society for the propag'ation of the gospel in foreign
parts." The lot was tlie gift of ''.Anthony Burton, gentleman," and Queen Anne
interested licrsclf enough in the feeble parish to give it a solid silver communion
service, stoUn in after \ears. The first pastor was Reverend John Talbot,
chaplaiit in the Engli?h navy and attached to the ship in which George Keith
first came to America. lie and Talbot frunidcd St. Hilary's church, Burlington,
and the latter used to cotne across the river to preach at Bristol before that
church, was buill. lie ofticiated until 1727. and was succeeded by the fallowing
rectors; Robert W'vnian, I7'^^, William Lindsav, 1739, C'olin Campbell. 1741,
Mr. Odell, 1768, Mr. Lewis,' 1776, Henry Waddelf, 1806, Richard D. Hall,

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 297

1813, Mr. Jacquetto, 1822. Albert A. Miller, J. \'. E. Thorn. William H. Reese,
1S25, Grcenbury W. Ridgely, Thomas J. Jackson, William S. Perkins,
1S33. Mr. Uartow. 1S55, Joseph W. Pearson, 1857, D. W. W. Spear, i86i.
Doctor John H. Drunim, 1S63 to 1875. John C. ]^)rooks. 1876 to 1877. Joseph
W. Lee, 1878 to 1SS5. William Leggett Kolbe, 1887 to 1891, and William Brice
Morrow, 1892. DiKtor Drumm was a chajilain in the arni_\- during the Civil
war, serving in the campaign on the Peninsula, and was subsequentlv rector
of a parish in Rhode Island. The parish of St. James suffered during the Revo-
lutionary war. The church was dismantled and turned into a cavalry stable,
tiie graves trodden under foot, the congregation scattered. After the war it
was used for a barn. It was without a rector, or regular service for thirty-one
years until Mr. Waddell, Trenton, was called to ofticiate twice a month, 1806,
for £50 a year. This venerable jwrish has passed through many tribulations
but survived them all. The gifts of its early patrons have been mostly squan-
dered yet it possesses valuable temporalities. The church edifice cost thirteen
thousand dollars. 1857, and the congregation owns a comfortable rectory.
Anthony Burton was one of the most active in the organization of the churcli,
and John Rowland gave a lot on Mill street, 1715, to build a rectory on. Some
o\ the early rectors received but £100 a year. The grave yard is one of the old-
e>t in the county, and in it lie the remains of some of Bristol's earliest inhabit-
ants. Near the grave of Captain Green, who carried the first American tlag to
China, was buried Captain Sharp, Tenth United States infantry, who, while
stationed just above Bristol, fell in a duel with the quartermaster of his regi-
ment, 1798. Sharp was courting Miss Sarah McElroy, whose father kept the
Cross Keys tavern. Bristol, many years. The duel grew out of a difficulty in
relation to the lady and was fought on the farm owned by the late Charles T.
Iredell just outside the borough limits. Sharp fell at the second fire. The lady
never married.

The next thirty-five years were marked by unusual religious excitement
and activity. It was during this period that the celebrated Whitefield visited
America, and stirred up the hearts of the people to their lost condition, and
Zinzendorf and his disciples from Hernhutt settled in the wilderness on die beau-
tiful Lehigh. The religious fervor j^rcvailing throughout the provinces mani-
fested itself in this county and churches multiplied rapidly. The Neshaminy
Presbyterian church was founded about 1720, possibly before. Southampton
Baptist church. 1730. the Presbyterian church at Newtown in 1734, the church
in the midst pf the Scotch-Irish settlements along the Deep run, Bedminster,
about the same time, and the New Britain Baptist church, an offshoot of }>Iont-
gomery and the child of a religious quarrel, 1744. In the establishment of
these early churches, the parents of denominational religion in this county, we
read in plain characters the history of the immigration of the period, for places
of religious worship only kept pace with the spiritual wants of the population.
It was during this period that the Brainards, with courage and self-denial
equal to the early Jesuit missionaries, labored among the Indians at the Forks
of Delaware, and now and then came down into the more settled parts of the
county to preach, at Neshaminy. Newtown and elsewhere. In 1726 Reverend
William Tcnncnt, one of the great lights of his generation, was called to the
Neshaminy church, and sul)scc|uently established the Log College on the York
mad, half a mile below Ilartsvillc, which, for years, was the only school south
of New England at which young men could be fitted for the ministry.

The visit of Reverciul George Whitefield to America. T730. gave a new
impetus to tiie religious enthusiasm, alreadv prevailing. Me lan<lcd at Pliila-

29S , HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

delj)hia Xovcmber 2. and a week afterward. Mr. Tennent rode down from |
Nesliaminy, oti horseback, to welcome the great evan!:jenst. who writes in his \
diary tliat he was "much comforted by the coming- of one Jilr. Tennent, an old |
gray-headed disciple and soldier of Jesus Christ, who keeps an academy about |
twenty miles from Philadelphia." On his return from New York, near the j
close of the month. ^.Ir. Whitefield came by way of Neshaminy to visit }vlr. |
Tennent. Leaving Trenton on the morning of November 22, he traveled across \
the country on horseback, in company with several friends, arriving at the !
church about nor.n. He was announced to preach there, and, on his arrival, I
found about three thotisand people gathered in the meeting-house yard. He \
addressed them in words that melted the great auilience, and caused many to \
cry aloud. The meeting was closed by an exhortation by Gilbert Tennent. the \
singing of a psahn and a blessing. ]\ir. Whitefield. who went home with Mr. j
Tennent and staid all night, writes in his diary: '"He entertained us like one 5
of the ancient patriarchs. His wife to me seemed like Elizabeth, and he like |
Zachary ; both, as far as I can find, walk in all the ordinances and comtnand- |
ments of the Lord, blameless." In the morning he started for Philadcl])hia 1
where lie arrived that afternoon, stopping long enougli at Abington to preach to 1
two thousand people from a porch window of the meeting-house, and, "al- \
though tlie weather was cold, they stood very patiently in the open air." He i
returned to Abington in April, and preached to between three thousand and
four thousand people.^

April 23, 1745. Mr. Whitefield made a second visit to Neshaminy. Leaving
Philadelphia about eight a. m.. accompanied by several friends, he arrived at
three, having "baited at a friend's in the midway." That afternoon he preached
in the meeting-house yard to about five luuulred people, and "great numbers
were nnich melted down." That evening he rcxle to IMontgomery, eight miles,
where he staid all night and. the next morning continued on to Skippack,
sixteen miles further, where he preached to two thousand persons, passing
through what "was seemingly a wilderness part of the country." T\Iay 7,
Mr. Whitefield again came into the county, crossing the river to P.ristol. where
he preached to about four hundred people and then returned to Philadelphia.
At this time Whitefield is described as "of middle stature, slender body, fair
complexion, comely appearance, and extremely bashful and modest. His de-
livery was warm and aft'ectionate, and his gestures natural, and the most beau-
tiful imaginable." Franklin, who attended his sermons, said: "He had a loud
and clear voice, and articulated his words so perfectly that he Hiight be heard
and understood at a great distance. 1 computed that ho might well be heard
by thirty thousand."

In 1745, a religiotis revival and excitement, called the "Great Awakening."
broke out in various parts of the country, extending into this coiuitv. It was
noted for several marvelous instances of persons being thrown into contortions,
called "jerks," while under the influence of preaching. Some fainted, others
saw visions, and manv were moved in various other ways. It broke out in the
Neshaminy congregation in the spring of the year. and. in June, David P.rain-
ard. the great missionarv. among the Indians, came down from the Forks to
assist ls\r. Beatty the pastor. He tells us. in his journal, that on Sund.ay there

I He says, in his journal, there were near i.ooo horses tied about the meeting-
house when he preached at Neshaminy. and it struck him favorably that the people
did not sit on their hor.= es as in England.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

299

were assembled from tliree to four thousand persons, and that during his ser-
mons many were moved to tears.

During this period a spiritual skeleton intrciduced itself amid the revivals
and awakenings that stirred the religious world. Things were far from har-
niiMiious. Presbyterians became divided, and for forty years the Old Side and
New Side stood bristling at each other across an imaginary line. It was the
ancestor of the war of "scliools" that caiue a century later. In a word the di-
vision was here. The Old Side believed all should "be regarded and treated
as regenerate who did not give evidence, to the contrary, by manifest heresy
or immorality,'' and that all baptised persons should be communicants. This
doctrine was held by what was called the strict Presbyterians from Scotland
and Ireland, with few exceptions. The New Side, principally persons from
New England, held that all, in whom no evidence of regeneration could be
found, should be excluded from communion and the ministry. The Log-
College- was a New Side seminary, and the New Brunswick Presb>tery
leaned the same way. Th.e division caused great trouble in the synod frum
172S to 1741, when the schism, which separated the New Brunswick Presby-
tery from tlie rest of the body, w^as ccrtisummated. The Neshaminy church
was not a unit. That part of the congregation adhering to the Old Side wor-
shiped in the old church, in the graveyard, under the pastoral care of Reverend
Francis JMcHenry, Deep Run, while the New Side held services in the new
cliurch, the site of the present one on the bank of the creek. This continued
imtil about 176S, when the synod, having become united, the tw"0 sides came
together and worshiped in the same building.

The religious fervor of the period probably led to the establishment of the
Log College. William Tennent, its founder, and in fact, its everything, took
a leading part in all the discussions of the day, and exerted himself to advance
the cause of religion. \\'hether the school he taught in Bensalem was theologi-
cal is not known, but that near Neshaminy soon assumed this character, and has
now become historic. He made a clearing in the timber on a fifty acre tract
given him by his kinsman, James Logan, and erected a log building about
twenty feet square.^ It was one of the earliest classical schools in the Province,
and was called "Log College" in derision. i\Ir. Tennent was assisted in tlic
scliool for a year by his son Gilbert, who was licensed to preach, 1725. As this
was the only school within the bounds of the Presbyterian church, at which
young men could be fitted for the ministry, he soon had as many scholars as he
could receive. The Log College prepared for the pulpit some of the ablest di-
vines of the century. Mr. Tennent was born in Ireland about 1673, and was a
distant relative of the Laird cjf Dundas and the Earl of Panmure. He was edu-
cated for the Episcopal church and ordained. 1704. In 1702 he married a
daughter of Mr. Kennedy, a Presbyterian minister, came to America. 1718,
was licensed by the Philadelphia Presbytery, first called to East Chester, to
Bensalem, 172 1, and to Neshaminy, 1726, where he died, 1746. His widow
died in Philadelphia, 1753. He was a man of very fine education, and spoke
the Latin language with elegance and purity.

We know but little of the Log College beyond what can be said of its
distinguished founder and the eminent men educated there. Its story of use-
fulness is told in the lives of its alumni. Mr. Tennent had four sons, all born

2 WilH.im Tennent renounced the authority of the Presbytery, 1739.

3 He probnl)ly coitimencej the school in his own dwellincj, for the land was not
deeded to him until 17JS. Mr. Ix>gan frequently sent provisions to Mr. Tennent.

300 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

in Irelaiiil, tliree of thcin educated at the college; Gilbert, born 1703, died
1764, William, born 1705. died 1777, John, born 1706, died 1732, and Charles,
boni 171 1. The}' all became disting-uished ministers in llie Presbyterian church,
and William was the subject of a remarkable trance that attracted universal at-
tention at the time. Gilbert accompanied Whiteheld to Boston, 1740, where
his preaching was received with great favor. He was largely instrumental in
bringing alwut a division in the churdi. \\'hitetield said the Log College had
turned out eight ministers before the fall of 1739, including Tennent's four
sons, but many more were educated there. All traces of this early cradle of
Presbyterianism have long since passed away and its exact location is hardly
known. A piece of one of its logs is. preserved as a memento in a cane the
late Reverend Robert Belville presented to Doctor IMiller, Princeton, New Jer-
sey. The school was maintained for twenty years, but did not long survive the
retirement and death of its founder. Among the distinguished pupils of the
Log College, we are able to mention the following:

Samuel Blair, born in Ireland, 1712, came to America while young, was
one of the earliest pupils and licensed to preach and ordained, 1733. He was
called to the pastorate of Xew Londonderry, Pennsylvania, church where he
died. President Davis called him "the incomjiarablc Blair."

Charles Boatty, son of an officer of the British army, born in Ireland about
1715, and came to America, 1729. He began life as a peddler but stopping at
the Log College with his pack, ]\Ir. Tennent, discovering he was a good classi-
cal scholar, advised him to dispose of his goods and study for the mim'stry. He
succeeded his preceptor at Xeshaminy, 1743, married a daughter of Governor
Reading, New Jersey, 1746, was present at the coronation of George III,
presented at court, 1758, and died in the West Indies, 1772. He was the ances-
tor of the late John Beatty, Doylestown ;

William Robinson, son of an eminent Quaker physician near Carlisle, Eng-
land, was born the beginning of the eighteenth century. He came to America
when a young man, studied at the Log College, was ordained, 1741. and settled
at Saint George, Delaware, where he died, 1746. He was slntioned for a time
at Craig's and Hunter's settlements north of the Lehigh. He was considered
one of the m jst effective preachers of his day ;

Samuc! Finlcy, born in Ireland. 1715, came to America, 1734, ordamed,
1742, was pastor at Milford, Connecticut, and Nottingham, I^Iaryland, and
elected piresidont of the College of New Jersey, 1761, where he died, 1766. Tlie
degree of D. D. was conferred on him by the L'niversity of Edinburgh;

John Roan, born in Ireland, 1716, came to America in his youth, studied
at the Log College and was settled over the united congregations of Paxtang
and Derry (one charge), and r^Ioimt Joy, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1/75 I

Daniel Lawrence, born on Long Island, 1718, and licensed, 1745. He
preached at Forks of Delaware imtil 1751, when he removed to Cape May
where he died, 1766;

James McCrea probably came from Ireland. He was licensed, 1739, and
ordained, 1741 ; w-as pastor over several congregations in New jersey, and died
1769. Pie was the father of tlie unfortunate Jane ^IcCrea, who was murdered
by the British Indians, 1777."'= He had nine sons and two daughters;

i'A J.inc McCrea was murdered and scalped by a party of Indians while being con-
veyed to her betrothed, an officer in the British army. A quarrel amnni; the Indians
was said to have led to it. It occurred near Fort Edward a few davs before the battle

HISTORY or DUCKS COUNTY. 301

John Rowland, a native of Wales, was licensed to preach, 1837, arid died
about 1747. He preached in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and was a man of
coinnumding eloquence. He was known as "hell-tire Rowland" among the
irreligious. In personal appearance he closely resembled a noted scoundrel, was
.mce arrested and prosecuted for him and acquitted with dit^culty;

William Dean, born about 1719, but not known ^\here, was probably edu-
cated at the college. He was licensed to preach, 1742, and officiated at the
l-nrks of Delaware and elsewhere until 1745, v/hen he v/as sent missionary to
X'irginia, where he died, 174S.

David Alexander came from Ireland, and is also thought to have been
educated at the Log College. He was ordained and installed at Pequa, 1738,
but passed out of sight, 1741.

Probably John Roan and Doctor John Rogers both assisted in teaching,
or possibly took charge of the school when infirm health, toward the close of
his life, interrupted the duties of ]\Ir. Tennent. Of the Log College pupils,
fourteen became Presbyterian ministers. This institution was the pioneer school-
nf those which made Hartsville an educational centre for fifty years in the last
century.

The churches, founded during the period of which we write, were properly
the pioneers of denominational religion between the Delaware and the Lehigh
and form a cluster of great historic interest. The history of the religious move-
ments of the first forty or fifty years of the eighteenth century will not be com-
plete without a brief sketch of these societies. First, in order, is Neshaminy
Presbyterian church, of Warwick.'' The date of its foundation is not known,
the loss of early records breaking its chain of history but it was probably as
early as 1726, possibly before.^ The first known pastor was Reverend William

of Sar;itoga. It called forth the severest denunciation, and much pathetic prose and
ver5c were written upon it. Among others, Joel Barlow, the distinguished American
poet, wrote a poem upon the event, beginning:

"One deed sliall lell what fame great Albion draws;
From those auxiliars in her barbrous cause;
I.ucinda's late. The tale ye nations hear ;
Eternal ages trace it with a tear."

4 The historians of the Presbyterian church have erroneously claimed Paulus Van
\'lcck as the pastor at Neshaminy, 1710, which carries its founding back to that date,
if not prior. Van Vleck was pastor at Bensalem and at the North and Southampton
Dulch reformed churches at that time one branch of which wa^ called Neshaminy, though
usually spelled "Sammany," and never had any connection with the Warwick church.
'1 his corrcelion in the early history of the Neshaminy cliurch throws great uncer-
tainty over the date of its foundation. This was never a Dutch congregation,
hi 1743 it was known as "the cougrcgalion of IVarzi'ick, in yc forks of Neshaminy."

5 This powerful sect in this state had a small beginning. The visit of Francis
Makennic to Philadelphia. I(X)2, is thought to have led to the gathering of dissenters a1
tlie Barbadoes store-house. John Watts, a Baptist minister, preached for them for a
time, but, 169S they called Jedediah .Andrews, of New England. In 1704 they built
a niceting-hou?c on Market street, rnlnrged it, 1729, when they adopted the Presbyterian
form of church government. Willi this "exception the early churches of this denomina-
tion in Pennsylvania were Scolch-Irish.

302

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

Tcnncnt, called from JJeiisak-ni in 1726. ■•'- Ho likewise preached at Deep Ru;i,
called the "Upper cong,regatiuii," and, 1734. the newly-formed church at New-
town asked for one-fourth of his time, but Deep Run refused her consent.

In 1740, llie Reverend Francis McHenry was chosen his assistant. Mr.
Tcnncnt was never regularly installed, but the people met and chose him fur
their pastor, and the I'resljytery afterward ratified their action. He was an
active, thoroujjh-going- pastor, but not entirely guiltless of stirring up strife in
the church, and his crusade against the Old Side, his pastoral duties and the
management of the college kept him fully employed. A new church edifice
was erected on the site of the present building, 1743, the last year of his pas-
torate.

On ])eccml;or i, 1743. Rcveri.-nd Charles Beatty was ordained "to the con-
gregation of \\'arwick in ye forks of Neshaminy," on a salary of i6o, increased
to £100, or S260 at the end of twenty years. Here Air. Beatty spent his life,
absenting himself from his charge only on three occasions, on a missionary
visit to the frontiers, 1766, when chaplain to Franklin's regiment, 1755,'' and
a visit to the West Indies, 177 1, to collect money for Princeton college and
where he died. 'In 1745 Neshaminy and "adjacent places" raised £14. 5s. lod.
to build a school-liouse and buy books for Brainard's Indians. The division in
the church was consummated during his pastorate. The old church was in the
present graveyard, where it stood for several years after the new one was built.
-Mr. Beatty was succeeded by Reverend Xathaniel Irwin, 1774, who was in-
stalled IMay 18, and remained until his death, iSia.' He began on a salarv of
$346, raised to S452, 1798. He was a man of varied and extensive information,
possessed great scientific kiiowdedge, and was passionately fond of music. He
exercised a wide influence in church and state, and, for several years, controlled
the politics of the county. He was instrumental in having the county seat re-
moved to Doylestown. As a slur upon the clergy and church for interfering,
some one made a charcoal sketch on the walls of the old court house, Newtown,

^Yi This was without doubt the origin of Neshaminy Presbyterian church. It cor-
responds with the date of the arrival of the first installment of the Ulster Scots who formed
the congregation, and with the dp.tc of the donation of the land for the church by William
Miller.

6 Franklin says: "We had for our chaplain a zealous Presbyterian minister, Mr.
Beatty, who coinijlaincd to me that the men did not generally attend his prayers and
exhortations. When they enlisted they were promised, besides pay and provisions
a gill of rum a day, which was fortunately served out to them half in the morning and
half in the evening, and I observed they wore punctual in attending to receive it,
upon which I said to Mr. Beany: It is perhaps below the dignity of your profession
to act as steward of the rum. but it >ou were to distribute it out just after prayers,
you would have them all about you.' lie liked the thought, undertook the task, and
with the he!]) of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satisfaction, and
never were prayers more generally or more punctually attended. So that I think this
jiieihod prcferalile to the puni-.hmont iullic'ed by some military laws fc^r non-attendance
on divine service."

7 Mr. Irwin was born in Chester county, October iS, 1746, eilucated at William and
Mary college, \'irginia. an<l at Princcii.n \\ hero lie luid James Mmlisi'U for classmate.
>le was twice married. His first wile was Priscilla McKinstry. born 1760, his second.
Mary Jamison, who died August 3, tSjj." Mr. Irwin was the first to encourage John
Fitch in his steamboat invention.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 303

uhidi representor -Mr. Irwin in his shirt sleeves with a rope around the build-
in. ' and His body, and pulling ni the direction ot Doylestown with all his might,
n'urin''- his pastorate, 1775, the church was enlarged. In his will he left one
tiiousLuid dollars to the i'resbyierian theological seminary, on condition that it
1,0 lucaied on the site of the Log College, and live hundred dollars to the "Amer-
u.in \\ hi^'' society," i'rinceton college, of which he was one of the founders,
{-(fj. He rode to church on an old mare called "Dobbin," and composed his
.-ennuns as he jogged along the road and across the fields.

The Reverend Robert li. Jjelville succeeded Mr. Irwin, and was ordaine(l
and installed October 20, 1813, remaining in charge a quarter of a century, re-
.si-iiiii>T, November, 1S35, on account of lU-health. He was an elocjuent and
alJie preacher, and, during his pastorale, there was a large increase of members.
Alter the resignation of Air. iJelville the pulpit was filled by supplies until Jan-
uary, 1839, when those claiming to be the majority called the Reverend James
1'. '\Vilsoii,' a young man teaching a classical school in the neighborhood, who
was installed i-'ebruary 20. This gave great offense to the rest of the congre-
"•aiion who organized a new church, and erected a board "Tabernacle" in the
woods on the ilristol road, at tlu' Ic.p of the hill above the church. This con-
gregation identified itself with ihe Old School organization, and Air. Wilson's
"with the New School. Thus the question of "schools" divided the congregation,
as the "Sides" had done a century before. These troubles led to a law-suit,
but a compromise was efliected by a division of property, when the Old School
jiarty built a new church at llarisville. The congregation prospered under the
ministry of ^Ir. Wilson, the church building was enlarged and improved, 1842,
and the members largely increased. At his resignation, 1S47, to accept the
presidency of Delaware College, the Reverend Douglas K. Turner was called
to the charge, who was ordained and installed April iS, 184S. His pastorate
extended through a quarter of a century to April 20, 1873, and was a period of
prosperity in the church. A lecture-room was built at Hartsville, 1S49, ^•'"^
graveyard enlarged, 1852, a ne.w wall around it and further addition made,
1857, ^" organ purchased, 1853, and a Gothic chapel in the graveyard erected,
1871. During his pastorate three hundred members were added to the church.
Mr. Turner was succeeded by the Reverend William E. Jones, who was in-
stalled pastor October 23. 1873. and followed by Reverend WiUiam K. ricston,
wlio began his labors the first Sabbath in i\Ia)', 1S84.

The Southampton Baptist church, the second of the group, had its origin
in the meeting of Keithians at John Swift's home, Southampton, from the di-
vision among Friends, down to 1702. They now united with the Pcnnypack
church, but continued their meetings at regular intervals, at John Swift's, Jnhn
Chamberlin's and John Morris's, to about 1732, meanwhile John Watts,' John
Hart, Samuel Jones, George Kalon"'^ and Jenkins Jones preaching for thcni.
In 1732 John Morris gave a lot to build a meeting-house on, and one hundred

8 He was tlie son of Doctor J.tpics P. Wilson, who was born at Lewes, Delaware,
'/(•<). was a distinguished Presbyterian minister and died near Hartsville, 1830. His .
remains lie near those of Mr. Tennent, in the old graveyard. The son, who died 1S49,
was buried at the same place.

0 He preached at Pcnnypack from December, 1690, to Au;;ust 27, 170J, wlien he
died at the ajc of 41.

oVi The v.ill of Gcorce Katin, Lower Dulilin, riiiladolpliia r.->iinty, was executed
September 14, I7it<1. ntiil proliated October 16. It is recorded in P.ook 6. pp. .■53-41.
register's office, Philadelphia.

^*'"-;.
^•*i*-^

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^■.j< s. vc- ;.

1

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■4

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Soufiiawfrfa:

3apri5r

■^rt-J*i'!\^g!S^fS?:i'^'^*^A^'^i^ ■''"

Church.

and twelve acres to support the minister. The liouse was erected and services
held one Sunday in the month by Joseph Eaton, ^Montgomery, and by Jenkins
Jones on a week day. The congregation retained its connection with Penny-
pack until 1745. when it was constituted a separate church. The request was
signed by fifty members, and among them we find the names of Watts. Duiigau,
Hart, I'otts, Gilbert, Yerkes, etc., the leading men of that section. Reverend
Joshua Potts was the first pastor called and remained to his death, 1761, and
the first persons baptised were Thomas Dungan. U'arwick, and ITnnnah W'atis.
Southampton. For many years the baptisms took place in the dam of .Stephen
Watts, on the farm now owned by a son of the late Judge Ulysses I^Iercur,
near Davisville. The dam spoken of was the same on which John Fitch made
a trial of his model of a steamboat al.wut 1785. , At that day marriages had to be
published three times, and they who did not take the advice of the church in
such matters, were esteemed "disorderly," a mattir of discipline liorrowcd from
the Friends.'" In 174S Oliver Hart antl L'^aac Faion. both members, were li-
censed to preach, and became distinguished mini>lers. The former w;'.^ calle 1 U'
Charleston, South Carolina, the latter to Ilnpewell. New Jersc\-. The ])arson-
agc house and barn were built in 17G2, and a wall around the graveyard the
same year.

In 1763 Doctor Samuel Jones became pastor at Pennypack and Southamp-
ton, but resigned charge of the latter, 1770. His joint salary was £So. In 176S
Jose]ili Richardson, a member, was suspended, and afterward excommunicated,
for cheating lis paster in the purchase of a negro. June i, 1770, the Reverend
Frasinus Kelly was calietl to the pastorate in jilace of Mr. Jones, receiving the
rent of the parsonage farm and £40 in money. He left in .\iigust. 1771." In
February, 1772. William \'anhorne was called to succeed .\lr. Kelly and or-

10 It is recorded at this period that John Eaton, a member, was suspended for
"some unbecoming carrias^" at the election at Xewtnwn.

11 Erasmus Kelly was born in tin's County, 174S, educated at tlie University of
I'cniKjlvania and bc^an to preach, l^'Vi. He wa> c.d'.ed to Xewport, Rhudc Island,
1771, and remained until the war broke out, then went to Warren, in that state, where
the British burnt the parsonac:" and hi-; iionds. lie returned to Pennsylvania until the
war was over, when be went back to Newport, where be died, i^S.j.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 305

vlainetl May 27, following. He remained in charge of the church anil congre-
gation until the fall 01 1785, or the winter of 1786. He joined the Continental
army at X'alley l-"orge, January i, 1778, and sewed as chaplain of General
Glover's brigade until tlie summer of 1780, when he returned to Southamptor..
Meanwhile the church depended on supplies. While the enemy held i'iuladcl-
pliia, meetings for worship and business were interrupted on account of their
frequent incursions into the surrounding cotintry. A new meeting-house, forty
by thiriy-two feet was erected, 1773, on a lot bought of Thomas Folwell, 1770,
and the old meeting-house was fitted up for a tenant.^- yir. Vanhorne left
"on account of the- increasing expenses of his fannly, the insufticiency of his
salary and the little prospect there was of its being better.^"

.After Mr. \"anhorne left Southampton the pulpit was supplied by David
Jones"'- from the Great \"alley, Chester county, who came in Apiil, 1786, and
left 1792, and Thomas 2\Ienimenger from January i, 1794, until probably iSoi,
when the Reverend Thomas C. }iIontanye, of New York, was called to th.e
charge. During the tv. enty-eight years of Mr. Montanye's pastorate, South-
ampton enjoyed a very prosperous period, tlie members were numerous, con-
gregation large, and the standing of the church second to none of the denomina-
tion.^* The church was rebuilt and enlarged, 1814. Aljout that time a flotu-ish-
ing Sunday school v.as organized of which Christopher Search ^\■p.s president,
and William Purdy and John Davis, directors. In 1822 Juliann E. Anderson
received a Bible from the school for having committed the entire New Testa-
ment to memory.^" The pastors, in succession, since the death of ]Mr. ^Nlontanye

12 Probnbly the building used many years for a school-house, that stood near the
stxtun's house but torn down long ago. Among those baptised, 1773, was Daphne, a slave
woman of .Arthur Watts, well-remembered by the author.

13 William Vanliorne, son of the Reverend Peter Peterson Vanhorne, was born
at Pennypack, 1746, educated at the academy of Doctor Samuel Jones, and received
the degree of A. M. from the college of Rhode Island. He was ordained at Southamp-
ton May 29, 1772. He was a member of the convention that framed the first constitution
of Pennsylvania. He preached at White Plains, Xew York, until 1S07, and died a;
Pittsburgh, October 13th, on his way to Lebanon, Ohio, where he intended to settle. His
father was a native of Middletown, this county.

131/2 The Rev. David Jones left a distinguished record, and we clip the following
notice of his death from a newspaper of the period : "February 6, 1S20, on his farm,
Chester county, in the S-jth year of his age, Rev. David Jones, Chaplain of the Continental
army, and in the war of 1812-15. He was buried on the Sth at the Baptist burying
ground in the Great \"alley."

14 The family descends from Thomas de la Montagnie, who arrived from France
in 1661, and settled in Xew York. He was a Baptist minister, and probably a Huguenot.
Thomas B. was the son of Reverend Benjamin Montanye, born in New York, January
29, 1760. He entered the ministry at the age of eighteen, and was a pastor several
years at Warwick, Xew York. He was a man of the most sterling character, and
Ins left a number of descendants, among whom is Judge Harman Ycrkes, of the Bucks
County Courts, in the maternal line, through his youngest daughter.

15 At his residence Southamptrn township. September 29. 1S20. Revd. Thomas
P. Montanye, aged near 61. His Inst sermon was preached at the funeral of Mrs.
Amanda M. I.loyd, daughter of Enos Morris. Esq., Newtown, member of tlie Bucks Co.
I'.ir: wife of the late John IJnyil. and'nif.thcr of the late E. Morris, and Henr>- C.
l.'oyd. Mrs. Lloyd die^l the evening of September 16, and was buried at Soutliampton.

20

3o6 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

have been Mes?ri. James B. Eowen, Alfred Earl, William Sharp, William
Harding, \\ illiam J. Purrington and Silas H. Diirand. The church building
was im[)roved in recent \ear5 and a handsome residence built for the pastor,
near by, cait of the proceeds arising from the sale of the parsonage farm. The
church will seat about twelve hundred. It was incorporated, 1794. For many
years a good clas.^ical school was kept in the old stone scliool-house near the
church.

Deep Run Presbyterian, the third church in our group, is one of the very
oldest in central Bucks county, its organization followed the settlement of the
Scotch-Irish in Bedminster and adjoining townships. No doubt meetings
were held at private houses previously, and when \\ illiani Tennent was called
to Neshaminy, 1726, Deep Rim was his "Upper congregation."' A log meeting-
house was erected, 1732, on a lot given by William Allen, and the same year
the church joined the Philadelphia Prcsb}tcry. It was not called Deep Run
until 173S and was incorporated, 1792. In 1767 Mr. Allen gave the church
one hundred acres for a parsonage.

The first settled minster was the Reverend Francis }iIcHcnry,""' who was
called, 1738 or 1739. He preached every third Sunday for 2\Ir. Tennent, anil
Neshamin) asked for one-half his time, which was not conceded. !Mr. r'dc-
Henry continued jjastor at Deep Run until his death, 1757, working hard for
the church, but leading an unexentful life. He was followed by the Reverend
James Latta, also of Scotch-Irish parentage, 1761.^" He remained in charge
nine years. His salary was fixed at £65, a little over S200 in Pennsylvania
currency. The parsonage house was erected the same year lie took charge, and
the meeting-house repaired, 1766. During his pastorate the deed for tlie ]j:ir-
sonage farm was executed to him and his successors in the ministry, to be hcl 1
by the congregation "so long as not without a regular minister for m.ore than
five years at any one time." This land was part of a grant by \\'i!liam Penn
to Francis Plumstcad, and thence to others, 1704. ]Mr. Latta resigned, 1770.
In the summer of 1773 the Reverend Hugh ^lagill was called to the pastorate
of the church, hut three years afterward the trustees resolved, iuianimc>usly,
that 'his usefulness is lost'' and he was ordered ''to clear the plantation' by
April 15, 1776, but we are left to conjecture as to the cause of trouble. In
1775 ot" ^-77^ the "Deep Run lottery" was organized, probably to raise money
to pay for buiMing the parsonage or repairing the church. The members and
congregation purchased five thousand two hundred tickets, valued at £2,850.

JMr. Magill was succeeded by the Reverend James Greir,'* Plumstead. 1776,

16 Mr. Mclknrj- came of an old Irish family, which is first heard of on the small
island of Ratlilin to the north of Ireland, whence they were driven to the glens of
Antrim, by the MacDon.ald«, o"f Scotland. There they lived secluded from tlie world,
retaining their nationality and relision, and speaking tlie Irish hurjiuacrc. lie was horn,
1710, educated for the ministry, and. with two hrothors, immigrrated to .\mcrica, l7,^,=;,
settling at Craig's settlement north of the Lehi'^h. He was licensed to preach Novem-
ber to, 173S, and ordained at N'csliaminy, July ir, I7.^0. He froqiiontly preached at
Newtown and Red Hill. His. wife, born May 2t, 1719, died October 19. 1793.

17 Mr. Latta was born. 17.>::, came to .'Vmorica when a boy, was educated at the
University of Pennsylvania, ordained, 1759, resigned at Deep Rnn, 1770, and died in
l.ancastir county. iSoi.

rS He was the son of John and .-Xgncs Greir, immigrants from Ireland, who
settled in PhnnsLc.ul. He was born, 1750, converted by Whitefield, graduated at Prince-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 307

who continued their pastor until iiis death, 171JI, although he had many ad-
Nautageous oft'ers elsewhere. Though one of the gravest of men, he died of
laughter, seeing his wife and hired man attempt 10 yoke an unruly hog, ruptur-
ing a blood vessel in the throat. His funeral sermon was preached by Reverend
Nathaniel Irwin, Neshamin\-, who exclaimed, in tones of lamentation, "O,
Peep Run, thy glory is departed!" Although Mr. Greir's salary was meagre
enough, he received part of it in wheat, rye, Indian corn and oats. The church
was now without a settled pastor until 179S, \vhen the Reverend L'riali Du-
Ilois''-* was called. During his pastorate the Presbyterian church at Doyles-
town was organized, to wliich he was called, and remained in charge until his
death, 1821. This wider field of influence changed the destiny of Deep Run,
and transferred the "seat of empire" to the new congregation.-" Service is
now held at Deep Run once in three months, and, at other times, both congre-
gations worship at Doylestown. The church at Deep Run was the parent of a
religious colony that emigrated from Bedminster to North Carolina one hundred
vears ago, whose descendants compose the tlourishing congregation of Concord
I'resbyterians in Rowan county.

The Xewtown I'resbyteriaii church was established by the .Scotch-Irish and
luiglish Presbyterians who settled in that section in the tirst quarter of the
Eighteenth century. A log mccting-house was erected, 1734, at the end of the
Swamp road, a mile west of Newtown, and the Reverend Hugh Carlisle called
to be the pastor there and at Plumstead. He declined because they were so far
ayiiirt, nevertheless he preached for these churches until 1738.-' The Reverend
James Campbell succeeded him, who supplied Newtown the summer of 1739
but declined the call in September. He probably was not tlie settled pastor, but
continue.d to preach at Newtown, Tinicum and Durham, going to the Forks
occasionally. He declined the call at Newtown becp.use he did not think he had
been "born again," but commenced to preach at the request of Messrs. White-
field and Tennent, and success attended his labors. He was settled at Tohickon,
1742, but, owing to a controversy as to where the new meeting-house should
be located, he left, 1749, and went South, 1758.-- In the fall of 1745 Newtown
and Bensalem both asked for th.e services of Reverend Daniel Lawrence but he
was sent the following spring to supply the Forks. The third j-iastor at New-
town was the Reverend llenry ]^davtin, a graduate of I'rincctijn. who w;is called
May, 1752, and remained to his death. 1764.

After the death of }>Ir. Martin the church deiiended on casual supplies for
five years, until 1769, when the Reverend James Boyd became the settled min-
ion, 177J, sUidied divinity witli Doctor Witherspoon, and was licensed to preach, 1775.
l-li< broilicr Xailian. and his son John Ferguson Grcir, both became able and prominent
I'resbylerian ministers.

10 He was born in Salem county. New Jersey, 176S, graduated at the University
of IVnnsylvania, 1790, and licensed to preach, 1796. He married Martha Patterson,
I7'>'>. and tool: up their residence at the village of Dublin, Bedminster township.

20 In our account of the .Doylestown church will be found a further notice of Mr.
DuBois and his labors.

21 Mr. CarHsle, probably from F.iitiland or Ireland, was admitted into the New
Castle Presbytery, 1735, atid joined the Presbytery of Fliiladelpliia, June, 1746. He
removed into the bounds of the Lcwcs Presbytery, I73>!.

23 Mr. Campbell was born in Scotland, and came to America, 1739, and was or-
•dained, 1742.

3oS HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

ister. The prci.ciil building was erccjed the same year, on a lot bought before
1757, the walls remaining uitact to the present da_\-. The lloor was laid witii
brick, a two-ji^._. [.ulpii garnished i!ie north side and higli-backed pews re-
ceived the worshipers. Uut little lias come down to us of the long pastorate,
nearly half a century, of Mr. lioyd, but that little ib to his spiritual and personal
creilit. lie was an able and ea;tu->i minister, the churcli tlourished under his
care, and during the trying times of the Revolution, he was a patriot and con-
stant to his cor.n-

^_— — try's cause. He

j died at his post,

I . 1814. During ]Mr.

! • Martin's pastorate,

I about 1761, the

' . ■ ' Assembly author-

ized a lottery to
"-• -./ raise £400 to repair

■; the church, and to

J build or repair tl;f.

I ; m i n i s t e r's resi-

[ ? dence.-^ Difficulty

■ J arising about the

r -J collection of tlie

' I money from some

puESBVTEKHN CHVKCii. NEWTOWN. tlic Congregation

petitioned the Leg-
islature to appoint commissioners to settle their accounts. The act was approved
March 21, 1772, and Henry Wynkoo]), John Harris and Francis ^^lurray-'' were
selected.

The old clmrch buildirig ha-- a bit of Revolutionary history that adds to its
iiUcrest. Some r^f the He-^ian^ from the field of Trenton passed their first
night of cajnivitv witliin its wal!>. When digging for a foundation for the
middle post that sr.pjiorts the south gallery, bones and buttons were turned up.
said to have belongcii to an I'.nglish (•tticer who was buried in the aisle. On th.c
wall, now covered bv the frescoing, was written the following verse in red
cludk. which tradition credits to a Hes>ian caiuive, but this is extremely doubt-
ful, as the writing was "in English ;

"In times of war, and nut before.

Got! and tlie soldier men .idore ;
When tlie war is o'er and all tilings righted,

The Lord's forgot and the soldier slighted."

The Church had another period of sujipiies, after the death of Mr. Boyd, f^r
two years, James Joyce anil Mr. D<iak officiating the greater ]iart of the time.
In 1815 the Reverend Alexander lloyd was called and remained pastor for

-■,5 The followiiit: is a copy of a lottery ticket used on that occasion: "Newtown
Presbytrriin Church Lottery. 1761. X--. 104. Thi:; Ticket enlitlcs tlie Bearer to sucli
Pri-e a- iii.iy be drawn a.i!aip.--t its Number, if demanded within Six Months after
the Drawing is fuiislied, subject 10 such De.hiclion as is^mcntioned in the Scb.cme.

(Signed) Jno. DeNorm.^ndie."

14 Probably.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. ' 309

twenty years, the two Boyds filling the same pulpit nearly three-quarters of a,
century.-^ Under him the church enjoyed a season of prosperity, and great
revivals took place, 1822-23. The Sabbath-school was organized, 1817, the
teachers of which were fined for non-attendance. Air. Boyd was succeeded by
the Rev. Robert D. 2vIorris,-'' Kentucky, a graduate of the Princeton semi-
nary, who preached his first sermon at Newtown, April 22, 1838. This was a
fortunate selection and during his pastorate of nineteen years he made his mark
on the church and community. The building was re-modeled in 1842, the com-
municants increased and some of the pastor's energy instilled into the congre-
gation. Air. jMorris resigned. 1856. and subsequently took charge of the Ox-
ford Female College, Ohio, where he died. In October, 1869, an interesting
centennial was held in the old church, and was the occasion of a pleasant re-
union for many who had been long separated.

From the Newtown church, and the academy, a kind of adjunct to it, there
have gone forth some twenty-five or more ministers of the gospel, some of whom
became prominent. In the church is an ancient straight-back chair, said to
have belonged to William Penn. probably at Pennsbury. Since the resignation
of Air. Alorris, the pastors of the church have been the Reverends George Bur-
rows, Henry F. Lee, S. J. Alillikcn. George C. Bush. 1866, W. AtcElroy Wylic,
1877, and Thomas J. Elms, 188S. In 1874 there were two hundred and twenty-
three communicants. In the early days the staunchest supporters of the church
came from Upper Alakefield, among whom were the Keiths, the Slacks, the
Stewarts and the Torberts.

The New Britain Baptist church is the sixth in our group. For several
years the Welsh Baptists of that township, and the neighboring settlers of the
same faith, attended the Alontgomery church of which many were members.
Becoming tired of going so far to church at all seasons, they asked that another
meeting-house be built nearer to them. This was so violently opposed by the
leading men who lived near the Alontgomery church, that the petitioners took
great offense at it. This began a strife that required years to reconcile, and it
■\\ as not long before the congregation was divided into two parts with a separate
communion. About the same time a doctrinal difference, touching the "Son-
ship of Christ," s],irung up betN\een them which widened, the breach. This state
of things continuing without hope of reconciliation, the New Eriiain party re-
solved to build a meeting-house for themselves. This they carried into elfect,
1744, on a lot of two acres, partly the gift of Lawrence Growdcn, erecting a
stone church, 30x40 feet, a school-house and stabling.-' The congregation

25. Alexander Boyd died at Lock Havon, Pcnn.sylvania, June, 1S45, in his C5:h
year.

26 Mr. Morris was the son of Colonel Josciih Morris, who removed from Xew
Jersey to Mason County, Kentucky, 1794, where he was born August 22, 1S14. The
Morrises, Mawr-rwyce, meaning war-like, powerful, trace their descent from Welsh
ancestors, 9.53. .-\ftcr the deatli of Cromwell his ancestor fled to Barbadoes to escape
the wrath of- Charles II.. whence the family came to this country. On the mother's .side
lie descended from the Desha,s, who lied fmm France, 16S5. and settled at Xew Roel:-l!e.
New York, whence they came to Pennsylvania and made their liome near the Water
Cap, when that country was part of Bucks county. They removed to Kentucky, 17S4.
and shared the perils of th.e "Bloody ground." • Mr. Aforris was a graduate of Augusta
college, Kentucky, and licensed to preach, 1S3S.

27 Where the present church is located.

3IO HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

consisted of about sc\'cnty families and the Reverend Josepli Eatoir^ l)reachcd
for tliem at £40 a year, assisted by -Reverend William Davis,-'-' who succeeded
him at his death. Down to 1S23 this church was called the "Society meeting-
house,'' because it was built on land tliat had been owned by the "Free Society
of Trailers."

The New Britain congregation made repeated overtures of reconciliation
with the parent church at .Montgomery, but without success. In 1746 they
asked a hearing before tlie Philadelphia association, but that body, committed
to the Alontgomery interest, refused them because their letter ''came into the
association disorderly." The request was renewed, 1747, but the association
positively refused to hear the allegations of the "Society party." The follow-
ing year the association recommends that when their ministers preach among
the "Society party" they exhort them to be reconciled, othcrv/ise they will he
encouraging the faction. Growing weary of their attempts to get dismission from
mother church, and hopeless of recognition by the association, they resolved
to complete their organization as a religious body. They adopted a general
confession of faith, and October 28, 1754, the constitution of the new church
was signed by twenty-two members."" When the Montgomery church saw
the division was inevitable, they gave the New Britain party a regular dis-
missal and the following year they were admitted into the association. During
these dithculties Benjamin Griffiths led the ^Montgomery party, and Reverend
Joseph Eaton the seceders^' as they were called.

On the death of Mr. Eaton, Mr. Davis w^as made pastor and the Reverend
Joseph Thomas (ordained, 1766), called as assistant. During their joint
pastorate there was a considerable increase of members, among them Simon
Butler from Montgomery church, 175S. In 1764 there were fu'ty-three mem-
bers. The Reverend Joshua Jones-- succeeded Mr. Davis at his death, 1761,
and resigned, 1795. The old meeting-house was torn down, 1815, and a new
one built on or near its site. The latter has been eidarged and improved
within recent years and a chapel erected. The accommodations are not sec-
ond to any church in the county. The first school house stood until 1815,

28 Mr. Eaton was born at Radnor, Wales, August 25, 1C79, came to America at
the age of seven years, was ordained October 24, 17:^7, and died April I, 17^9. He
took sides with the New Britain party from the first. The distinguished Isaac Eaton,
Hopewell, New Jersey, was his son.

29 Mr. Davis was born in Glamorshire, Wales, 1695, came to /Vmcrioa 1722, but
went back and returned here, 1737, settled in Chester county, then removed to Ne-w
Britain, where he otinciated until his death, 17C8. His two children, William and Mary,
married into tlie families of Evans and Caldwell.

30 The following were the names: Isaac Evans, David Stephen, Evan Stephen.
John Williams, Walter Shewel. Joshua Jones, William George, Clement Doyle, William
Dungan, John James, David Morgan, Thomas James, David Stephen, Jr., Thomas
Humphrey, .Mary James, Mary Shewel, Mary James (Aaron's wife), Margaret Phillips.
Elizabeth Stephen, Jane James, Catharine Evans and Margaret Doyle.

31 During these troubles -a proposition was made to build a new meeting-house
on "Leahy hill," a location now unknown. There was a little Baptist (lock fourteen
miles from N'cw Britain, among the Rockhills, that bad some connection with that
church.

32 Mr, Jones was born at Fcmbrobe^ihlrc. Wales, in 1721, came to .^m^rica i:i 1726.
was ordainc.l in I7(''t, and died I'Jcccnibcr 26, 1S02.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 311

•,,licn a new one was built which was enlargctl, 1857. The graveyard was
iiilargcJ, 1846, by the purchase of additional ground of David Evans. The
church was not incorporated until 1786. The membership of the church has
ihictuatcd at different periods in its history. At the end of the first thirty-
I'Hir \cars there were three less than when constituted. There was an in-
crea'c from 17S8 to 1823, when there were one hundred and forty-eight meni-
l)crs, then a falling oil until 1848, when there were forty-three members less
than a quarter of a century before. At the end of the first century the mem-
bers numbered two hundred and fifty-two. The church is now in a very
nourishing condition, and exercises a wide influence for good.

The names of the pastors at New Britain from the resignation of Mr.
Jones are as follows: William White, 1795, called to the Second Baptist
church, Philadelphia, Silas Hough, 1804, was stricken with palsy while
preaching in the pulpit, and died, 1823, John C. ^Murphy, 1S19. James Mc-
Laughlin, 1S25, Eugenio Kinkaid, called for a year, January, 1830, but de-
clined and went to India, where he became famous as a missionary, Samuel
Aaron, 1830, one of the most eloquent public speakers the county has ever
produced, Joseph Mathias, 1833, and who frequently officiated as a stated
supplv, Thomas T. Cutchen, 183^, Samuel Nightingale, 1838, Heman Lin-
coln,'1845, William Wilder, 1850' Levi G. Beck, 1855. A. C. Wheat, 1859,
W. M. \Vhitehead. 1867. Levi Alunger, called in April, 1872, N. C. Fetter,
May 13, 1879, ordained, June 24 and resigned in February 1S90. Mr. Fetter
was succeeded by Thomas C. Davis and he by Eugene B. Hughes. ^^

The seventh and last, of our group of "Historic Churches," is the To-
liickon Reformed church on the south bank of Tohickon creek in the north-
west corner of Bedminster township. As early as 173S-40, several families

Zi Of the pastors, at New Britain, the Reverends Mr. Aaron and Mr. IMathia': arc
noticed elsewhere. The Reverend Samuel Nightingale was one of the most famous of
lecent pastors. He was born in Burlington county, New Jersey, December 11, 1792,
and passed his early life in the hardware business in Baltimore and Philadelphia. He
had no regular training for the ministry, but, feeling called upon to take up "the
.■iword of the Lord and of Gideon," he entered the church. He was called to the
jiaslorate of the New Britain Baptist church in 1S38, where he officiated until January,
l.'vjS- He passed several subsequent years of his life at Doylestown without a charge,
but ofTiciated at various churches occasionally. In 1846 he attempted the erection of a
ll.iptist church in Doylestown, bought a lot and got the walls up to the first floor, when
the want of funds caused him to relinquish it, after spending $630. He was unique in the
jiulpit, but an able expounder of the Gospels. He seldom, if ever, prepared his sermons;
Ik- selected his subject, thought it over, and was then prepared to hurl the truth at
tiie enemy. Ho was married to Emma Billington of Philadelphia, June 8, 1814, and was
ihc father of seven children. His eldest daughter, Annie, was the second wife of Judge
Richard Jones, .-Xmerican Consul General to Egypt under Mr. Buchanan's administration,
ancl his youngest. Mrs. Kuhn, died in Doylestown in TO04. Mr. Nightingale went to Phila-
di,li)liia near the close of the sixties, where he died March 3, 18S1. The Reverend Heman
Lincoln was a New Englandcr. began life as a school teacher, studied Divinity at the
Newton Seminary, and was subsequently a Professor there for nineteen years, dying in
18.S7. He was noted for his scholarship and was an eloquent speaker. He taught a
classical school several years at New Britain. He sui-cecded Mr. Nightingale, as pastor,
January i, 1845. The Reverend Mr. Fetter, a native of Bucks county, and grandson
of the Reverend Thomas B. Montanye, 'many years pastor at Southampton, subsequently
filled the pulpits of Spokane. Was'nington. and Doylestown.

31-

Hl STORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

of I'Vencli Huguenots and some Germans and Swiss ^\•^Tc settled in that vi-
cinity.-'* They first met at each others houses for Sunday worship, one of
their number reading the scriptures, another making a prayer, while all joined
in singing one or more hymns from the hymn book brought from the father-
land. The present Reformed pastor has in his possession, a volume used at
these meetings, wherein are bound the bible, hymn book, lieidelburg Cate-
chism and Palatinate liturgy. In this way most of the early congregations
were formed in Bucks county of all denominations. In these meetings the
Tohickon church had its birth, and grew from its small b>;ginning. There
are traces of an earlier attempt at organization, but nothing was done toward
securing a permanent church home prior to Sept. I, 1743. when a small lot
was bought of Blasius Boyer, by the Reformed congregation of Rockhill
township, across the creek from the present church. Upon this lot a log
schoolhouse was built ; the organization of the congregation completed and
here public worship was held for some time. In 1753, the trustees of the
Reformed and Lutheran congregations bought a lot on the cast side of tlic
Bethlehem road, in Bedminster for five shillings, on which Tohickon church
was shortly erected. This was at a point where the townships of Rockhill,
Bedminster and Haycock meet ; the Tohickon creek separating Bedminster
and Rockhill fr(->m Haycock, and the Bethlehem road dividing Rockhill from
Bedminster. This was an objective point for that section of country and the
location had much to do with building up the congregations. The church
property has been owned, jointl)", from the beginning, setting an example in
religious life other denominations might profit by. The present church lot
contains eight acres.

On this lot have stood three church buildings almost on the same site,
the first, as already stated, built 1743. One authority says this was a wooden
structure ; another that it was stone, the latter- probably correct. It had an
earthen floor. The second church, 1766, was stone without floor or stove,
hip ro(-)f, chancel laid with brick, and galleries on three sides. At a later date
a wooden floor was laid and stoves introduced. A third church was built.
1S38, about where its predecessor had stood for almost a century, built of
stone 60 by 50 feet, v.iih galleries on three sides. It was remodeled, 1884. and
improvements added. 1S97. The seating capacity is lOOO, and the two congre-
gations have about that number. The church of 1766 had an organ that cost
$1500, presented b\- Peter Hcany, but the records do not say when. The
second and present organ, bought 1839, and made in Lehigh county, still leads
the congregation in ihch- devotional exercises. The first sheds for sheltering
teams were creciC'l iSi'io. and a cen-ietery association, organized in the church.
but indepeildent of it, was effected, 1873. The first interment, Henry John-

3.; What is known as the Reformed church of the United States (formerly German
Kci07ti];-d) and tlie Ivcfornicd church in .-\merica (Dutch Reformed church), are the two
streams, united for O'.-er one hundred years in this country, that came flov>-ing down from
the ancient reformation movement with name unc!:anged. The general devotion;'.!
standard is the Heidelhurcr Catechism, formed and adopted at ?Icidclburg, Germany,
15O.1. at a mcetin?; of Theologians, assemliled at the request of Elector Frederick HI.,
cnlicd '-The Pious." His great desire was to have some fixed doctrinal basis for all
Gcrni.-ny. then sreaily disturbed by holly contcnchno; and rival religious factions. The
Catcchi.sm became popular and was the Ca'^-'cliism of the first regularly organized
Protestant church.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

313

son, was made in October. The church property is one of the most valuable
in tlie county and few have larger attendance.

It is impossible to tell who were the first supplies of the Tohick'jn
corigregation, for doubtless the spiritual welfare of the German pioneers
was not neglected prior to the erection of a church building. Tradition says,
tli:it ten years prior to 1754, Lutheran ministers, and, no doubt, Reformed also,
occasionally visited the wilderness. Among the names given are Alcssrs
Rauss and Schultz, but, beyond these names we know nothing of them. The
congregation was too poor to pay the salary of a regular minister, or even the
half of it. For many years it was called Keichline's church, and it is said
Andrew and Charles Keichline gave a lot for it. The church does not appear
to have had a regular pastor prior to 1749, when the Rev. Jacob Riesz had
charge, as is seen by the oldest record book, wherein he made the following
entry : "I, Rev. Jacob Riesz, pastor of the Reformed congregation at the
Tohickon, in Eedminster township, Bucks county, Pa., commenced my pas-
torate v.-ork among this flock, August 27, 1749." Now, in regular order are
the following names of pastors: Reverend Egidia Hecker, Christoplier
Gobsecht, Casper \\'ack, John Theobald Fabcr, ]\Iichael Kern, John William
Ingold, Nickalus Pomp, Jacob Senn, John Andrew Strassburger, Joshua Dorr,
and Peter S. Fisher, twelve in all, from 1749 to 1871, when Rev. Jacuh
Kchm,^^ began his pastorate.

Some of the pastors were educated men, latinism appearing frequently
in their records, particularly in their entries of baptisms, viz.: uxor ejus, teste
erant parente ipse. The Rev'd Egidia Hecker began his record thus:
"April 19, 1756, Johanne Egidia Hecker, hoc tempore Reformatae Religionis
pastor Tohickon." The congregation had the privilege of having for its
pastor Rev'd Casper Wack.

Persecution drove the Reformed church people from France and Palati-
nate into Germany, from thence into Holland and England, and from these
countries, the stream of immigration flowed into this country, where settle-
ments were made in all the colonics from New York to Georgia on tlie Atlantic
seaboard. The first Reformed congregations in this state and county, were
f)rg;mized by the pioneers and their descendants, and have maintained tlicm
ir-: the ])rosent. For over one hundred years, the Dutch and Germans were
nut furmally sejjarated, but held a common relation to the "Mother Synod" of
Holland, nor is there any recorded action or event by which they were separ-
ated; but the Dutch, having the centre of their religious activity in New
York, and the Germans theirs in Pennsylvania, they situply drifted apart, and
linally, in 1747-4S. organized separate synods, which have continued to the
jnesent time, with the most friendly relations between them, having essenti-
ally the same doctrine and the same govenunent. Such, in a word, is the gen-
eral origin of the Reformed church of America.

35 In i.''<>?-09. while this edition was in course of preparation for the press, a local
newspaper said: ""Rtverend Jacob Kchm, Sellersville, has severed his connection with
Christ Reforinc.i church, near Tellford. lie served the consregation twenty-eight years.
Tlii-; church was the niotlior church of most of the Reformed churches in this section.
A few years ago its .^esquecentennial was celebrated. The congrcstation had a mcnihcr-
■^'■ip of t.iur Imndrcd. Reverend Pi:rry Rat:'ell, of Souderton, will temporarily fill the
vacancy. Reverend Kehni will continue to serve the congregation at Telford and
Tohickon."

314 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

The names of the pastors wlio served the congregation in the Revoli)tii,'n J

lias escaped us, as also that of the first Reformed minister educated in Amcr- M

ica, and the first to use the English language in public service, but he resided ^

in Hilltown, ten miles from the present church. The average pastorate, of ij

the first twelve pastors, was a little over ten years. One of the pastors, the m

Rev'd John Andrew Strassburger, began and ended his ministerial labors %

here, never serving any other pastoral charge, dying, iSGo, at the age of ^

64.^" One of the twelve pastors lies buried in the old grave yard which sur- hi

rounds tlie church, viz., Jacob Ricsz. A few years ago, while the present pas- ^

tor was looking for some names in the oldest part of the grave yard, his alten- la

tion was drawn to a tombstone conspicuous among the rest, and upon exainin- J

ing it, found the following inscription : "Rev. Jacob Riesz, formerly %

Reformed preacher here: was lx)rn April 10, 1706, and died Dec. 3, 1774. a

aged 68 y. 7 m. and 23 days." «

From what we can learn of the congregation, from the very beginning, h

It increased rapidly in numbers, its membership, at one time, reaching 600. fi

It is, at least, in part the mother of all the neighboring Reformed congrega- ^

tions, Kellers, Applebaciiville, Dublin, Quakertown, Ridge Road, Benjamin. |

or Eritlgetown, Sellersville, Pcrkasie and Doylestown, a numerous progeny *|

tliat have done much good in the past and will continue it in the future. |

During the present pastorate many of its members have been dismissed to |

other congregations, especially to Reformed churches in Philadelphia. The |

membership is now about 400. The present pastor writes us, tliat during his |

pastorate many changes have been effected ; the Sunday school has been intro- |

duced, one third of the regular service is now, and has been for many years,
conducted in English, and. before long, one half of each service will be con-
ducted in the language of the country ; as the present generation is educated
wholly in the English language, no catechism in German can now^ be, and
has not been used for years. This will force the more frequent use of English
in the public and regular divine service. In this pastorate of over thirL\-
years, other changes have taken place. Most of the older and active
members when he came among them have gone to their eternal rest, and almost
a new congregation have grown up around him and under liis care.

The grave yard hands down the names of many of the ]5ioncer worship-
pers on the banks of the Tohickon. The author paid a visit to it many years
ago and spent an afternoon in this silent city of the dead, and in the old church.
The earliest stone with an inscription on it, was erected to the memory of
John Ilcinrich Eckel, probably the ancestor of the family in that vicinity
that bears this name, who died November 24, 1764, his wife, Susannah, born.
1719, surviving him until 1S03, thirty-nine years of widowhood. Other stones
bore the names of Felix Lehr, 1769, Michael Ott, 1767, and wife Catharine,

36 Mr. Strassburger's pastorate was one of the longest in the county, thirty-six
years, embracing, bwicles Tohickon, the parishes of Indian Field, Charlcstown and Riilge
Riiad He married twelve hundred and tliirty-five couples, preached ten hundred and forty-
four funeral sermons, baptized' three tliousand persons and confirmed sixteen hundred,
lie wielded large intlucnce in the upper section of the county, and was an important
factor in religious and secular affairs. He left one son. Reverend N. S. Strassberger,
of the Reformed cluiroh, born near Sellersville. iSli), graduated at Marshall Coilcge; after-
ward studied at the Theological Seminary and was ordained, 1S47. He filled some im-
portant charges, including Zion's Reformed cluircli. .Mlentown, Penn':ylvania. He has
l«cn dcail some vears.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 315

ijyj, Jiihanncs Hoenig. the orig-inal of Haiicy, born 1714, died 1787, and John
Nunncmachcr, born 1720 and died 1788. Several stones bear the name of
Salade, tlic orig-inal of Solhday. Henry Eckel was organist in the old stone
cliurcli. W'c noticed in this yard the same thing noticeable in all the old grave-
y;irds of the county, the quality of head-stones four periods mark in the inter-
UKnls; first, the primitive rock, from the foundation of the church down to
nljout 1750, generally without inscription; followed by slate to 1775; then
bruwn sandstone to about 1800, closing with marble, first blue and then white.
German inscriptions were universal to about 1840. The earlier stones show
a sprinkling of English names ; probably of settlers of this race in Tinicum,
or along Deep Run. The following are names of the trustees of Tohickon
church at various periods, and familiar now in the county : 1753, Martin
ShafTer, Ludwig W'ildonger, Jacob Rohr, John Worman, and Michael Ott,
1803, John Hcaney, Jacob Solliday, Jacob Beidleman, and Philip Schrcyer ;
Unknown date ; John K. Shcllenberger, Thomas Bolomen, Thomas Freder-
ick and William Keller. 1864, John Y. Fluck, Samuel Rotzell, Ephraiin
Krauth and Thomas Kramer.

CHAPTKR XX.

BRISTOL BOROUGH.

1720.

One of the oldest towns in the slate. — Its site.— Market town petitioned for. — Lot-
owners. — Incorporated. — Fairs to be held. — Bristol in 170S.— In 1756. — Captain Gray-
don. — First county seat. — Friends' ineeting. — Work-house. — Saint James' church. —
The Burtons. — De Normandies. — Dr. Francis Gaudonette. — Charles Bessonett. — The
Williamses. — British troops billeted. — Attacked by refugees. — James Thornton. — The
Bristol of to-day. — Industrial establishments and cliurches. — Captain Webb. — Lodges
and societies.^The bank. — Ground broken for canal. — Old grave. — Home for aged
gentlewomen. — Major and ^Irs. Leno.'-r. — Its buildings. — Bath springs. — Thomas A.
Cooper. — John 1'. Ileiss.- — Taxables and population.

Bristol, the oldest town in the county, and one of the oldest in the state,
occupies an eligible situation on the west bank of the Delaware, fronting nearly
a mile on the river with fifteen feet of water in the channel. A settlement
at this point naturally followed the establishment of a ferry across the river
to Burlington, and, at an early day, a road was laid out from the King's high-
way down to the landing.

The site of Erislijl is on the grant of two hinnlic-d and forty acres by Sir
Edmund Andros to Samuel Clift, in 1681, who sold fifty acres to Richard"
Dungworth, sixty to \\'alter Pomeroy, and one hundred to Morgan Drewiti.
The remaining thirty acres Clift left to his son-in-law, John Young, by his
will dated November 29, 16S2, which his son conveyed to Thomas I'.rock and
Anthony Burton, February 20, 1695, for £20 currency. Upoit this tract,
which extcn<ls northward from Mill creek and also on a portion of John \Miite's
land, a'ijoining, the town was laid otit, 1697. It had the following metes and
bounds: "l.'.eginning at a post standing in the line of John White's land,
south f' Tty-eight degrees east, eighteen rods to a corner post; tlien sotith
fifty-eight degrees west, to a corner post standing by the creek called Mill
creek; then by the said creek to the river I")elaware; thence up the rivi-r
Delaware ninety-fotir rods- to a ])ntt : Ihencc north thirty-nine dee:rces wc^t,
fift\-one poles to a post; thence west thirty-two dcgrei^s south, eighty-six poles
to the place of beginning, being in lluckiiigham."' It is thought that a jior-
tion of the Clift tract had been ])reviously laid out into btiilding-lots. The

I It was called \cw Bristol down to 1714.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. ^ij

road then leading down to the ferry was the same as tlie present Mill street,
i.ne hundred and twenty perches long and tliree perches wide.

On the loth of June, itx)/, "the inliabitants and owners of land in the
county of Bucks, but more especially in the township of Lucks," petitioned tlie
i'rovincial Council, h.eld at i'hineas Peniberton's below the falls, to establish
;i market town "ac the ferry against Unrlington, with a weekly market and
the privilege of wharling and building to a convenient distance into the river
and creek," and that there "may be a street under the bank to the river and
creek." The council ordered the town to be laid out, and Pliineas Pemberton
was directed to make the survey and draft according to the plan submitted.
The original lot-owners were Joseph Grcwden, Phineas Pemberton, John
\\ hitc, Robert JJrown, John Smith, Thomas ^.lusgrove, John Town, Samuel
Carpenter, Thomas Brock, Henry Baker, Anthony Burton, Samuel Bown,
probably Samuel Boixjue who married Alary Becket, William Croasdale, and
Samuel Oldale, fourteen in all, who no doubt went into the investment as a
speculation. In 1790 Isaac liicks was requested to draw a plan of the
borough, and lix stones at each street corner which was done. Xo doubt
there was a house or two about the ferr}' before the town was granted, and
after that, th.e erection of buildings was probably accelerated. Bristol wai
incorporated into borough by letters patent from the crown, the 14th of Xo-
vomber, 1720, on tjie petition of Anthony Burton, John Hall, William Watson
and Joseph Bond, "and many other inhabitants of the town of Bristol, owners
of a certain tract of land formerly called Buckingham." Joseph Bond and
John Hall were the first burgesses, and Thomas Clittord, high-constable. As
the charter came direct from the Crown, instead of the Provincial Assembly,
the independence of the Colonies dissolved the corporation, and restored by the
Legislature, 1785. The charter has been several times amended and enlarged
and the borough limits extended.

The charter of Bristol provided, among other things, for the holding of
two annua! fairs, two days in May and three in October, "in such place or
places as the burgess, from time to time, may appoint." These fairs were
attended by all classes, some going to make purchases, the great majority for
a frolic. Horse-racing, drinking, gambling and stealing prevailed to an alarm-
ing extent. The young men generally went on liorse back in their shirt sleeves,
with their sweet-hearts beliind them, their coats tied up behind the saddle,
with their thin-soled shoes for dancing wrapped up in them. They wore
two pairs of stockings, the inner white and the other colored yarn, the tops
of the latter turned down to exhibit the inner pair and protect them from dirt.
The negro slaves were allowed by their masters to attend the last day of each
fair, wlien they ilocked thither in large numbers and held their jubilee, .-\iter
the fairs had continued three-quarters of a century, the ])eople of Bristol and
vicinity petitioned the Legislature to abolish them, on the ground they were
'"useless and imnecessary and promoted licentiousness and immorality. "-

We know but little of Bristol in its infancy, in fact it was only a feeble
frontier river village, and had no history. The inhabitants may or may not have
been threatened with fires but. in 170T, the Assembly passed an act to prevent
tliem.^ CJUhiiixon, who visited Bristol in 1708, speaks of it as the capital

2 Act of April 14, 1796.

3 What is spoken of as a "great tire" broke out, 1724, but tlic value of t!ic prop-
erty destroyed "is not known. The Friends at .Miington raised money for the relief of
the sufferers.

3i8 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

of Bucks county, containing- tilty houses. Graydon's memoirs, published in
l8ii, says of Bristol aljont I75(j: "Then, as now, the great road, leading
from Philadelphia to Xew Yurk, tirsL skirting the inlet, at the head of which
stand the mills, and then turning short to the left along the bank of the Dela-
ware, formed the principal, and, indeed, the only street marked by anything
like continuity of buildings. A few places for streets were opened from this
main one, on \\hich here and there stood an humble, solitary dwelling. At a
corner of one of these lanes was a Quaker meeting-house, and on a still more
retired spot stood a small Episcopal church, whose lonely graveyard, with
its surrounding woody scenery, might have furnished an appropriate theme
for such a muse as Gray's. These, together with an old brickyard, consti-
tuted all the public edifices of this, my native town." Captain Graydon. the
author of this early sketch of Bristol, was the son of an Irishman who came
to this country alx)Ut 1730. His father, Alexander Gra}'don, born at Long-
ford, and brought up under the care of his maternal grandfather near Dublin,
was educated for the church but declined to take orders. At one time he was
President judge of Bucks county. He was twice married, his second wife
being Rachel ^larx, daughter of a merchant engaged in the West India trade,
and a German by birth, but living in I'hiladelphia at the time of her marriage
to Graydon, and where they became acquainted. She was the youngest of
four daughters, all connected by marriage, to some of the most influential
families of Pennsylvania. He was patriotic, and in 1747, when a general
Indian war was threatened, was Colonel of the associated regiment of Bucks
county. He died, 2^Iarch, 1761, his wife and four children surviving him.
Captain Graydon was born April 10, 1752. After his father's deadi his mother
removed to Philadelphia and opened a boarding house, the resort of the leading
Colonial worthies of the day. When the Revolution broke out Graydon
espoused the cause of the Colonies and was appointed captain in Colonel John
Slice's Pennsvlvania regiment, January, 1776. He recruited for his company
at Attleborough, Newtown and New Hope. He was made prisoner at Fnrt
Washington, and exchanged at the end of two years, l:)Ut did not re-enter the
military service. After the war he was appointed Prothonotary of Dauplin
county, 1785, and died tlicre. He was a gentleman of culture and ability and
maintained a good position in society.* At the time of which Captain Gray-
don wroic, all the inhabitants of Bristol were Friends, with the exception of
the De Xormandies and two or three other families.

Bristol was tlie first seat of justice of the county, where it was estalilished
1705.'''* The same year the Assembly authorized the erection of a court-house,
a two-story brick that stood on Cedar street nearly opposite the Masonic hall,
with court room above, prison below and a whipping-post attached to the out-
side wall. The lot was given by Samuel Carpenter. The building was used
as a school-h'iusc after the courts were done with it, and years ago the
house and lot was bought by William Kinscy. In 1722 a house of correctinn,
will) a whijijiing [)05t attached, was erected at the expense of the comity,
and re]ilaced by a new one, 1745. The testimony about the workhouse is con-

4 TluL;h ^hlrray Gr.iyiloii, t!ie oldi.«=t incnilier of the Daupliin county bar, died at
Hnrn-lnirtr. March 14. \<)00, at an advanced a:.;c. He wa-; a descendant of Alexander
Grayd'in. and probably a grandson of Captain Gr.iydnn.

4':i The courts had previously been ticld in Falls township and Middlotown, but
Bristol was the first designated "scat v.f justice."

HISTORY OF DUCKS COU.XTV.

319

liicting, one authority stating it was removed, 1724 or 1725, two years after
it was built. The building is still standing.*'-

The I'riends' meeting at Dristijl is one of the oldest in the county. For
.several vears the Friends settled there attended meeting at Falls, Xeshaminy,
ni>\v Middietown, and sometimes crossed the river to Uurlington. In 1704,
I'^alls meeting granted the I'.ristol r-'ricnds a meeting once a month, increased
ti^ twice a month, 1707, held at private houses. In 1706 complaint was made
of the want of a meeting-house, and
one was erected, 1710. The un-
paid lialance of the cost of building,
£S6, was assumed bv I-"alls, 3.1iddle-
town and Buckingham. The lot
was the gift of Samuel Carpenter
and the deed executed to Joseph
Kirkbride, Tobias Dimocke, Thomas
Watson, Edward }.Iayos, and Will-
iam Croasdale, in trust. The meet-
ing-house was enlarged, 1763, the
expense being borne by the month-
ly meetings and an addition pur-
chased to the lot, in 1814. The
buU(hng being out of repair, in
172S, George Clough and Thomas
Chltord were appointed "to procure
the same to be mended before the
next quarterly meeting." It was
used as an hospital during the Re\-
olution. The Orthodo.x Friends
have a small frame meeting-house,
erected at the time of separation, in
182S. The Episcopalians were not
long behind the l-'riends in planting

a house for religious worship in Ilristol, who built .St. James' church,'' 171 1,
which has had an e\-entful histt^ry and yet gather^ within its walls a large and
nourishing congregation.''

ST. J.\N[ES EPISCOP.IL CHURClt. I5RIST0L,

4' J The workhouie wa$ authori.'ed by act of A';>i.'ir.lily of February 22, 1718, to be
bulk at the expeivse of the County within tliree )-ears, to be manageil liy a president,
treasurer and assistants, and not more than iroo were to lie raised yearly f'T its support.
As the house was not built within the three years specilied, it must have been
trccted under a subsequent act. By act of March i, 1745. the common council of
llristol was authorized to erect a workliouse in the town, wliich is probably the one
now standiufT.

5 For furtliLT account of St. James' church see chapter entitled ''Hi.-toric Churclies."

6 "Bristol, Au:.:u^t 6. irJ^;. At a meeting of the Consjresation of St. James'
thtiich, held this day. the following choice of the pews were made: Xo. i. Col. Merck
hud (Jolin l~)evcrel Jj); 2, Peter \"anhornc, p.; 3, Miller and Stockham, p: 4. George
Sweotman; Richard Rue ('Middietown): 6, Swift and Green, p. p; 7. Philip Jnhns.-in
fi, Clark and I'lcncset, p; 9, Dr. James Dc Normandie ; 10, Rodman and Gihhs (Samuel
Kinser). ; 11, Kinsey and Kennedy (B. Bessonettl ; 12, Cox and Mcllvain, p: r,i, WuM and
Malcolm (John McElroy) ; 14, Mr. John F.oon, p; 13, Jonathan Uibbs, p; 16, Larzalere and

320 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

Of tlic present iJristol families the Jiurtons have been in that vicinity
from first settlement. Ai.iliony, hueiy deceased, was the fourth in descent
from the Anthony who married Su^an Kean, in 1725, and, on the maternal
side, the great-grandson of Ann, daughter of John and iNIary Sotcher.
Charles Swain traces his paternal line Lack for four generations to JJenjamin
Swain who married Eliza Ruion about 1743-5, and the seventh in descent
from William and JMargaret Cooper through four generations of W'oolstons.
On the maternal side of the male line he is the sixth in descent, through the
]!rlggses, and Croasdales from Ezra Croasdale who married Ann Peacock,
in 16S7. The De Normandics, Eessonetts, and \\'illiamses were among the
early inhabitants of Bristol, but the names of the first two families have become
extinct.

The De Normandies were a princely family of France, holding feudal
tenures in Champagne from tl;e earliest times, the heads of the house being the
Eords de la Motte, and one of the most distinguished families that immigrated
to this country. In 1460 Giulliaume De Normandie was made royal gover-
nor of Xoyon, in Picardy, and founded the chapel of St. Claire in the church
of St. I^Iartin. He married a De Roye, princess in her own right, and daugh-
ter of the Lord of De Alailly D'Aisilly and JNIontescourt. From GiuUiajnie
De Normandie descended Laurent De Normandie, the warm friend and sup-
porter of Calvin, and the executor of his will, who fled to Geneva, and, as did .
his sons after him, tilled some of the highest oiiices in that republic. From
Laurent came Jean De Xormandie, one of the deputies sent in 1603 to conclude
a treaty of peace with the Prince of Savoy, and from Jean came Joseph,
named after his uncle and godfather the celebrated Due De La Tremouille.
These wer* all Counsellors of State and syndics of Geneva, as w-as ^.lichael,
son of Joseph. From ■Michael came Andre De Normandie, the confidential
agent and lieutenant of Frederick the Great at Xeufchatel. Lt his old age,
this Andre De Xormanie. born at Geneva in 1651, came to America, in 1706,
with his two sons, John Abram and John Anthony, and settled at Bristol
where he died, in 1724. Of the sons of Andre De Xormandie, John Abram,
in 16SS, and John .Anthony, in 1693, married Henrietta Elizabeth, and ^Mary,
tlaughters of Doctor Francis Gaudonette, JMargncrite., one of the daughters
of Andre, born in Geneva, 2^Iarch 13, 16S6, married Louis Jolly, and, from her,
through the Becket family, are descended the families of Ross, Clark and Sims.
Tl'.e late John C. Sims, Philadelphia, was descended from this line. He was
an accomplished man, jjnd possessing many excellent qualities, and had been
Secretary of the Pennsylvania Railroad Comjiany several years at his death,
1901. Of the two daughters of Dr. Gaudonette, Henrietta Elizabeth died at
Bristol, in 1757, and Mary in 1748. The remains of father and sons repose
in Saint James' church-yard. The children of the two sons married into the
families of Bard, of Burlington, and Anderson, whose whereabouts is not
known. Some of the DeXormandics sided with England in the Revolution-
ary struggle and got into trouble, while with others \\"ashington was on
terms of warm friendship. The families were valuable citizens in the church
and out of it. Some of them were ]ihysicians and men of science and culture,
and owned considerable real estate in the coimty. Dr. James De Xormandie.
a physician of large practice in Penns Manor, was the last of the family to

Wright, p: 17, Cli.Trles Bcssonctt P.odine; 18, Riche and Kidd ; lO. ^^cElroy and Clunn;
20, rainier, p; 21, Elwood and VaiiMciver: 22, Gabriel Vanhorne, p; 23, Richard Rue
( Bi nsalcm) ; 2.|. Flowf-r and Gale."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 321

leave the county, sfimc 60 years ago, and settled in Ohio. His son James was
a Unitarian clcrgfyman at Roxbiiry, Alass. The father married a sister of
Samuel Yardley, formerly of Doylestown. Her name was Sarah, a daughter
of Thomas Yardley, and also a sister of George and Edward Yardley. Late
in life Dr. John Abram went to Geneva, Switzerland, 10 claim property left
him and his cousin, b}' an old nobleman. There he met X'oltaire, who was
so pleased with his society he made some preparations to return with him and
make his home here. The Doctor brought home a miniature given him by Vol-
taire, which is yet owned by the descendants of the family. Arthur Sands, of
Trenton, is a descendant of the De Xormandies.

Charles Bessonett, a son of John, a Huguenot refugee, who came to this
country about 1731.' was an active citizen of Bristol a hundred years ago, and
V, as probably born there. He was a celelirated stage, proprietor, and the first to
establish a regular line between Philadelphia and New Y'ork (1773) the through
trip being made in two days, at the low fare of four dollars. This line was
kept up until it was succeeded by steam and rail. Believing the toll across
Neshaminy was too high, he purchased the right of way to the creek by a new
route, and built a bridge over it; but a heavy freshet came about the time it
was finished, washed it away and well-nigh ruined him. In 17S5 he kept what
is now known as Pratt's hotel. Before the Revolution it had the head of George
H for a sign, but when the American army was passing through on its way to
Yorktown. the soldiers riddled his majesty's head with bullets. The name
was then changed to The Fountain. The ancestors of the late Robert Patterson
were earlv residents of Bristol, and his grandfather, Robert, was an officer in
the Revolutionary army.

The Williamses were there early in the last century, jjossibly members of
old Duncan's family, who established Dunk's ferry. Ennion Williams, a
thrifty cooper and baker, and a leader in Falls meeting, married 3.1ary Hugg,
ni 1725. It is related of him, that while he owned the property, many years
afterward known as the "Willis house," he set some men at work to dig the
foundation for an addition to the dwelling. Hearing the pick of one of them
strike a hard substance that did not sound like a stone, he threw the laborers
some change and told them to get something to drink. When they returned
thcv saw the print of an iron pot in the earth. He said he had changed his
mind about building and discharged them. After this he grew rapidly rich,
lie subscquentiv built the front portion of the Willis house, putting in the west
<'nd the letters and figures, "E. \\'., 1735." iu blue brick.' This house was
afterward in the l.'.uckley family and used as a hospital during the Revolution-
ai-y war.

Bristol, Iving on the great highwav between the North and South, was
often traversed bv bodies of troops, and on more than one occasion armies
jiassed through it. On the 9th of November, 1757, two hundred men of the
35th British regiment were billeted in the town over night. The bill was pre-
sented to the county commissioners, but as they refused to pay. the borough
h.ad to foot it. These troops were soon followed by a large body, en route for
winter quarters. Bristol bore her share of the tribulations of the Revolutionary

7 .-\s tlie record on his toiiil>^toiie s.iys lie died in 1S07, at the ago of seventy-
tlirfc, and was niit bnrn until '7.M. 'i^; could not have come as early as 1731. Thi?
would make the date of his arrival uncertain.

8 Query : Was Major Ennion Williams, of the Pennsylvania line, a descendant of
ihi- I'ristnl Ennion?

322 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV

war. Ill ])cccniber, 1776, General Cadwallatk-r lay there with three thousan,]
men, and in 1777 tiileen hundred were billeted on the inhabitants at one time.
Armed boats guarded the river in from of the town to prevent the enemy pa^s-
ing. On one or more occasions the inhabitants felt the weight of the enemy's
depredations.

On Good Friday, 1778, Bristol was surin-iscd by a party of refugee liglu-
iiorse from Philadelphia at daylight. Coming out of the city the evening before,
4hey secreted themselves in the bushes about the ford at the Flushing mills.
Then multling their horses' feet and waiting for the sound of the morning gun,
■when they knew the sentinels would be drawn in, they dashed into the tow 11.
Placing guards at the doors of the principal citizens, they compelled them to
come into the streets, where they afterward permitted them to put on their
clothes. They did not tarry long, but returned to Philadelphia with what litile
plunder they could gather, and some of the inhabitants were kept there prisoners
several weeks before being released. At the time of the attack Bristol was
garrisoned by a company of militia, but ihey made no defense. The royalists
were anxious to capture their captain, but he showed his discretion by hiding
in a friendly garret. In 1799 a portion of the troops which assisted to quell the
"Fries rebellion" rendezvoused at Bristol before marching to the seat of war.

James Thornton, a distinguished minister among Friends, passed several
years of his life in Bristol. He was born at Stony-Stratford, Buckingham-
shire, England, in 1727, and landed in Philadelphia in 1760. He afterward
married and settled in Byberry, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying
there June 24, 1794, in his sixty-seventh year. He was ])robably the ancestor
of the Thorntons of Byberry.

The r.rislol of today is a place of considerable wealth and busiiKS-.
Among the industrial establishments arc, the Bristol rolling-mill, erected for
a forge in 1S51, but changed to its present uses a few years ago at a cost of
$50,000, and employs sixty-five hands with a weekly pay-roll of $Soo, woolen-
mill that cost S90.000, employs two hundred and thirtj- hands and pays 82,000
per week; felt-mill, cost S75.000, emplo}s one hundred and sixty hands and
pays $2,900 weekly ; Keystone forge, cost $65,000, and employs twenty-live
liaiuls when in operation; box and sash-factory that cost $15,000, einplovs
eighteen hands and pays $200 weekly. The last has turned out, in a siiiude
season, two hundred and fifty thousand packing and fruit boxes, besides a large
amount of other work. Her citizens have in\ested largely in vessels and steam-
boats. They liave built twenty-one schooners, sailing out of that port, ranging
from two to six hundred tons burden each, at a cost of $260,000. Her steam
and ferry boats, barges and tugs cost $153,000 more. Seven of her schooners
have been Ir.st :it sea. involving a loss of $53,000 to the owners. The iniprtive-
menls on the river front consist of three public and six private wharves, buiit
at a cost of S^^.o'^i."). Tlie liorough has a bi^arcl of trade. The llouring and saw-
niilU that .':^aHniel Carjieiiler owned nearly uvo centuries ago are still in opera-
tion.

Of lafe \ears there have been great chnnges in Bristol industries and S'lme
additions. The active 'iigeney in the erecti.in of new lnlsines^ i-knUs wa,- tl'<'
"liristol Ini]irnvemeut C'omiiany.'' organized. 1876. with a Sl'ick capiia.l "i
$233,000. and b\' the annual report. Januarv. 1808. the assets were $2R4.370.3'>.
an excess river the stock of $51,379.36. The company erected its first plani.
I$77. tiio Brisinl Worsted Mills — t,!ie main Iniilding being 3_'S by Bh feel, tliro-
stories hiuh. with a lli'or >p;\ce of ii5.o;v) smiare feet, and a capacitv of 411)
hands, it Si ir.n passed into other hauils and i-. now oiJerrUed bv William li.

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

323

« Inindy & Co. A wall paper mill was builL in 18S2, occupied by Wilson &
i'eiiniui' 'le, until 1893, when the business was sold to the "National Wall Paper
I .onipany." It is not operated at present but held as a reserve mill to be put
in motion in case of emergency. It cost $70,000, is three stories high, with a
I'Dur space of 100,000 square feet. The Keystone mill, for the manufacture of
fringe, consists of a main building, 102 by 50 feet, two stories high and neces-
sary outbuildings. In 1870 a mill for turning out \voodwork was erected,
burned down in 1S91, but immediately rebuilt. Probaijly the most valuable
uKuiufacturing plant is the Bristol carpet mill, built by the company and turned
aver to Thomas L. Leedom & Co., April, 183S, and employs 550 hands. The
main building is 229 by 54 feet, two stories high, the whole occupying a floor
space of 160,000 square feet. It makes caqiets and rtigs, the wool mostly
coming from China, Russia, Persia and Mediterranean ports. The Thomas
}!. Harkens Foundry company employ twenty-five men and apprentices. In
addition to these larger establishments, Bristol is equipped with the various
minor industries found in a prosperous town, and water and rail furnish conve-
nient facilities for reaching markets. ''~*

Besides the two P''ricnds' meeting-houses and the Episcopal church already
mentioned, there are four other places of religious worship in Bristol —
-Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic and Baptist. The first named is the oldest of
the four, its foundation being probably laid by Captain Webb, one of the fathers
"f Methodism in America, who preached here before the Revolution under a
chestnut tree on tlie spot where the church now stands. Bristol was one of
the birth places of the denomination in this country. Captain Webb, a dis-
tinguished officer of the British army, who lost his right eye at the siege of
Lonisburg'. and scaled the Heights of Abraham with General Wolfe, joined
a }iIethodist society in England, 1765, and was preaching in Philadelphia be-
tween that time and 1769. John Adams .said he was one of the most eloquent
men he ever listened to. He was authorized to preach by John Wesley, and
when he retired from the army became an itinerant. He gathered the first con-
gregation in Philadel]ihia and laid tlie foundation of St. George's chapel. He
joined John Embury in Xc\v York, and worked zealously in the cause until the
v.-ar broke out. when he returned to England. The earliest Methodist ministers
in Philadelphia, after Captain Webb, were Alessrs. Pillmore and Boardman.
1 he congregation of the former was joined bv ]\Irs. I\Iaiy Thorne. a }iliss
l^vans of I'.ristol. who was the first female class-leader in Philadelphia. The
first Methodist church, outside of the city, was built at Montgomery Square,
.■ibout 1770; by Mr. Supplee. Bristol was one of the earliest points where
Captain Wcl.ib preached, and no doubt he formed the nucleus of the IMethodist
clunch there. A society was organized^ and the Bristol circuit formerl by
P.i-hoj) Asliury, Sept. to. 1778, and the Rev. William Dougherty the first
pastor, his parish extending from Pliiladcljihia to the Pocono mountains.
Rci;-ilar circuit prc;iching v.-as cstablishdl in this county by the Philadelphia
cn^itcrence in 1700. and the old court house was often use 1 for that jnirpose.
The first church building, a small brick, was erected in 1804. mainly through
the cfl-'orts rif Marv Connor, and dedicated by the Rev. David Bartinc ; enlargdl
in 1827. and rebuilt in 1844. at the cost of S7,0!X). In 1895-96 a new church
biilMing was erected, the cornerstone being laid November 17 an<I dedicated
•"•■.-•'■-.bcr 23. 1806. The church and chapel liave a seating capacity of twelve

S'j Since tlu'<c fisjurcs of Bristol's iiulu>itric5 were t;il<eu there has been consi.lcr.itile
incrcrifc.

324

HlSrORV Of BUCK^ COUM'n.

liun(lre<l. In iIk- j;a.st century twenty-seven pastors have had charge, many of
them able men, the present rector, Rev. C. H. Rorer, taking charge ie^95. Among
the original members were the parents of the late William Kinsey, Bristol, wiio
hinisell was an active member over lialf a century. It has a parsonage, ami the
congregation is large. The Catholic church. Saint Mark's, was built in 1845,.
at a cost of $2,500, burnt tlown and since rebuilt. There is a brick parsonage on
tile church lot and a graveyard enclosed with it. The Presbyterian church was
built by subscription in 1844, ^"i^ received into the second i'hiladelphia Presby-
tery in 1846. The first pastor was the Rev. James AI. Harlow, who resigned in
1850, and was followed, in succession by the Rev. Franklin D. Harris, to 1S61,
Alfred Ta\lor 1864, Henry J. Lee 1867, Jacob Weidman June i, 1873. who
was succeeded by the Rev. James H. Mason Knox, D. D. From a feeble
beginning this church has grown up to be large and prosperous. The Baptist
church was organized in 1848, with twelve members, and now numbers o\er
one hundred antl sixty, with a Sabbath school of two hundred scholars. It has
had seven pastors in all, the Rev. Messrs. M. H. \\'atkinson, C. J. Page. W. H.
Swindcn, J. S. Miller, 'J'aylor H. C. Bray, and John C. Hyde. During the pas-
torate of Mr. Page a new church edifice of brown stone, 44 by 84 feet, was
erected, at the corner of Cedar and ^^"alnut streets, and repaired under Mr.
Hyde. The church pro])erty is valued at $22,000. The yearly contributions
from all sources, have reached as high as $2,744.85. The church celebrateil
its fiftieth anniversary in 1S9S. commencing September 18 and lasting three
days. Appropriate services were held each day and evening, one being taken
up with reading its history and an evening occupied with a reception. This
was during the pastorate of the Rev. E. A. Rook, a graduate of Crozier Theo-
logical Seminary, who assumed charge in 1894. In the period between Mr.
H}de and the coming of Mr. Rook, were the following pastors: The Revs.
C. E. Harden, '75-76; William H. Conard, '77-'8o; Levi J. Beck, '8o-'86; J. D.
King, \S6-'89; L W. Goodhue, ■89-'9i, and W. H. Clipman, 'g2-g^. A small
church building for the Societv of IMillerites among Friends was erected in
1867.

Among the societies and institutions of Bristol may be mentioned a lodge
of Masons instituted in 1780, which John Fitch joined in 1785. Young Men's
Christian .-\ssociation, and lodges of Odd ]"cllows. Knights of Pvthias, Red .Men,
and .several temperance organizations, .-\mong the public buildings are a brick
town hall and market house, with cupola and clock, built in 1831, at an expense
of $2,500. Wa.shingtondiall. a large three-story building, erected in 1848, which
accommodates several societies, two buildings for common schools, one erected
in 1837 and the other 1853, at a cost of Si 1,000, and will accommodate six
himdred scholars. The scliool board has established a jniblic high school which
is in a llourishing condition, and the Friends have a neat stone school house,
and the fire department is represented by one steam and a hand engine and two
hose carriae-es. Waterworks were erected in 1874, the water being pumped up
from the river and distributed over the town from a stand-pipe." at a cost of
$50,000. Bristol has a circulating library of fifteen hundred volumes and three
newspapers, published wei-kly.

1 he Farmers' Bank, the first in the county, was organized in 1S14. The
books, for subscrijilion for stock, were o])ened at various points from .Vugust
8lh to 19th. and the commissioners met at Dovlestown on the 20th. The .';toek-
holders met at Harman Mitchener's.. .Milford (now Hulnieville) in Middle-
town, December 5tli, to chose directoVs and fix upon a place for locating the
bank. The directors cIkw,- John Hulnie president, and George Harrison

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

325

ca-liicr. The bank now occupies the building erected in 1818 by Architect
Strickland, for a private residence for James Craig, at a cost of $15,000. j\lr.
( r;iig resided in the building until his death and it was afterward occupied by his
;i<tcrs. During their occupancy Lieutenant Hunter, of the navy, who killed
\i)Uiig Miller, of Phihulcl[>hia, in a duel, and his second. Lieutenant Burns,
were both secreted in the building until public indignation had subsided, and
they were suspended. They were both afterward restored, and Hunter became
the somewhat celebrated "Alvarado" LIunter.

Bristol is the termitnis of the Delaware Division canal, for which ground
was broken October 28, 1827. After prayer an address was delivered by Peter
.-\. Browne, Esq., of Philadelphia, when a barrow of earth was dug by -Messrs.
(.icorge Harrison, of this county, and Peter Ihrie, of Easton. Several hundred
persons marched in procession under William F. Swift at twelve o'clock to
where the ground was to be broken. In the afternoon about a hundred persons
sat down to dinner provided by Mr. Bessonett. The canal basin was finished
in .\ugust, 1S30. On the 7th of August a company of seventy-five ladies and
gentlemen of Upper Makelield and vicinity made an excursion a few miles on
the canal. The water had been let in a- few days before, and the canal com-
nii-isioncrs passed the canal the last of the month. It was formally opened,
from Bristol to Xew Hope, December 7, 1830, when a boat, filled with excur-
^il'nists, passed between these points, and there was a public dinner and speeches
at IJristol. The canal has almost fallen into disuse, compared to its activitv
in former years. It is estimated that as many as four or five thousand boats
were employed upon it, but now only a few hundred, and business is not brisk
with them. The reason is the competition of railroads as freight carriers. The
state sold the canal about 1857, when it passed into the possession of an incor-
jiorated company. Canal boats carry from twelve to fifteen hundred tons each,
and cost from twelve to fifteen hundred dollars. The Philadelphia and Trenton
section of the Pennsylvania railroad runs through the town. The first artesian
well in the county is at Bristol. It was sunk by L. A. Hoguet, eighty-four feet
and tubed with six-inch pi]3e. at a cost of S390. The water is excellent — soft
and cold. In the summer of 1873. while removing some of the wall alxmt a well
on the propertv of Emmor Comly. a mutilated marble tombstone with the fol-
I'nving inscription, was unearthed: 'Tn memory of James Tcuxebury, who
departed this life December ye 14th, Ano. Do., 1726, aged 22 years." The
iKiino is unknown to the present generation, and so far as we know, was never
bofiire met with in the county. A marble tombstone at that early period indi-
cates that the deceased or his familv was of consequence.

Bristol has a well organized and equipped fire department superior tn most
towns of its size. The borough has tiirec chartered companies. 1857. '75 and
'03. with all modern api^liances. including several thousand feet of hose, while
two of the wards have companies. There is an electric fire alarm system with
signal boxes distril)uted over the town. The most destructive recent fire was
the burning of the Providence mill, in the winter of 1896.

Among the charitable institutions of Bristol none are more noteworthy than
"The Sarah Lukens Kecne Home for Aged Gentlewomen." founde<l by Sarah
Lukens Kccnc, a granddaughter of Surveyor General Lukens. At her death,
iPr/i, she devised by will her late residence in Bristol, known as the Pavilion,
v.-ith its furniture, and several thousand dollars in money, in trust for the main-
lenance, forever, of "live, six or more aged gentlewomen, wlu) are widows, or
single women, unmarried, of respectability, hut decayed fortunes, and who have
hec<ime dtstitntc. at an atlrnitccd age," etc. The affection she bore her aunt.

326

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

tlic wife of Major I.cii'jx, of the Kcvulutionary army, moved her to this chari-
table bequest, and tlie institution is dciUcalcd to her memory. Her will gives
very speeitic directions a? to the- management of the bequest. Tlic building.
one of tlie most substantial dwellings in the borough, was erected in 1S15. For
many )ears it was the summer resilience of ]Major and Mrs. Lenox and Miss
Kcene, where th:ir generous and elegant hospitality drew around them manv
friends of distinction of this country and Europe. Joseph Bonaparte, ex-king
of Spain, was a frequent guest and likewise several foreign diplomats, who

y. -'

1 i..::,^|.

SAKA;| LUKLNb KT-ENH HOME. KKlbTOL'

usnallv spent part of the summer in ]]ristol, then quite a resort. I\Iiss Keene
was distinguished for mental culture and personal beaut}-, while her unnum-
bered acts of unobtru?i\-e charitv added to her charms. The institution was
put into operation, 1874, and it is t<i be hoped will cimtinue to he managed
in the spirit which prompted tire generous donor. 1 he engraving of the Honie.
inserted in this chapter, is from a photograph taken o)i the spot, and engraved
expressly for the History of Bucks County.

The buildings f'f r.ri<tiil are brick and frame, and several fit the private
resiflences handsome and costly. It is compactly bnill, and the streets liglUed
by electrieitv. There is the usual nuvnl.ier of stores, shciis. and Ivni-es of public
entertainment, with all the ordinarv liranches of ni':chani--m. It is a jiurt of
entry and a considerable number of vessels dejiart and arrive viariy.

Down to 1S2T. Ihisto] was the iirhiciiial watering place in America, made
so by the Bath sjirings, just outside the b. inrngh limits, and wa^ the summer

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 327

rt^iiit of rich anil distinguished people from all parts of this countrx' and fri 'm
.il.ritad. In the Revolutionary period the Bath springs were in great repute.
i"<epli Galloway, in his private correspondence, 1774-75. mentions tlicni several
times. In a letter of August 17, 1775, to Samuel Vcrplanck, New York, he
refers to a Mr. Crrake "having arrived at Bristol for some time." In a
Mrevious letter, December 7. 1774, from Trevose, written to Samuel \'erp!anck',
lie urges him and .Mrs. \'. to pay him a visit, to "make Trevose the place of your
residence during your stay and will not think of taking lodgings at I'.ristnl.
^^pu may here have the benefit of the waters without tlie injury which luay be
di-rived from the heat or air of that place. The air of Trevose is acknowledged
ti i:e ])ure and healthful. The alternative from salt to pure, fresh air, assisted
liv the use of the waters, which may be obtained c\'ery day, and a moderate
share of exercise may, and will in all probability restore your condition." The
senii-annual races on the Badger and Bath courses attracted to ISristol many
sporting characters from Xew York, Xew Jersey and the South, an<l many
celebrated horses were brought there. Messenger was kept at Bristr)l sev-
eral vears before 1793. and down to within the recollection of men of the
present generation Bela Badger, a resident of the vicinity, was one of the most
noted h.orsemen of the country. Thomas A. Cooper, the great acmr, made his
home at Bristol, where he built a handsome house and ended his days. Among
ii'dier distinguished residents in past years, may be mentioned Major Kneas.
I iiited Stales army. Captain Biddle of the navy, Pierce Butler and several
I'lreign ministers.

.\mong the families of Bristol sixty years ago, of some local prominence,
was that of Captain John P. Heiss, whose son, John P., obtained some distinc-
tii'ii. Me was bc>rn in 1814, married and went into business, but lost his wife
and failed. Pie learned printing in his youth; now went South and obtained
employment in an office at Nashville, Tenn. Here it was his fortune to rescue
from the hands of an assailant an old gentleman, a warm personal friend of
tieneral Jackson, who, riding by at the time, thanked him. He was invited to
dine at the Hermitage a few days after, where he met many prominent people,
iucliuling him whom he had rescued. 'Jliis accidental encounter, in the streets
<'t' Nashville, made him powerful friends, who pushed his fortunes. He took
a warm interest in the nomination of JNIr. Polk for President and an active part
in his election. He accompanied the President-elect to Washington and,
through his infiueuce and General Jackson's was made a partner with Mr. Ritchie
in the publication of the \\"ashington Union, the organ of the administration.
He was afterward interested in mining in Mexico, but lost the greater part of
liis fortune. He died at sea, on his return from Ale.xico, August 22, 1S65.
Among his last words, and now inscribed on his tombstone, were, "I am willing
ti> die: there is rest in heaven." ?\lr. Heiss," it was understood, was a member
of President Polk's '"Kitchen Cabinet."

The earliest enumeration of the taxahles that we have seen was that of
I7'''i. when tliey mnnbered 123, nineteen more than were in the township two
>e.i!s after. In 1746 the tax levy was £11 6s.. about $30, and in 174R £0 i8s.
about S26.50. In T7S5 the borougli tax was £51 12s. id., less than S140, ard
the total valuation v.as ii 1.737. There were elc\-cn negro slaves, and three
I'ersons taxed for ]ilate. 106 nunccs in all. of which Dr. William .Mcllvaine^'^ had

9 Mr. Hciss was a luiril>erinan at Bristol, 1^-55.

10 Ju=.;ioc of the Pcice from 177; to 17S5.

328

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

sixt}- ounces, lii 1784 Bristol had forty-five dwellings, with a population of
269 whites and 24 colored. Scott"s Gazetteer of 1790 says Bristol at that date
contained about fifty dwellings; another authority puts down the dwellings at
90 and the pojjiilalion at 511. By the census we tuid the town had a population
in 1819 of fijS ; 1820, 90S; 1830, 1,262 and 202 taxables ; 1840, 1,438: 1850.
2,570; iSCk), 3.314; 1870, 2,849 native born; 1.S80, 5,273; 1S90, 6,553, and 7,106
in 1900. The first postoffice established in the county was at Bristol, June,
1790, and Joseph Clunn appointed postmaster.

CHAPTER

NORTHAMPTON.

1722.

Third group of townships.— Original settlera. — William Buckman. — John Pennington. —
Thomas Walnisly. — Anthony Tompkins. — The Corsons. — Benjamin Corson. — Blakers.
— Tile Wynkoops. — Ilcnry Wynkoop, Colonel F. M. Wynkoop. — The Dungaus. —
The Shaws.— ^Kroescns. — Addis family. — Morrisons et al. — Township organized. —
Names of petitioners. — Roads opened. — Holland settlers. — Old house. — Villages. —
Diitc'i Reformed church. — The Miles family. — William Bennett. — Population
Cuckold's manor. — Largo tree. — Lead niine. — Richboro posloflicc.

Otir third group of townships, comprising- Xorlhamptoii, Hilltown, New
I'ritain, Piumstead, ^^'ar\\•ick and ^^'ar^inL;ton, lying contiguons to each otiicr,
was organized between 1722 and 1734; Northampton and ^^'arw^ck being
formed of surplus territory rejectcil in the organization of sttrronnding town-
sjiijis. In this group we are introduced to a new race of settlers, the current
of civilization carried above the present center of the county.

Tlte territory of Northampton was largely settled, in the first instance, by
I'-nulish Friends, wlio came to America with the founder of the comnion-
wealih or about that time. According to the map of Thomas Holme, llie fol-
!ii\\ing were original land-owners in Northampton: lliMiirimin East, Ttiomas
Atkinson, William Pickering, John Brown, Robert Turner, Anthony Tomp-
kins, John Pennington, Christopher Taylor, Daniel \\"liarley, Samuel Allen,
I'etcr Freeman, Richard Thatcher, Edmund Bennet, widow Iltmt, widow
\\ alivisly, Nicholas W'alne, widow Pkin\ly, Thomas Rowland, \\'illiam Buek-
ni.m, Jc>ab Howie, Arthur Cook, George W'illard, Henry Baly, Thomas Potter,
James Boiden atid James Claypolc. Some of them came with tlieir families,
while others sought new homes in the forest of Bucks county alone. These
names arc to be received with a grain of allowance on account of their im-
perfect sjielling. and as some of these persons owned land in other townships,
ail of thc-m were hardly resi'lmts of this.

Thomas Walinsley, William Pliniily, eldest son of Charles rmd Margery
and the htisband of Mrs. Himt. lived only aliout a year after their arri\al, and
dying left their wives \\ idmvs in a strange land. W'illi.uu Buckman.' a ear]ienter,
from Billingshnrst. Sussex, a \\'ek-ome iiassengcr. lironght with him his wife,
datigliters Marv and Sarah and son \\'illiam. A datighter, Ruth. \\a> horn t(>

I Identical with the William Buckman who afterward settled in Newtown. The
<li'Cr(pancy in the nanici r.f tlie cl'.ildren is accounted for liy there being two sets.

330

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

tlicin after thvir arriwil. He took up a tract of land along the Bristol road
above Clnirchville, which extended nearly to Richborough. His second wife
was Elizabeth \\ ilson, by wliom he had four children, and, at his death, 1716,
his widow married Thomas Story, of ['"alls. His chilihxn intermarried with
the families of Cooper, Buck, Blaker, I'euquite and Heston, and left numerous
descendants.

John Pennington purchased twelve hundred and lli'ty acres before leaving
Englanil. which he located to the northeast and adjoining William Euckman.
Arthur Cook owned a large tract on the northwest side of the township, next
to Warwick, lying along the Bristol road. Joab_Howle came with John Brock
as his indentured servant, and, at the end of his four years of servitude, settled
in Northampton and purchased fifty acres near William Buckman. Thomas
Walmsly arrived in 1682 with his wife and two sons, and settled in the lower
part of the tgwnship on Neshaminv. He brought machinery with the intention
of building a mill, but died before he could erect it. \Mlliam Plumly took uj)
land in the southwest corner of the township, about .^cottsville. and now part of
Southampton. He died shortly after and his widow married Henry I'axson,
of Middletown. in 1684. A thousand acres were surveyed to Anthony Tomp-
kins along Neshaminy, in 1685. Thomas Atkinson owned five hundred acres
north of the road leading from Addisville to Newtown, reaching six hundred
perches nortlieast of thai village. Adjoining this tract on the north was John
Holme, seven hundred acres, which he conveyed to Jeremiah Dungan in 1716.
James I.ogan owned six hundred and fifty acres below Richborough. embracing
the upper pnrt of what is now Holland, and lying between the Newtown roads.
In 1 701 \\'illiam Penn granted six hundred and fifty acres to Edward Penning-
ton, of Philadelphia. The names of some of the eariiest settlers in Northampton
are not on Holme's map. among which is Cuthbert ria}hurst. who married
Mary Harker. He arrived soon after the first immigrants with four children.
and his descendant. Shelmirc Hayhurst. was living in the township as late as
T805. Of some of them nothing more is known than their names, while others
are mentioned in c^inncction with the ti">wnships in which they were actual
settlers.

The Blaker faniilv, \vhich have l.iccome quite numerous and scattered
over a wide extent of country, were amonc;' the early scltU-rs of Northampton.
Thev are all. so far as we have anv knowledge, descendnits of John Blaker, born
in Germany, and apjioars to have become interested in America while he was
quite young. .\ few vears after he was married he heard of the tide of immi-
gration from Holland foiliis coimtry. and at once fornied the resolution of join-
ing in the movement if he couKl obtain permission to rlo so. Just how he man-
aged to cross the ocean in a ship bound for Philadelphia is not clearlv known.
But we fmd that sonn after his arrival, in t'')?^. he bought two hundred acres
at Gcrmantnwn nf the Franlcfort comjianv of Rotterdam. His familv at the
time consisted of his wife and three sons, the youngest born on board the ship
in which thev crossed the ocean. The localitv of Ccrmnntown, bowever, Vi'as
not satisfactorv, as we find that in 1600 he liought a thousand acres on the
sniithwe=t bank of Ne'=hnniiny, in Nortbamptrin. which had been conve\-ed to
Robert Turner bv patent, in I'^i'io. to wbi'^h he removed with his familv. \
dwelh'ncr house, near a fine l.-irge spriiiQ" of water, w.-is the first build-
mrr erected on bis 1hnn=and-acre farm. This portion r.f the land novv belong-;
to the heir- of Clnrles Bkil-rer. deceased. mile<:s sold in recent vears.

In 1727 Samuel, one of the sons "of John Blaker, ioined the .^n^ieiv o(
Friends, anil was married to Sarah Smith, datigbter of ^\■illinm .'^mith. of

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 331

Wriglitstown. In 1741 Saniiid sold hi.s share of the land apiiortioncd to him,
(hiring; the lifetime of his father, to John and William Cooper, and moved up
lu-ar Centerville. in Ijuckincrham. He died, i/jS, and was buried on tlie farm.
A fragment ot the old tombstone, with name and date, was found on a lot
.idjoir.Tng Euckingham graveyard by Joseph Fell, of Buckingham, and given
to Alfred Blaker, New town, many years ago. The late Lewis Blaker. of
Newtown, and liis descendants are all that is known of the name iu Bucks
ecnnty in the line from Samuel Blaker.

I'aul, the youngest son of John Blaker, had no children. His dwelling
lirn-,se, a substantial'stone structure, built in 1731, in which he lived and died,
was owned and occupied by the late Joshua C. Blaker, brother of Alfred Blaker.
of .Vcwtown. These two brothers were of the sixth generation. Peter Blaker.
second generation, raised a family of children, whose descendants have always
manifested a warm attachment for the homestead tract of their fathers, and
constitute a large proportion of the name in the county, five hundred and ninety
of the original tract .being owned by the Blaker family in recent years.

The "Corsons, of this and other counties, are descended from Benjamin.
son of Cornelius Courson, or Corssen, a Huguenot who left France in 1685 antl
settletl on Staten Island. Benjamin Corson, a son, came to Bucks county, 172O.
and bought 250 acres of Jeremiah Dungan for ^350, on the ^^liddle road, just
below Richborough, which was in the family one hundred years. The father
died on Staten Island in 1692-3, liis will being probated Dec. i, 1693. Benjamin
brought with him to Bucks county- his son Benjamin, born in 1719 and died in
1774 at fifty-five. His wife was Alary Seidam,- born 1721, died 1792, aged
seventy-one. She and her husband were buried in the graveyard at Rich-
boro. • The first Benjamin Corson was buried in the middle of the aisle of the
old Reformed Dutch church, North and Southampton, near the Buck tavern in
the latter township. Benjamin Corson the second had eight children, Benjamin,
grandfather of the late Doctor Hiram Corson, Plymouth. Montgomery county,
Richard, father of the late Doctor Richard Corson, New' Hope, Cornelius.
Henry, grandfather of William Corson, late of Doylestown, John who died on
the old homestead in 1S23, married Charity \'ansant and had two daughters,
lane and Alary ; Abraham, Mar}-, who tnarried Enoch Alarple and left several
children in Alontgomerv county, and Jeannctte. who married John Krewson.
Benjanu"n, eldest son of Benjamin the second. Tiiarriod Sarah Dungan, and Iiad
eleven sons and daughters, who niarricd into the families of Harvey, Bennet,
Blaker and Alorris. .Of this familv of eleven children all were I'iving and in good
health when the youngest was fifty years of age. They were large, strong anil
health.y, but are now all dead. The family are numerous and scattered into
various parts of the country. Alongside the Corsons in the old graveyanl at
Richborough, lie the remains of DuBois, Krewson. I.arzelere and other Dutch
and Huguenot settlers and their descendants.

The Wynkoop^'' are prolnbly descended from Cortielius C. Wynkoop, who
iminicratcd from Holland to New York early in the seventeenth century. His
sc>n Gerardus. who married Hilletji Gerritse. moved to Moreland township.
Montgomery county, with his family in 1717. Of his children, Mary, baptized
January 3, i('i04. married Abraham Vandegrift, of Bensalem, and Jemima
George \'anT'uskirk-, of Aloreland. Gerardus Wynkonp came into Northampton

2 The present spelling is Suydam.

.1 in olden timoi; the n.inie was spoiled Winoopc. Wiiickoop. r.nci Wynkoop. mcTniiiR
■':i wine biivcr."

ZZ2

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

in 1727 and the same year Edward Weston and wife conveyed five lunidred
acres of the Tomkins tract to "'Garret Winekoop, gentleman, of Philadelphia."
In 1738 he conveyed two hundred and sixty acres of the same to Nicholas
Wynkoop, Northampton. Gerardns, probai;ly the eldest son of the Moreland
Gerardus, married Elizabeth Bennet. One of his children, or grandchildren,
was baptized October 9, 1738, at the old Reformed Dutch church of North and
Sonthamiiton, of which he v.as an elder, 1744. He had considerable local
prominence iluring the Revolutionary war, of which he was an ardent advocate,
and was several times Speaker of the Assembly. His grandson, Henry Wyn-
koop, son of Nicholas, born ^.larch 2, 1737, and married Ann Knipers, Bergen
county, New Jerse\-, was a prominent citizen of the county and Province. He
was a member of the Bucks county committee of safety, 1774, 1775 and 1776,
lieutenant in the Revolutionary army, member of the Congress that met in
Carpenter's hall June 18, 1776, and a member of the first Congress of the
United States that met at New York, in 1789. He was the personal friend of
Washington and Hamilton, and was a man of large frame and handsome appear-
ance. Eieutenant IMonroe is said to have spent part of his time, after he was
wounded at Trenton, at the W}nkoop mansion, Northamjjton. Mr. Wynkoop
was Associate Judge of our court of common pleas in 1777, and delivered tlie
first charge to the grand jur\- at Newtown, under the constitution of 1776.
Gerardus Wynkoop's son David married Ann McNair, and represented the
county several years in the Legislature.

Of the children of Henry Wynkoop, Christina, born Af)ril 20, 1763, married
Doctor Reading Beatty, of Newtown, and died at Abington Alay iS, 1S41 ; Ann,
born in 1765, married James Raguet, 1790, and died in 1815; IMargaretta,
born in 1768, married Herman J. Lombert, 1789, and died of yellow fever,
Philadelpliia, 1793; Nicholas, born in 1770, married Fanny, eldest daughter of
Francis Murray, Newtown, 1793. Their grandson, Francis I\I. Wynkoop, born
near Newtown, distinguished himself in the Mexican war as colonel of the First
regiment Pennsylvania volunteers. His uncle, George C. Wynkoop, son of
Nicholas, was a brigadier-general in the three' months' service, Civil war, and
afterward commanded the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry. Emily, sister of
Colonel Francis M. Wynkoop, married W'illiam Brindle, lieutenant-colonel in
the Mexican war. The descendants of Cornelius C. Wynkoop arc numerous
and many of them occupy honorable positions in life.

The Dungans were early settlers in Northampton, where they were numer-
ous and infiuential a century ago. They are descended from the Reverend
Thomas Dungan, P.aptist minister from Rhode Island, who settled in Bristol
township, 16S4, v.here he founded the first P.aptist church in the province. Just
at \\liat time they came into Nortliampton is not known, but probably not utUil
after 1700. The oldest will on record is that of Thomas Dungan, Northampton,
admitted to proljate July 4, 1759, no doubt the son or grandson of the Reverend
Thomas. He loft children, Thomas, Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah. Joseph
married Mary C)hl. and their daughter Sarah, Benjamin Corson, grand-
father of the late Doctor Hiram Corson, Plymouth. To his widow, Joseiih
Dungan left, among other things, ''his negro wench and her child." He kit
two sons, Joshua, the father 'of the late Joshua Dungan, Northampton, and
Thomas Dimgan, a lieutenant in the Revolutionary army. The descendants
of the old Rhode Island Baptist arc mnnerous, living in various parts of this
anil adjoining counties and states, ll is said the lineage of the Dungans can be
traced back to the Earl of Dunganon. '

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 333

Northampton liad quite a sjirinkling- of Hollanders among her early set-
tlers. The Cornells, yet numerous in the township, came from Long Island.
Among the earliest to settle at Flatbush were Cornelius, Giljam and Peter Cor-
nell, sons of Peter. Giljam came to Northampton with the stream of Dutch
settlers that set this way the first quarter of the seventeenth century, and with
others took up land in a fertile section they called "New Holland,'' which name
it retains, lie was followed soon after by some of the children of Cornelius
Cornell, who settled in the same neighborhood. From these ancestors have
descended all of that numerous family in this county.* We have examined a
package of letters that passed between the Cornells of Long Island and their
relatives in this county while the British held that island during the Revolution,
but they contained not a line of interest. They left the British lines under a
flag of truce, and were examined before being transmitted.

The Vanhornes, of the same lineage, probably came into tb.e township
with the Long Island current and settled in the same section. The family name
comes from the little town and Seigneuri of Horn, in Brabant, Netherlands, and
was known as early as the eleventh century. The family was one of the most
illustrious in Europe, and by intermarriage became widely connected with the
highest nobility. Those who immigrated to this country were jMoljably retainers
of the princes Von Horn, and, as was very much the custom at tliat day, took
the family name. The first of the family to settle in Nortjiampton was Abra-
ham, great-grandfather of Isaac \'anhorne, who came previous to 1722. In
that year he purchased two hundred and ninety acres of Berjiard Christian, his
father, now owned in whole or part Ijy a Mr. Evans, on the road from Newtown
to the Buck. He died in 1773, leaving a family of five sons and three daugh-
ters, bequeathing to his son Isaac one hundred and seventy-five acres of his
real estate. Some of the descendants are still li\ ing in this county, but many
are in other counties and states.

The Knesens were in the township as early as 1722 and probably several
years before. In 1871 one of the nld dwellings of this family was torn down,
on the farm of Aaron Cornell, near the road from Addisville to the Bristol road.
and on the date stone was the inscription: "Derrick Krasen, May 12, 1731."
Behind a cupboard was a secret hiding-place, that would have held several per-
sons, common in dwellings cif that period. The Spencers are an old familv in
Northampton. The paternal ancestor. William Spencer, came ln>m \'irginia
early in the last century and .settled in the township, becoming the owner of
several hundred acres, [lart of which is still in the family. We have not the time
of his arrival, but it was probably shortly after 1730, as his first child was born
in 1734. Plis w ife was a Lewis, but whether lie married before or after he settled
in the township is not known. We know neither the date of his birth, ileath. nor
the names of his children, e.xcept a son, Thomas, who married Mary Hollowell,
of .Sandy Run, Montgomery county. Their youngest son, Amos, married Ann
Brown, daughter of Thomas Brown, who. with his wife, came to this coutitry
from Ireland about 1770. He was a fine classical scholar and an excellent pen-
man. The descendants of William Spencer are still quite numerous in diis
countv.

4 George .\. Cornell, who died at Edison, near Doylestown, August, 1896, at the age
of 67, was a .son of William and grandson of Gilli.ini Cornell, an early spttlcr in N'ortlnmp-
ttm. His mother was a dattshttr of Benjamin Stevens, of SoutlKimpion, whose ancestors
were among the early settlers in that township.

334

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY

John Adilii,' an innnigrant, a tanner by liadc, was born Si-plunibcr 2. 16S7,
and died 1745. He came lo Nonhaniptoii ironi Philadeliiiua about 1719 and
bought two iracii of land in the towiishii>, one hinidred acres of Natiianiel
West and two hinidred and lift}- acres of Joseph W'antier, lyj^. The children
of John Addis were Xeheniiali, Joseph (,born 1726J, John, Richard, Mary,
Uridgett, wife of W'illiam i'eachy, and Jane, wife of Linn, in 1746, the heir
sold one hundrrd acres of the two-hundrcd-and-tifty-acre tract for £200 to
their brother Kichaid, who died, 1749 (_his wile .Mary, x\ugust 9, 1747J, leaving
children: John. Richard, Charily, Mary and one other. John Addis, son of
Richard, bora November I, 17_'5, bought one himdred and fourteen acres of
Isaac Bolton, 1703, once part of his father's estate, and eighty acres additional,
1770, part of the same, with house and tanyard. They were still in Xorthanip-
ton, 1791. John Addis (2d') married Elizabeth Strickland, and had children,
Ami, Enoch, John, to whom lie gave his plantation, and daughters Elizabeth
Dufficld and Mar\ Duffield. John Addis (3d), son of the above, who died in
1S18, had wife Mary and sous .Miles and Joseph, and daughters Pliebe Dungan,
Elizabeth Levcn-icr, Z^larlha Seager, Nancy Seager and Rebecca. His two
sons. Miles and Josejjh., got his plantation. Joseph was the father of Henry
Addis, of Ivyland. Enocli, born 1758, died August 5, 1830, was buried at
Southampton, and Elizabeth, his wife, bom J754, died 1839. John, brother of
Enoch, born 1756, died 1S18, and ]\Iary, wife of John, born 1762, died 1S50,
was buried at Southampton, Xchemiah Addis, son of the immigrant, born
1740, died 1S24, and Grace, his wife, born 1738, died 1822.

The ciiildren of John and Elizabeth Addis \vere IMary, born April, 1750.
.Martha, born March 3, 1752. Elizabeth, born r^Iay 4, 1754, John, April 8, 1756,
Enoch, August 5, 3758, Amy, February 22, 1763, and Amos, November 28,
1767. The children of another Jolm Addis, doubtless tlie 4th, whose wife was
Elizabeth Strickland, had children. Amy, Phebc, Elizabeth, Mary, Richard,
Sarah, John, Miles, Martha, Nancy, Rebecca and Joseph, all born between 17S2
and 1S05. The familv was Scotch-Irish or Welsh — in this countv, gencrallv
Welsh.

For nearly forty years after its settlement, what is now Northampton town-
sh.i]> was known and called "the adjacents of Southampton.""' \\'hen organized
it was formed out of tcrritr)ry not embraced in the surrounding townships and
\va.~ tile last in this section of the count}' excepting Warwick, which joined it on
the ii'^-thwest. iJecember 11, 1722. a number of the inhabitants "settled be-
tween Sor.tliain|>ti>n, Warniiusier and Neshamiiiy," ]ietitioneil -the court to lay
out this di.-trict of ci.aintrv into a townshi]) unrlcr the name of '"Northampton."
The petitioners state there are "fcirty seltlenienls." prvihablv meaning that
rrnilier "i families, seitleil in the flislrict. Tlie petitirin was accnnipanied iiy a
draft if liic iinvii>]iip \\\\.\\ its jtresent boundaries. We have not lioeii able to
h'ld any record of the aclir-.n the court took upi m the subject, but no flmibt
the ])r:i\er uf the jieiitiouers was granted, and the tnwnship allowed and organ-
ized. It was probably named after Northampion. l'".iigland. tlie county seat
(f the countv of the same name, ^i.\tv miles iiortliwe--t of Loudon. The names

J All!iini:.ili liiL- .\i!(li-. I'aiui'iy is :i larye niu-. .nul. in die p.-ist one of llie^ most proiiii-
iiciit i]i niidillc lower T;iii-k-;. \ve- iire.e fnutid it (lilVicul: to tr:ier fi.r w.inl of data. What
wf h.ive siveii licrc reliitts to a jini-.ie iiraneh only, ami for tliat \vc are indebted to
T-ds\:i'<l Matlicws, one e.l' our ni'>t diii.!.;erii ';tndent5 of history.

o On an old draft in the Snrveyor-(,;encrar5 office, of a survey of pnrt of K.irtli-
.•iniiil.iii. it is styled: ".\ relnrn nt lands adjaeent to Sonihampton."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. .335-

oi ilioso who petitioned for the organization of Northampton township were :
(.'lenient Dnngan, James Carrell, Thomas Dungan, Ralph Dunn, Jeremiah
r.arlholomew, I'rancis Krccsen, Cephas Childs,- John Routlegc, Christian \ an-
horne. John llayhurst, Cuthbert Hayhurst, Robert lleaton, William Stockdale,
William Shepherd, James Shaw, John Shaw. James lleaton, Benjamin Jones,
William Clukenberry, Jeremiah Dungan, and Johannes \'an Boskirk. ,\mong
tiiese names there is hardly one of the first settlers, who appear to have been
supplanted by others.

Prior to 1722 there were but few roads in the township, and none leading
toward Bristol, the county seat, or elsewhere in that direction or toward Phila-
tlelphia. The inhabitants traveled through the woods by bridle paths, and often
had great difliculty in getting from one point to another. But as soon as the
township was organized, they interested themselves in having roads opened.
In September of this year they petitioned the court for two roads, one of them
"to lead into the road from Southampton to Philadelphia." This was either
an extension of the IMiddle road from about Springville, to which point it had
already been opened, or a new road to meet what is now the Feasterville
turnpike, then known as the King's road, which passed through Attlebor-
ough to the falls. The following year a road was petitioned for from Taylrirs-
ville to Xewtown, and thence across Xorthamjiton to Addisville, to meet the
Middle road. The road from the top of the hill below the Chain bridge in th.e
Middle road, across Northampton to the Bristol road, and thence on the line
between Warminster and Southampton, to the count v line, was laid out, 1761.
Local lateral roads were opened through the townshi]i as ihev were required.

Of the earliest settlers, William Dunn died, 1727, and Stephen Whilten,
1728. Of the second and third generations, Arthur Bennett died, 1818. ageil
ninety-two years. Garret Dungan, 1820. aged eighty, and Henry \\'ynko>)p,
1S16. in his eightieth year. There deceased in Northampton, 1S69, Mrs. Rachel
Harding in her ninety-seventh year, said to have been the great-grandchild of
the first white person born at Philadelphia. Five generations of descendants
were' present at her funeral. In 172S Stephen Sanders — at what time he came
into the township is not known — was fined twenty shillings by the court for re-
fusing' to work on tlie roads. Among the early mills in Northampton was
l'"lctchcr's. built before 173 1. how long is not known and is supposed to have
been on Ncshaminy. The Shaws, English Friends, originally settled in Soiitli-
ampton town^hip, but hatl removed to Northampton prior to the close of the
seventeenth century. On July 7, 1697. \\'illiam Buckman, Newtown, conveyed
three lunidred acres to John Shaw, whose name, with that of his son James, is
signed to the petition for the organization of the township, December 11, 1722.
Jnhn and Susannah Shaw, Northampton, were members of Middletnwn
Monthly Meeting. They had a family of ten children born to them in Iwciuy
years: James, born January 9, 1694, died December 3, 1761 ; Eliza, born July
2, 1007; Susanna, born b'ebruary 2, 1699; John, born October 29, 1700. died
ali'.ui I77<'): Jo-eph. born December 9, 1702, died about 1760; George. Septem-
ber 17, 1704: Sarah, born A|iril 4, 1706; .Vnn, born Februarv 25, 1700: M.arv,
born November 2('>. 1710. and John (2kV\. born February 22. \-\2. The SInws
next api>car in IMumstead. lait it is not known when tlKw removed there, lames,
the oldest smi of John Shaw, married .Mary Brown, nfiliat township, 1718. He
probably did not leave Nnrthampton luuil after 1722. the year the township
was organized, as ho wa-; one of the lu'titioncr-..

( )ne of the oldest houses standing in the township is the l.ip-ronf dwelling
on tlie Pineville and RichlK.r.) turnpike, below the Chain I'.ri.lge, b:ii at

33^

HISTORY 01- BUCKS COUXTY

^^i

~<ijL%

M.

-\

OLD HIP ROOi; HOCSE. NORTHAMPTON TOWNSIIH"

wh.il time it was built is unt known.' It was owned by Joliii Thompson, grand-
fatber of ^\'i!liam ThL>m]isi'n, late of Doylestown, one hundred years ago, and
its appearance indicates it had considerable age on its shoulders at that early
day. He liiUi^ht the frame of the old I'resbyterian church, Newtown, 1769, and
erected it fur a hayhouse on this farm. The old Tlioin]ison mill on the

N e s h a m i n y, fie-

.-■ , ..-■> . . ,v» ■ longing to Ibis

>^^<vjr:?~s.-'.';7V^K -';-?TM-^^i>i^'^ • — ,r-i -.— — .v<;r=:'^--;= property, was built

} ,-'^.-'"" _■; :';^' ' ' •■ -^..t-'-'- -i _ T- about 1760. Dur-

^>:<-^ ■;■.■'' RJ [\'' C'i ■•:"'"' ing the troublous

days of tlic Revo-
lution the house
- was entered by
burglars, who car-
r i e d off silver
X spoons and money.
"i Hearing them com-
^ ing up the steps,
;' I\Ir. Thompson
; jumped out of bed
and got behind the
door. As the burg-
lars entered the

room he struck one of them over the arm with an iron rod, which caused him
to drop his pistol, and the other tired but did no harm, when both fled with their
plunder. The Thom)ison house belonged to Benjamin Fenton.

One of the most prominent residents of Northampton township, in his
generation. \\as the late General Joseph Morrison, wdio carried on milling and
farming on a branch of Neshaminy. near Rocksville. The ^Morrisons were Irish,
David Morrison coming from Ireland and settling on the Erandywine, near
Chad's ]-"ord. 1750. He had two children, Ijctsy and John. John Morrison,
born 1768. and flied 1851, was an eyewitness of the battle of Brandywine. He
married Hannah Yerkes. They settled in Chester county and became the parents
of fifteen children, of which one was the late General Joseph Alorrison. burn
October iS. 1704. and died July 30. 1880. The last survivor of this large family
of children was the late Jonathan IMorrison, born May 4, 1S15, and died in
Moreland township, rvlontgoinery comity. ^larch 15, 1900. He was justice of
the peace for ten veafs, and one term conimissioncr of highways, Philadelphia.
Joseph Morrison married Eleanor Addis, daughter of Ccjlonel Amos Addis.
1823, and had nine children. Amos, John, Johnson. Ruth, Charles, Eliza, Mary,
Annie and .\ndrev.'. Soon after their marriage thev removed to the mill prop-
erty spoken of above. Joseph ^lorrison was conspicuous in military and politi-
cal life, holding commissions in the volunteer militia from captain to brigadier-
general, and filling several political ofllces ; county commissioner, 1S36, county
treasurer, 1851. recorder of deeds. 1863. and twice elected associate judge,
retiring to private life in 1873, on the abolition of the ofticc. He was the la^t
survivor of his social, military and political circle.

Northampton has four villages. Jacksonville, Addisville, Richboro and

7 1 lit- picuirc lit ilii-; nlil lvn:st.-. r.nioiif; the iiUi^irntioiis. w.ts dr.Twn for the aiitlior
in.Tiiy years at'o by the late Tliomas P. Otter, artist, of Doylestown. Few, if any, dwell-
ings in miilclle Fjiuks are elder.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUKTW

337

Kocksville. We mi<;lu enumerate Churchville as a fifth, on tlie Bristol road
v.here crossed by the Richboro and 1-easierville turnpike and lies partly in
.N'orthanipton and partly in Southampton. Jacksonville, almost a town without
liouses, with but three or four duellings besides the ever present smitliy, is in
tlie west end of the township. It \vas ushered into the world with the eupho-
nious name of "Tnikertown," which it bore for many years, and until it became
lecessary to give the great name of the hero of New Orleans to a new town.
How it got its original cognomen is not known, but it is to be hoped it was not
from any connection with that early tinker, whose son Tommy, on one occasion,
made way with a pig under very suspicious circumstances. It was iTKiny years
the residence of John Hart, farmer and storekeeper, who transacted a large
business and wielded a wkle influence. Addisville and Richboro are prop-
erly one village, lying half a mile along the turnpike, with twenty-five dwellings^
two churches, Dutch Reformed and Methodist, a school-house, store, mechanics;
and two public inns. The former of these hamlets was named after Amos-
Addis, its chiefest citizen, and was so called in 1S17. In early days RichborO'
was called Bennet's and Lecdomville. but it was hard for the public to give up'
the name "Black Bear," which it was called for miles around, and yield to the-
niodern name it bears. The first tavern here was a little log building said to ■
have stood in a lot at the junction of the two roads. The \\'hitc Bear and Black
Rear were famous trysting places for the lovers of fun of the past generations
The two old taverns were popular headquarters for county politicians, and
niany a slate was made up and smashed within their walls. The author's first rec-
ollection of mimic war is connected with the blood-stained fields of Xnrthampton,
Ivinc: aroimd the

t-

-T

two "Bears,"
where our dough-
ty volunteers met,
fall and spring.
to do their consti-
tutional amount
of drilling. But
these days have
long gone b_\-. and
most of the "war-
rii'irs bo'd" have
been called to the
great drillgronnd.
The postoffice for
these united vil-
lages is R i c h-
boro.* Rocksville,
on Xeshaminy. in
the southeast part
of the township.

was so named becau-c of the rocky banks of the creek and 1:
mill, one store, a few dwellings, and a iiostoflice. called Ilollan

■^'

ijiij.«lii<i ^_^_ k»^>

KL.A.CK iMl.KV. TA\-EK.\.

has a t](-.ur-

S I; was at tlie Black F.oar tavern. Ricliliorn, tlic dinner was given the lion.
Samuel D. Ingham on his return h.-ime ff'-rn Washington upon retiring from Jackson's
cabinet, 1S31. Henry Chapman. Esqr.. dclivcrLj the address of welcome to which Mr.
ii.Rham ma.io an ei.jbo;.itc reply.

•2-A

338 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

The Dutch Reformed church at Richboro is tlie child of tlie Xorth ami
Soutliami)toii church. 'J he mother church increasing largely in numbers, it was
agreed; \'!>'^J, to erect a new church edifice at Addisville and call an associate
pastor. The new building was dedicated April, 1859, and, January, 18G0, the
Rev. W. Knowlton was called to the charge, and left in the spring of 1864.
i'rior to the resignation of Mr. Knowlton a movement was made for the separa-
tion of the two churches, which resulted in an ajiplication to the Classis. It
was granted May 19, i8(34. The Reformed church, Addisville, began its
separate career with suitable services, the Revs. T. DeWitt Talmage and
William Fulton oftieiating. At the time of organization, seventy-nine persons
presented tlicmselves for membership, former members of North and South-
ampton. In January of that }ear a friendly divisi(5^n of the church took place,
the motber one retaining its corporate name, the new one assuming that of "The
Reformed Dutch Church at Addisville," receiving one-half the parsonage and
property at Churchville, valued at $5,350. The first consistory of the new
church, cho>en April 7, 1864, consisted of the following persons: Henry .'>.
KrcEsen, Sr., Gilliam Cornell, Jonathan 'LeiTerts and Tlieodore M. A'anarts-
dalen, elders, and .\lfred Carver, Isaac Bennett, John Krresen and Thomas II.
Hart, deacons. The first settled pastor was the Rev. G. De Witt Bodine, from
the Classis of Geneva, New York, ^vho was ordained and installed September
20, 1S64. He resigned in July, 1868, and was succeeded by the Reverend Jncob
Animerman that fall. The latter remained until April, 1871, when he was
called to another field of labor. His successor, the Rev. J. Collier, w^as installed
the following November, whose pastorate extended thirteen years. He was
succeeded by the Rev. E. Birdscll. This congregation is in a prosperous condi-
tion, and, witliin a few years, have erected a handsome stone chapel for Sun-lay-
school. prayer meetings, etc. The mother and daughter are among the wealihi-
est and most flourishing churches in the county.

The Bennetts'' were the earliest Holland immigrants in Northampton,
Abraham, son of W'illiam, arriving from Long Island, 1687. He purchased a
large tract near .Addisville. In 1731 his cousin William, son of his inicle John
Bennett, settled in Northampton, buying Abraham's land, the latter moving
away. His wife's name wa^ Charity. Subsequently Abraham's brother Jacob,
vhose son was an officer in the Continental army, bought the tract recentlv
owned by Jcs.-vC Twining. Isaac, cousin of \\'illiam, with his sons George anil
Isaac, settled on the tract ov.-ned by Lewis Ivorer, where he and his second wife
were killed by liLrhtping. ("if the children cA Isaac, George settled near New
Hope. Isaac on the Krewson tract, near Richboro, and John, son of the secoiitl
wife, occupied the homestead. Amotig his children were the late Lott Bennett.
Warminster. W'illi.am and Charity, from whom most of the name descended,
had ten children. Richard settled in Solebnry; he and his brother, .-\aron were
powerful men ])hysically. One day while .\aron was visiting Richarfl, the
latter threw liini in wre.-tling and he was killed by the fall. Lena married Thomas
Craven. wln'Si.' farm on tho k'.ucks-?^fonignniorv coinit\- line was part of the
battlefield of the "Crooked Billett'' fought Ma\ i. 1778. Jane Bennett, daugh-
ter of William and Charity, born September \G. \--}.},. m.irried James \'an^ant.
Septen'.ber 9. 1756, and had fifteen children, of wbicJi Cciiernl Tlarman X'an-ant.

0 T'lf Kincr-; cninty. N'cu- ■^'ork. Pciiiiclls, aro said to \<c of F.niMish or!'_'iii. Tln-ir
progenit'ir, \S'i!liarn .Xdriaeiie p.onnctt, wa^; a cinper and in New "N'ork prior to 16,-5^.
T lip.t ye:;r. wilh J,ii|Ui-a I'.ontyn. he 1inuL;lit nt tlie liidi:in>; O'o acres at (Viwanu';. near tlic
present (ireenuo.Ml c-nuUry, I'.i.-'iil !yn, New ^'ork. lie died pri'ir to 1644.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUNTY. 339

W;irniinsUT. was one; Edilli married Dirck Hoaglnnd, from whom have de-
sicixlcd the large family of that name ; \\'illiam lived on the Henry Gill prop-
<rty, but subsequently removed to Long Island ; Isaac owned the tract where
Henry ^Vddis lived and died; .Matthias owned the Worthington farm; John,
l!io youngest child, married Huhlah Dunham, 1793, and had eight children, of
which William Bennett, the eldest son, born August 21, 1794, lived and died in
Northampton. He married Sarah Wynkoop, November 15, 1827, and was the
father of seven children; Aviary, Elizabeth, Miles, Isaac, John, Ellen and Ashcr.
.Miles and John s]3ent many years in the far West, the former in Nevada. ■''-

Jtdy 4, 1794, William Bennett,'" "late of Northampton township, Bucks
ciiuntv, blacksmith, but now of Long Island," executed an instrument under
seal setting free his negro woman, Sarah, about twenty-seven years of age,
acknowledged before Samuel Benezet, and witnessed by him and Isaac Hicks.

The Miles family of Pennsylvania is descended from three brothers, Rich-
ard. Griffith and Samuel ]\liles. immigrants from Wales. 1682-83. who settled
in Chester county. Griffith }ililes, from whom the Bucks count}- branch trace
their ilescer.t. was ])orn in 1670 and was twelve years old when he arrived. He
married Bridget Edwards, at Radnor Friends" JMeeting, 20th,. 8th mo., 1692.
Their certificate was signed by thirty witnesses, including his brotliers, Richard
and Samuel, and among others, are the names of Pugh, Price, Evans, Edwards
and Grifiith. Thev joined the Keiihians shortly after marriage, and became
members of the Pcnnepack Baptist chinxh, 1697. Mrs. Miles was ba^Jtizeil
July 3, and her hu.sband July 9. From this time fortii Griffith [Miles was a
leading Bajitist in the colony. They had six children, Hester, born Jul}' 28,
if^Kl^iMartha. born August 12, 1695; IMargaret, February 9. 1698: Griffith,
C>ctobcr 3, 1700; Samuel, July. 1703, and John IMiles, February 26, r709.
driffith Miles, the elder, died in January, 1719, at the age of forty-nine, but the
date of his wife's death is not given. Grif^th Allies, the eldest son and fourth
child of Griffith the elder, was married to Sarah about 172T and had three chil-
dren, Martha. Ann anil Joseph i\liles, born September 17, 1722. He was mar-
ried in February. 1750. in tlie Gloria Dei Church. Philadelphia, and had chil-
<lrcn, Lucy, born Deceiuber 27. 1750. and died in infanev; Lvdia. horn Octoln-r
7. I75-- died August 28. 1841; Griffith. October 4. 1754, 'died Deceml)er 8.
1835; Margaret, born August 30, 1756. died .\pril .^, 1826; Joseph, born De-
cember 5, 1758, died January 18. 1826; John, born February 6. 1761 ; Thnmas.
born January 2. 1762. died 1861 : Dorcas, born December 30. 1764. died .nn
infant; Samuel, brirn Octoljcr 30. 1766. died September (1. 1840; Jacib. lirirn
December 19. 1768, died August 23, -[f^22: William, born June it. 1771. died
May 2c). i8;;: Ann. born August 4. dierl 23'd, 1865. Ann, youngest child and
daughter nf Joseph and .\nn Miles, was twice married, the first time to William

<:>"■ The Vaii.nrts<lnli-ii< were anionpr the Hnllnncl settlers from Long Isl;in(I. who
Sfttled in Xorth.itnptnn aivl .Southamptrn ami were quite numerous fifty years aco. but
fi-w are left iti the male line. The author has pleasant recollections of the family of
l-.'ia; \'iiiarl<(!;ilen. wlien a hoy. They lived on a liaiulsomc farm on the road leading
aero;; from the Rrist.il road, at what used to he called "Bennett's Corner," after Lott
Henmtt. a mile above Davisvilie to .Addisviile. They were related to my father by mar-
t'-;.;e. The vi^it^ were frequent, and the children never faileil to have a good time.

10 The r.i.-nnel!-: were early in Kings county. Lon.sr Island. .\r;c. or .Xdriaen llcnnett,
'" '11 i'''.^;. beina married Dee. 3, t6CjJ. _ Tie was the son of William Adraens J. IVnnett.
^\Il.>f time they came into Bucks county is not known, but donbtlcs-* with the Holland
inunlLif.iti.-.n.

340

HISTORY or BUCKS COUMY

Bancs, born Atigust 24, 1770, died January i, 1803, and four children were
born to tlicm. ( 'n liis death she married Christoplier Search, Southampton, and
eight children, b.x .--on.-- and two daugh.ter.s, were born to them of this second
marriage. Joseph .Miles passed his life in Lower Dublin, and died there March
27, 1800, his wife sur\i\ing hini until December 21, 1821. The Rev. Samuel
Jones, D. D., is mentioned in his will as advisor to the executor. Tlie inventory
of his estate is a long" one, the last item being "Abraha.m. the negro boy," valued
at ^75. Of thes.e decendants of Anne Miles, nee Nesmith, two of them reached
prommence, the late Colonel Charles iianes, Philadelphia, and Theodore C.
Search, still living there.

Down to this period, Lo\\ er Dublin, I'hiladolpliia county, had been the
home of the Miles family and none of ihem had come into Bucks across an
imaginary line, but the time had arrived when the children would migrate from
the homestead. Griffith Miles, secontl son and third child of Joseph and Anne
Miles, is said to have been born in I]ucks county, and this may have been the
case, but we have seen no evidence of it. However, this may be, family tradi-
tion says he was here prior to iSoo," when a young man, following the patri-
otic instincts of the fainilv he served in the continental armv, and postponed
marriage until he was thirt\-seven years old, when he married Jane J')eans, of
Bucks, April 8, 1791. She is said to have been a woman of lovely character,
popular with relatives and friends, btirn December 8, 1759, and died August
19. 1813. Grittith Miles bought a one-hundrcd-acre farm in Northampton town-
ship, on the Bristol road, contiguous lu what is now Breadyvilie, then the farm
liouse of John Eready, long since deceased. Here the family, parents and
children, only two generations, lived a hundred years, none of the children
entering the married state. Like his father, Griffith Miles was a farmer, filling
his sphere in life with great respectability, dying at the age of eight\-two.
Griffith and Jane Miles had five children: Jane, born I^.Iarch 4, 1792, died Feb-
ruary II, 18-13; John, born August 22, 1793, died November 13, 1826: Lydia.
born October 21. 1793. died December 29. 1893: Susan, born December i. 1797.
died October 23, 1S75 : Griffith, born February 8, 1800, died 3.1arch 16, 1894.
His will was executed June 21, 1826, in presence of John Kerr and Samuel
Hart, and his son Griffith was made the executor to settle the worldlv affairs
of the father, .-\fter tlu- death of the father, the surviving children, three
daughters and one son, Griffith, lived in the old homc'^tead. one after another
going to that "undiscovered country whence no traveler returns." In settling the
estate, a bold attempt was made to rob the heirs of Griifilh Miles bv the agencv
of a forged will, presented for probate liy a shrewd, unprincipled woman, who
enjoyed a passing intimacy with the family, but the attempt was too bold in
conception, and bungling in execution to answer the purpose. When submitteil
to the scrutiny iif the common pleas court and jury of Bucks county its intent
■was instantly f.ithomefl and a verdict rendered accordinglv.

Samuel }ililes. fifth son of Joseph and Anne Miles, born June n, 1771.
died May 29. 1855. also settled in Bucks countv. spending his married life
there. He bought a farm in Southampton town>hi]i, on the road from Davis-

ir Bofoie Koiiit; tn prc-s. die r' conl-; of (lie ri-cnrtior's ofllrc P.ncks county were
examined an.! lliey revc.il tliU fact: On A[iril i. iSoo, Samtiol Speneer rnnroyr.l In
Griffith Mi!c?, of Mnrelan.l, MontRonKry county, two tracts of land on the ca.st side
of the Bristol road. Xortlianipton town.-ihip," making 104 acre; and 94 perches. This was
the homc<te;id of the elder and younger GrillUh Miles, and Init recently passed out of the-
faniily.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 341

\)\k to Southampton church. He married Catharine, daughter of John and
Ann Jones Bennett, and they were the parents of the following children :
William Griffith, horn Fehruary 19, 1798, died June 13, 1889; Ann Jones, born
<.)ctuher 27, 1799, died December 23, 1S02 ; Ehzabeth Lydia, born November
;, iSoi, died August i, i8f)7; John Bennett, born ^larch 3, 1804, died April
I'D, 1869; Erasmus Nesmith, born August 2, 1S06, died 2\Iay i, 1872; Samuel
Madison, bom October 18, 1809, died February, iSio; ^lary Bennett, born
December 13, 1813, the only living member of the family. But one of this
family married, William Gritiith Miles to Ellen yi. Bennett, daughter of John
and Huldah Bennett. They had six children, the daughter, A. ^lelvina 3.1iles,
being the onlv survivor. In these two branches of the Miles family, with ten
children who grew to be men and women, but one entered the married state, and
tliat one has but a single living descendant. William Allies, seventh son of
Joseph and Anne Miles, married Rebecca, daughter of Josiah and Ann Hart,
of Soutliampton. and were the parents of a large family of children, sons and
daughters. He was married twice. His first wife died of typhus fever, at
Doylestown, .March 2, 1S15, caught while nursing her motlier who died of
the same disease a few days before, and also her only brother. By the second
wile, William JMiles had several children, and died on his farm near the
I'ennepack Baptist church. The ?ililes family has become very much scattered
in recent vears. and are to l)c found in several states.'"-'

In 1761 Northampton township contained 113 taxahlcs. In 1784 it had
722 white inhabitants, 91 blacks, and 108 dwellings. In iSio the population
was 1,176; 1820. 1,411 : 1S30, 1. 321 inhabitants and 311- taxables ; 1840. 1.694;
1830, 1,843; i860, 2.048; and 1870, 1.896, of which 11 1 were of foreign birth;
18S0, 1.76S; 1890, 2.049; 1900. I.5-2. The 'area is 14,380 acres.

In 1 761 there was a briilge in Xorlhampton called '"CuckoMstown" bridge,
to which a road was laid out that year- from James Vansant's, but we have not
been able to fix the location of it or the stream. The old records speak of a
tract of land called CuckoM's manor, but we are equally in the dark as to its
exact situation. '-

li!4 Some nicmhcr5 of the family trace relationship to the IMileses of New England,
l)-it if there be a conneclion it is very remote and before they came to America. Richard
and Catharine Miles came to this country from Yorkshire, England, 16,57; first seltled
in lioston till 16^2; thence to ShrewMmry, Mass., till 165S, and to New Haven, where
Richard died, 1678, leaving a son John, who married Elizabeth Redlield. Now follows
four generations of Jr.hns who represent the family — but we have only been able to trace
one of tlum as far sontli as Pennsylvania, \Vm. R. Miles, of Germantown, who came
from Connecticut. Colonel Samuel Miles, Pliiladelphia county, now Montgomery, was
also a nicnilicr of this family. Mc was born March II, \~.\o, was a soldier under Captain
Isaac Wayne at I'.raddnck's defeat, commanded a regiment in the Continental army,
and promoted a Brigadier for distinguished services. After the war for Independence
he held several important civil positions.

12 Subsequent research has thrown light on this matter. Under date of June 13,
T704. was presented to the '"worshipful Justice holding court of Quarter Sessions, at
Newtown," the petition of Ebeiiezcr Large stating that "our petitioner has rented tlie
old accustomed Inn at Cnelclu.Id"-, Town,' which he has repainted and much improved,
and as he is well providid with e\eiyihing neee^<ary f'f the aecounnodation of trav-
•clers he prays jemr worhhip to grant him your recommcnilation to keep a Public House of
Entertainment" etc, etc. This was si'gncd by Ebenezer Large, and his prayer was
granlod. Where v.as it?

342

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

It is tradition that a lead mine, many years, was worked on Neshaminy,
on the farm owned by S. S. ToniHnsDn, between Twining bridge and the head
of Spring Garden dam, south of the Swamp road. It is said the old shaft and
drift are still to be seen, but wc know of no one who has seen them. Tradition
also points to iron work in th.e same section, on a farm on the road from Church-
ville to the Holland road, soudicast side of the creek. Joseph Morrison's old
mill dam backs up to it. Safety Maghee, whom the author knew, and who died
fifty years ago, up in the nineties, is given as authority for iron works, in the
•long past, being about the location named. Geo. \V. Henry, Frankford, Phila-
delphia, w'ho furnished some of this information, says he thinks the work on
"Iron Work Creek," was an ore washing mill prior to 1812. He has some of
the lead specimens taken from the mine on the Tomlinson farm and has been
told it was worked by one Chilion Cooper.

A postofhce was established at Richboro, and Richard L, Thomas
appointed jiostmaster, 1830. Northampton must liavc been noted for her fat
cattle more than half a century ago, for we find that in 1S15 Aaron Feaster, one
of her citizens, sold an ox in Philadelphia that weighed alive two thousand four
hundred and sixty-four pounds.

The soil of Northampton is rich and fertile, and the township is watered by
Keshaminy, which forms its eastern boundary, and its tributaries.

Northampton is the home of a large tree, but does not quite come up to the
Bensalem buttonwood. So far that "takes the cake." This tree is on the Allen
Tomlinson farm, on the road from Langhorne to Richborough, and is a chest-
nut, measuring 24 feet 8 inches in circumference, only 10 inclies less than the
Bensalem chestnut. It was struck by lightning some years ago and is some-
thing of an invalid.

CMAPTKR :?»

HILLTOWN.

Tlic line of English settlers. — Welsh and Germans appear. — First township organized north
of Buckingham. — Israel Peniberton. — Rev'd William Thomas. — He builds a cliurch. —
His will. — John Vastine.— Change of the name. — The Funks. — The -Owens. — Land
taken up. — Henry Lewis. — The Morrises. — Mathias. — William Lunn. — Township organ-
ized.— The inhabitants meet. — Origin of township's name. — Jacob Appenzeller. — John
Williams. — The Beringers. — Michael Snyder. — Hilltown Baptist Church. — St. Peter's
Church. — German Lutherans and Reformed. — Rev. Jacob Senn. — Rev. Abrni. Bcrky. —
Villages. — Line Lexingti'ii, etc. — Road-<. — Bethlehem Road, old and now. — Population.
— Surface of township. — Coal oil pipe line.

A line drawn across the county at the point we liave now reached in the
history of its settlement and organization of to\mshii)s would mark the limit of
country settled by English Friends. On the Delaware front they reached a
little higher up and peopled the lower parts of Plumstead, while on the .\lont-
gnniery line they fell short of it in Warwick and Warrington. Thus far, the
tidal wave of civilization had rolled steadily up from the Delaware, and town-
ship after township was organized as the needs of the settlers required. Xow
we observe a different direction taken by the [lioneers in coming into and ])eopling
the wilderness of central Bucks. The immigrants came through Philadel]ihia
county, now l\Ionlgomery, and were almost wholly Welsh Baptists and (7ierinan
Lutheran and Reformed. I'ew English settlers planted themselves in the ex-
treme northwest and northeast corners of the county, ani.l at a few other pr.inis,
but the old ctirrent of immigration was apparently tttrned aside by the new
movement that llatiked it on the southwest. We have now to write tiliout new
races, with manners and custonis and religious belief very different from the
followers of William Penn. In the course of time the Germans spread them-
selves across tlie cr.untry to the Delaware, and upward to the Lehigli. while
the Welsh, fewer in iuimbers and more conservative in action, conilned their
settlements to two or three townships on the southwestern border.

In this section of the county, we mean n(->rth of Buckingham, and extend-
ing nearly to its pn.scnt nnrthern limit, were locaU'd three large l.'uid grants,
that required stibsc<|uent legislation. These were the tracts belonging tc^ the
'"Free Society of Traders." and" the manors of Richlatids and Perkasie. The
first, containing nearly nine thousand acres, extended northwest from Buck-

-344

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

iiighain, and embraced portions of Doylestown, \\ arwick and New Britain
to\vnsli!]i.s. The conveyance was made to the conipanx by Penn before he left
Enijhuid, 1682, and was surveyed t>^ them before 1700. The manor of Rich-
lands, cnntaining' ten thousand acres, a reservation to the Penn family, lay
mostly in the present township of Richland, was laid out in 1703, while that (if
Perkasie, w ith about tlic same number of acres, embraced parts of Rockhill antl
llillti>\' n. According to Oldmixon, it was surveyed soon after 1700. A more
extended account of these grants will be found in a subsequent chapter. With
these exceptions, all the land of the region we are aliout to treat of was subject
to private entry and settlement.

I^illto^vn was the first township formed north of Buckingham. Settlers
were tliere early in the eighteenth century, but it is impossible to tell when, and
by whom the wilderness was first penetrated. As was the case elswhere, the
first purchasers generallv took up large tracts, and were not settlers. Among
these, we find Israel Pembcrton an original land-owner in Hilltown. The com-
missioners of property conveyed to him two thousand acres October 31, 1716,
in two contiguous tracts, which he sold to James Logan, September 26, 1723,
and, two days after, I.fjgan conveyed three hundred acres, in the central part of
the township, to Reverend ^^'illiam Thomas, for £gn. 3,Ir. Thomas was one of
the tatliers of riilltowii. antl one of its most reputable citizens. He was born in
Wales, (678, and came to America between 1702 and 1712. Missing tlie vessel
in which he had taken jiassage, he lost all his goods, and was landed at Phila-
delphia with his wife and one son penniless. He first went to Radnor town-
ship. Delaware county, where he followed his trade, a cooper, and preached for
a few years, when lie removed to PlilUown, where he probably settled before
1720. He became a consjiicuous character and influential, accpiired a large
landed estate, and settlcil each of his five sons and two daughters on a fine farm
as thcv married. In 1737 he built what is known as the Lower meeting-house,
on a lot of four acres given by himself, where he preached to his death. 1757.
The pulpit was a large hollow poplar tree, raised on a platform, and. in time of
danger fnim the Indians, he carried his gun and amtnunition to church with
liim, depositing them at the foot of the pulpit before he ascended to preach. In
his will Air. Tliiinias left the niecting house and grounds belonging to the
inhabitants of IliUt'iwn. This sturdv sectarian excluded "Papists," "Here-
licks." and "Arorn\i'ms" froni all rights in the meeting house and grounds, and
"no tolerated minister." Baptist. Presbvtcrian or other, was alloweil to preach
there who sliall not Iiclicve in the Xicenc creed, or the \\'c?tminstcr Confession
of Faith, or "who will iTot swear allegiance to a Protestant king;" pretty strong
in the faith, but that was a period when strength of conviction was necessary.
His children married into the families of Bates. \\'illianis, James. Evans. Days
and Morri=. Rebecca, the daughter of Jolin. the second son of William
Thomas, was the grandmother of the late John B. Pugh. Doylestown. The
blnod of \\"illi:'.m Thomas flows in the veins of several thousand j^ersons in this
and adioinin;^ states. The following inscription was jilaccd on his tombstone
in the oh! Hilltown church:

'In yoiii'.cr m'ce'ina-housc I spent my lircalli,
Kow ?ilc;it moiilderino:, licrc I lie in death ;
The>:c silent lips shall wake, .Tiid yet declare,
A dread .Nmen, to truths I pi'bli=hcd thrre."

Richard Thomas, in no wi-e related' or connected with the Reverend Will-
iam, was anion"- the carle settlers in Hilltown. Hi- --ons turned out badly.

HISTORY Oh' PUCKS COi'XTV. 345

Two (-)f tlicm entered the liritish ariin- during- the Ivcvnhitinn, William known
:is "Cai'lain Dill Thomas,'' and Evan llie second son. 'I'he latter accejjtcd a
.-i.nnmission and raised a troop of horse, ile made several incursions into the
vDinity, with which he was well acquainted, and was with the British at the
Cr'ioked Billet, May i, 1778, where he is charged with assisting to burn mir
w.nimled in buckwheat straw. He went to Xova Scotia at the close of the war,
!iut subsef|ucntly returned to Ililltown and took his family to his new home.
Tliere was a black sheep, in a political sense, in the Jones family. Edward
Imu's, a man of capacity and enterprise, served first in the .American army, but
<li>couraged by defeat and disaster, he raised a troop of cavalry among his tory
friends and neighbors and joined the liritish at Philadelphia. Mis farm near
l.eidytown was confiscated. In 1744, Thomas Jones jnirchased three hundred
and twenty-seven and one-half acres of Lawrence Growden's executor for
X327 IDS., which he settled and improved.

lohn Vastine, by which name he is known, a descendant of Dutch ances-
tors, arrived about tlie time of \\'iniam Thomas. Jjcfore 1690 Abraham \'an
<lc W'ocstyne immigrated from Holland to Xew York with his three children,
John, Catharine and TIannah. In 1698 we find them at Germantown, where
they owned real estate, and the two daughters joined the Society of l-'ricnds.
.Miont 1720 John sold his land at Germantown and removed to Hilltown. where
he bought a considerable tract of Jeremiah Langhornc. His quaint dwelling,
long since torn down, with gable to the road, stood on the Bethlehem pike
about two miles north-west of Line Lexington and four from Sellersvillc. His
name is found on nearly all the original petitions for opening roads in Hill-
town, and on that addressed to the court at Bristol, dated March 8lh, 1724,
from the inhabitants of "Percliichi."' asking- that the draft of Hilltown may
lie recorded, where his name is spelled Van de Woestyne. He died, in 173S.
The names of three of his children are known, Abraham, Jeremiah and Benja^
niin. The latter joined the Friends, and, in 1730, applied to die Gwynedd
monthly meeting for permission to hold meetings in his house. Abigail
\'astinc. granddaughter of John the founder of the family, and a woman of
great personal bcautv , which she inherited from her Holland ancestors, mar-
ried .Andrew .Vrmstrong. John \'astine has numerous dcscendaiUs in Ches-
ter. Xorthuml)crland and other counties in this state, and in Kentucky and
some of the Western states.

There is. pcrhaiis, no more curious circumstance connected with the his-
tory of nanie^ in this State than that relating to this family. The original
name was ran dc JVocslxiic. wh.ich. in th.e course of time, by a gradual change
in the orthi'>graphy. became IVostyuc. J'osluic, I'lishtiiw, and J'tistiiic. as now
sjuMled. The original settler was oftener called "Wilderness" than by any
other n;mic, which many supposed was given him because he had pushed In's
way among the first into the woods. At that day the Dutch and Germans
were soincwhat in the haliit of translating their patronymics into English, and
accordingly "Van de Woestyne" became "of the zi'ilderness." After this the
"-'rthography was not much imjjrovcd. for we find it written Wilderness. \'an
de Wilderness, etc.. etc.- Gradually the original name was abandoned al-
togother. and X'astino adopted in its stead.

The I'nnks. of I'.ncks county and several other states of the Union, are
''■\-:cendcd from Henry I'unk. an immigrant from the Palatinate. 1719. set-
tled at Indian Creek. Monlgonicrv Co. He married Ainia. daughter of Cbris-

I P.rka-ic

346 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

tian Meyers; was the father of ten children, John, Henry, Christian, Abrahai;;.
Esther, Barbara, Anne, ^Mary I'r.Miecka and Eh'zabeth ; built the first mill . .ti
Indian Creek, and well educated for the time, became a Bishop in the ^.loraviai!
Church, dving 1760. His eldest son, John, settled near the ])resent Blooming-
Glen, Hill'town, married, and was a prosperous farmer, and was the gran.i-
father of Henry and Isaac l-'unk, New Britain. Another descendant, David
Funk, married Catharine Godsbalk, removed to Westmoreland Co., and becauie
a Mennonite mini.-ter. Henry, the second son of Bishop Funk, dismissed
from the Mennonite Church for supporting the Colonies in the Revolution.,
became a preacher among the Funkites, and migrated to Rockingham Co.,
Va., 17S6, with his family, whence they spread over the Southern and West-
ern States. One of the sons was a noted musician and publisher of music. Christ-
ian Funk, third son of John, born 1731, and died iSii, and eldest son of Henry,
the immigrant, also dismissed from the ■\tennonite Church for supporting tlie
Colonies, joined the Funkites. Some of his descendants became prominent,
among them the late Charles Hunsicker, Xorristnwn ; Dr. A. H. Fetteroli,
LL. b., President Girard College; and S. ,M. Ashenfelter, Colorado Springs.
Abraham Funk, fourth son of John, born 1734, died 178S, nianicd Ma\ Landis.
settled in S]n-ingfield on 300 acres, and farmed and milled. He was imprcssjil
with his team during the Revolution, and witnessed the battle of Brandywin;.
Two of his daughters married into the Stover family. He was a member 'A
Assembly, iSoS-09. Abraham I'unk was the grandfather of Henry S. Funk.
Springtown. Anuing his descendants is Sanniel h". Ceil, a distinguished law-
yer, Colorado.

The Owen family.- ^^'elsh, were among the earliest immigrants to St:itc
and county, and some of thcni were prominent in Colonial days. Grilfith
Owen was a member of Colonial Council, i6S3[707: John Owen, Sheriff
of Chester county, 1729-30-31 ; and Owen Owen Coronor of Philadelphia
county, 1730, and Sheriff, 172S. Our Bucks county Griffiih Owen is believed
to have come from Wales, 1723. with a letter to the Montgomery Church,
and purchased from four to si.x himdred acrc^ in Hilltown, just west of Leid}-
town, and built a home on'it. 1727, which was torn down many years ago. He
was Captain of the .Associators. and served in Col. .-Mexander Graydon's
regiment in the l-"rcnch and luilian war. Griflilh < )wen died Octolicr iS,
1764 at 70. He was in the .Vsscmbl)- eleven years, the first lime, 1749. As
he followed the business of surveying and was a good clerk, he must have been
a man of more than ordinarv cultivation for the period. He married Mar-
garet IMorgan, probably of Xew P.ritain, and had four children, Owen, Fbe-

2 The name "Owen" is that of a distinguished W'cldi family. In the Welsh genea-
logical book, the line may be traced back lor many generations, till we find it descending
from a Welsh Prince honored among his countrymen. From Lower's "Dictionary of
Family Xames," we learn that Owen is a personal name in Wales. Most of our Owens
are from tliat principality, but it i^ possible a few may be of Saxon blood, for there >s
an Owine in the Doomsday Book soon after loftj. .-V still earlier Owinc occurs in tb.e
Co.lcy niplomati-e>. It is the mo«t common of WeUli surnames. The commoner m
WeMi patronymics has tended to a great confusion of Welsh of the gentle and simpU'
namr^ in Wales. In ancient families the patronymic became a stationary family name
about llic time of Henry VIII and Queen Eli-abcth. The Owens of Tedomore Halt.
Derbyshire, are descended from Howell Dda and the King of South Wales. There .ire
thousands of Owens who bear llio name simply bec:iuse their fathers bor.' it as ,i
Christian name, F.iln'urd .U.;.'/;.tc',j.

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY.

347

iK-zcr, Levi and RaclK'l. (Jwcn married Catharine Jones, and had four suns
aiid four daughter^, Ahel, Ciriftith, Edward, Owen, .Margaret, Sarah, Alary
;:!k1 Elizaheth. The eldest Min, Owen Owen, jr., was a man of aetive, viynr-
cus mind, of inlluenee in his day, and lived to tlie age of ninety. He married
lane Hughes, daughter of Christopher Hughes, Beilminister, and had eight
ilaughters, Catharine, Klizabeth, Ann, Jane, Mary, ^Margaret, Zillah and Han-
nah. John O. James, I'hilatltlphia, was the son of Catharine Owen, the eldest
liaughter, who married Abel H. James. Between William Thomas's tliree
hundred acres, bought of James Logan and Griffith Owen, a settler named
\'an lUiskirk took up a large tract, and the Shannon family took up land we^t
of (Jwen.

The land in Hilltown was mostly taken up by 1720, and chiefly owned
bv James Logan, Jeremiah Langhorne, Llenry Paxson, probably of Solebury,
\\ illiam Thomas, James Lewis, who died 1729. John Johnson, Evan Evans.
Tliomas Morris, Evan Griflith, Lewis Lewis, Bernard Young, John Kelley.
Lewis Thomas and Alargaret Jones who died in 1727. A Margaret Jones
died in Hilltown in 1S07, at the age of ninety-live, probably her daughter,
leaving one hundred and fifteen living descendants, of whom sixty were in
the third and eleven in the fourth generation. These landowners were prob-
ably all residents of the township except Logan, Langhorne and Paxson. The
manor of Perkasie occupied from a half to one-third of Hilltown. This sec-
tion of country was better known by the name of Perkasie than by any iitlur
down to the time it was organized into townships, and was designated l']iper
and Lower Perkasie, the former referring to what is now' Rockhill. The
major part of the settlers were Welsh Baptists,' and co-workers with \\'illiam
Thomas.

Henry Lewis, a Welshman, was settled in Llilltown probably as early as
1730. He is said to have been a political offender against the British gov-
ernment, and "left his country for his country's good." He bought about
three hundred acres lying on either side the Bethlehem turnpike, a mile from
Line Lexington, also an hundred acres a mile west of Doylestown near \"aux-
town. and tlie same quantity at Whilehallville (now Chalfont) which covered
the site of the tavern ])roperty arid extended up the west branch of the Nesliam-
iny. He married Margaret, daughter of William James. His son Isaac Lewis,
horn in 1743, a soldier of the Revolution, was shot through the leg on Long Is-
land while setting fire to some wheat-stacks that had fallen into possession of the
liritish, and his comrades rescued him with great difficulty. He was with the
army at \'alley Forge, and from there was sent to Reading, probably as an
invalid, whence he was brouglit home by his parents. Jcft'erson Lewis, the
grandson of Henry, an intelligent old gentleman, a school-teacher for many
yi ars, lived on the ancestral property. He hatl in his possession the veritable
old Welsh I'.ihle brought over by his ancestor, in which is written "Henry
Lewis. 1729," and a record of his children. Several families of Lewises set-
tled in Hilltown, but were not all related to each other; Jeremiah purchased
land in the U'lithern part of the township. James Lewis was there early, but
removed with his family to \'irginia before the Revolution. The Lewises
living in this t'UMiship and adjoining parts of Montgc^mery are [)rineipaHy
the tlesccndants of Henry. In the early days of these Welsh settlements
Ldward Eaton, probably a step-son of jerenu'ali Lewis,' was the only man
among them honored with llu title i>f "Doctor," hut his knowledge of the heal-
ing art was as limited as hi^ iiracliee. Alose-; Aaron, ancestor of the .Aaron fam-
ily. Settled luar the Ww Britain line a mile east of Line Lexington, between

34S HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

1725 and 1730, where he bouglit a faini, improved it and raised a family of
children.

The Mathias family were early setUers in llilllown, and the descendants
are numerous. The American ancestor was John Mathias, born in Pem-
brokeshire, Wales, 1675 ; immigrated 1/22-2;^, with a second wife, Elizabeth,
daughter of Thomas Morgan, and a lamilv of young children, and with other
Welshmen ; settled in l-'ranconia township, now Montgomery county, near the
Bucks line, about where Souderton stands. The locality took the name of
Welshlown. John Alathias married a third wife about 1740, a widow, and
died, 174S. Among his children were, Mary, born in Wales, Griffith, 1727,
Thomas, 1730, Mathias, 1732, John, 1734. and David, 1737. The Mathias
homestead was in Hilliown, a mile west of Dublin, near the Bethlehem road;
the dwelling, a Colonial house, is still standing, unless torn down recently,
and well preserved. It was built at two periods, the Eastern end bearing date,
1750, the Western, 176S. The late Ivev'd Josepli Mathias, the most distin-
guished member of the family, in tlie |)ast, was a grandson of John, the immi-
grant, and the youngest son of Thomas by a second wife. He was born May
8, 1778, baptised September 29, 1799, ordained to the ministry July 22, 1806,
and died March ii, 185 1, in his seventy-third year. During his pastoral life
he attended upwards of seven hundred funerals and preached six thousand
eight hundred and seventy-tlve sermons. The children of John Mathias inter-
married v.'ith the families of Griffith, Jones, Thomas, and Pngh, and among
the descendants of Joh.n ^Mathias was Mathias ^Morris, a prominent member of
the Buck's county bar. member of the State Senate and of Congress. The
widow of Joseph ^[athias died 1870, at the age of ninety-three. The Houghs.
New Britain, connected with the ^lathiases by marriage, were descended from
Richard, whose son Joseph married Elizabeth ^^'est. Her parents were early
settlers in Warwick, and she was a sister of Joseph ^Jathias's grandmother
on the maternal side. Joseph and Elizabeth. Hough had sons Richard, Joseph,
and John and seven daughters. The late General Joseph Hough, Point
Pleasant, was a descendant of Joseph the elder.

The Morrises were English Friends, who arrived shortly after William
Penn, and settled in BvVierry. It is not known at what time thoy came into
tliis countv, but Thomas ^.lorris was in Hilltown before 1722, and some of the
family in New Britain as early as 1735. and prol)ably earlier. Morris Atorris,
son of Cadwaliader, and grandson of the first immigrrmt. married Gwently,
daughter of the Reverend William Thomas, from which miion come the 3.Ior-
riscs of tiiis county. They had nine children. Benjamin, the third son, be-
came quite celebrated as a manufacturer of clocks, and occasionally one of the
old-fashioned two-story affairs of his make, with the letters "B. ^F." engraved
on a lirass plate on the face, is met with. He was the father of Enos ^Nforris.
who learned his father's trade, but afterward studied law with Judge Ross,
Eastnn, and was admitted to the bar about 1800. He was a leading member
of the r.aptist church, and a man of great integrity of character. Benian-.in
Morris. Sh.orilt of the c:nmty sixty-five years ago, was a brother of Enos.
lumch .Alorris. next yntniger than B^'uiamin, had a son James, who fell into
the hands ef the .\lgeriiies, and was one of those lilicrateil by Commod<ire
Decatur. He married a Miss Hebson, Philadelphia: settled at Cincinnati,
and nne uf their sons graduated at \\'cst Point.

Willi.-im Liuni. fruni England, was an early sculer. wh.ise son Joseph
married Alice, daugliter of Lewis Evans. The latter was an unwilling im-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

349

riigrniit. He was on ship-board bidding good-bye to friends about to embark
1 .r America, when the vessel sailed and he was obliged to accoinpanj- her.
\\ iUiam and Alice Lunn had nine children, who married into the families of
J.mes, Griflith, Brittain, \'astine, Thomas, and jMathew. Joseph, the third
:...n, was killed, 1770, by being thrown from his wagon and run over in Ger-
niantown, on his return from market. William, the second son, joined the
I'.ritish army while it occupied I'hiladelphia, 1777-S, and never returned home.
William Bryan was a purchaser of real estate in HiUtown, 1743, probably the
>anic who settled in Springfield.

riilltown was laid out and organized into a township in the fall of 1722.
Tlie inhabitants held several meetings on the subject, and there does not
appear to have been entire unanimity among them. In the summer of that
year a meeting "of several of the inhabitants of Perkasie" was called at the
house of Evan Griffith to petition the court for a road to Richard ^lichael's"
mill. The question of a new township was evidently in their minds, for in a
note at the bottom of the petition they say : "We agree that our township
should be called 'Aberystruth,' unless it be any offense to our jiistis Lanorn.''*
Twelve names are sigr.ed to the petition, embracing most of those alreadv men-
tioned as among the earliest settlers. On the 3d of August the inhabitants ox
I'erkasie held another meeting to consider the matter of being erected into a
township. They drew up and signed a petition to the court, in which thev
state that having heard the inhabitants of that section are to be organized into
a townsliip with the "Society'^ and Aluscamickan." they protest against it.
They express a wish to be formed into a township bv themselves, "to begin at
the Long Eiland lind and run it along with the county line to Parkyowman.'"''
They further state that they had latel}- fixed upon a place to "make a school-
house" upon Perkasie, probably the first school-house in the township. The
jiLtition, signed by eleven of the inhabitants, was carried to Bristol by Evan
(iriffith, a long journey through the woods at that da}-.

We have no record of any further action being tak-cn Ijy the inhaliitants
in the matter of a township, nevertheless it was ordered and laid out that vear.
1 he only draft we have been able to get sight of, and which probablv accom-
i'.'inied the return of the surveyor, gives it the shajje of a parallelogram, ex-
cept an oft'set of eighty perches, with the angles all right, and it contains the
names of all the land-owners except Jeremiah Lewis. It has been thought
the township was named after William Hill, who was mayoi; of Philadelphia.
1710, speaker of the Assembly. 1715, and Judge of the Supreme Court, 1726.
It was called "Hill township"' in 1725.' It is probable, however, it was called
"ITilitown"' because of the rolling and hilly nature of its surface.' The pres-
ent area is fourteen thousand five hundred and twentv acres. It is well watered

3 Richard Mitchell, of Wrlghtitown, tlie '"Sw.imp road."

4 Jeremiah Langhnrnc. then on die county bench.

5 Tlie settlements in Xcw Britain were then called the "Society," because the land
f rnierly belonged to the "Free Society of Traders." The locality of "Mu?camickan" is
n-'t known.

6 Perkiomcn.

7 In Old deeds for land in Xew P.riiain we fnid that township was called "Hillton"
'J'>wii to 17,^5, twelve years alter it had been organized.

8 .As there are several townships and parislies in England called "Hillton," it is
possible the name finds its origin there, with a slight change in spelling.

350

HISTORY 01' BULKS COUMV.

by the tributaries of the northeast branch of the Perkionien, and some of the
branches of Ncshaniiny. ']"hc soil is fertile, and agricnUurc the only interest
that receives [canicular atlenlion. In 175W. twi.i thousand five hundred acres
of the manor of I'erkasic, hlug in Kuckliill and HilUown, were £;iven by the
Proprictar_\- to the University i,>f Pennsylvania, on cimdition that it should
never be alienated.

We luiNc met with but liitle success in ,!j;etting reliable accounts of the Ger-
man families of Hilllcnvn. uhicli race now forms a large part of the population.
About 1735 Jat-ob Appenzeller, an immigrant from Switzerland, settled in
the townshiix He married into the Oberholtzer family and lived on the farm
owned by the late Elias Hanzell, forty-five years, and died about 1780. Ik-
had two sons, Henrv and Jacob. The former is supposed to have joined the
Llritish army in the Revolutionary war, as he was never afterward heard nf,
while Jacob married into the Savacool family, and remained in Hilltown. He
had two sons and one daughter, Henry, Jacob and Elizabeth. Henry settled
in Greene county, in this state, and Jacob married Elizabeth Upp, had three
children, and died in 1S63, at the age of eighty-one. Gideon AiJpenzelier, of
Hilltown, is the youngest son. Elizabeth, the daughter of Jacob, married
George 3ililler, Kockhill, where she lived.

John Williams, thought to be a descendant of Roger Williarns, Rhode
Island, settled in Hilltown prior to 1740, and was a member of the Baptist
church. His farm, ]iartly in Xew Britain, was northwest of New Galena.
His son \\'illiam, was e(luc:'.ted at Brown University, graduating in the first
class, 1709, at the age of twent\--one. He was born, 1748, died 1823, and was
pastor of a Baptist cliurch at ^Vrentham, Massachusetts, for forty-eight years.
The father died about 178'). intestate. The son William, preached at Xew
Britain at one time, but was not the settled pastor. The daughter, Rebecca,
married William James. The other children of John \\^illiams were: Sarah,
Isaac, and Elizabeth. The Rev. ^ViIlianl Williams had a famous debate witli
David I'.vans, a noted Universali-^t, at Xew Britain church. The descendants
are living at Providence, Rhode Island.

Ihe Beringers of Plilltown are descended from Nicholas Beringer, a
German immigrant, the date of whose arrival is not known. The 26th of
June, 1777, he bought of John Pcnn one hundred and fnily acres in the manor
of Perkasie, markeil No. 10 on the plat, for £350, charged with an annual rent
of an ear of corn, t'l be paid on the 241.11 of June. It is jirobable he was in the
township before this time. Xicholas ISeriuger was the great-grandfalher of
Am(>s Beringer, ,-i resident of llilltnwn. ?\Iichacl Sn\der bought one hundred
and tliirt\-six acres in the ni.uior, plat X'n. u of the plan, June 10, the same
Near. prnbnliK- llie tirst of the name \\lio settled there.

In llilUoxMi .'ire fnur churches, two Ba]>ti>t. une uninn, Uiulieran and Ke-
'"'irmed. and one Meimnniie. \\'e have aI'Tad\ si'i'ken of (uie P.ai'tist clnu\-h,
that liuilt 1i\- the Reverend William Thomas, ami l:nnwn as (he Lnwrr meeting-
I'duse, wlure he leaned his rille against the liollnw log that ser\ed as pulpil,
I ef'Ti- he began lo jircach. The seci^ud • \ this dem miination. called lliHtowu
P.iiti-t church, wa.s cniisi.inui'd. 17S1, with fifty-four ineiubers, aliln'Uuh
■erviee was held there -e\-er.d vrars Ik-Umv. li was the (.ff-^liMMt of the Mnnl-
g Miury chnreli. the parent nf I'.p.plisl cliur'-hes in this secti'iU of Monlgrnury
.and riucl^s. :nid. uiuil re-iilarix cu^iitnled. ihe inemhers ivei't thither to take
edmuuuiiiiU. Tlie tir^t pa-t'.r wtis lnhn. the seci'ud sun nf Re\erend William
Thi'm.as. b. .rn at Radnor. 171 r. called to the ministry. i74'j. urdained, 1731.
and became yiastor at .Moi.tg.inier\ at the de.iih of Beuiamin ihit'fith. lie had

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUKTY. 331

(.h.-irge of both the Ililltowii churclics, and at tlic same time pre:iclietl fur a
-mall coii<rregatinn among the "Rocks," north of Tohickon. At the death of
Mr. Tlionias, 1790, he was succeeded by Reverend James AlcLauglilin. The
Reverend Joseph ]\lathias was chosen and ordained 1 astur, 1806, who officiated
iliere until liis death, i^^5i. His mother died. 1821, at the age of eighty-six.
'1 he present jiastor is the Reverend 2\Ir. Jones, a Welshman, who was ordained
in the fall of 1875. The immediate organization of this church is due to the
prevailing diltcrcnce in political sentiment during the Revolution. The in-
iiahitants of Hilllown were much divided, the whigs probably predominating,
but the torics were in strong force. Both sides were exceedingly bitter. The
t.iries refused to take the oath of allegiance to the new government, but they
wrre cibliged to give their paroles not to leave the county. This was a great
inconvenience to them, as they lived near the county line, across which they
\scrc accustomed to go on business, for pleasiu^e^ and to attend the Montgoiu-
ery church of which most of them were members. This situation afforded the
whigs a good opportunity to annoy their less loyal neighbors, which they were
not slow to avail themselves of. On one occasion, while the tories were at-
tending church, a vengeful neighbor had them arrested and taken licfore a
justice of the peace, but the latter understanding the cause discharged tliem.
This unpleasant condition of things hastened the formation of a new congre-
gation, and the Hilltown church was constituted accordingly. Whigs and
tories were united peaceably in the work. In the next two years there was
an addition of forty members, making ninety-four in all. Of the constituent
members thirteen were Thomases, six Brittains, and live ?\Iathiases. The
Hilltown church was torn down. April, 1875, preparatory to rebuilding. In
the cornerstone were found three pieces of silver coin, one ten and two five
cent pieces, coined in 1802 and 1803. The documents, when exposed to tlie
atmosphere, blew awa)- like ashes. The old house was built in 1804.

Saint Peter's church. Lutheran and Reformed, on the Bethlehem road a
mile and a half from Line Lexington, was erected in 1804-5, O'''- -^ ^'^^ convened
by the heirs of Abraham Co]ie, the i8th of June. 1S03. .\t the cornerstone
laying were present Reverends Messrs. Thomas, Pomji, and Senn, Reformed,
and .Messrs. Yager. George Rneller, and Rewenack, Lutheran. Th.e first pastor
wa^ Rev. Jacob Senn. who preached his first sermon April i, 1805. The
bouse was of stone, forty-fi\e by thirty-eight feet, with galleries on three sides,
an elevated ■ pulijit. and seats for about five hundred. When erected
it was one of the handsomest places of worship in this section of the county.
During the first scventv years it stood, not over six hundred dollars were
sjicnt to keep it in repair. The Reformed congregation numbers about four
Inuid.rcd, and in the last fortv vears several new congregations have been built
up from it. The Lutheran pastors, in succes.--ioii, were ^lessrs. IMench,
Wyand. William B. Kemmerer. for thirty years. F. Bcrkeme>cr,
who v.'as in charge many years, and the present pastor is Rev. '\l. T. Kuchner.
'I"he pa-tnrs on the Reformed side served as follows: Reverend George
Wack. 1805 to 1827. In 1821 J. \\\ rXchant supplied for Wack while he was
a member of the Legislature. Henry Gerhart. 1827 to 1834. II. S. Bassler.
1834 to T830, during whose pastorate the comnumicants increased from fifty-
nine to one luuKlreil and ihirtv. 1. W. Haugen, 1840 to 1842. A. Berky, 1843
tn r8.;-. I. Xaille. 184:; to i8;2. A. L. IV'chant. 1832 to 1858. Without pastnr
from 1838 to i8r.o. \\'. R. "S'earick, commenced his pastorate. i8r)o, and was
iiislalled the f'-illi 'winc;- reb.ruarv. .\t his first communion. May 25. i8''>r,
there were preseiu "lie hundred an.l ninety-six commmiicants. thirty-six re-

352 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

ceivcd into the church by confirmation. The congregation of St. Luke's
church constitute part ui tlie Hilltuwn charge. Duruig the existence of this
congregation, the pastorates of Reverends Dechant and Vearick were the most
prosperuus. The congregation at present numbers some tliree hundred mem-
bers. The Reverend Abraham Berky subsequently joined the Dutch Reformed
church, and died, 1S67, at the age of sixty-two. The Reverend Retcr S.
I'ishcr, pasiur of this church, was struck with fatal ilhiess while preaching
there, .May 22, 1873. ^lany years ago an organ was bought for the church
at a cost of four thousand dollars. In 1S70 the Hilltown cemetery association,
a chartered compau}-, laid out a burial-ground opposite the church across the
turnpike, containing nine acres. Trees and evergreens have been planted, and
the walks graveled. The church has shedding for two hundred horses. Down
to March, 1S75, there had been little alteration in the old building, but was
then torn down and a new house erected on the site. St. Luke's church. Re-
formed and Lutheran, of Dublin, is a brick structure built in 1870. The
Reverend \\'illiam R. Yearick was elected the Reformed pastor and organ-
ized v^ith fourteen members. It now has a membership of over a hundred,
with a flourishing Sunday-school. Among the subsequent pastors were the
Reverends Fritz, Lutheran, to 1899, A. R. Plorn, 18S3, J. \V. i\Iagin, 18S8,
R. V>. Lynch and others.

The German Lutherans," though numerous in Pennsylvania, had none to
preach to them in their own tongue until John Peter ^filler, a graduate of
Heidelberg, arrived in Philadelphia, and was ordained by Tennent, Andrews
and Boyd, 1730. In 1729 many Lutherans removed from New York to Berks
county, among them the well-known Conrad Weiser. The name German Re-
formed was changed to the Reformed church of the United States, i86g. It
is derived from the Reformed church of Germany and Switzerland as distin-
guished from the Lutheran. The latter agrees with the Reformed church in
liolding the Heidelberg catechism as its Confession of Faith, but differs from
it, in not requiring its members to subscribe to the Belgic Confession and the
articles of the Synod of Dordrecht. It is the oldest of Protestant denomina-
tions which are generally known as "Reformed churches." It has been weak-
ened i)i Europe bv the union of portions of the Lutheran and Reformed
churches to form the "Evangelical church of Germany," but it still numbers
some eight or ten millions of communicants. Scattered members of the Re-
formed cliurch came to Pennsylvania soon after Penn settled the Province. In
a few \ears they began to arrive in large numbers, and the Reformed con-
stituted the larger jiortion of the German immigration. In 1730 they numbered
upward o\ fifteen thousand in this State. Subsequently Lutheran immigra-
tion became more numerous, and the Reformed have ever since continued in
the minority. The first German Reformed church in Pennsylvania is said to
have been erected at Skippack, ^Montgomery county, 1726, but other churches
claim the same honor. In the United States this denomination numbers about

g The Reformed chiircli one of tlie stroiiccst German rfliqious bodies in -Biick^
county, and ;iU north of DoyIc?to\vn. The classical report, iSq7, gives the number of
congreg.itions at rS, membership, g.Soo; coniminiicants. S.012 ; munbcr of Sunday-schools,
48; scholars, 4,000; and during the year the coritributions for benevolent purposes was
?6.ioo, and conpregational. $29,000. As evidence of the rapid growth of the denomina-
tion in the past twelve or fifteen years :_ The contributions for congregational purposes
have doublid in this period, the attendance and membership both largely increased, and
the Sunday schnul scholars froin 1,500 to 4.000.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 353

cac thousand three hundred churches and one hundred and tliirty thousand
communicants. In this county the Dutch Rclurmed estahhshcd churches
several years before the German Reformed, and the pastors of the former
churches co-operated cordiaUy with tlicir German brethren, preached for con-
■ '•regations that had no pastors of their own, and they were admitted members
i.f the German Synod. The harmony and Christian fraternity in wdhch
Lutheran and Reformed worship in the same church convey a lesson that
should not be lost on other denominations. The ^.lethodist church at Alount
rieasant, in Hilltown, built about 1842, grew out of a camp-meeting licld in
the neighborhood the first in the upper end of the county.

Th.e villages of Hilltown, or which she claims in part or in whole, are
Luie Lexington, Dublin and Leidytown, are all small places. The first named,
in tlie southwest corner of the township, lays along both sides of the county
line between Bucks and Ivlonlgomery, and is in two counties and three town-
ships. It was first called Lexington. About 1810, when Henry Leidy began
making hats there and putting his name in them, the village name was changed
to Line Lexington, 1827, when the post-office was established. The first post-
master was named Sinnickson. About 1800, a tavern, store and a few houses^
scattered along the road constituted the village generally known as "^liddle-
town" from being half way on tlie stage road between Pliiladelphia and the
Lehigh. Jacob Clemens kept the tavern eighty years ago and was there as
carlv as tSoo. The first stage to pass what is now Line Lexington was
September 10, 1763, from Bethlehem to Philadelphia. It contains about fifty
houses, with a population of two hundred and fifty, one tavern, two stores,
three smiths and a coach-shop. The tavern is built on the line between New
Britain and Hilltown, and while the landlord behind the bar stands in the
latter township, the customer, who takes a drink stands in the former. The
landlord sleeps on tlic Xew Britain side of the house and votes in Hilltown.
.'\n extension of the village has been laid out on the farm of Casper Wack,
but there is no present prospect of much improvement. Hatfield township,
Moulgomerv countv. shares the honors of Line Lexington. At this point the
llerhlehem turnpike, in its course from the Lehigh to Philadeljihia, crosses
(he county line. Before the construction of the North Pennsylvania railroad
Line Lexington was the great stopjjing-place for stages from Lehigh to Phila-
delphia— 1)eing half-way between these two places, horses and coaches were
changed and the passengers took dinner. Among the earliest settlers in and
aliout the village were the families of Trewig, Harman, Snare and Clemens.
The post-office is in Montgomery county, but we do not know ^\■hcn it was es-
tablished. Dublin is in the extreme eastern section of the tov.nship on the
Swamp road, and lies partly in Bedminster in which township it will be further
iviticed. Leidvtown. a flourishing little village on the Old Bethlehem road,
contains some twentv dwellings, and a Methodist church, built alxnit 18^6.
Half a mile above on the same road is the hamlet of I\tount Plea>ant consisting
of half a dozen houses, the seat of Hilltown p.ost-oflice established in 1817.

Within a few vears "Myers' store." two miles west of Dublin, has grown
to a place of twentv dwellings, several of them brick, with a brick yard and the
usual assortment of mechanics, and now known as Blooming Glen. Tlie Movers
or Myers, were enrlv settlers in tlu'.t section, ^\hich contains laige landowners.
Near the villagL- is Perkasie meeting house, Meunonite, attended by a large
couo-i-ccv;itioTi ; i;iooming Glen, in the eastern part of the townsliip. lias a p^'pu-
latlon of three Inmdred and is the laVgest village in tlic township. Silvcrdalo, on
the turnpike between Dulilin and Telford, was first called "Portland," thou

23

354 HISTORY OF LWCKS COUNTY.

"Lawiuhik-," and siil.)>L:qiuiUly chanyvil lo its present name, lias a population
of two hundred and fifty.

We have seen no record of roads in llilltown earlier than 1730. In that
year one was laid out from "Pleasant spring' run b}' Bernard Young's land"
to the county line near Graeme park. This was an outlet for the settlers at the
<jreat Swamp, RockhiU and llilltown, to the lower mills and Philadelphia.
l'"our years afterward a road was opened from Charles Aiorris's, by Perkasie
school-house, to the Old Pcthlehem road. About the same time a road was
opened from Thomas ^Morris's to that from ScUersville to Whitehallville, whicli
led via what is now Doylestown to Newtown, then the county seat. The road
from the Swamp road to the Hilltown Baptist church was laid out, 1766. At
that day the Swamp road was a much traveled highway to the lower part of
the county. The two Bethlehem roads, known as the Old and the New,
which run throuc;h liilltowii, were, laid out at an early day. Books were
opened for subscription to stock to turnpike the Bethlehem road, from Tre-
wig's tavern via ScUersville, June, 1806.

The lirst enumeration of inhabitants, in 17S4, gives PliUtown 941 whites
and 154 dwellings. In 1810 the population was 1,335; 1S20, 1,501; 1S30,
1,669, 9"'^' 378 taxables; 1S40, 1,910; 1S50, 2,290 wliitcs and 11 blacks; i8'X),
2,726, all whites, and in 1870, 2,869, of which 2,764 were whites, 5 blacks, arid
129 ^^•cre foreign-born; t88o, 3,152; 1890, 3,o.'22 ; 1900, 3,170.

The surface of llilltown is rolling and hilly, and is watered by the
branches of Neshaminy and Perkiomen.

Hilltown was the birthplace of two members of the House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States, John Pugh and i\Ialthias Morris.

In iSf)7, a pipe line to convey coal oil from Millway, Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania, to Bayonne, New Jersey, was laid across Bucks county. Enter-
ing the county at Telford it passes through the townships of Hilltown, Plum-
stead and SolebuPt', leaving below Center Bridge and crossing the Delaware
into Hunterdon county, New^ Jersey. The pipes are eight inches in diameter
an<l laid below the frost line ; and the time occupied in laying them was four
months. A telegraph line follows the pipe line. When full they have a capacity
of three hiuidred and twenty barrels to the mile, and, when in full working
order the company can pump from eight thousand to ten thousand barrels a
d:iv. At ?d)ll\vav is tiic largest and most complete pumjiing station in the
world. The njl is delivered at Bayonne by force pumps and thence distributed
to the refineries. The line is the property of the ''National Transit Company."

CHAPTER XXIIl

NEW BRITAIN.

1723.

Thomas Hudson's grant. — Colonel Mildniay. — Free Society of Traders. — Joseph Kirkbride.
— Earliest settlers. — Welsh families. — Perkasie. — Settlers on West Branch.— Simon
Bntler. — Grist mill built. — Simon Mathew. — Old houses. — Thomas Jones. — John
Mathias. — Owen Rowland. — The Griffiths. — Aarons. — Jameses. — John O. James. —
Boorums. — Joseph Kirkbridc. — Thomas Morgan. — Riales. — Township organized. —
Mathew Hines. — Nicholas Haldcman. — Germans arrive. — Abraliam Swartly. — John
Haldeman. — Atherholts. — Donaldson homestead. — Jacob Ceil. — Detweiltr.^, — The
Booncs. — The Brinkers.— Garners. — Reescs, Wiers, and Wigtons. — Bachm.ans. — Jacob
Reed. — Shults. — New Britain, a Welsh settlement. — Settlers generally Baptists. — New
Britain church. — Line Lexington church. — Mennonites.— Universalists. — David Evans.
— Roads.- — Tammany. — Villages. — Glial font. Prospect ville. — Morgan's ford. — Popula-
tion.— Colonel Rheidt.

The formation of Hilltown, 1722, left a considerable tract of country iin-
■orq'anizccl to the southca.';!. extending eastward to Plunistoad and Bnckin.E^-
liam. The following \car part of it was formed into New Britain, and a cen-
tury later, Doylcstown township, with slices from Warwick and Buckingham,
was carved out of it. Wo learn from }-Iolmes' map that the country north-
vest of riuckingh.am, embracing parts of the three townsliips liamcd, had been
granted to Tlionias Htulson. "a gentleman of Sutton, England," Colonel Mild-
may.' of whom little is known, and to a corporation called the "Free Society
of Traders,'' whose lands were sold to several purchasers some years later,
ami the corporation dissolved.

I Colonel Mildt'iay's grant was we.st of tlie Society's land, the Hudson tract, and join-
inij them, according to Holme's map, i''i.S4. \\'e do not hclieve Mildmay was ever in Penn-
s\lvania, at least th.ere is no evidence of it. The family is an old one in England, descended
from a "very ancient gentleman." Hugh Mildm.ay. who lived about King Stephen's time,
"u'w 430 years past, prior to the certificate of Robert Cuoko, alias Clarencieux, Roy D.
Amies, dated at London the JOth of August, .\iino D'l.i, 15.'^.;, and in ye 23d year of the
rei-.;n of our S"u'aignc Lady Elizabeth by ye grace of Ci'id. etc." Miigh Mildmay is
tli'-Ugiit to liave oiMue with King Stephen. The gnint nf arms Id .Sir Walter Mildmay
was by Edward XT. The-e nb-tracts are from the Heraldic Colleclion of R. Glo!)er, relating
10 the Mildmay family. 1 lark in M-;s. No. j.|.i.

356 HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

Hudson'.- Lrant from Penii, dated April 23, 16S3, for five thousand acres,
was among the very tirst land located by an individual in what is now New
Britain. Its boundaries are hard tc' define but it prol)ably lay southwest of the
Society lands on I'me run, and extended to the county line. It appears to have
confiictcd with the tyrant of Dennis Rotchford, and when the patent v.as issued
it called for only four thousand acres. i\larch i, 1689, Hudson sold to William
Lawrence, Joseph and Samuel Thorn, John Tallman and Benjamin Tield, Long
Island, and in a few years the whole of the tract passed into the possession of
several individual proprietors.- The .Society grant contained originally eight
thousand six hundred and twelve acres. Subsequent to the patent, T. Steven-
son made a survey which cut otf one thousand two hundred and thirty-two
acres, probably the amount bought by him. In 1706 another survey, no doubt
a sale, cut off two thousand three hundred and ninety acres more, leaving
about four thousand nine hundred and eighty-four acres in the hands of the
corporation. This T. Stevenson was probably the Thomas Stevenson, who,
1719, purchased the Hudson tract of the five Long Island owners. The .Society
tract in this county ran one thousand one hundred and sixty-eight perches
along the lUickingham and Plumstcad line, and southwest of tliat line one
thousand three hundred and sixteen perches after the Stevenson survey was
cut off. These two tracts, so far as we know, furnished no settlers to the town-
ship until several years after 1700, although some of our local antiquarians
tell us that Lewis Evans was in 2\ew Britain as early as 1695. This is just
possible, although we have seen no confirmation of it. A Lewis Evan was an
early settler in Hilltown, whose daughter, Elizabeth, was married to John
James, the grandfather of the late Isaiah James, 1740,. and we learn from the
books of the surveyor-general that, 1735, Lewis Evan or Evans, purchased one
hundred acres of the Proprietaries' land in "North Britain."

New Britain, like KLilltown, was peopled by immigrants who came up-
through Philadelphia, now Alontgomery county, part of the flanking column
that met the English froin the lower Delaware. Between 1700 and 17 15, a
number of Welsh families settled in the upper part of Philadelphia about
Gwynedi.l and Nortli \\"ales, and naturally enough, they soon found their way
across the county line into the fertile territory of New Britain and Hilltown^
the latter then bearing the name of Perkasie, or Pcrquasy. Among the early
settlers, on the west branch of Ncshaminy and its aflluents, were the families
of Butler, Griffith, James, Lewis, Evans, Pugh, Williams, Owen, Davis, I\Iere-
dith, Jenkins, Phillips,, ^.lathews, Alorris, Thomas, Jones, Mathias, Rowland
and others, whose descendants still inhabit this and neighboring townships in
large numbers. This whole region was then traversed by bands of Indians.
who lived in Inits in tlie timber along tlie streams and subsisted l^v hunting
and fishing. They gradually removed except the few which remained to die
on the lanils of their fathers. A few Ciermans came into the townsliip soon
after the WeLh ; some bought land, otiiers leased of the Proprietaries, while
others still less enterprising, worked by tlie day or bound themselves for a
term of years.

Of these early inimigra.nts to New Britain. Simon Butler was probahlv
the foremost man. He was one of a number wliich immigrated from ^\"ales

2 In 1731 John S.nclur. Falls, convc.vcd 2.S50 acres to Jo<;cph Kirkbridc, and, 1738,
William James bought 277 :,cm of it. Tln;s was part of the Hudson tract. Sotcher's-
coiiveyanco w.t; a m.nltcr ..f form to rrmiplflc the cnnveyaiico fmm the executors of
Thomas .St>phonsoi, to Joseph Kirkbride, th.' latter being one of them.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 357

about 1712, accompanied by his cousin, Simon Malhew. Landing at I'hila-
di!l)liia they settled for a time on the "Welsh tract," in New Castle county,
whence they removed to New Britain between 1715 and IJ20 and took up land
at the conlluence of Pine run and the northwest branch of Neshaniiny, just
..ast of Chalfont. There they built a grist-mill on the site of Samuel Funk's
Miwinill, the first in the township and one of the earliest mills in middle Bucks*
county. In a few years Butler bought Mathew's interest in the tract, and he
built a new grist-mill on the site of what was Shellenberger's.'' He became
a large land owner in the township. In 1745 he bought four hundred and
.-ixty-tive and a half acres of James, son of Andrew Hamilton, to whom it had
been granted, 171S. He was the only justice of the peace in this section of the
county for several years. Simon Butler was a man of ability, and transacted
a large amount of public business. He not only settled disputes between neigh-
Uirs. but wrote their wills, surveyed their lands, settled their estates and as-
sisted to lay out the public roads, etc. Such men are especially useful in a new
'.•oninijUnily, and for several years, he was the leading man in all this section,
lie was likewise an active Baptist, and promoted the erection of the New
i'.ritain Baptist church. His two sons, Simon and Benjamin, intermarried
with the Jameses, and their descendants are nimierous in the township. Simon
r.'Uler died August, 1764.

Simon JNIathew, who came with Butler, and was the ancestor of all
lienring the name on the west side of the county, was the son of Thomas
Mathew, Wales, and a Baptist. He was also accompanied by Anthony Mathew.
Arthur ^^lelchoir and ^Margaret David. They arrived, 17 10, and first settled
on the Welsh tract. New Castle county, Delaware. He remained in Delaware
ten years, and part of his children were born there, and came to New Britain,
1720. On November 18, 1731, Simon Alathcw bought one hundred and forty-
wven acres of Tames Steel, and subsequently one hundred and sixty-seven
acres of Jeremiah Langhorne. This \vas part of the Society's lands, laying
lietwcen Chalfont and the village of New Britain, and intersected by the
Doylcstown and Bristol roads. His residence was at the late ;Malh!as home-
stead, near the Butler mill, where he died 1755. He was partner of Butler
in the milling business. The homestead went to his son Thomas, and is still
in the family. The late Dr. Charles H. IMathews. Doylestown, was a grand-
son, and the farm of the late \\'illiam Steckel, Doylestown, was part of their
tract. The children of Simon iSIathew were John, Simon, Benjamin. Thomas,
Margaret. Ann. wife cf Simon Morgan, and Edward. Benjainin, Siinon and
Edward settled in the valley of \''irginia, and John received that portion of the
homestead farm that embraced the last purchase. He was born. 1713. He
built the one-story stone house on the north side of the E'Pper Stale road.
1744. to replace the one that was burned down in September of that year, ami
it stood until about tSSS, and was the oldest in the neighborhood. His wife
was Diana Th.omas. born in Wales. 171S, and died, 1799. He died 1782.

John and Diana Mathew were the parents of seven children: Benjamin,
Margaret married John Yoimg. Mary married John Barton, Rachel married

3 It is a disputed pnint wlietlicr this mill or Dyer's mill, at Dyerstown, a mile above
l"'o>!e';to\vn, was the llr.«t in middle Bucks county. However this may be, these two wore
the larliest, and the only ones for a r.nnihor of years.

4 The last mill that stood on the site of the eld Duller mill was burned down at
ihc close of the Civil war, winter of \S6s, and not rchiiilt.

35$ HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

Thomas Meredith, Ann married John Do}.le, Susannali married Owen Thomas,
and Joseph, born 1739, ched 1759. Pjenjamin. wh.o was the eldest son, enhsted,
at sixteen, in Benjamin Frankhn's regiment for the defense of the frontier, and
served live months. John Mathew was the last justice of the peace under the
Crown, holding the office from 1764 to 1776. His wife was a daughter of
Ephraini Thomas, Ililltown, and granddaughter of Rev. William Thomas. He
was a deacon at New Britain, and died 1821. Their children which grew ta
man and womanhood, married into the families of Hough, Dungan, Alorris,
Mathias, ]\IcEwen, Drake, Meredith, Swartz and Bitting. These marriages
took place between 1769 and 1789, and the descendants are numerous. In
1814, Benjamin Mathew served in the campaign on the lower Delaware,
when Philadelphia was threatened b}- the British, and Oliver, another de-
scendant, was a member of the Assembly. Among the members of this numer-
ous family were the following who belonged to the medical profession : Drs.
John and Joseph, sons of Joseph }ilathews, Dr. J. JMathews, Dr. Washington,
and Dr. Charles Mathews. Edward Mathews, the historian, is also a descend-
ant from the same ancestry. Joseph Mathews, a descendant of Simon, died
in 1842, at the age of ninety-seven.

The old hiproof house at the end of the lane of the late John W. GriflVih,
on the road from Chalfont to Montgomery ville, is the oldest house in this part
of the township. It was owned, 1769, by Joseph Hubbs, who then kept store
in it. The father of Mr. Griffith, who remembered it in 1775, said it was an
old house then. The Griffith liomestead, when rebuilt about the close of the
Civil war, was thought to be about one hundred years old. Thomas Jonc^.
born in \\'ale5. 170S, came to this county at eighteen, and settled in New Brit-
ain or Hilltown. lie was twice married, first to r^Iartha \\est. who died. 1759,
and then to Jane Smith, and was the father of about twenty children. He ac-
quired a large landed estate and settled his sons around him. The mother of
tlie Rev. Joseph ^Mathias was a daughter of Thomas Jones. The Roberts
family, also Welsh, in New Britain from 1721 to 1790. owned a tract half a mile
square nc;ir Sjiruce Hill. John Roljerts. the first purchaser, bought land of
Joseph Kirkbride. They disappeared before the close of the century.

John I\fathias, ancestor of this large and respectable family in Bucks
county, was born in Pembrokeshire, South ^^'ales, near the close of the seven-
teenth century, and came here at the opening of the eighteenth. They settled
in Franconia township, then Philadelphia (now 3.Iontgomerv) county, near the
line of Bucks, northwest of Fine Fexington. The settlement was called "^^'elsh-
town" for many years. He was twice married before leaving \\'ale5. his sec-
ond wife being a daughter of Thomas Morgan, and liis third Jane Siinons. a
widow. He died 1747-48. The late Rev. Joseph ^Mathias, grandson by his
second wife, was l)':)rn May iS, 177S. baptised Septeml)er 29. 1799. ordainctl
July 22, 1806, and died March ir, 1S51, in his seventy-third year. During
his ministry he attended upwards of seven hundred funeral^ and jireached
O.^JS sermons. The children of John Mathias intermarried with the families
of Griffith. Jr.ncs. Thomas and Pugh. The Houghs, of New Britain, connected
by marria'^e with the Mathiases, were descended from Richard, whose son
Josejih, married J'llizabeth West. Her parents were early settlers in Warwick,
and she was a sister of Josci)h Mathias"s grandmother on the maternal side.
Joseph and I'.Iizabcth Hough had two son^. Joeph and John, and seven daugh-
ters. Tiie late General Joseph Hough,_ Point Pleasant, was a descendant of
Joseph the elder.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 359

Owen Rowland,^ with his first wife Jane, four sons ami one (laui::;lUer,
>-:ir.ie from I'einbrokeshire, Wales, 1725, first settling on the Welsh iraci,
N'.'W Castle count}-, and removing to Bucks, 1727-28. He took up land on the
North Uranch of Xeshaniiny. A majority of his descendants removed to
liie west many years ago, a grandson being one of the settlers at Uniontown,
i'ennsvlvaaia. His fourth son, Stephen, from whom those bearing the name
m liiis loun.-jhip are docended, !i\Ld. and died in New Britain at the age of
niiietv, in iSii. He was twice married, lu^ first wife being Anna, daughter
vi Reverend William Thomas, and the second Rebecca Davis, an English
immigrant. Thc}' had five sons and two daughters, who married into tlie
families of Brittain, Thomas, 2\Iorris, Norton, Evans, ]\Iathias and Bitting.

The Grilfitlis of New Britain are descended from Benjamin Griflith. born
in the county of Cardigan, Wales, October 16, 16S8, came to America, 1710,
baptised. 171 1, settled at }ilontgomery, 1720, called to the ministry, 1722, and
orilained, 1725. He was pastor of the church at that place to his death. 176S.
The wife of Benjamin Griftith was a Miles and they had several sons ;iiid
daughters. By close application he became a fine scholar, and among other
accom])lishments, was a remarkable penman. He was pastor, lawyer and
physician to his congregation, and preached in Welsh or English, to suit his
liearers. His son Benjamin became a Baptist minister, and settled near tiie
Brandywine, Chester county. Griftith Griflith, son of Amos, born February
25. 172S. canie to New Britain, 1767. He was county treasurer in the Revolu-
tion, and dying childless, about 1812, left his plantation to' his nephew Amos,
who became ])r. Amos Griffith. He died 1S63. at the age of ninety-three.
Abi-1 M. Gritrith. a former member of the Bucks county bar, and member of
the Eigi^lalure, and the late John W. Griffith, New Britain, were son and
nejihew of Dr. Amos. Three of his sons were physicians. David Grilfith,
another member of this faiuily wdio removed to Somerset, CMiio, when a young
man, and thence to Indiana, died at Lafayette. Indiana. January 30, 1899, and
would have been ninetv-nine years old had he liN-ed until the cotuing Eebruary
15. He was a Baptist like his ancestor; was probably born in .\'e\v Britain,
and a descendant of Benjamin Griffith.

'file Jameses, a numerous and intlneiUial fannly in New Britain, belong
to this same Welsh slock.*' In 17 11 John James and his sons Josiah, Thomas,
\\'illiam, Isaac and probablv Aaron came from Pembrokeshire and settled in
the eastern edge of ^lontgomery county. When the ^Montgomery Baptist
clmrcli was organized, in 1719. with but ten members. John James with his
wife and three elder sons constituted one-half of the membership. In 1720
John and his sons. Thomas and William, purchased a thousand acres, part of
tlie Hudson tract. New Britain, on Pine run and North liranch. and probably
came into the township to reside about the same time. Josiah. Isaac and
.\aron, whose wife was a member at r^loiugomcry, remair.cd on the other side
of the count\ line, where Isaac became the owner of a thousand acres. John
James pnjljablv-died about 1726, as we hear no more of him after that date.
In 173T TlnMiias purchased one hundred and' seventy-six additional acres of

5 Tlie Rowlands fir<t .ippoar in Bucks county the beginning of tlie cightccntl; cen-
tury, when Thnrii.ij Rowland located 500 acres in Newtown lowns'.iir, extending trora
Kewl.wn ereek to Xesli.-iniiny. .md prob.ibly inckuled the ground occupied by the New-
town I'rc^byterlan chiircl'.. .

6 Tile James family i< .1 very old one in F.ncland. and appears in the Doomsday book
as landowners. \ViIliani James was probably born in 1692.

360 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Society lands fruni Joseph Kirkbridc. In 1738 William James bought two
hundred and seventy-seven acres of John Kirkbride, north of Pine Run and
east of the Alms-house road extending over Iron hill nearly to North branch.
This tract was part of two thousand eight hundred and lifty acres which John
Sotchcr, of Falls, conveyed to JosLph Kirkbride. 1721. Kirkbride, who died, 1736,
left his real estate to his son John by will. William James divided his property
between his children before his death, John, probably the eldest son, getting
tile humestead where Thomas C. James lived. The two brothers were now
large land-owners. Soon after the first purchase William James built a house
near where the dwelling of Thomas C. James stands. Thomas lived to be a
very old man, and died about the time of the Revolution, on the farm owned
by Adam Gaul, on the south side of Pine run. He probably had but two sons,
Samuel and James. The former went to the western part of the State, and
at the close of the Revolution, the latter sold the farms owned by the late
Eugene James and James E. Hill, to Peter Eaton and migrated to North
Carolina. The mother of Thomas C. James, of New Britajn, was a Williams,
likewise of a Welsh family, whose imcle, of that name, was educated for the
ministry, and settled at Providence, Rhode Island, \\hcre he died. His grantl-
nmtlicr was a IMailland, member of a Scotch family of Wrightstown. Several
of the -Maitlands were in the French and Indian war and si.K of the Jameses
were in tlie Revolution. The late John O. James, Philadelphia, was the young-
est son of Abel H. James, great-grandson of John James, the 'first, and his
mother Vvas Catharir.e. eldest daughter of .Owen O.wen, of Flilltown. Abel
James, the father, was a farmer of Hilltown, but engaged in exporting
produce from Philadelphia, and died at Dover. Delaware, while there on a
visit in the fall of 1769. Flis son, Abel H. James, was born at Newtown. Jan-
uary I, 1770, and died in Hilltown. 1839. He lived for a time in r^Iaryland
and Virginia, hut returned to Bucks county, and married Catharine Owen,
1803. The late Isaiah James, New Britain, married Caroline, a younger daugh-
ter of Abel IT. James. All the Jameses of New Britain are descended from
Thomas and William James, most of them from the latter. The late Levi L.
James, of Doylcstown, was a descendant of Thomas, and Nathan C. of William.
Previous to the Revolution the farm of Samuel Oakiord belonged to John,
the son of Thomas James, the elder. He left it at his death to his son Ben-
jamin, who sold it to Doctor Hugh j^.leredith in 1789, on his removal to North
Carolinn. in T70- it was Ijought by Moses [Marshall, Tinicum, son of him who
made the Great \\'t\'.\: in 17 v, wdio sold it in iSio. and removed to Bucking-
ham."

Tlu' Boorums. New Britain, came into the township as carl_\- as 1761. and
prnbalily earlier. There \scre three of them, two bore the name of W'illiam,
the other Aaron ; what relation they were to each other, we do not know. The
first William to come was an ensign in Captain Henrv Darrah's company of
militia. 1777. and dropp.fd out of sight after 1780. The family name seems to
have disrinpcared.

We have already mentioned Hudson"? tract, and how, in t6o8 it fell in.t.">
tlic hn.nd^ of five gentlemen- from Long Island. In 1719 th.ey sold it to Thomas
Stei^henson, when they found it contained a thousand acres less than the grant

7 Rnhcrt lames, nt l.is death, April 13, iRg-^, in his SStli year, was the head of the
fanii'y. Ho was a son i^t Levi and desccii'lant of John James, llie pioneer. He was a
prominent citizen; elected to tlie Lecjislaturc, 184.1, and served one term; jury commissioner
if^'ir. an.! director of ihr poor lS?0.

nr STORY OF BUCKS COUNT y. 361

called for. Stephenson died the same year, when his widow, Sarah, and
! .>cp!i Kirkbride, the executor, sold the property, as follows : Two thousand
i'._;lu hundred and fifty acres to Joseph Kirkbride, of Falls, John Sotcher
111,'itring as "straw man" to complete conveyance ; one thousand to John,
■| licmas and William James, and the remaining one hundred and fifty to Alex-
.•■:•.. lor Jvees and Thomas Edwards. The farm of .-\biah R. James is part of the
isirkliride purchase. In some old deeds, the ''Kennedy tract" is recited, "as
hinjj along the North branch and between the Hudson tract and Hilltown,"
Init we know nothing- more of it. Of the Society lands, which Joseph Kirk-
bride purchased in 1729, he sold two hundred and twenty-seven acres to
David Stepliens in 1731, probably the time this family came into the township,
Thomas Morgan, a Welshman, bought one hundred and fifty acres of
Isaac James, 1731 ; in two years the tract in two parts fell into the possession of
William Jones and John Thomas, of which sixty-five and a half acres now
belong to Abiah R. James, whose grandfather bought it of the Thomas family.
! ie was the eldest son of Isaac and grandson of William, and was born in 1745.
Remains of the old dwellings are still seen in this tract, probably the houses of
the early Thomases, and !M organs. Thomas JNIorgan was probably the father
of David }ilorgan, who, in 1760, owned the land on both sides of the Neshaminy
V. here it is crossed by the Street road, when the crossing was known as Mor-
g.ni's fi.ird. The Rialcs' were among the earliest settlers in New Britain, but
we have not the date of their arrival. The tombstone of John Riale, the
progenitor of the family, is the oldest in the New Britain graveyard with a
i''L;ible inscription, who died in 1748 at the age of sixty, which makes his time
of birth 16S8. He was the great-grandfather of David Riale, who married a
daughter of David Evans, the Universal! st. The name of Patrick Kellcy, a
\\'e!sh settler, is found on the early deeds but he could do no better than make
bis mark. The members of this family were noted for their intellectual
activity.

Mo^es .A.aron came into New Britain in the period of which we write,
but do not know the year. He became a farmer and was a Baptist. He mar-
r'l-d Hannali Kclley. the daughter of Patrick Kelley for his first wife, but
Ibc name of his second wife is not known. On some of the early deeds on
which the name of l\e1!ey is found he made his mark, piloses Aaron was
die father of four children by his second wife, three daughters and one son,
d'.c youngest child. Samuel, born October 19. 1800. His parents dying when
he v.-as six years of age, he was placed under the care of an uncle and brought
"<■.[) i-.n h.is farm. He first attended a day school in New Britain, where he
••va^; niiicd for his intellectual abililv and learned rapid!}'. He had a clear,
musical voice. At sixteen, voung Aaron entered the L nion .\cademy, Doyles-
lown, of which the Rev. Uriah Dul'.ois had charge. Here he began the study
"f the classics, and made marked progress. It is related that the Academy
iwiss lo'.kcd on him with admiration, as he had been "through the arithmetic."
-\t tuentw he connected h.imself with Gummcre"s Classical and Mathematical
Scho-il at i'urlingto'.i, N. J., a- student and assistant. Ha\ing c''im[>leted his
'••b.icaliiin he returned in the spring of 1821, to the Doylestown .\cademy t"
•'•.^sist Mr. Du Bois. .After a few months, lie went back to Burlington to assist

S The Rialc family are (Ie>cer.clcil from John Riale. born in EnRland 16S7, came to
.■\mcrica 1725-30; Iinuglit 300 acres of Jo?eph Kirkbride April 24, 1730, in the south-west
roriHT of New P.ritain, a portion of it beinc: within the present limits of Doylestown Bor-
ough. He died, 1748, at the age of 6r, leaving a widow and five children.

362 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Mr. GimiiiKTO, remaining- until 1824. In 1828, he was ordained to the nlini^lr\ .
and called to the chartje ot the New liritain Baptist church, but about 183 1,
connected him.-eit with the Doylestown Academy, the Rev. Robert P. Du i'.uis,
being co-proiirietor. lie snlisei[uentl\' became principal of the Gumniere's
School and pastor of the LUuiington Baptist church. In 1841 he was called
to the Norristown Baptist church, which he resigned, 1844, ^"J founded the
"Freeniount Seminary," which became a famous school, ha\-ing one hundred
a!id twenty boarders, and sixty day scholars, at a time. Here many promi-
nent men received their education. In 1859 ^^Ir. Aaron accepted a call to the
?\lount Holly Baptist church, and, shortly after, oj)ened a school, remaining
there to his death, April 11, 1S65. In the graveyard there his atlmiring friends
erected a monument to his memory.

The Rev. Samuel .-\aron was twice married; his first wife being Amelia,
dauglUer of the Rev. Uriah Du Bois, of Doylestown, who dying, 1830, he mar-
ried, 1833, Eliza G. daughter of Samuel Currie, New Britain. Air. Aaron
was an able and eloquent man and probably the Iniest speaker ever born in the
county. He was equally elociiient in the puli>it and on the rostrum, his sweet,
musical voice charming all libtcners. He was a great champion of temperance
and a strong advocate of the Anti-Slavery cause. He was a passionate man,
and probably wrecked his fortunes on this rock. The author was his pupil
at Do}lestown and Burlington, and rer.ieniber? him very distinctly. Samuel
Aaron was born in the house where Adam Gaul lived, a mile north of Xew
JJritain village.

The first movement to organize the township was in the summer of
1723. The 14th of June "th.e inlialiitants of Bucks county, situated and settled
upon branches of the Xcshaminy. adjacent to Alontgomery, in the county
of Philadelphia," petitioned "the Honorable Beanch" to lay off and erect a
certain tract of country into a township. The petitioners suggested that the
new township should be called "Britain," but some years before this the set-
tlers had named all that region of country "New Britain," after the island
from which they had immigrated. The ]ietilioner5 ask that the prayer of
"ye inhat.iiiants settled on peckquisi hills" to be made into a township may
be "duly considereil." The jjctilion is endorsed "petition from Forks of Neslui-
miny," and the following names were signed to it: David Evans, David Wil-
liams, Thomas Edwards, iJaniel Hide, Thomas David, Sanniel Davies, Da\id
John. Jihn Humphre\s, Rees Lewis, William James, David James, Grililth
Evans,'' Jnhn James, Joh.n Evans. Benjamin Griftith, John David, John Ed-
wards, Simon Butler. Thomas Edwards, Simon Alathcw, Thomas Rees, and
Josiah James. The boundary cannot be correctly made out from the original
record, but we know th.at it was much larger tlian now, and that its south-
west line reached to tlie county line. Although we have not any record to
confirm it, we believe tlie townsh.ip was laid out and organized in accordance
with the iiraxcr of the petitioners, and prijbal/Iy in the fall of that _\car.
and with the name it now bears, yet it was called "North Britain" as late as

The jirogcnitor of the Hincs familx', this county and State, was Mathcw
Hines, a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian who settled at Whitemarsh, then Phila-
delphia, now Montgomery county, about 1720. His wife dying he married
Ann .Simpson, a widow, and by her had one s^n named Mathcw after his

9 Griffith Evaii5 w.is in New P.rit.Tin prior to 1720, his farm being of the Fitx-
watcr tr.act.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 365

: -i.r r. He came intn New llritnin, 1750. ^"il ''^J/ci- James Delaney, a non-
• ,, -i^lciit, coincyed to Alathew, W illiam ami Samuel llines, and William Simp-
. :;. ilair half hriiihei, ti\c liuiiilrol acr^-s. William llines was active in the
Kfv'lution. He was ensii;!! in Colonel Josei.li Hart's battalion organized
Iiilv, 1776, and served with it in the Amljoy I'Lxpedition that snmmer and fall,
'.ii.i was discharged toward the end of iJceember. It is also claimed that
W illiam Hines commanded a militia regiment at one time. He died, 1S30, at
llie age of eighty and both liimself and wife were buried at Xeshaniiny grave-
\:ird. Dr. A. J. llines, Duyleslown, was a grandson of tlie William Hines, of
v.hnm we speak, and sun of William, Jr.

(iennans began coniing into Xew ]]ritain quite early, although they can-
!!■■! be classed as original settlers. There was a number of families there
previous to the Revolution, not less than ten of which were land-owners,
"■I'lneof them owm'ng land as early as 1744. .Among the names we notice those
of Soudcr, Godshalk, a Alennonite, who owned the first riding-chair in the
neighborhood, Kephart, Lapp, Rosenberger," and Haklernan, most of whom
were in the township previous to 1776. The lialdcmans, who settled there near
the close of the last century, are descended from one of two brothers who
immigrated from Switzerland many years before. One, or both of the brothers
settled in Salford township, 2\Iontgomery county, whence John came into
iii'-cks county in 1762.'^ He bought two hundred and seventy acres of Eenja-
ihin .Austin, Millord township, on which he settled, and, 1786, bought one
Inindred and forty-three acres of Samuel Nixon, Richland. In 1790 John
llaldeman. probably one of the brothers who settled in Salford, and great-
grandfather of Jrlm R. Haldeman, came into Xew Britain and settled on two
hundred and twenty-three acres on the county line which he bought of ^^'il-
liam Roberts, part of three hundred and twenty acres that Joseph Kirk-
bride had granted to Lewis Roberts, of Abington.^- Five years before, Jacob
llaldeman, no doubt member of the same family, bought thirty acres in Xew
r.ritain of Jacob Geil. He was probably a son of John the first, and the
advance-guard in the immigration southward. John llrunner, a blacksmith
of Sancon. Lehigh cnmty, came to New Britain and settled at Castle valley
aliotit 1790, and the late Thomas Brunner was a descendant. The
Hriiikers came from Saucon abc'ut the same tin.ic, and the Garners" from
i'owamencin, or \\orcester. ?vli mlgomery coimt\-, to Warrington about the
close of the century. The Barndts came from near Tylcrsport, ^Montgnnierv
county three-fourths of a century ago, and gave the first name to \\'hitehali-
ville, now Chaltont. The Uetweilers, numerous in New liritaiu and Bediinin-
ter, sprung from ancestors who immigrated from Germany about the niidiile

10 lie owneJ tlie property tli.it now lieloiigi to Abrnlinm Swrirtlcy.

11 Nicholas Hiildcman, in Sah'ord townsliip. Mr.iit^<>iiiery comny, l~,^4. is said to
'■ive crossed the ocean prior to 17jS, and Jo!m, proliably his son, came into Bucks from
'•'UMT Salford when a young man.

12 Owen Rolicrts. a settler in Xew Britain, but of a different family, was a tory in
the Revolution, joined the Britisli. 177S, was charycd wiili treaison and hij real estate c 'U-
!■ cated, and 60 acres sold at the court-h'jusc, Newtown, 1770. It was bouc;ht by Henry
I'.irrah.

i,^ Tile carhe<t trace we ha\c of lIic Garners in Bucks county was 17/6, when John
'■inirr was enrnilni willi non-.\ssrciators. In 177S his name is on the roll of Captain
' '.irrali's militia C"mi>any. Was a ta.xable, 1799.

364 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

of tlic Century and scttkd in Ilor.shani and Whitpain. The Shutt family removed
down friini one of the upper townships of Montgomery about a century ay,"i\
and the Kci'iiarts and ^leytrs came into the township about the same time. The
Leidys are said to have descended from one of three brothers who immigrated
from Germany, one settled in Montgomery county, a second in Lehigh, and a
third in llucks. The Clodshalks are old residents, and members of tlie }iIonl-
gomcry I'.aptist church as long ago as 1770.

The Reese family was in New Dritain as early as 1722, when Josef)Ii
Kirkbridc sold Thomas Keese two hundred and fifty acres. Later sixty-five
acres, making three hundred and fifteen in all. Little is known of the family.
Thomas was the son and successor of the father. In 1773 David Reese sold
the remainder of his tract to Capt. Henry Darrah, New Britain, and, 1779, was
taxed for two hundred and thirty-seven acres. He died, 1782, leaving a widow
and two minor children. He v;as the great-grandfather of Rev. D. K. Turner's
wife. In 1794, James, son of Capt. Henry Darrah, sold the New Britain farm and
moved down into Warminister, where he spent the rest of his life- The name of
Reese is no longer carried on our records. The Flacks were among the early set-
tlers. James, born in Ireland, 1715, died in Buckingham, 1809, at the age of
ninety-four, and was buried at Neshaminy graveyard. Robert Flack of New
Britain, wliei served in Captain Darrah's Companv, in the Revolution, died,
1S14, at tlie age of sevenly-one. (Jne 01 the Harts, of Warminster, married a
J^iiss Reese. The Weirs, Scutch-Irish J 'resbyterians, thought to have come into
the Province early, made their appearance in New Britain, 17G0, probably com-
ing from Warrington. Samuel Weir was a trustee of Ncshaminy church 1754, and
four 'Weirs were buried at Neshaminy, respectively, James, John, Mary and
James, "34. '40, '51 and '54, at the ages of seventy-eight, eighty-seven, eight} -
seven and sixty-seven. In 1765, Wili'am Allen conveyed a tract of three hundre'd
and twenty-five acres to James Weir, ^ho was a sergeant in Darrah's company,
1777. "\\'cir's Corner." at the jimction of the \Vh.itchall pike and the State
road, took its name from the family. The \\'eirs and McKinstrys intermarried.
The aljove deaths are from Mr. Turner's "Neshaminy Church,'' 1S76, but fn>m
another suurce, we lielieve Edward Matliews, we have other data of deaths in
the Weir family: John, 1840. aged eighty-seven and Sanniel. 181 1, at cighty-
probably sons of the immigrant. Rebecca Weir, daughter of Samuel, w.is
the grandmother of General Grant. James Weir, wlio died, 1834, at the
age of seventy-eight, was a son of John. He was born, 1756.

['he Bachmans of New ISritain are desccndcil from a German immigrant,
greal-granil father of Jacob Bachman. whose name and time of arrival are
not known. He probably settled in this county, possibly in Hilltown, where
his grantls.m, John, the father of Jacob, was born about T785. John had two
cliildren. Jacob and Mary, both dead. Jacob ISachman, a prominent citizen,
lived and died at Line Lexington on the New Britain side of the line. Charlos
Eckert, .■niccstor of the Eckert family, was born 1742, and came to America,
1701. ;ii the age of niiutcen. He was sold for three years, to pay liis pa-sa'^e,
to a man who lived at Oley. Berks county, who tauc;"ht him the blacksmith
.trade. I'.ckert was smart anil hidustrious, saved money, and married his em-
])loyer's (laughter. He was a captain in the American army in the Revohili^ 'n.
In 1797 he walked down from Berlcs county, and Ijought near three lnni<ired
acres in .\'ew Britain of "n-iakei" Thc-imas Jones, north of Newville, the
greater pan of which Jones had Imught of Abel James in 1768.

New Britain was es>eini;dly a. Welsh settlement, and for many vears, tli.it
race laigeU- pvedi'ininaied in th.e ])<ij)r,lation, and is yvt strong in nnmliers

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

365

^21

^:-

;,'<:^.B.tr5.

M

;i:i,I influence. Her early settlers -were likewise Baptists, which explains the
] r.ponderance of that denomination in the township at the present day.

The Kcrerends William Thomas and Uenjamin Griffith, the former |)astor
at Jlilltoun, and the latter at Montgomery across the county line, extruded
rix'ir labors among the New Jiritain settlements and to the region norih-
•,■ i-t of Ililltown,
!„ \ond the Tohick-
t-r.. and were the
(!iily ministers, of
the gospel through-
out ail that section
for several years.
Tlie Welsh Bap-
tists c o n n e c t e d
themselves w i t h
t h c r^Iontgomery
church, and formed
part of tliat con-
gregation until the
churcli at New Brit-
;iin was constituted,
ah'iut 1740. This
eh.urch. in part,
(i\'. es its origin to a

'juarrel between the Bajitisls settled at Xew
the "ionship of Christ." We are told that tl
tist gravevard was ;i winiian, carried from a
s^'cliun of the railroad with tlu' mad leading to Landisville, and near the village
of New r.ritain. At one time the house belonged to a man named Gray, and
the JMwland a^ljoining has always been known as Gray's meadow. This lot.
<■! fourteen acres, was reserved by David Stejihens when he sokl the surrotuid-
iug property to John Alathew. 1760, and was not conveyed to the latter
until 1764. The site of tlie lumse is pointed out by a depression in the ground,
but when and by whom built is a m_\sier_\-. This burial prr.bably toolc jilace
about 1740.

The church building, sixty-fne bv forty-six, with a seating capacity
'■'f six hundred, was remodeled, refurnished and otherwise nnich inifiroved
!Ti appearance, inside and out. 1SS2. In 1SS5 a chapel, fifty-six by thirty-three,
with a seating capacity of three hundred, was erected at the cost of $7,000.
It !s divided into seven conipartments. including a library, infant class room,
and two dining rooms, for churcii festivals, in tlie basement. The menibcr-
!-hip is over three Iiundrcd, and mainly represents the descendants of the \\"elsh
"■cttlcrs. For the history of Xew Britain Baptist church see ch.apter on
■'Ili'.toric Churches."

The early settlement of German Mennonites in Xew P>ritain led to the
organization of a church of this denomination. In T752 a lot of about one
acre, was brought of James McColister in the northwest corner of the townshii).
uear the Ililltown line, on which a log meeting-house w as erected. The lot was
afterward enlarged to lictween three and four acres. The llrst deed was made
Hi tru.st to one Roar and Christian Sw.arl/, of Xew Britain, and llenrs- Shooter
atiij John Roscnberger. of Hatfield. \\ hen the log lnuHe was fmuid tun small
III accommodate the gruwing congregation, it was turn duwii and a stone one

Piritain and Montgomery about
J first ]xrsnn Liuried in the Ua])-
house that stoiid near the inter-

366 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

erected in its |)!;Ke. This was enlarged to double the capaeily in i8oS, and in
iS6S this h'liisc was taken d"\\n and a new stone church, fort}-five by sixty
feet, ]juilt v)i the site. This i .rqanization is sometimes called the Line Lexint^ton
church, and at others the I'erkasie church.

Squire Doone. father of Daniel Doone, the famous hunter and pioneer,
of the southwest, was an earl^- settler in New Ih-itain.

There has been sonic contention over the birth place of Daniel Eoone,
not a few crediting it to this county, more than one author locating it on the
west bank ot' the Delaware, below Bristol. Whatever else may be said in its
favor, the eN-iilence does not sustain this latter conclusion. The authorities
substantiall}- agree that the Booncs were English Friends from near Exeter,
Devonshire, and settled in that part of Philadelphia county, now included in
Montgomery. They landed at Philadelphia. George Boone, jr., the first to come
171 3, settled within the liounds of Abington Meeting, producing a certificate
from Bradnineh Meeting, 8lh mo. 26, October, 1713. Pie subsequently be-
came clerk of the Meeting, and entered on its records, the date of his marriage,
5th mo. 2Gth, July, 1713. to Deborah, daughter of William Plowell, which
probably took place in England, as the date of this marriage antedates his mem-
bership by three months. He was followed, 1717, b}' George Boone, Sr.,
his father, accompanied by liis wife and several cliildren. They imited them-
selves with the Gwyuedd .Meeting. Tlie records of this ?%Ieering have the fol-
lowing entry, inidcr date of loth mo. 31st, December, 1717: "George
Boone, Sr., produced a certilicate of his good life and conversation
from the Monthly Meeting at Callumpton, in Great Britain, which was read
and well received." Of the children of George Boone, Sr., the names of four

r'^-y?,

nANU.L nuoNi'

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 367

sons and one dauglitor appear on the G\v\neild records, including that of
Squire Boone, father of Daniel, all probably born in England. Squire Boone
became of some local note as will be seen from the .following extract taken
from the ".Minutes of the Board of Property."
"At the Projirietaries x her 3 d. 1/34-"'

"C'rdered that J. Steel write to Squire Boon for him to seize the walnut
limber cut down liy some person, unknown on the island which is about to be
surveyed to B. Fairman and Peter Rambo, lying on Schuylkill for twenty-one
\ears."

"The timber to remain the property of Proprietaries."
Sfjuire Boone, son of Ck-orge Boone, Sr., was married to Sarah Morgan,
daughter of Edward IMorgan, 7th mo. 23. September, 1720, on records of
Cjwvnedd ^Meeting, the certificate reciting tliat Squire Boone is a' "son of
George Boone, of Philadelphia County," and among the witnesses, were George
Boone, George Jioonc, Jr., and James Boone. Where Squire Boone and wife
fir.st settled is not known, but they were living in New Britain township a few
years later. Such location would be natural. The Morgans were early settlers in
the township, and gave the name to "r\Iorgan's Ford," on the Xeshaminy, where
die .Street road crosses that stream, the family owning land on both sides of
it. As the young wife was a 3.Iorgan, the husband would be inclined to
make their home among her relatives. We learn froiii the Recorder's Olhce,
Doylestown, that on the 3d of December, 1728, "Squire Boone, of Xew Britain,
in the said county of Bucks, A\caver," was "party of the third part" to a
tripartite deed, whereby "Thomas Shute, of the city of Philadelphia, in the
Province of Pennsylvania, Yeoman, and Elizabeth, his wife, of the first part,
and Hierominus Hus, of I'erkioming, in the county of Bucks, in the Province
of the second part, convevcd to the said Squire Boone a tract of one hundred
forly-seveti acres in said township, t!ie line beginning at a "corner of the re]nited
land of Abel ^Morgan." Boone was living in Xew Britain before he took this
conveyance as we learn from the deed. About this time he is known to have
been a petitioner for a road in Xew Britain, and the author has examined
bis signature. "Si^uirc Bor.ne." in plain letters

Scjuire and Sarah Brcine were the parents of nine children, born between
1724 .-md 1740, Ijut the jjlace of birdi of the whole of them is not definitely
known: .Sarah, born 4, 7, 1724; Israel, 3. 9, 1726; Samuel, 3. 20. 1728;
Jonathan. 10, 6, 1730; Elizabeth, 12, T, 1732; Daniel. 8. 22, 1734; Mary. 9,
3- 173'J; George, 11, 2. 1739: and Edward, born 9, 9. 1740. Tlicy are reconled,
as they stand here, on the Quarterly ^Meeting records of Oley.

Thus we have given a Ijrief minute of the Boone family from its arrival
in this county, 1713-77; the marriage of Sc|uire Boone, 1720; his taking a
eon\-e_\ance of ical estate in Xev,- Britain and living there, 1728. The author-
ities agree that Squire I'.ii'.ne purchased a tract of tv.o hundred and forty acres
in I'.xeter township. X(>\enilier 30, 1730, then in Lancaster county, now in
l'.erk>, near the jiresent Reading, and [o it the whole famil}- removed, but
there i> no evidence as to lite time, ineluiling George Boone, Sr. and wife.
Nil I'lu- knows when Squire Boone and his family left X'ew Britain, v>>v at
'A hat tniie he settUil oii his new ])urehase. George Boone, .Sr. died there,
Irbruarv 2. 1740, at sevent\-eight. and his v.ife in May, at seventy-two. The
tact that tlie names and birlhs of his children are reeor<Ied on the Meeting
ric.')r<l< of ( )lcy has no signilicance beyond that fact itself. W'itli these facts, and
•ive i^now of noiliing more pertinent, tmless some stronger testimony be offered,
llie i)l;;ce of P'aniel 1',' >• .uc's hirtli i-;, and will remain, an upen (iiie,--tinn. If

36S HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

not born in Thicks, he was not born in Ih-rks, for tliat county, formed from
Philadeli)hia, IJucks and Lancaster was not organized until after Squire Boone
and Iiis family had removed to Xorlh l_ arolina, 1750. He may have been born
on territory that was sul)ser|ucntly included in the new county of Berks.'",'!'
Tlie A\'igtons, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, probably settleil in Xew Britain,
1735-40, the first of the name being- Samuel "W'higdnn," or "W'igton," who dicvl
intestate, 1741. In 1744 his brother John bought two hundred and twelve acres
in tlie township, of John Kirkbride, and subsequently sixty-three acres of
Thomas and Catharine Morris, and 1791, divided his real estate between his

-.-. V

,-'Xt- ^-C&. y^ . r&lr^

I
. . - . . . J0:^7"'~\ ^i

IRON HILL, RESIDEN'CE OF LlEl'T. SAML WICTON. 1807.

surviving sons, Samuel and William. John W'igton died March 7, iSoi, aged
one hundred and was buried at Deep Run. Captain James \\ igton, son of John,
was killed in the battle of Wy^^ming, July 3, 1778, and all his family massacred,
except a young daughter, Jsabel, whom Samuel went after and fetched to Buck^
county on horsel.iack. The same Samuel was a lieutenant in. the 4th battaliiin.
Bucks county milit-ia, 1777-S, and served at Brandy wine, Germantown and
Monmouth. He married l-llizabedi, daughter of Christo])her and Jean Hughes,
and lived on his farm on Iron Hill, in a brick house, the first in the neighbor-
hood. He died October 11, 1S12, aged seventy-five. His children were Samuel.
an earlv iron master of \\'estern I'cnnsylvania, died, 1828, and succeeded by lii'^

lyA Nearly all, if not all, of Daniel Boone's biographers have fixed his birth p!ace.
and the n iidencc of his family, on the west bank of the Delaware below Bristol, Bucks
county, but there is no evidence to sustain it. Tlicre was a family of Boons in Bristol
township at an early day but, they were not o£ the lineage of Daniel. They were Swedes-
Solomon Boon, with his family, was settled near Bristol prior to 17-15 and owned a farm
Some time that year he petitioned the court for a road from his place direct to the viH.i'.:*
\Ve have cxamiiu-d the petition, and the name, in a legible hand, i-^ .<:pelled Boon. Hi'
will was o.\-ecnted, 174.^, Die, 6, and he liad snu'; Ralph, Joseph and Solomon, and a
danglilcr ICHxabeth. Daniel Bo.-.ne is said to have died at Charette village, Mo., Septem-
ber 26 iS;-'.', ill the oo'h. year of his age.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 369

brother, Christopher,'' who married 2\Iargaret Hines. He commanded a company
of rillcmcn in tlie war of 1812-15 with England, and was succeeded in business
by his sons Samuel and Richard C; Jane Wigton, daughter of Samuel ami
lilizabcth, married Daniel Morgan, .Montgomery county, 1802, and was the
mother of seven children, born between 1803 and 1S18. five growing to ma-
turity; Isabel \\'igton married John Kennedy, and tlieir descendants, the
Kennedys, Fentons, Blakes, Alanns and Rabbs are living in Montgomery
county; Margaret Wigton, married Thomas H. Logan, merchant, riiiladelphia,
whose only son was a member of the city bar; Anne Wigton married John
Sebring Erown, Alexandria, \'a., a descendant of the Browns, of Plumstead,
whose oldest male descendant is F. Wigton Brown, Philadelphia ; Richard
Benson Wigton, member Pennsylvania Legislature, 1S59, and leading iron and
coal operator; Z^Iary A. Wigton married Joseph Dysart, Altoona ; Eleanor
Wigton married William O. Wallace, and one of their daughters was the
wife of Gen. Robert A. AlcCoy, nth Pennsylvania Reserves.

The Wigton descendants, when the Civil war broke out, displayed the
patriotism their ancestors exhibited in the Revolirtion. Several entered the
military service. \\'illiam Wigton Wallace, managing editor of The Presby-
terian, }'hikidelphia, was captain in the 125th Pa. John Melville Wigton.
Phmtingdon county, who married Jane, daughter of Dr. Jackson, medical
director and medical inspector, was in charge of hospital on Lookout }iIoun-
tain, and John J. Wigton served a three years' enlistment in the 104th Pa. At
tiie battle of Antietam, Captain Wallace, of the Color Company, of his regi-
ment, 125th Pa., seized the flag after five bearers had been killed. William
Wigton was the immediate ancestor of all the Wigtons living in Bucks county
during the past three quarters of a century. The late Charles Wigton. Doyles-
town, was his grandson, the son of Jarnes. Charles Wigton spent his life here
and was active in business and politics. The town is indebted to him for some
desirable improvements. Samuel Wigton, whose wife was Elizabeth, died.
1741, the wife, 1757.. His son was Lieut. John Wigton, 3d Reg. Penna. Line,
member of Pennsylvania Society of Cincinnati, tutor at the University of Penn-
sylvania, 1775-85 ; and himself, wife and two daughters died within three weeks,
of yellow fever at Philadelphia, and were buried in the churchyard at
h'ourth and Pine. He was married twice, one wife being Nancy Darrah.
The family has produced some distinguished men. Among them diplomatic
rcpreseiitativcs at Washington, of the Republic of Texas ; another, Robert Un-
tlerwood Johnson, Cross of the French Legion of Honor, Knight of the Crown
of Italy, and Assistant Editor, Century 2\lagazine. His brother, Henry Under-
wood Johnson, was a member of Congress from Indiana.'^

The Atherholts, a numerous family in Eastern Pennsylvania, settled
in Bucks county, 1753. Christian, the immigrant, sailing from Hamburg and
landirig at Philadt'l[ihia. He was a native of Hanover. Gcrmanv. In re-
ligion he was probably a Mennonite or joined them soon after his arrival. He

H He lived some years in Chester county, and is mentioned in Fiithey & Cope's his-
tory, and -Africa's History of Jjlair County.

15 The engraving that accompanies the sketch of the Wis'.on family was the home
of Sannu-1 Wigton on Iron Hill, New Britain, and is supposed to have been built about
1 701, soon after conn'ng into possession of the land. The oiiginal drawing was made by
I'.lizabelh Wigton, daughter of Samuel, 1S07, and remained in her possession until her
death, 1S75. The copy, from which the et'-.graving was made, was drawn by F. Wigton
Brown.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

was a young iiuirriol man with wife and chiMron. Their residence, the tirst
eiglUeen years, i:, r,..t dehnitely known, but probaI)Iy' in New Lritain or Ilill-
imvn. In 1771 Chri.-iian Athcrholt bought one hundred and fifty-one acreb
in the western corner of Xew Britain, of Christian Krawll, a portion of tlie
•village of Line Lexington being built on the tract. It was owned in nir.re
recent years by the Ruth and Clymer families, lie made his will 1806 and

■died 1812, leaving tive children: Frederick, deceased; Christian, Wilhelmina,
Lavina and Catharine. To Christian, the oldest son living, was given the

.lionicstead, while to the daughters, including Frederick's widow and her ele\en

•children, were bequeathed money.

Frederick Athcrliolt, eldest son of the immigrant, is supposed to have

.been born between 1740 and 174S, and married Esther Bibighouse about
17GS. He was a tanner by trade and died suddenly, October, 17S9. just in
liis prime. He had purchased a farm of forty acres, the previous March, in

"Bedminster and tradition says he was found dead in his bed, in the morning.
at Line Lexington, whither he had gone to take charge of a tannery, on die
premises now owned by Oliver ]Morris, at the junction of the County Line
and the Bethlehem i)ike. He left eleven children, born betwen 1769 and 1787:
Daniel, i\Iary, Abraham, Christian, Frederick, David, Joseph, Esther, Samutl
and Gabriel. The second Christian Atherholt remained in possession until his
death, 1838, his will being executed April 21st. He married Margaret King,
and they had a family of ten children: Catharine, wife of John Ruth;
Ciiristian ; ^lary, wife of Levi Swartly : Elizabeth, wife of Daniel Ruth: Anna,
wife of Samuel Detweiler ; Sarah, wife of John Lightcap ; Rebecca, wife of
Peter Loux, father of the late John A. Loux, justice of the peace, and promi-
nent man in Bcdniinster; Samuel, who married Rebecca Fry, and John. The
executors sold the real estate that had been in the family sixty-eight years.

The Atherliolts have a record of patriotism from the Revohition to the
Civil war. Christian was a member of Capt. Henry Darrah's Companv of
Associators, 1776-7; Frederick, his elder brodier, was a member of Captain
Charles Mcllenry's Company, and for which he recruited from March 11
to May 20, 177S: ill the Civil war, \\'ilson D. Atherholt, a native of H.-iy-
cock, Bucks count)-, served in the 5th \Msconsin, and lost his life in tlie
Caiii])aign on the ]"'eninsula ; David Atherholt, of Bucks county, was a sol<lier
in the I'ninn army, and others of the name saw service in the same, from
Luzerne and Mercer counties and Philadelphia. The descendants of the immi-
grant of 1753, arc found in almost every walk in life, one Thomas C. Ather-
holt, tlie fifth in descent from Frederick, and a native of Bucks, is a whole-
sale dealer in china, glass and queenswarc, Philadelphia. He was a participant
in the exciting scenes in Kansas almost half a century ago.

.■Vmong the interesting homesteads in Xew lirilain. is that recentlv in
the tenure of the Donaldson family, and owned by them for one hundred
and thirty years, situated on tlic nordiwest side of wlial is kiTuvn as the Do\les-
towii road where it crosses the county line. The liouse is a large stone
structure, surrounded by a farm of one Inuidred and sixty-seven acres with a
lasting spring of water nearby, antl was originally part of the James Steel tract
bought 171S. For the next fifty years the two hundred and twelve acres which
Abel Morgan, a I'.ai'list minister, b'ui^ht of the Steel tract, was !i>'ld by Divid
E\aiis, \J22, to 17,^8, when it was sold to Jonathan Drake; then to Thomas
Drake, 1756. and to Joseph Endict. 1770. The next purchaser was Edward
Milnor, an ancestor of the Donald.--on.s on the maternal side. A ; art of the
present stone stniclure was built when Milnor bought the j'roperty, and tlie

HISrOKY OF BUCKS COUXTV

371

rcn'iin(.kT siibsci|iK'ntly. Milnor was a delegate to the rroviiicial Convention,
i;75, and tiled 1^03. In the list of taxables in New Britain, 1779, Edward
MiiihT was taxed iL'r one hnndred acres and fonr negro slaves. In 1777,
>;irah .Milnor, daughter of Edward Milnor, married Jolih Donaldson, son of
Hugh. The Donaldsons were Scotch-Irish. Hugh, the immigrant, born, 1721,
(. ■iiinig to PhihuJeliihin about 1750, engaged in tiie manufacture of sea biscuit,
and married AJary W'ormly at the age of twenty-one. He was an ardent
iriend of the Colonies in the Revolution, and one of the signers of the Xon
Importation Act.- 1765; dying, 1772, while on a visit to Ireland. John Donald-
.>.on was a young man when the Revolution broke out, and entering the
ca\alry served at Trenton, Brandy wine, Germantown and elsewhere. In 1794
lie served in the force that quelled the Whiskey Insurrection in western Penn-
sylvania, and in civil life filled the office of Warden of the Port of Philadel-
jiliia. He was born at Philadelphia, 1754, and died there 1831, at seventy-
seven, and only lived transiently on the New Britain farm. John Donaldson
had live sons and four daughters, the former bearing the names of Edward,
John, Hugh, George and Richard. The latter, born 17S7, and died 1872 at
eighty-tive, and inherited the fann and married Harriet Curry, New Britain.
He was known as Cajitain Donaldson, having followed the sea manv years and
gained that title.

Near the close of the eighteenth century a new settler moved across the
Montgomery line into New Britain, and was one of the most prominent men in
the township for thirty years. This was Jacob Rcu], son of Philip and Fcronica
iveed, immigrants from Mannheim, in the Palatinate, Germany, and landed
at Philadelphia, October 15. 1727. They settled in ^ilarlborough township,
then in Philadelphia county, a few miles from Bucks border, wliere the son
was born June 28, 1730. He was brought up on his father's farm, received a
good education for the time and in 1755 married ^iagdalena Leidv, youngest
daughter of Jacob Leidy, Franconia township. They setttled in West Hatfield
adjoining the farm of the brother, Jacob Leidy, Jr.

-Vt the breaking out of the Revolution. Jacob Reed took an active part in
the cause of the Colonies, soon becoming one of the most conspicuous
young men in that section. He served in the militia during the -war, reaching
the rank of lieutenant-colonel. His command was made up of the troops of
I pper and Lower Salford, Towamencin, Hatfield, I'erkiomen and Skipjiack,
and ti.ok the field on several occasions. He is sai^l to have been present at
Trontitii, and particiijated in the campaign of 1777 in Pennsylvania, his knowl-
edge of ilie field of operations making his services more valuable. The activity
of Colonel Reed made him a mark for the ill will of the tories. On one occa-
sion when visiting his family, he was shot in the leg and captured, tied to a
tree and tarred and feathered, and his friends rescued, him while the enemv
was digging the grave to bury him. These parties were compelled to flee the
country and their property was sulisciiuently confiscated. One day. while
rilling along the public road, lie was fired at frr.m a fence corner by a Hessian,
and while the British held Philadeliihia. he was cartured by a raiding party,
and his life saved by an officer's wife intereetling U)V him.

In 1783. at the close of the war. Colonel Reed purchased ninety acres,
ni Xe\^ liritain. c>f John Garner, on the county line a mile west of Colmar. the
N'fshaniiny runninir ihrouch it. He removed to this farm. 1703, on selling
liis llatheid tract, and living there until his death, Nmemlier 2, iSjo. He was
huriod in l.eidx"'- ijraxeyavd, I'ranc mia townsliip. Ili^ de;ilh was nuich re-
gretted. He \sa^ active in all good work and lilleil a nunilier of jiulilic trusts.

372

IIISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

Colonel Kcod's oldest son, Philip, married Elizabeth Solliday, only daui^hter
of Frederick Solliday, Bedminster, and to him was deeded a portion of the Xew
Britain plantation. On it he subsequently erected a saw and grist mill, among
the earliest in tne township, a short distance beluw the covered bridge tliat
spans the Ncshaminy on the county line. The mills have long since dis-
appeared.

IMennonites were almost the in-sl religions sect on the banks of the Dela-
ware. About 1662 some of the followcTs of Menno .Simon came from Hollami
and settled at Whorekill, where the Dutch made them a grant free from all
impost and taxation for twenty years. When the Delaware fell into the hands
of the English, two years later, these unoffending people were severe sufferers.
The conquerors robbed them of their goods, and many of them were sold as
slaves to \'irginia. They were among the early German immigrants to the
banks of the Schuylkill. They purchased a lot at Gcrmanlown, 1703, and five
years after, erected a frame meeting-house. The church was organized ^^lay
23, 1 70S, and they worshiped in the old building until 1770, when the frame
was replaced by a substantial stone structure, whose centennial was celebrated
in 1870. This modest frame was the parent church of this denomination in
America. John Senscn is said to have been the first ilennonite who came to
Philadelphia and Germantown. Just when this sect came into Bucks county
is not known, but they were among the earliest German immigrants who pene-
trated the wilderness of the upper townships in the first thirty years of the
eighteenth century, and now constitute a considerable portion of our rural Ger-
man population. They are almost universally farmers, and in point of morals,
integrity and industry, are second to no class of the inhabitants of our county.
They are jilain in dress, frugal in living, and poverty among them is almost
imknown, leading a simple life and mingling little with the great outside world.
They agree with the Friends in their opposition to war.

The Mcnnonites of Bucks county being without a v>ritten history, we
find it difficult to trace their churches and congregations. They have churches
in New Britain, Rockhill. Milford, Springfield, Bedminster, Doylestown. and
probably elsewhere. Xew Britain was one of the first townships they settled
in. and the Fine Lexington congregation is one of the oldest in the comitv.
The Reverend John Geil, son of Jacob Geil who immigrated from Alsace,
or a neighboring province on the Rhine, at the age of eight years and settler!
in Springfield, was one of their ablest ministers. Jacoli, the son, was born
there in .-\pril. 1778, The father, who married a sister of \'alentine Clymer.
of .Xew Britain, removed to Chester county and, soon after to Virginia. Tac'ib
was apprenticed to learn the taiming-trade, but, liking neither the trade nor
the master, ran away and returned to Bucks county in his eighteenth or twen-
tieth year. Fie tnarried Flizabetli Fretz, of New Britain, April 22, 1802, and
had nine children, of whom .Samuel Geil, Doylestown, was one. Fie proVnibly
joined the Doylestown cluu-ch, and. in 1810 or iSii was called to the ministrv
at Fine Lexington, wliere he preached until 1852. His wife died November
5, 1849, in her sixty-ninth year, and he the 6th of January, 1866, in his eighty-
eighth year, in Plum.^ead township. He was a man of strong mind.
extensive reading, ami had a rem.arkalilv retentive memorv. John Holds-
man, a member of the church for thirty-eight vears, and probablv one of the
pastors at Line Fexington, dierl in New Britain February 9, 1815, aged seventy-
eight. Amonn- other niini.-ters at this.elmrch in the past eighty vears, can be men-
tioned Henry Hunsbergir, Faac Iliin-icker, Isaac Oberlioltzer, George Landi^
Henry Mo\ L-r, and .Vbraliain .Moyer. Henry Hnnsberger became a bishop and

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 373

jiresided over the three churches of Perkasie, Deep Run and Doylestown, ad-
ministering the ordinance of baptism and the Lord's supper. The oldest toinb-
st.Mie in the burial-ground attached to this church was erected to the memory
of Abigail Shive, who died in 1783.

Captain Jrihn Robbarts, a later settler in New Britain, and long a resident
in the township, was an Englishman by birth. There is some romance as
well as mystery, connected widi his life, wdiich the public knew not of while
lie lived among them. It was supposed that Robbarts was not his true name,
that he followed the sea from his boyhood, had .been an ofticer of the Engliih
Xavy, and deserted it for our service. At what time he came to this country
is not known with any degree of certainty, but probably prior to the war of
1812-15 with England, for, in 1S13, he was commanding the private armed
shi]) "Jacob Jones," of sixteen guns and seventy-four men, sailing out of
I'oston, and a number of valuable prizes fell into his hands. We next hear of
him in command of one of Stephen Girard's merchant ships, where he won the
reputation of a trusty sea captain, but, how long we do not know. On January
II, 1820, John Erunner, Administrator of John r^Ioyer, of New Britain, de-
ceased, conveyed to John Robbarts, of Philadelphia, a messuage and tract
•of moderate size, in that township, on which he probably shortly settled and
where he died. He soon became active and prominent in the affairs of his
neighborhood. At this period the volunteer militia were nearly at their height
in the county, and in them he took an interest. It was mainly through his
•efforts that the Union Troop, one of the most famous cavalry companies in the
state, was recruited and orgam'zed. The first meeting, held for the purpose,
was on the evening of July 20. 1822, at the Indian Queen tavern, Doylestown,
later the "Ross ^Mansion," and Robbarts was elected captain. He resigned
in 1 83 1, and was succeeded by George H. Pawling who was elected May 7,
i>!32. Captain Robbarts' residence was known as the "Prospect Hill Farm."
-\\herc he died on December 20, 1S44, leaving a widow, Christian, but no chil-
<lren. She released the right to administer on the estate to Samuel Darrnh,
and Stephen Brock and Kirk J. Price, of Doylestown, appraised the personal
property at 84,002.85. The settlement of the estate showed $5,083.08 per-
sonalty and $7,380.80 arising from the sale of real estate. The balance, in the
hands of the administrator after the payment of debts was invested in state
securities for the benefit of the widow.

The only congregation of Universalists ever in the county was in New
Britain. The jiastor, David Evans, was an eccentric character and a good
classical scholar, but of a quarrelsome and contentious disposition. lie lived
on Pine nui. lie ^^■as a member at New Britain many years, but changing his
views tried to divide the congregation and take part of it with him. He
was prohibited preaching in the church and then dismissed, \vhcn he organized
-a congregation about 1785. On January 30, 1790, the members, all
told, were, David Evans. Daniel Evans. Josejih Barton, Thomas Morris, Isaac
Thomas, Daniel Thomas, John Riale, Gilbert Belcher. Isaac Morris and James
Evans, who signed a document approving the jiroposal for a I'niversalist con-
vention in the following 'May. In 1793 they report that they have been able
to maintain weekly meetings most of the year. The report for 1802 says: "We
have a little meeting-house. Iniilt in a convenient place, by the side of a pulilic
road, and finished in November last (1801 ). Since then we have had meet-
ings for religious worship tlieri-in every first day of the week. . ]^)nt a few
only incline to uTCet stateiily." The church sent delcsntes to the conventions in
Pliihuk-lphia iri.ni 1700 to iNoij. when the last was held. Thi:)nias Morris

374 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

was clerk during this period. The house they met in was built on ^Ir. Evans's
own farm, some years a^ro in the possession of his grandson, J. Judson Evruu,
on the road leading to New Uriiain half a mile west of Sandy Ridge school-
liouse in Doylcstown township. It was suljsequcntly used lor a school-house.
but has long since been torn down. Air. ]-"vaiis preached for the congre-
gation to his death, in 1824, in his eighty-sixth year, when the little tlock
scattered. He was at the head of Universalism in his day, and was present
at every convention from 1790 to 1S24. He was buried in the Mennoniie
graveyard above Doylcstown. He did a large amount of public neighborhood
business, and' attended to considerable in the courts before the seat of justice
was removed to Doylcstown. >le was noted for his penmanship. Two of
his pamphlets on religious subjects were printed at Doylcstown: one a sern^.-in
on "Absolute Predestination.'' ])reached at the opening of the Universalisi
convention, at Philadelphia, May 17, 1806, the other, a lecture in the Univer-
salist church. Philadelphia, in June, 1809. entitled "Remarks on the Baptist
Association Letter." On the title-page of the latter he is styled: "^Minister
of the Univcrsalian church, at New Britain." At his death his manuscripts
were scattered and lost.

The record of the opening of original roads in New Britain is brief,
but none of them are as old as the township. In 1730 the inhal.iitants peti-
tioned for a road froin the county line via Whitehallville, now Chalfont, New-
Britain and Doylcstown to Buckingham meeting. It was probably not granted
at that time, but shortly after. It followed substantially the track of the present
road between the same points which meet the York road at Centreville. It
was asked for ''as an outlet from the Jerseys to North Wales and the Schuyl-
kill," and soon became a thoroughfare of travel. The Almshouse road was
laid out and opened about 1745. by the "New mecting-Iiou?e" to the north-
east line road in \\'arwick. One of the earliest roads in the township is that
for many years called "The Butler'' road, and I believe is still so called by
some because Sininn Butler had it opened. It starts from the store-house
west of the bridge, at Chalfont, and runs to Louisville, a hamlet on the Bethle-
hem road and was turnpikcd in recent years. ■ It crosses the county line
at Pleasantville, and joins the Bethlehem road at what was Rutter's. more
recently Foust's. tanyard and opened to give the New Britain settlers an outlet
10 Philadelphia.

There is a tradition that the great Indian chief, Taniany, died and
was buried near a spring at the foot of Pr(js]icct hill, three and cine-half
miles west of D<-iylestnwn. It is handed down in the .Shewell family that
a great chief, whoever he was. was taken sick while going to attend a treaty,
and was left in charge of his daughter in a wigwam ; that, chagrined at
being left behind, he took his own life, and was buried near the spring, at
the foot of a big jiojilar, by Walter, grandfather of Nathaniel .^hewell. Idie
most accurate computation of time fixes the date about 1749. but there is no
evidence that the chieftain alluiled to was Tamany."

Tliis celebrated Indian first appears in history in his treaty of run^''
23, 1683, with William Eenn. by which he granted him all the lands "Iving

16 .\t a meeting of the Bucks County Historical Society, measures were taken to
mark the cr.ive spoken of, the coniniittoe belicvinij the facts warr.ant the assumption that
a Krcat cliicf was buried near the spriatr: wlillc no one vouclies it was Tamnuy, but his
<lcalli ami burial have always been comu-ctiil with it by IracJilion. Mr. lUnk holds tliat
Tamaiiv could ii'it have been buried at Now Prilain.

HISrORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Iiitwccn rciinajjLcka aiicl Xcssaniiicchs creek, and all alung Xcs?aniiicchs
crrek," in consideration of as much \vanii)uin and ,i;oods as i'enn niiglit please
to ;;ive him. Tamanv, or Tamanetid, a]i|)ears in other treaties for lands in this
rouiity. But little is known of liim. Gabriel Thomas, in his account of the
jirovincc, published in 1698, mentions him as a great Delaware chief, but
Ik- leaves the inference that he was deceased. Heckewelder says: "All we
know of him is that he was an ancient Delaware chief that never had his
f([i!3l. Me was in the highest degree endowed with wisdom, virtue, prudence,
clK'.rity, affability^ meekness, hospitality, in short with every good and noble
((ualification that a human possesses." The tradition that Tamany died and
was buried near Prospect hill is not received without contradiction. [Mahlon
S. Kirkbride alleges that he died in a cabin in Buckingham township, and that
a white neighl^t^r buried his remains. He was a firm friend to \\'illiam
iVnn anrl sometimes sat in Friends' meeting. If Tamany died about 1749,
it is singular that none of his English contemporaries mention it.

Nev.- Britain has three villages, the one named after the township at
tlic crossing of the old North Wales and Alms-house roads, Chalfont, on
the Xfirth Wales road, a mile west of New Britain, and Xew Galena, three
miles northwest of Doylestown.

Twenty dwellings, smith shop, two stores, and a Baptist church, which
stands over the line in ,Doylestown township, and a small frame railroad
station comprise Xew Britain village. On Alay i, 1753, Thomas and Jane
James conveyed a small lot to one Rebecca Humphrey, widow, near where
the store stands. She afterward ' married William Thomas who probably
built a log house on the lot before 17C0, the first at the cross-roads. Be-
t.wen 1740 and 1750 Jonathan ivlason purchased twenty acres of Daniel Steph-
ens west of the Alms-house road, about opposite the railroad station, and on
which and near the house of Peter Landis, miller, he Iniilt a dwelling and a
fulling-mill that was run by Cook's creek. The dwelling was repaired, 1830,
and the old mill demolished, 1850. The seventy-five acre farm, just east
of Xew Britain village, lately the property of Mrs. Keeley, and owned several
years by David Evans, was somewhat noted in Colonial times. It was then
owned by Aaron James, who sold it, 1764, to Samuel Mason, this family
owning it for two generations. In 1839 '^^ came into the possession of David
l:lvans, antl was sold, 1856, after his death. Since Evans purchased it. T839,
to its sale by the Keeley family, over half a century, it was only occupied by
tiiree families, those of Evans. Hamilton and Keeley. Mr. Evans was an
.'iciive Baptist; his nearness to the church brought him a multitude of guests.
an 1 it was said, well nigh ate him out. This was during the pastorate of
the Rev. Heman Lincoln, in the 40's. who boarded with him. A school house
was erected near the graveyard and in it Mr. Lincoln taught a classical
school for a few years. David Riddle at eighty-seven, told the author, that the
hrst and only house at New Britain village at the close of tiic eighteenth
century, was owned and occupied by Alice Gray. On the corner oji|«-isite
Janies E. Hill's, a building was erected for a pottery, 1807, by Ephraim
i nomas, but subsequently change<l into a dwelling. The postofficc was es-
t:i.blishcd. 1829, the first in the township, and Isaac W. James appointed post-
n!a>ier. liis conunission bearing date December 28tli.

Chalfont, named after Chalfont St. Giles,'" a parish of Bucks. England,

17 During the plague in LoikMu, 1665. Miitnn made tliis parish liis residence, and
lie fmislu'd Iiis gre.it poem "Paradise Lost."

376 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

where William Penii was bmiL-d in the Friends' yard, is situated at the forks
nf Neshaniiny. formed by the main stream and north branch. Its earliest name
.vas Darndtville. after John liarndt, die tavern keeper, then Whitehallville,
but when the railroad was built, the |)Ostoft'ice and station were called "Chal-
font." Simon r^lathew was the first owner of property about the statinn.
and his broliier Edward owned a tract on the northside. One of these
brothers, and several others of the name, removed to Virginia, and ]\Iathews
county, on the western shore of the Chesa]:)cake. was named after them.
The first building erected at what grew to be Chalfont. and occupied as
a public house, was built by Henry Lewis, an early settler in Hilltown,
who owned one lunidred acres in the neighborhood and was kept by George
Kunglc, his son-in-law. It was built several years before the Revolution,
and was lately standing near the present tavern. Kungle removed to Chester
county during the war, whereupon James Thomas became the landlord and
owned it at the dose of century. It is said to have been a noted place for cock-
fighting during the war. James Lewis, a teamster and soldier of the Revolu-
tion, said that ?\Iorgan's rillemen, at one time, staid a week at Chalfont and
amused thcn:sel\cs and the inhabitants, by shooting at shingles held by each
other. When Tliomas kept the tavern, the \-illagc had three houses, one
opposite where Haldeman kept store, another owned by Thomas Mathews,
ami a third across t)ie bridge. At present the village consists of a Lutheran
church, two taverns, two stores, a steam mill, several mechanics and about
fifty dwellings. Since the railroad was opened it lias become quite a busi-
ness center, and large quantities of farm produce are shipped to the Phila-
delphia market. A postoffice was established at Wniitchallville as early as
1843 and William Stephens appointed po.stmaster. The tavern at Chalfont
was kept about sixty years l.)y the Earndt family. The Hartzell mill was
built, 1703, and the Butler mill, at the junction of Pine Run and North
Branch, 1720-25. At that time there were no mills nearer than the Wissa-
iiickon and Perklomen. The ]3utler mill was burnt down shortly after the
Civil war and not rebuilt. Chalfont was incorporated into a borough in 1902.
New Galena, a hamlet of a dozen houses, situated on the slope of the hills, ris-
ing from ihc Xorlli Branch valley, was the seat of quite extensive mining opera-
tion in the past. It is thought $60,000 were invested in the purchase of land,
sunpo.-ed to bo rich, in lead ore, in 1863, and much spent in developing it, but
the eiitcr]jrise was a failure. Louis Evans, a Welshman, was the first land
owner in that section,, but lived elsewhere. His holding was four hundred
acres. He came carlv. about 1710-15, an involuntary immigrant, the ship sail-
ing while on shipboard bidding goixlbyc to friends about starting for Pcnn's
Colimv. The Ivowlands, mentioned elsewhere, owned lands on the slopes of
these hills the first quarter of the eighteenth century, and the Godshalks, of
lb. Hand origin, settled in this part of the township, 1765, coming do\\n from
Hilllnwn.

Ani'^ng the residents of Xew I'.rilain during the RevciluticMiary period, was
a Col'jnel Kheidt, who lived on the farm formerly o\\ned by the late Thonias
MacReynolds. on the Xcshaminy a mile from the county line. He took sides with
the C>>l"nie«. hence ihe ill will of liis tory neighbors. On a winter night, 177S,
Abiiali Wright, from the eastern corner of Hatfield icjwnshi]), JNIontgoniery
couiitv. headed a partv of tories to capture Rheidf, but himself and friends
drove Ihcm oii. Wright was wumided liy a fiiece of the Colonel's sword,
broken off in the encounter, falling 'nn his fool. He was traced by his
blood, caught and hanged from the limb of a white oak tree standing on

HISTORY or BUCKS COUNTY. 377

tiie Jjcthlcheni road below .Montgomery Square. One of Wright's confcd-
cralcs, a tory farmer of Xew Lritain, named Mordecai Roberts, was saved
fnun tlie gallows by his hrollier William, who was a patriot. This is a
township tradition preserved by Edward jSIathews, the historian, and is very
likely to be true, for New I'.ritain was infested by a nest of tories during the
«-.ir for independence.

The surface of New Britain is broken in parts. .-\. ridge runs through
the township from Plumstead to the Montgomery line, north of the north
branch of Neshaminy, which is called both Iron hill and Highlands. It
sheds the water to the south, and from the summit, is obtained a line view of
the country in that direction. Prospect hill, in the south-western part of
the township, on the upper state road leading to Xorristown, is the shoulder
f)f a plateau rather than a hill, to which you ascend after crossing the
Xeshaminy, and which extends away to the south-west. From the brow is
one of the most charming prospects in the county, whence the eye ranges
over a delightful scope of cultivated country and follows the windings of the
Ne.shaminy. The hill and the land across the creek to the north were long
the property of the Kelso family, and in olden times, was called 'Tvelsey's
hill." James Forsylhe settled near Prospect hill, and his family intermarried
with the Kelsoes, both Scotch-Irish. Thomas Forsythe, elected Canal-Com-
missioner, 1S53, was a descendant of this family.

One hundred years ago the crossing of Xeshaminy at Godshalk's mill,
at the upper state road, was called "Morgan's ford." and the crossing of the
same stream at Castle valley, "Barton's ford." named from families in Xew
Britain, long since extinct in the male line. Thomas Holcomb, son of Jacob,
of Buckingham, erected the Pine Run mill in 1746, which was sold by his
assignees to Owen Roberts in 1750, who conveyed to SmiUi Cornell in 1756.
Jacob Stout purchased it in 17137, and it was many years the property of his
son-in-law, Gabriel Swartzlandcr. Smith Cornell owned a mill there before
1759. Miller and Evans in 1793, and I'Vetz's mill in 1795, which year a road
was laid out from it to the Bethlehem road "near the German Baptist meeting-
house."

There are hut few notable events to be mentioned in connection v. i*h
*Xcw Britain. In 1S05 Benjamin .Snodgrass,'^ while proceeding with his wife,
in a chaise, to visit their son, a minister of the gospel at Idanovcr, in Dauphin
county, was upset from which he received wounds that shortly caused his
death. As recently as 1S21 a wildcat, weighing eleven pounds, and measur-
ing three feet, nine inches in length, was killed on the farm of the late Moses
Aaron, four miles from Doylestown. Among the aged men of X'cw Britain,
v.'hose death is recorded, was Colonel Jacob Reed, an officer of the Revolu-
tion, who died Xovember 2. i8jo, in his ninetv-lirst vear, and Robin, a
black man, 1805, at ninety-six.

In 17S4 Xew Britain contained a population of seven huntlred and sixty-
four; dwellings, one hundred and forty-seven, outhouses, one lumdrcd and thir-
teen, and an area of fifteen tiiousand eight hundred and thirty acres. This in-
ehidcd tlve thiaisand, three .hundred and fifty acres put into Doylestown, when
thai township was laid out. 181S. The present area of Xew Britain is ten

iS J.irnes -Snodsr.iss. a Scotch-Irish Prcsbvtcri.Tn, gave n. lot fnr n school nt Chalfont,
lSi>5; was called the Snocigrass school and put in charge of three trustees. It was main-
tained for nearly three-quarters of a century when the buildinpr was sold after the town-
ship's tardy adoption of tl'.c coniniou school law, and a new school hou>c erected nearby.

578 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

tliousaiid, fciur hundred and eighty acres. The population in iSio was one
thousand, four hundred and seventy-four; 1S20, after Do3-!esto\vn had been
laid out, on.' tlKuisaud, eig;hty-two, a loss of three hundred and ninety-twii ;
1830, one thousand, l^wo liundred and one, and two hundred and seventy
taxables ; 1840, one thousand, three hundred and four; 1850, one thousand,
three humlred and one white and two colored; 1S60, one thousand, six
hundred and thirt} -seven white and two colored: 1S70, one thousand, six
hundred and ninety-two while and fifteen colored, of which one thousand,
five hundred and ninety-five were native-born, and one hundred and twelve of
foreign Ijirth ; iSSo. one thousand, eight hundred and forty-four; 1890, one
thousand, sc\en hundrcil and four; if)00, oiie thousand, six hundred an<l
seventeen.

In 1752, the Godshalk mill, with one hundred acres of land, was owned
by Samuel Alartin, a millwright, who prohablv built it. John Davis was a
justice of the peace, before whom the inhabitants of the township took and
subscribed the oath of allegiance to the new state government. In Xew
Britain, not far from the Lo\\er State road, some four miles from Doylcs-
town. stands a noted dwelling, known throughout all the surrounding
country, as "Brown's rVjlly." We do not know the name of the present
owner, nor has it a regular occupant, but picnics, dances and other social
gatherings are sometimes held there, and at times the owner and occupants
take summer boarders. It was built about half a century ago by one William
R. Brown,'" a resident of Doylestown.

19 William R. Brown, tlie son of wealthy parents of Philadelphia, with a proclivity
for sowing wild oai5, was sent up to the goodly village of Doylestown about 1850. Here
he met !Miss Caroline Lawson, an English girl, who, with her father and mother, made their
home at what is now the Fountain House. The two young people fell in love and married,
and the husband built "Brown's Folly" for their liome, but did not occupy it long. The
wife was a very fine horsewoman and galloped the country over. He entered the army
diu-ing the Civil war, attained the rank of Captain and mustered out the 104th regiment
The wife spent some of licr latter years at Norristown. We believe both are dead.

CHAPTBR XXIV.

PLUMSTEAD.

1725.

Location of Plumsttad. — First Land-owner. — Henry Child.— Christoplier Day. — Thomas-
Brown. — John Dyer. — Michencrs. — First mill — Easlon road opened. — William Mich-
ener. — The Shaws.— Old Draft.— Township organized.— The Child family.— The
Doanes. — Friends' meeting. — The Votaws. — Remains of church. — Its history. — Philip
H inkle. — Dunlaps. — Criers. — Nash. — Old graveyard. — Mennonite meeting-house. —
Charles Huston. — Indians.— Last wolf killed. — Roads opened. — Plumsteadville, Point
Pleasant.^Oldcst house. — "Poor Plumstead." — Immigration to Canada.— -John Ellicott
Carver. — Horse company. — Population. — Aged persons. — Morgan Hinchman. — Fretz's
mill.— PostofTices.

Imniodialelv north of Buckingham and Solebur}' hes a tract of country
divided into valley and plain by Pine Run and the North Branch, that flows
west into the Xeshaminy, and by Hickory, Geddes, and Cabin runs that empty
into the Delaware. In most parts the ground falls gradually away to the
streams, and the contiguous slopes are joined by level stretches of farm land.
This region, of valley, plain and winding creeks, is Plumstead townshij), now
a little more than one hundred and seventy-five years old.

English Friends pushed their way up into the woods, of Plumstead.
through Buckingham and Solcbiu'y at an early day, and were on the extreme
limit of the tidal-wave of civilization that swept upward from the Delaware.
Here, after a time, were encountered a new stream of immigration, and Penn's
followers were arrested in their course by others contending for priority in
settling the forest. Tlie lower and middle sections of the township were mainly
settled bv l-Viends ; the upper sections by Scotch-Irish Presbyterians and later
by Germans.

I'Vancis Plumstead, one of the first to own land in the township, was an
ironmonger of London, and received twenty-five hundred acres of \\'iiliam
Penn in consideration of -£50, October 25, 1OS3. Of this grant one hundred
acres vv'ere surveyed to Plumstead in the township which bears his name, by
virtue of two -warrants dated June 21 and 20. 1704. antl a patent issued in
January. 'I'hi.-; land joined that of the widow Mu.sgrave, or }>Iusgrovc, Joseph
Paul and Elizaljeth Sands, who were already landowners and probably set-
tlers. Phunsteail's entire grant must have been located in the township for
we find frrim John Cutler's resurvey, Ijo.v lliat the whole twenty-five hundred

^8o

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

acres are returned to Francis P'lunistead. He never came to America, but
conveyed his land to Richard Hill, merchant, Pliiladelpliia.

In i6Si William Penn granted five hundred acres to Henry Child, of
Coleshill, parish of Rindishani, County Herford, v>-hich he located in Plum-
stead, and it was confirmed to him, 1705. He settled in }.Iaryland, and on the
7th day, 4th mo., 1715, conveyed the same to his son Cephas Child, then of
Philadeljihia, wlio removed to Plumstead the same year, taking' with him a
certificate to Middletown ]\Iontlily meeting. In 1716 he married Mary Atkin-
son, the ceremony taking place at iliddletown. Henry Child owned about one
thousanil acres in the township. Cephas Child became a prominent man; was
mcmliL-r of Assembly 1747-49, and the latter year, was member of the Provin-
cial finance committee, and of the auditing committee. Cephas Child, Jr.,
married Priscilla, daughter of Joseph Naylor, at Gwynedd meeting. February
16, 175 1, and died August 17, 176S. Cephas was married twice, his second
wife being Agnes (Grier) Kennedy, widow of i\Iajor Kennedy, killed in the at-
tack cu the Doane outlaws, Sept. i. 1783. She was a daughter of JNIathew and
Jane Caldwell Grier, immigrants from the North of Ireland, 1730. Cephas
Child,^ Jr., died July 14. 1S15. In 16S6. Arthur Cooke,^'^ of Frankford, Phila-
dcl])hia count}', received a patent for two thousand acres, which lay, in part,
along the northwest line, what is now the Dublin rond. At his death, 1699,
his widow and executrix, iMargaret Cooke and son John, conveyed one thou-
sand acres to Clement and Thomas Dungan. settlers in the townshi]), and
descendants of RevorL-nd Thomas Dungan, Cold Spring. In 170S they sold
fifty acres to Christopher Day, who passed his life in Phnnstead dying 1748.
Day was a considerable landowner, and, 1723, sold one hundred and fifty
acres to John Basset, Philadelphia, who conveyed seventy-five acres the same
year to John Dyer.-

One of the earliest settlers in the southeast corner of Plumstead, was
Tliomas Browne, an immigrant from Barking, county Essex, England. He
was a son of George Browne, born i6rt6. and married Mary, daughter of
Alexander Eyre, of Burrow, Lincoln, at Plaistow Friends meeting, 1694. They
came to America the winter of 1700-0T, and after living awhile in Philadelpliia,
removed to a two hundred and forty-five acre tract in the Manor of ^.loorland.
In a few years Browne bought fifteen hundred acres in Plumstead and Bucking-
ham, .'ind located o!i it near the present Dyerstown. "Brownsville," now Gar-
denvillc. is on this tract and was named after the family. Until the Friends
were able to erect a meeting house Thomas Browne allowed them to hold

T .Amoiin the descendants of the family was Colonel Cephas Gricr Chiltl, Philadel-
phia, born in Plumstead .Sept. S, 179.'?, and died at the age of "S. He achieved high rcp'J-
t;iti III ,-is an engraver and for nianj- years was proprietor and editor of the Commercial
List and Price Current. He v.a? a volunteer soldier in the war of 1812-15. and for many
years took a deep interest in military matters. He visited Europe in 1831 in the interest
of the cn»raver's art, carryin<i letters of introduction from President Jackson and other
distinpfiiished sentlcmen. A Cephas Child died in Plumstead, 1S15. at the ase of 00, ppb-
ably a son or grandson of the first settler of the famil)'.

iV'. He prob.ably gave the name to the stream now called Cook's Run.

2 John Dyer first settled in the bounds of Abington meeting, producing a certificate
from Xailsworth meeting, 6, 30, 1714. On n, 27. 171S, he took a certificate to a "Bucks
County Monthly," and removed to what became Plum?te:id. then Buckingham, no doubt,
because the former had it in contemplation to form a monthly meeting at an early day,
which was done before Plum--tead was or;.;anized, 1725.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 381

services in his house. This was about 1729-31. He and his two sons con-
veyed fifteen acres to the meeting for a honiinal sum. Tiiomas and ^lary
l-.vre Browne had issue; Cieorge, married Sarah, daughter of John Shaw,
Southampton; Thomas, born 1696, married first Ehzabeth, daughter of Jolm
J);iwson, Solcbury, second Magdalen Jones; Mary, married James, son of
lo'in Shaw'---, Southamjiton; Jolm; Ann; Alexander, married Esther, daugli-
icr of John Dyer; Elizabeth, married Thomas Robinson; Joseph married Anne
i.!;uigluer of John Dawson, Solcbury, and Esther, married Josiah, son of John
I'yer. Thomas Browne spent his life in Plumstead and died there.

Among the descendants of Thomas and ]Mary Eyre Browne and connected
hv marriage, were a number of distinguished persons. His son Thomas
became a prominent minister among Friends, and died at Philadelphia whither
lie removed August 21, 1757. His declaration c>i intention of marriage v.ith
Elizabeth Dawson, February 7, 1720, was the first made in Buckingham meet-
ing. Alexander Brown's daughter Esther married Andrew Ellicott, Solebury,
who was the first surveyor-general of the United States, assisted JNlajor
E'Enfant to lay out the city of Washington, was commissioner on the part of the
United States to run the line between this country and Spain, iSoo, and was
Professor of mathematics at West Point. !Major-General Harvey Brown,
Lnitcd States yVrmy, was a great-grandson and a graduate of West Point.
One of the children of Andrew Ellicott married Henry Baldwin, justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States, and another, Lieut-Col. Elenry Douglas,
l.'nitcd States Army. Other descendants married into the fann"ly of Carrol,
<>f Maryland, Barringer, of North Carolina, and W'igton, New Britain. The
late John S. P.ro\vn, a number tif years publisher and editor of the lUicks
County IjitelUk^cuccr, and who filled several oftices of financial trust, was a
descendant of Thomas Browne, the immigrant.

The first to encroach upon the retirement of Thomas Browne ^\as John
Dyer, a minister among Friends, an immigrant from Gloucestershire, England,
with his family, 1712. He first settled in Philadelphia, then came out to what
was known as the "five-mile mill," on the York road and thence removed to
the woods of Plumstead. On the i6th of June, 1718, he purchased one hun-
dred and fifty-one acres of Cephas Child, including the Dyer property, Dyers-
ti'wn. He is said to have lilcewise purchased the improvements of Thomas
Prow 11, who removed farther back into the woods, about where the Plumstead
meeting-house stands. The Dyer property only passed out of the familv a few
years ago, when Doctor John Dyer, a descendant, removed to Philadelpliiru
Jolm Dyer was a useful man in Plumstead. He built the first mill in the
township and one of the first in this section of the county, about where the
present mill stands at Dycrstown. He was instrumental in having the Easton
road laid out and opened from Governor Keith's place at the county line to his
mill, and for many years it bore no other name than "Dyer's mill road." He
died the 31st of the nth month, 1738, and was buried at the Friends' meeting-
house in Plumstead. He owned in all about six hundred acres. When John
Dyer came info the township wild animals were so identy the settlers took
their guns with them to meeting, and the beavers built their dams across Pine
run. The Indians were numerous, but friendly.

William Michener, ancestor of the greater mimber of those bearing the
name, in the county, was an English Friend, b'->rn to mo., 14, 1606. came to

2'$ One .iiilhi'rity says .T.nmLS SIi.tw was born in Norllmniplnn township, anotlur ll-.;\t
lie lived llicrc whin he niarileil .Marv Drown.

382 HISTORY OP BUCKS COUNTY.

America, married INIary Custissc, Ahingtoii, 4 1110., 1720, removed to Plum- 1
slead, ■17_'3, and took up lour hundred acres. They had ten children, John, ]
Mordecai, Sarah, Mary, William, Josejih, Elizahelh, i\leshack, ]MarL;aret and i.
Georye. Upon the death of his rirst wife William AJichener married Ann 'j
Scholield, a widow, 1761. ]\leshack, eighth child of William ^^lichener, was the
grandfather of the late Isaiah :\Jichener, Liuckingham. The ancestor of the
Xash family, great-grandfather of the late Samuel Nash, came from England
and was huried at ilorsham. Ho was probably a Friend and settled in that
township. His descendants have become Germanized and are Aiennonites.
His son Joseph, who removed from IJedminister to Tinicuni, and died there,
was an elder in the Deep Kun ^^lennonite Jileeting.

The Shaws, of Plumstead and Doylestown, were descendants of the
Shaws of Southampton and Northampton, where the}- settled near at the close
of the seventeenth century. The James Shaw, who married i\lary, daughter
of Thomas and Mary I'.rowne, Plumstead, September 24, 1718, was the son of
John Shaw, Northampton, and born there, January 9, 1694. At what time
he came to Plumstead is not known. His wife died June 9, 1760. Thomas
Prownc, his father-in-law, on June 18, 1724, conveyed to James and Mary
Shaw, net Browne, two h.undred acres in Plumstead. They had six children,
among them, James, born January 27, 1724, who married Mary, daughter of
Ephraim Fenton, the latter had seven children, the eldest, Josiah, who married
Mary Pryor, the parents of seven children. This is the first a]:)pearance of the
name "'Josiah'" among the JJucks county Shaws. In 1725, the names of James
and Thomas Shaw appear among the petitioners asking for the organization
of Plumstead township. John Shaw born in Plumstead, 1745, was a man of
local prominence; was a Whig in the Revolution, taking the oath of allegiance
before Thomas Dyer, 1777. He was appointed a magHslrate by Governor
I^lilYhn. about 1790, and, at his death, was the oldest in commission in the
county, but one. In 1802 he moved into New Britain on the Mercer farm,
where he died, 1818. His wife, Agnes, died at cighty-nitie. Josiah Y. Shaw, a
son of John, bom, 1770, .spent the most of his life in Doylestown and was a
inan of prominence. lie was one of the founders, and a trustee of the Union
Aca'icmv, 1804, brigade inspector with rank of major, 1809, justice of the
l)eace, several years and member of Assembly. Francis B. Shaw, a mem-
ber of llie bar and a journalist, was a brother of Josiah Y.

Jvichavd Hill, mercliant. Philadelphia, was an early land owner in
Plumstead. hut never lived there. He was a man of wealth, owning houses in
I'hilaiKlijhia. It is stated elsewhere in this chapter tliat Frances I'lumstead con-
veved his twentx -l'i\e hundred acres to Hill. He c^nveved all this land, sub-
ject to n gnuuid rent; anmng the conveyances were the following: 172.^^ ""t:
Inindred ;jid titi\ acres to James Hughes: two hundre.l .tnd tifiy. William
Michoner. three hundred. John Dyer: 1725. three hundretl and seveuty-hve acres
to John r.iit.un: 1728, one hundred ami tiftv. John Earl, and one hundred and
fifty to John McCarty. thirteen hundred and seventy-five in all. August 7. 1720.
?\lr. llill in:ide his will and de\ise<l tlK>e land- to his grand-nephew, Richard
Hill, ;md li;> >ist.er 1 lannah. wife of .Saimiei Preston Moore. In 1745 Dr.
Ricliard llill mortg;ii;ed these land< to Tlionia> Whue for £1500. ami is de-
scribed in the niortg;ige as a ""Philadelphi 1 nierchani'" residing in parts lievond
sen. which d.ucumcnt st;ited that Rieh.ard llill .lUil his sister. Hannah Me-ore,
^■ (T- ilu- residuary legatees of Dr. Kicliar,! Hill, father of the said Richar<l Hill-
Two hinidrcd and tilty acres were cilnve\ed to Abraham Hill, who, with his
wife, Fli7.;iheth, convesed one hundred acres cif the satiie land, bounded l)v

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 383

.■,!.it'.hc\v (airier mid the Stump Road, Andrew Uliph.uit, Enoch Thomas and
|),i\ui Caldwell to their son Isaac, 17O2, and Ii.aac d)'ing-, 179S,
(lie ••'wner of one hundred and five acres, he devised it to his son Isaac. He
lilt eleven children, Abraham, William, Richard, Alargaret, Isaac, Sarah,
L-".iizaljeth, Nancy, 2\Iary, Lydia and Rebecca. Uf these, Sarah was the grand-
iiK'dier of John Harris, Rebecca, first wife of Richard Rialc, Ann married
Ji'iiathan Hough, Aviary married Benjamin Day, and Elizabeth, Nathan Riale;
!.\dia, who remained single, died in i^lumstead, 1839, and Elizaljeth, 1832.

William Hill, son of Isaac, junior, married a daughter of David Evans
liif L'nivcrsalist preacher, New Britain, and settled near L'niontown, Pennsyl-
\,!;iia, where he died, his widow and children returning to Bucks county.
I'.-eir children were Thomas, David, James, Susan Kerns, Elizabeth, ]\lary
Ann, married Evan Evans, who went West, David mairicd Cynthia W'orth-
mgion and settled in C^hio, and James livans Hill married Naomi Rodrock,
.iiid lived and died in New Britain. George E. Hill is his oidy surviving son.
William Hill, son of the first Isaac, died in Plumstcad, 1SS6, leaving three sons
Ira, Moses and Charles. William Hill, Warrington, and his brother Harvey,
New Britain, are surviving sons of Charles Hill. Amos Hill, son of ]\Ioses
lived and died in Philadelphia, where his son Eugene II. still lives. Richard
Hill, son of the first Isaac, died near New Galena, 184S, leaving a widow anil
.-even children, Abraham, David, Elizabeth, wife of M"icliHel Hofl'ortl, J'ar-
nielia, .Sarah, Rebecca, Clymer and Margaret Ott.

On an old draft of Plumstead, drawn March 11, 1724, are marked the
f'jllowing land-owners, all located in the southwest part of the township, near
the Buckingham line: Arthur Day, Henry Child, John Dyer, (two tracts),
Kicliard Hill, fifteen hundred acres, Abraham Hayter, Silas iMacCarty, William
.Micheiier," John Earl, James -Shaw, James Brown, Henry Paul, Samuel Bar-
ker, Thomas Brown, Jr., Richard Eundy, and H. Large. No doubt there were
"■'.hers, but, at this time the settlements did not extend far into the woods. Prob-
al)ly some of those named were not inhabitants of the township, 1724. Among
tiie early settlers of Plumstead were John and Rebecca X'otaw. but we neither
know wh.en they came into the townshiii, where from, nor when tlie_\- left it.
Tlieir son Isaac, born in Pluinsteail, 2, it, 170S. was married at Buckiiighaiu
meeting, to Ann Smith, sister of Moses Smith, but we have not the date. The
laniily removed to the west many years ago, and E. W. \^otaw, a great-grand-
son of Isaac, lives at Ilawarden, Indiana. The name long since disappeared
from the township, nor is it found in the countv records. It is possible there
arc descendants in the female line.

An clfort was made to organize a township aliout T/i^' when the settlers
ii"nh of Buckingham petitioned the court to lay it off. C)n June 17, a draft
"I die survey of a new township, which probably accomjianied the report of
t^e jury, wns ordered in be filed. The territory asked to be laid off contained
i.l'iHit fourteen thousand acres, and the township was to be called Plumste.ad.
i'lie court could not h.'ive approved the report of the jury if it rejiorted in
lavor c)f the new t<iwnsliip. for Plumstead was not laid nut and organized until
t'u years later. Il is ]irolKible the prayer of the petitioners was not granted
iiecause of llie lack of population. In March, 1725, twenty inhabitants of a
district of C'lmirv r.orlh nf nn<-kinghani. not yet organized into a township,
iiameU-. Thomas Shaw. ji'Im r.rown, Alexa.nder l>own. Richard Eundv, John

3 M:ut;arct Miclieiur, nlict »i \Vi]1i;iiii Michcner, dicil in Plnm-tcad, Fel)riiary 15,
'^-l, rl'sA niriCTv-Uircc vi nr'?.

384 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Lundy, llcury Large, Tli^nic-is Erowti, jr., Huniplirey Roberts, John Earl,
Thomas ]£;irl, \\ ilhain Aliehcncr, \\ iiliain Woodcock, John Dyer, Samuel
]3yer, ^Vbrahain llayter, lierniaii Uiibler, Silas AlacCarty, William Wilkinson,
Christujihcr Day, and James Shaw, petitioned the court of quarter sessions to
lay oil "a ccriam quantity or parcel of land to be erected into the form of a
townshii)," llie Lioundaries of which were to begin "at the uppermost corner of
]3uckingliam at the corner of Richard Da}'s land." This embraced what is
now Plurastead and Bedminsler. The survey of the township was probably
returned at the June term, but we have found no record of it. It was named
after Francis Plumstead,' ironmonger, London, one of the earliest land-owners
in the township. The present area of Plumstead is twelve thousand eight
hundred acres.

The Hoover family of Bucks and Montgomery counties, are descended
from Jacob LIuber, who came from Germany about 1732. He was the youngest
of four brothers, and a minor at the time of liis arrival. The family is believed
to have been Swiss. Lie settled in Plumstead, but we are not informed of his
exact location. In 1797 tiie son, Henry Huber, removed to Gwynedd township
jMontgomcry county, purchasing two hundred acres of the farm of George
Maris for ii8oo. Henry Huber or Lloover, as the name was spelled, by this
time, is said to have removed from Hilltown to Gwynedd. He had a son
Philip, who married I\Iary, daughter of Frederick Conrad, of Worcester, who
represented the county in Congress. Llenry Hoover died April 9, 1809, but
the AIonLgomery homestead remained in the family down to 1885, a period of
eighty-six years, from the first purchase. He was born, Dec. I, 175 1, and his
wife,. ^Margaret, died November 27, 1813, in her sixty-second year. The
descendants of Jacob Huber are numerous in Pucks and Montgomery and hold
an annual family reunion.

The Doanes of Plumstead descended frr.m John Doane of Plymouth,
England, who .settled in Barnstable county, ^Massachusetts, prior to 1630. The
name is Norman I-'rench, was spelled in various ways, and the first ancestor
jjrobably came over with William the Conqueror. The family was prominent
in Alassacbusitts, one member being a Lieutenant at the siege of Louisburg.
Daniel Doane (3), grandson of John the immigrant, married Mchitablc Twining,
Mnited with the l''riends at Sandwich, 1696, and with their four children came to
Bucks county, setltling at Newtown. He died here August 8, 1743. Israel Doane
was in Plumstead as early as 1726 and settled near the meeting-house. Josepli
Doane, an excellent man and citizen, was the father of the Doane outlaws of
the Revolution. They, who were not killed or hanged, made their escape tii
Canada. Joseph Brown, probably a son of Thomas an original settler, bought
two lumdred and fifty acres, 1734, John Boyle, three hundred acres, 1736, and
Joseph Large, probably a son of Henry, twelve or fifteen years a settler, bought
land but the quantity is not given. Philip Hinkle, who. settled in Plumstead
soon after the middle of the eighteenth century, is thought to have been a
descendant of the Rev. Gerhard Henkcl, a Lutheran minister who settled at
Germantown about 1740. His jialernal grandiuother was ^^lary Jolmson. an
English Quakeress, whose ancestors, on both sides were Scotch Presbyterian'^,
anil came to Bucks cmmly, I7i^>. Philip's brother Joseph went to North Caro-
lina, and both served in the Revolution. December 16, 1766. Robert J^Tac-

4. There were several of this name in tlic province, priiiclp.illy in Philadelphia.
ClLinciit rUimstfad was m.ayor of tliat city, 1741, and his son Wilham filled that office
1750-54-55, and died i^Gq.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 38=

l'"arlaiid, I'luinstead, and Elizabuth, his wife, conveyed to I'liilip Ilinklc one
Iiundred and lifly-ihree acres and fifty-two perches, which James i'olk had
conveyed to Alaci'arland, 1759. In the record of ilucks county we find tiiat
J'eter Hinkels was naturahzed August 26, 1735, but he was hardly of the
same family as PiiiHp. In 1771, Philip Hinkle had a contention with Thomas
Shew ell, New Britain, in relation to a warrant that Shewell- laid within his
survey. Among- the descendants of Philip Ilinklc were i'hilip, born October
24, 181 1, died October 26, 1880, and Anthony Hughes, born March 19, 1815,
and died June 25, 1883, both grandsons of I'hilip, the elder. They spent tlieir
business life in Cincinnati and died there. The Hinkle descendants are to be
found in New Britain, Richland and other townships. The home of Philip
Ilinklc, the elder, was at Hinkletown with his cultivated acres spreading around
him."'

The Carlisles and Pcnninglons ^cttled in the tuwiiship considerably befijre'-
the middle of the eighteenth century. John Carlisle and Sarah Pennington were
married at Plumstead meeting, July 5, 1757, and she died in 1785. They were the
grandparents of Mrs. Carr, Uanborough, she and Rachel Rich being their only
two surviving grandchildren. The McCallas were in Plumstead before 1750,.
William, the first comer, being an immigrant from Scotland, but it is not
known whether he was married when he came to America or inarried here."'
Ills son Andrew, who was born in the township the 6th of November, 1757,
removed to Kentucky where he niarried and had six children. One of his sons
was the Reverend William Latta iMcCalla, a distinguished Presbyterian min-
ister, and General Jackson's chaplain in the Seminole war, and another the late
John r^Ioore ^IcCalla, adjutant-general of the American forces at the massacre
at tlie river Raisin. William JMcCalla removed, before the Revolution, irom
Plumstead to Philadelpliia where he formed the acquaintance of General La-
fayette who was a frequent visitor at his house. We do not know at wdiat time-
he died. Henry Huddleston owned land in Plumstead, 1752. and the same
yvar John \\''atson surveyed forly-eight acres to Robert McFarlin, on a war-
rant dated June 17.

The Dunlaps were early in Plumstead. John and Jane Dunlap, Protestant
Irish, first located at the Forks of the Delaware, now the vicinity of Easton,
and there all their children were born, Init, when the Indians became trouble-
some, removed down to Plumstead. The wife's maiden name was Plazlett,
but, whether they married before coming to America, we are not informed.
They were the parents of seven children, John, Elizabeth, Marv, Andrew,
Moses, James an<l Robert. John, the eldest, died December 4, 1S09, at the age
of ninety-two. ami his wife, January 17, 1775, aged fifty. Another son died
Septemljer 17, 1777, of sickness contracted while serving in the Continental
army, and Robert, ^^arch 12, 1S06, at the age of thirty-six. The Ilendric
family, formerly of Do\lcstown. are descended from John and Jane Dunlap,
in the female line. Andrew Dunlap, probalily the son of .'Vudrew. bought a
farm in Doylestown township early in the last century, where lie flicd. He had
-several children, and among the names were Phebe, who married a Hazlett,

5 I^cpnrtcd this life June 24, i.?->T. ;it Plunisturi'!. Jn.'fpli Hinkle, nstrl fifty-six yc.irs.
He has left an rifFoclionate wife and children to lament tlie loss of an induisjent father and'
Und husband. He wa"; afilictcd with a linRcrins:; ilhie.^s which he bore with Cliristian.
f'iriitude, and died calmly resigned to the will of God.

6 >rrs. Mary McCalla Kvaiis, Philadelphia, =ays Willi.im McCalln was h.--rn on a
f:ini rented of tlie l.o.^ans, on the York road, and tiiat his father came frnin Scotland.

386 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUA'TV.

i-ydia, ^lary, Eliza, Robert, the youngest, a Presbyterian minister, who mar-
Tied a Miss Ruuer, W'ilkc^barre. Andrew Dunlap built a home in Doylestown
•on what is now Court street, for his two daughters, where they died many years
■ago. James Dunlap, son of Andrew, \vas a merehaiit in Philadelphia.

George and Piezckiah Rogers, Scotch immigrants, settled in Plumstead
sometime in llie last century, but we have not the data, taking up six hundred
and forty acres covering a site of iJenner's corner, fifty acres being still in tlie
family. Ann Rogers, daughter of George, married Thomas, son of George
Geary, Montgomery county and township, about 1794. They had nine chil-
dren, Charles, born 1796, died 179S; Harriet, born 1802; I^laria, 1804; IMary,
lSp6; Sarah E., 1S09; Julia, 1812; Susan, 1814; Emilia, 1S17, and Isabella,

the youu.gest, born , lives in Doylestown with her niece, ^Irs. Lettie E.

Farren. George Geary kept store awhile at Greenville, Buckingham to\\n-
ship, then removed to Munc}-, Lycoming county, subsequently returning to
Plumstead, where he taught school and kept store until his death, 1840. Ilis
wife, born 1777, died at Doylestown, 1871, at ninety-four. Of the daughters of
Thomas ajid Ann Geary, Emilia married Elias Benner, Plumstead; ,i\laria,
married Auihony Heancy, Tinicum, and Susan, James Bleiler, the two latter
living at Doylestown. Hiram Rogers, son of Hezekiah, settled in Minnesota
and was one of the pioneers of St. PauL George Geary settled near Mont-
gomeryville. and took up a large tract, married Sarah Evans, Gwynedd, 1782,
and wife died September 25, 1808. He had seven children, Thomas, David,
Elizalxth, Mary, Hannah, Ann and Catharine. David Geary was the ancestor
of the late Governor John W. Geary, probably his grandfather, and, when at
Doylestown, 1866, a candidate for Governor, he called to see Mrs. and
Miss Geary, tlien living here. The daughter, Isabella, wa? long a teacher in
the public school.

We have a tradition that the first meetings of Friends, at private hou>es,
were held sometime in the winter of 1727. However this may be, we find that
on the 2d of October, 1728, Plumstead Friends asked to have a meeting for
worship every other First day, which was granted, and it was held at the house
of Tliomas Brown. The first meeting-house was ordered to be erected in

1729, and the location was fixed near where the present house stands bv the
previous tjpening of a graveyard at that spe.t. The ground, fifteen acres. \\as
tlic gilt of Thomas Brown and his sous Thomas and Alexander, in considera-
tion of fifteen shillings. The deed bears date the 19th of January, 1730, and
was executed in trust to Richard Lundy. Jr., William Michener, Josiah Dver,
and Joseph Dyer. The sjnit on which the first log meeting-house was erected,

1730. was selected by Thomas AX'atson, Thomas Canby, Aliraham Cha])man,
Cephas Child and J.'Im Dyer, conuuittee appointed by the niontldv meeting
of Buckingham and \\ ri^ht-lown. This house stood until 1752. when it was
torn fin', n ar.d the ])resent stone mccting-housc was Iniill. Inuring the Revn-
luti.'inr\ v,ar tliis building was used as an hospital, and marks of blood are
still uii"P. the fioor. Some who died there were bm-ied in a field near bv.'''^

O.'.j. In tiic I'.ili .ind winter of 1777 a iiiunbor of tlic wouiulcil of the Conlincnt.il
;irmy werj scut to the Plnmslcricl inceling-lioiisc. A return of tlic .sick and wounded in
ll'.e Iin-pitril. ndniilted N'ovonihiT 25. 2fi. 2~, 30. ;md ni.cinii)cr li). 1777, were 40 — died, ^.
ilischaru.d 10. reniainincT 2S. ."^onietinic tli.il Deccmlicr 15r. I'rinicir; .\lli<;nn. senifir siir-
pe^n. .Mi'!'!'!c DeiMrtnient, Cnntiiicntal .Army, removed the wounded of tlic battle of
<jcrni:(!i:o\vn 10 Pknnster-.d ineetin?-hoti-e, Inil were ren)'ned thenee !.> l.iiii/ by order • I
WasluTiulon.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 3S7

Jiiilge Huston, wlicn a boy, went to school in the old mceting-housc, his fatlicr
;it the time keeping the tavern at Ganlenville. On a handrail inside the
Idiilding is dimly seen, written in chalk, the name of David Kinsey, the car-
liLiUer who did the wood wurk. The old building was partly torn down and
rebuilt in the summer, 1875. Frum the _\ard one ubtains a beautiful \ic\v down
nito the valley of i'ine run and of the slope beyond.

The Greir or Gricr' family, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, made their apix-ar-
ance in Bucks county about 1735-40, and their descendants in future years,
were found in Plumstead, New Urltain, Warrington and Warwick. The tirst
to come were ]\lathew and John Grier from County Tyrone, Ireland. They
settled in New Britain township, and in 1743, purchased one hundred and fifty
acres jointly, on the east side of the Swamp road, now the Dublin turnpike,
and erected a dwelliiig at what is Grier's Corner. These two immigrants were
horn 1712 and 1714, respectively. They later extended their holdings up the
Swamp road to the present line of Broad street in Hilltown townshi]). In 1744
Maihew purchased two hundred and fifty acres on the east side of the Swamp
road, in Plumstead, and in 1752, Mathew conveyed his interest in the New
Britain and Hilltown lands, to his brother John, who extended his purchases
until he owned at his death, about five hundred acres in contiguous tracts.

ivlathew Grier, the elder, ancestor of the late James II. Greir, of Warring-
ton township, married Jean Caldwell, born 1717, daughter of James Caldwell,
who owned an adjoining farm fronting the Stmnp road, and his brother Jt'hn
Greir married her sister Agnes Caldwell. Mathew Grier died 1792, leaving
three sons and three daughters: John, born 1743, and died 1814, married
Jean Stirart ; Susannah, born 1749, married Joseph Greer, supposed to have
been a cousin, died 1823 and Jose])h Greer died in Hilltown, 1822; Matliew
married Sarah Snodgrass, died 181 1; Agnes, married first Major William
Kennedy, who was killed in the capture of Closes Doan, and second Cephas
Child; Mary, born 1760, married Josiah Ferguson, 1779. died 1844; John and
Agnes Caldwell Greir were the parents of eleven children: Mathew, born
October, 1743, died September 11, 1818; Martha, married John Jamison,
176S; Jane married Joseph Thomas, 1768; Rev. James Grier, born 1750, died
1791; Joseph, born 1752; John died in infancy: Nathan died in infancy; John,
born, 1758, died 1831; Rev. Nathan born 1760, died 1814; Cornelius died
\<iung, and P'rances, liorn 1762, married James Ralston.

While the descendants of Mathew and John Grier are generally engaged
in agricultural pursuits, the family is represented in trade and the learned pro-
fej.sinns. and is especially noted for the number of sons it has furnished the
gijspel i.iinistrv. Jrihn Llrier. proljalily the descendant of Bucks county an-
cestry, who removed I.t Chester county, 1796, had three sons in the ministry,
the eldest, Jnhn Haves tirier, born h'ebruary, 1788, and died 18S0, at ninety-
tun, graduated at Dickinson College in tlie class of James Buchanan.
In T814 lie took charge of tlie Pine Creek and Lock Haven. churches. Clinton
countv. and was the first minister of any denomination to settle at Jersey
Sli'.re, Lvcnming counlv. lie was a successful teacher, and soveral r.t the lead-
ing men of the We.-t branch were educated by him. He was married f.nir
tinu-s and the father of ileven children, seven surviving him. lames Grier,

7 This ii.inie ii.-is tlu-t-e spcllinc-s, Grior, Grolr aiul Grccr. Tlie first to sr^U the name
"Clirl," was JoI\n Stewart Greir, of WaVriiiLTlon, and is so fiielled in tl\c sis'i-iture to his
\\ill. Tho Warriiicrtoii family .'^lill spell iho name Greir. The Phimsteail family sp.-ll the
name Greer.

38S HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

son of the first John, was pastor of the Deep Run cluirch and died there. Ilis
son, John ]'\Tj;u>pn Lirier, born 1784, graduated with tirst honors, 1S03,
studied theolngy with liis uncle Xathan, opened a classical school at Erandy-
wine Manor, and %\as licensed to preach by the New Castle Presbytery. Na-
than Grier, broiher of James of Deei) Run, boDi ijOo, graduated at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, 17^3, and was licensed to preach, 1786, married a
Miss Smith, a great aunt of General Persifer F-. Smith, one of the most dis-
tinguished officers in the }ilexican \var, 1S46-48. lie died at IJrandywine
about 1815, leaving two sons, both of whom entered the ministry, Robert and
John. The latter succeeded his father at Brandywine, where he officiated for
half a century, the former dying in JMaryland, while pastor of a church near
Emmettsburg. Joseph Grier, a brother of Nathan, had two sons, IMathew and
John; the former was a physician, and died at Williamsport, the latter studied
■for the ministry, was thirty-five years a chaplain in the United States Navy,
and father of the Reverend M. 11. Grier, one of the editors of the Presbyterian.
The late Justice Grier of the .Supreme court of the United States, is claimed as
a member of this family. In the old burial ground at J'rincelon, New Jersey,
is a gra\-e stone bearing the inscription, "In memory of Jane, relict of ^latlK■\\
Grier, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, died December 31, 1799, aged eighty-
three years." <»

The members of the faniil)' \vere pronfinent in Revolutionary times. The
young men enrolled themselves with the militia, or associators and some of
them saw active service. John Grier, Sr., was a Colonial Justice of the Peace,
17G4-67, and, after the colonies took up arms against the motlier country, he
was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1776. His son, Col. Joseph
Grier Was active in tlie pursuit and capture of the Doane outlaws, and it is
related that owing to his activity against them, en one occasion they made him
a visit at night, took him prisoner, and forcibly held his manicled hands in the
llames until burned to a blister.

On the corner of the farm now belonging to Andrew Shaddinger, at the
intersection of the River and Durham roads, two miles from Smith's corner,
there stocid a small log church an hundred years ago. It is spoken of as the
'"Deep Run church." the name of an older and larger congregation, in Bedmin-
stcr. Its histury is wrapped in much mystery. It was probably an offshoot of
the Bedminster congregation, and the division is said to have been caused bv
some disagreement among the Scotch-Irish members on doctrinal points. We
have a tradition that some held to the tenets of the Kirk of Scotland which
others of the congregation did not assent to, and hence the separation. The
Plumstead congregation was called "Seceders," and when there was a division
in the church this organization joined the New Brunswick Presbvterv. This
little church was [irobably organized before, or about 1730, and held together
for half a century, but the names of only two of its pastors have come do'\vn to
us. In 1735 Reverend Hugh Carlisle preached there and at Newtown, and
two years after he refused a call to become the pastor at Plumstead, because
tlu-sc two chureh.es were so far apart. How long he served them! and bv
whom succeeded, is not kn.nvn. Carlisle came from England or Ireland, anil
was arlmitted into the New Castle Presbytery before 1735. He removed inti.
the hounds of the Lewes Presbytery in 173S, lin't is not heard ot*
alter 174^. The last pastor was probably .Alexander .Mitehel, and when he
left, the surviving members proh.-dily Yeturned to Deep Run. Mitehel, horn in
1731. graduated at Princeton in 17^.5. was licensed to preach in 1707, and or-
dained in \yCS. It is not kimwu wh.en he was called as pastor, hut he left at out

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY. 3S9

1785, and v.ciit to the Octoraro and Doc Run churches, in Chester county where
lie preached until 1S08. Mr. Mitchel did two good things while pastor at
Octoraro, introduced stoves, and Watts's psalnis and hymns into his churches,
both necessary to comfortable worsliip. On one occasion his congregation
tix)k umbrage at a sermon against a ball held in the neighborliood, and, on
Siniday morning, the door was locked and the Bible gone. Nothing daunted,
lie sent his negro servant up a ladder to get in at a small window over the pul-
pit. As he was about to enter, the negro stopped and said to his master :
"This is not right, for the good book saith, 'He that entereth not by the door
into the sheep-fold, but climeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber.' "' Some remains of the Plumstead meeting-house are still to be seen ;
a portion of the foundation can be traced, and a few gravestones, without
inscription, are lying almost buried in the earth. The house was about twenty-
eight by seventeen feet, and the lot contained near half an acre. The late
Jolni L. Delp. of Xorristown, remembers when tlie log house was standing.

A jMcnonnile meeting-house stands on the Black's Eddy road, a mile
southwest of Hinkletown, where a branch of the Deep Run congregation as-
sembles for worship once a month. The pulpit is supplied from Deep Run,
IXiylestown, and New Britain. The first house, stone, twenty-four by twenty-
seven feet, was erected in 1S06, on an acre of land given by Henry Wismer
and wife. It was enlarged in 1S32, and is now twenty-seven by forty-three
feet. It was occupied by English and German schools for twenty-tlve years.
The graveyard is free to all outside the congregation who wish to bury there,
and the remains of several unknown drowned are lying in it.

On the old Newtown road, at the top of the hill after passing Pine run.
a mile above Cross Keys, i.s an ancient burial-ground, in the corner of the fifty
acres that Christopher Day bought of Clement and Thomas Dungan in 1708.
By his will dated September i, 1746, and proved March 25, 174S, Day gave
'"ten ])erchcs square for a graveyard forever." It is now in a ruined condition,
but some forty graves can still be seen, with few exceptions marked by unlet-
tered stones. The donor was the first to die and be buried in his own ground,
March ye 6ih, 174S. Another "C Day," probably his son, died in 1763. The
other stones with inscriptions, are to the memory of J. Morlen, 1749-50. Abra-
ham I'ried. December 21. 1772, aged thirty-two years, and William Daves, "a
black man," who died February 22, 1815,- aged sixty-eight years. Fried and
I3aves have the most jn'etentious stones to mark their resting-places, both of
marble. Tlie owner of the adjoining land has cut the timber from this
ground, and laid bare the graves of the dead of a century and a quarter. Is
there no power to keep vandal hands from the spot reserved for a burial-place
"forever"? The early Welsh Baptists of New Britain, probably buried their
dead in this gravcvard until tliev estalilishcd their church, and opened a burial-
place of their own, a tradition handed down from the early settlers.

Charles Huston, judge of the .Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and nne
of the most distinguished jurists of the country, was born in Plumstead, 1771.
His grandfather came from Scotland, and he was Scotch-Irish in descent. He
prol)a1)lv finisheil his studies at Dickinson college. Carlisle, wliere he was
professor of Latin and Greek in 1792. He was studying law at the same time,
and while there he completed his legal studies, v.as admitted to the bar in
170^, au'l scitk.-d in Lycon-iing county, cut off from Northumlierland the pre-
ceding winter. Among his pupils in^ the languages was the late Ciiief Justice
Tanev, who placed a high estimate on the character of Judge Huston. In his
a'',tobiograi h.y llie chief justice says of him: "T need not speak of his character

390

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

and capacity; for he afterward hccanie one of the first jurists of the country.
He was an accomplished J.atin and tircck scholar, and hapjiy in his mode of
instructic)n. And when he ^aw that a boy was disposed to study, his manner tc?
him was that of a companion and friend aiding- him in his difficulties. The
whole school under his care was much attached to him."

Judtje Huston was commissioned ju^tice of the Supreme Court .-Vpri! j,
1S26, and retired from the bench in January, 1^45. The la^t time he sat on the
supreme bench at Pittsburgh he boarded privately with tlic sheriff, who kept
house in jail. He was much annoyed by a correspondent writing to one of the
newspapers, "oiie of our Supreme Judges (Huston) is in jail," which put lihn
to the trouble of writing to his friends and explaining how he happened, on that
particular occasion, to be on the wrong side of the bars. \\ ith a rough e.K-
tcrior, he was as gentle as a child with all its truthfulness and fidelity. After
he retired from the bench he wrote a work "On Land Titles in Pennsylvania.''
which was published in 1849. He left his finished manuscript on his table, by
the side of a candle, one evening while he went to tea. It caught fire, and.
when he returned, he found his labor of years nearly consumed. But, with his
accustomed determination, he re-wrote the work, almost entirely from mcm-jry.
Judge Huston died November 10, 1849, in his seventy-eighth year. He left
two daughters, one of whom married the late James Hale, member of Congress
and judge of the Clearfield district, Pennsylvania, and the other the wife of the
late General Sturdevant, of the Luzerne county bar.*

Indians remained later in Plumstead than in most other parts of the
county, and their settlement can lie traced by their remains. There
was probably a village near Curly hill, and within the last three-
quarters of a century a number of fiint a';row-heads, bottle-green, bhio
and white, have been found there. They were two or three inches long, nar-
row, sharp and well-shaped, and appear to have been made by a people some-
what advanced in the arts. Lidian axes, well-finished of hard stone, not. now
to be found in that vicinity, have been picked up there. Also, a large stone,
hollowed out, and probably used for cooking. An arrow-head, of white ilinl,
four inches long, was found near Plumstcadville. Tradition tells us there wa.=.
a village of nine luits, or loelges. of Indians near the headwaters of the south-
east branch of Deeji run. which remained there long after the township was
settled by whites. The}' went to Neshaminy to catch fish, then abundant in
tliat stream, and paid frequent visits to the houses of the settlers on baking
days, \\hen the gift of pies and cakes cijuciliated their goodwill. They often
drop|icd in on "grandmother Hill," t)ie ancestor of the late William Hill.
Plumstead. who lived nn the farm recently owned bv .Samuel Detweiler, on such
occasions and hardly ever went away empty-handed. The shape of arrow-heads

S Hugh lluslon. the !:::raiHi!ntluT of Judiic Huston cnmc from Ireland and married
Jean, widow of Robert Meariis, of Warwick, and died in a few years. They had one
son, Tlioma';, and two dausliters, who married William and John Tlioinp.?on. Thonia> Ilns-
ton married Jcannett Walker and had eight children, Charles being the eldest son. He
was a captain in tbo RovoUiti.in and died at the age of 94. The British came near captur-
ing him while living at Newtown, on the occasion of their visit thtrc, 177S. They rcache<?
the house, frightening the family, but did not find liim. The place of Judge Huston's
birth is somewhat uncertain. It is not I;nown wliore the grandfather sct'.ied, but the father
is said to have kept tavern at Xewtown, and removed to I'himslead wb-'re lie is kmnvTi to
ba\e kept a tavern. Our authority says Thbma.s Huston was born in lli'.rks county, mar-
ried and luid fur elnl.ben. tlnec dauglitcrs anil two sons.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 391

f, iiuiil ill riumstcad differs from Unwise of ihc valley of the Schuylkill, and are
liciKT fashioned. Al Lower Black's Eddy, near the hotel, between the canal
;iii 1 river, the Indians prohaljly nianulaciured their stone weajKins and imple-
n'.enis. Here are found chii)[)ing:s of llinis, hornblend and jasj er from which
thev were made, and, by careful search, an occasional spear and arrow-head,
111 perfect condition is picked up. It was probably the site of an Indian,
\ dta-e.

The last wolf killed i'.i Bucks county was caught in Plumstead about t8oo.
Ivihn Smith, then a small boy, set a trap to catch foxes but it was gone one
morning. Believing some animal had carried it off, he followed the trail and
i(nmd it caught in a neighlioring fence with a large gray wolf fast in it. He
went to the house and told his father, who fetched his ritle and shot him. The
trap was in possession of Charles R. Smith, Plumstead, some years ago.

The extension of what is now known as the Easton road from the county
line to Dyer's mill, in 1723, was probably the first road opened in Plumstead.
In 1726 Ephraim Fenton, James Shaw, Alexander Brown, John llrown,
Thomas Brown, Jr., \\'illiani Michcner, Israel Doane, and Isaac Pennington,
inhabitants of the townshiji, petitioned the cotnt to lay out a road "from the
northeast corner of Thomas Brown's land," now^ Gardenville, in the most direct
line to the York road, which it met near Cenfreville. This was a section of the
Durham road, and gave the inhabitants of the upper end of the tow"nship an
outlet to Newtown and Bristol. The road was probably laid out about this
lime. In 1721; a road was petitioned for from the upper side of the township to
JJyer's mill, which now gave a continuous road to Philadelphia. In 1741
another was laid out from the Easton road above Danborough, via Sand's
corner to CcntreviUc, coming otit on the Doylestown turnpike half a mile west
of Centreville, and is now called the Street road. Before that time the inhabit-
ants of the lower part of Plumstead and the upper part of Buckingham had
no direct road down to Newtown. In 1762 this road was extended to Plum-
steadville, then known as James Hart's tavern. A road was laid out from
D}er's road (.East'^n road), at the Plumstead antl Bedminster line, to Henry
Krout's mill on Deep run, in the latter township, and thence to the Tohickon,
1750. In 1758 a road was opened from the Easton to the Durham road. About
1738 a road was laid out from Gardenville (Chalfont) across the country to But-
ler's, late Sliellenberger's, mill near W'hitehallville, which has always been know n
as the Ferry road. That from Danborough to lower Black's Edily was laid out
in 1738. The first road from the Easton road to the Dela^vare, at Point Pleas-
ant, was laid out in April, 1738, on petition of the inhabitants of Plumstead.
It ended at the ri^er at the mouth of Tohickon creek, on the land of Enoch
Pearson, who then kept the ferry. The viewers were William Chadwick.
N\'illiam IMichener, Robert Smith, and Cephas Child, and it was surveyed by
John Chapman. The road was not put on record until 1770. It left the
Easton road at Gardenville. The turnpike to Point Pleasant leaves the bed
of the old road about a mile east of the Friends' meeting house. It is still
open, but not much traveled.

The villages of Phnnstead are, Gardenville, Danborough, Plumsteadville
and Point Pleasant. One hundred years ago Gardenville was known as
"Pirownsville." after one o{ the oldest families in the townshir. Its tavern
.swung the sign of the "I'low" as early as T760, which year William Recder
petitioned the court to recommend him to the governor f<ir license to keep it,
but the api>lication was rejected. The oliV tavern-house was burned do\vn,
Stmday night, April 9, 1871, and a now one built on the spot. Abraliam and

392

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Malilcjii Doanc were buried from what was tlic first truern in the place, but
then a private dweHing-, occupied by their ainit. It had been kept as a tavern
many years before that, first by Patrick Poe, some hundred and si.\i\
years ago. The second tavern was built by Williani Reeder, and is now occu-
pied as a dwelling. It was kept in the Revolution by William JMcCalla, and
made a depot for forage collected from the surrounding country. A picket
•was stationed there. It is situated at the crossing of the Danborough and
Point i'leasant turnpike and Durham road, contains a tavern, store, mechan-
ical shops, and a dozen or fifteen dwellings. Danborough, on the Easton road, is
made up of a tavern, store, the usual outfit of mechanics, and a few dwellings.
It was named after Daniel Thomas, an early resident, twice sheriff of the
•coimty and died early in the century. Before the post-office was established there
it was called Clover Hill, and al^o Danville. On the Point Pleasant turnpike, in
the neighliorhiX)d of Danborough, is the Nicholas graveyard, so named after
Samuel Nicliolas, son of the man who ran the first stage-coach from Phila-
delphia to A\'ilke5barre.° Samuel kept the Danborough tavern many years,
and in company with John Moore, father of Daniel T., was proprietor of the
stage-coach between Philadelphia and Easton.

Plumstcadville is the most flourishing ^■illage in the townsb.ip. In 1762 it
was known as James Hart's tavern, and was but a cross-roads hostelry. Seventy
years ago it had but one dwelling, owned and occupied by John Rodrock as a
public house, who was the proprietor of about three hundred acres of land in
the immediate vicinity. The liouse, a low, two-story, was torn down by John
Shisler. .\fter the decease of ])dr. Rodrock the property was sold in lots,
some of it bringing but eight dollars an acre. Sixty-five years ago all the corn
and fodder raised on a ten-acre. field, adjoining the Rodrock farm, was hauled
home at two loads. The village contains about twenty-five dwellings, with
tavern, store, and a brick church, Presbyterian, built, i860. It is the seat of
the extensive carriage factory of Aaron Kratz, which employs about fifty
men. l^oint Pleasant, which lies partly in Tinicum and partly in Plumstead,
will be noticed in oiu" account of the former township.^"

The olde.--L bouse in the township is supposed to be the two-story stone
<^lwelling called "Stand aloue," on the Durham road between Hinkletown and
C.ardenville. Tratiition says it was the first two-story house in the township,
and when first erected people came several miles to look at it, and is thought
to be from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty years old. In its
time it lias undergone several vicissitudes; has been more than once repairetl,
<iccupied and tlicu empty, but no one has lived in it for many years. Next in
age is the two-story stone dwelling of John F. ^Meyers, lately occupied by Reuben
\V. Nash, a mile from the north-east corner of the township. It was built
h\ Sanuiel Hart, great-grandfather of Josiah Hart, of Doylestown, about I7^'4-
and in it he kept tavern and store during the Revolutionary struggle. The
third oldest house is probably that of Sanuiel Meyers, a mile east of Pluni-
sleadville. a Iv.-o story stone, built by John Meyers, and for the past century
it has been occupied by the father, son, grandson, and great-grandson.

9 T!ie name i=: fpe'lcd "XKlieUuis" and "Xicliolas."

10 'V\\c Kr.itz farri.Tse and wagon works at Phini'stcadville is t!ie largest industrial
plant in middle r.!n.k^. It was established nearly 50 years ago by Aaron Kratz, and him-
self and .iOn carry on a large business. They. turn out all sorts of vehicles, in ordinary
use, finding ready sale in many st.ites of the union and Canada., Two large farms are
r.car the v.-orks, and $50,000 insurance is carried on t!ic stock and materia!.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

393

Phimstcad havinjj been the birthplace and home of tlie Doancs, and the
5CL-ne of many of their exploits, a hvely recollection of them has been handed
tlown from father to son. Their rendezvous was in a wild, secluded spot on
tlie south bank of the Tohickon, two miles above Point Pleasant where IVlcses
was shot by Gibson, because "dead men tell no tales." It is said that Philip
Uinkle put the body of the dead refugee across the pommel of his sadtlle,
.uul rode with it, in company with others, to Hart's tavern where he tumbled
the corpse down on the piazza tloor." After they had taken a drink all round,
the dead body was again put on the horse and carried to the residence of his
})arents. That was a sorrowful funeral. It is related that the little dog that
belonged to Doane came forward and looked down in the grave after the
coffin had been lowered, seemingly bidding a last farewell to his master. When
Abraham and ilahlon Doane were hanged in Philadelphia, their father v>ent
alorie to town, and had their bodies brought up in a cart, he walking all the
way alongside of it. They were buried from a house that stood near Nathan
Fretz's dwelling, on the east side of tlie Durham road at Gardenville, and
interred in the woods opposite, Plumstead meeting-house, then belonging to
the meeting, but recently to John Shaffer. When Joseph Doane came back
to the county, sixty-five years ago, he related that he escaped from Newtown
jail by unlocking the door with a lead key he made, and then scaled the yard wall.

Until within the last three-quarters century, Plumstead did not have a good
reputation for fertility. The north-east and east end of the township, in \>a.T-
ticular, were noted for sterility, and although the farms were generally large,
many of the owners could not raise sufficient bread for their families, nor
provender for their stock. Other parts of the township were nearly as un-
productive, and it came to be called "Poor Plumstead." Strangers in passing
through it, laughed at the barren fields. \Mthin sevenly-five years, huuilreds
of acres of land have been sold for seven, eight, ten, and fifteen dollars per
acre. The farmers commenced liming about sixty years ago, and since then
the land has rapidly improved hi fertility, until the farms are tlie c(]ual of
those of any township in the county.

Plumstead and the neighboring townships of Ililltown, Bedniinstcr and
Tinicum have sent manv immigrants to Canada in the last centur}', principally
^'Tcnnonites. The immigration commenced, 17S6, when John Kulp, Diliman
Kuip, Jacob Kulp. Stoil'el Kulp, Franklin Alliright and Frederick ITahn left
this count)' and sought nev/ homes in the cotmtry beyond the great lakes.
They, who had families, were accompanied by their wives and children. These
jiioncers must" have returned favorable accounts of the country, for, in a few
years, thev were joined by many of their old friends and neighbors from
Rucks. In T70Q thev were followed by the Reverend Jacob IMoycr, Amos
Albright. Valentine Kratz, Diliman Moyer, John Hunsbcrger, Abraham IIuus-
bcrger, George Althousc and Closes Fretz : in 1800 by John Fretz, Lawrence
Hippie, Abraham Grubb. Michael Rittcnhousc. ]Manasseh Fretz, Daniel High,
jr., Samuel Mover. David Mover, Jacob HiqIi. Jacob ITausser. John Wi^mor,
Jacob Frey, Isaac Kulp. Daniel IHeh, jr.. Philip High, Abraham FTigh, Chris-
tian Hunsbcrger and Abraham Hnnsberger. In 1802 Isaac Wismcr and
StofTe! .\ngeny went to Canada from Plumstead. The laller returned, but the
former remained, .'^hrrtlv afterward. Reverend Jacob Gross followed Ids
friends who had gc>ne befcirc. A number of the Nash family immigrated to
Canada, among whoni were the widow of Abratiam Nash, who died near

II See sub'icnnent clinpter for anntlier version of this tr.insMclion.

394

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

DanboruiiL;h, 1823. with her three sons Joseph, Abraham, who was a justiee
ot the i>eaee, and Jaci.ilj anil four daughters. Th(j\- went about 1S27 and i8jS.
The JJucks County laniilies generally settled in what is now Lincoln county,
near l^ake Ontario, some 20 miles from Niagara Falls, but their descendants
are a siood deal scattered. They are generallj' thrifty and well-to-do. The
year after the ininiigT.'inis arrived is Icnown in Canada as the "scarce year,"
on account of the failure of crops, when there was great suffering among
them. Some were obliged to eat roots and herbs. The first immigrants are
all dead, but some of them have left sons and daughters born here. Among
the relics retained of the home of their fathers is a barrel churn of white cedar,
made 100 years ago in this County by John Frctz and daughter, and now
owned- by a grandchild. In addition to the names already given we find those
of Gayman, Clemens, Durstein, Thomas and Zelner. Frecjuent visits are made
between the Canadian 2\fennonites and their relatives in Bucks.

Plumstead was the birthplace of John Ellicolt Carver, an architect and
civil engineer of considerable reputation, where he was born November 11,
1809. He learned the trade of a wheelwright at Doylestown, and, when out of
his time, about 1S30, went to Philadelpliia. Not finding work at his own
trade, he engaged as carpenter and joiner, and soon after was working at
stair-building, a more diflicult branch. As this required considerable mechan-
ical and mathematical ability, and feeling his own deficiency, he commenced
a course of study to qualify himself for the occupation. He devoted his leisure
to studying mechanical and mathematical drawing, and kindred branches. His
latent talents were developed by jiersevering effort, and it was not long before
he commenced to give instruction in these Ijranches in a school established for
the purpose. Later he devoted his time to the study of architecture and en-
gineering, and we next find him in the practice of these professions, at a
time when their attainment was diflicult, and support more precarious than at
present. ^Ir. Carver continued the practice of his profession in Philadelphia
for several years with success. He was engaged in the erection of some of
th best public and private buildings of that time, and was the author of plans
for fine or more of the lieautifid cemeteries wliich adorn the environs of the
city. He erected gas-works in various parts of the country. His death, Ajiril
I, 1859. closed a nscf;d career. Mr. Carver was one of tlie pioneers in arclii-
tecture ir; I'hi'.ad^-ii'hia. and he occupied an honcM'ahlc position in the jiro-
fessirin.

The Brownsville. Pcrsistive Florse company, for the detection of horse
thieves and other villains, is a Plumstead institution and one of the oldest
associations of the kind in the count}- or State and most successful. It was
formally organized at Brownsville, now Gardenville, March 22, 1806, when
officers were elected and a constitution and b)'-laws adopted. The late Abra-
ham Cha;-man was president many years. At the December meeting, 1831,
the com])any was divided into tv.-o, Eastern and Western Divisions, the Dur-
ham Rnad made the dividing line and Islr. Chapman chosen to preside over
both. Divisions. The capital stock was divided 1832, each body receiving
^301.59. The reason given for the division of the company was "the incon-
venience of transacting business over such an extensive territory" and because
of its prosperity. The ninetieth anniversary of the original organization of
the united romiiany, was celebrated at Doylestown, }vlarch 22, 1896, with a
large attendance. .A union meeting was held in Lenape Hall, over which John
S. Williams presitied. and comprehc"nsivc sk"etc]ies of the two Divisions were
read bv the respective secretaries. ]",. Watson Fell. Buckingham, and John L.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. ■ 395

Kraiiicr, Doylcstown, and by Eastburn Reeder of the original company to its
divi>ion. At that time two mcnibori of. the original comj)any, who belonged
t,) it, i8_>8, were li\ing, John Belts, Warminster, formerly Solebury, in his
it\<\ \ear, and juhn Walker, Uoyk-^lown, yS. At the anniversary the Eastern
Lhvi'-ion dined at the I'Ountain Idouse, and the \\ eslern at Clear Spring Hotel.

The earliest enumeration of the inhabitants of Plumstead that we have
Men is that of 1746, when the population was set down at 130. Other years
are given as follows: 1759, 1-5; 17O1, 118; 1762, 153. It is probable these fig-
mes stand for taxables, instead of population, as they do not apjjear high
enough for the latter. In 1784 the township contained 946 white inhabitants, 7
colored, and 160 dwellings. \\'e are not able to give the census of 1790 and
iSoo, but have the pojndation of each decade from the latter year to the present
time, as returned to the census bureau: In iSio, 1,407; 1820, 1,790; ii>30,
1.849, and 402 taxables; 1840, 1,873; 1850. 2,298; i860, 2,710; 1S70, 2,617;
1880, 2,537; 1890, 2,336; 1900, 2,119. If this enumeration be not incorrect,
it shows a decrease of nearly one hundred from i860 to 1870.

Among the early settlers of Plumstead, who died at an advanced age,
beside those already mentioned, the following may be named: November 1,
]8o8, Mrs. Mary Aleredith, aged one hundred years, widow of William Mere-
dith; September 13, 1805, Mrs. Dorothy Linderman, aged ninety years and
three months, leaving' two hundred descendants; November 16, 1819, John
Jones, aged eighty-four; July 13, 1812, Hannah Preston, aged ninety-four years.

Plumstead had a Union Library company in 1S07, with Adam Foulke as
secretar\'. Joseph Stradling was a subsequent secretary, but ^\"e have not
been able to learu when it was established, or anything of its history.

Alorgnn Hinchman, Philadelphia, was the owner of, and resided on, a
farm in Plumstead, in 1847. There arose some family difficulty founded on
his alleged insanity, and it was decided to have him arrested and locked up
in an asylum. Accordingly it was so arranged, and he was captured at
the Red Lion tavern, Philadelphia, while down with marketing, and taken out
to the Frankford asylum for the insane, where he was confined and not al-
lowed to communicate with his friends. After being shut up there for six
months, he scaled the wall and made his escape. He now brought suit for
daiuages against his captors, which was tried before Judge P:urnside, in
Philadelphia, in the -pring 01 i8_)0. A number of able lawyers was employed
on both sides, and Mr. Hinchman had the eloquent David Paul P.rown, tlien
in the zenith of his fame. .\.fier a patient hearing, the jury awarded him
$10,000 damages. It was a noted case, and created great excitement in its
day. The farm passed out of tlie possession of Hichman about the time of the
trial, and in recent years was owned by the Heacocks.

About the middle of the last century, Anthony Fretz built a mill on the
Tohickon, in Plumstead, but we do not know who owns it now, or whether it
is in existence as a mill. Isa.ac Fretz built a luill in Tinicum about the same
period, but the foimer was built first.

Plumstead has three pnst-oftices ; at nanborough, but the time it was
established is not known, Plunistcadville 1840. with John L. Delp postmaster,
an.l at Garden ville 1857, and John ShatTcr first postmaster. There was a post-
oftice at "Plum-tead" as early as 1800, and on November ist, there remained
in the office, the following letters, as advertised in the Tanners' Weekly Ca-
rrtu-: b'rancis lu-win, .America. Peter Evans, Poylestown. Ciiarles Hutchins,
Do. Do. Margaret Hacket. SnKbury, :Morris Morris. Wheelwright, Daniel
Palmer, Thicks C'ountv, John .Sein, .Solebury.

CM AFTER

WARWICK.

First land seated. — Jituies Clayton, — Bowden's tract. — Tiio S'.iowdens. — Doctor John Rod-
man.-— The Jamisons. — The Baxters. — jMiddlcbury.- — Township petitioned for. — Called
Warwick. — Area.— Quaint petition. — The Ramseys. — Robert Ramsey. — Andrew and
Charles Mclilichcn.— Provisions of a will. — The Carrs. — William Rogers. — Hender-
sons.— Mathew .Archibald. — Ne^haminy church. — Mr. Tcnnent. — Old tombstones. —
Colonel William Hart. — Robert B. Belville. — ^James R. Wilson. — Change of hymn-
books. — William Dean. — Andrew Long. — Accident.— Roads and bridges. — The Wal-
laces.— Well-watered. — Hamlets. — Continental Army encamped on the Neshaminy. —
Tlie Hares. — Post offices. — Aged persons. — Populalion.

When Warwick was orgajiized all the townsliips immediately arotind
it liad already been formed except Warrington. The original limits inchided
part of Doylestown and the line bchveen \\'ar\vick and New Britain ran along
Court street, \\lien the County %vas settled, and for many years afterward,
this section was known as ''Tlie Forks of j\'eshan>iny," becattse the greater
part of its territory lay between the two branches of this stream, which unite
in the south-east corner of the township.

Considerable land was seated in V\'arvvick iM'ior to idSj], l)at it is doubttnl
whether there were any acttial sclllcrs of that date. Among the original pur-
chasers, i«rior to 1696, was Tames Clayton, probably the ancestor of the num-
erous family bearing this name in eastern PcTmsylvania, who came from 2\lid-
dlcse.x, England, 1682, with his wife and children. lie landed at Choptank,
Waryl.ind, in Xii\cmber, and came into the Pro\-ince the following month. We
have no data to tell wlien he came into the county, but he took up an extensive
tract west of Ncshaniiny, extending from the Northampton line, or there-
abouts, to Jamison's corner; also, John Cray, whose tract covered the .Alms-
house farm, Henry lUiiley, about IJartsville, Benjamin Twily, in the vicinity
of Jamison's corner, Nathaniel Stanbtiry, John Blayling, Daniel Ciles, John
Feltiplace, John Clows, Randall Blackshaw, George Willard, Thomas Potter
and James Boyden. Boyden's tract was north of Ncshamlny, between the
i'.ristol and York roads and lay along tlie road from the top of Carr's hill
'i.)\\n to Neshaminv church. As these names are not afterward met with in
the township, very few. if any, were probably actual setulcrs. Jeiemiah Lang-
horne and William .Miller, Sr., owned three hr.mlred and thirty-four acres on

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 397

the last side of the Bristol road, extending down it toward the nieeting-house
iioni the toi) of Long's hill, and running back from tlie road. Miller purchased
from Langhorne and Kirkbride in 1/20, and a large part of the tract became
vested in James Wallace, 1762.

The Snowdens and ^icCallas were early settlers in Warwick, in the
neighborhood of Xeshaminy church. Both names have disappeared from ^he
township, although we believe the descendants remain in the female line,
lohn Snowden, ancestor of James Ross Snowdcn, late Prothonotary, Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania, was early in the Forks of Neshaminy, probably about
1700. He is said to have come to what is now Delaware county, then Chester,
1OS5. He was appointed Associate jutlge of this county, 1704, Justice of the
Peace in 1715, and the first elder ordained in the old ilarket street Presby-
terian church, Philadelphia. His son, Jedediah, was an early trustee of the
Second Presbyterian church. The Reverend Daniel McCalla, probably the
most eminent man Warwick ever produced, was born in 1748, graduated at
Princeton, 1766, with extraordinary attainments as a scholar, was licensed
to preach in 1772, and ordained over the congregations of New Providence
and Charlestown, Pennsylvania, 1774. He was a chaplain in the Continental
army, and made prisoner in Canada. When exchanged he established an acad-
emy in Hanover county, \'irginia, was afterward called to take charge of the
congregation made vacant by the resignation of Reverend Samuel Davies, and
died, Way, 1809. He had a witle reputation as a preacher, and was distin-
guished for his classical attainments.

As early as 1712, Doctor John Rodman and Francis Richardson owned
large tracts of land in this township. Less than a century ago ^^'illiam and lohn
Kodman still owned twenty-five hundred acres liere, the former one thousand,
four hundred fifty-three and one-half acres, and the latter one thousand, {\it\-
seven and one-lialf acres, on both sides of the Xcshaminy, extending from below
Bridge Valley to half a mile above Bridge Point. Tliis tract included the Alms-
house farm, where Gilbert Rodman resided and which he sold to the countv.
The Rodman tract, on the north-east, at some points was bounded bv the road
leading from Doylestown to Wood's corner, on the York road just above Bridge
X'alley. It has Icnig since passed out of the family.

The Jamisons were in Warwick several years before the township was
formed, and the names of three of them are attached to the petition asking for
its organization. The fam.ily, of Scotch origin and Presbyterian in faith, was
among those who immigrated from Scotland to Ulster, Ireland, and was part
of the great flood of Scotch-Irish which peopled this state the eighteenth cf-n-
tury. Flenry Jamison, the head of the house, came to America with his family
about 1720 or 1722, and proljably settled shortly afterward in this county. He
bought one thousand acres in various tracts, in Warwick and Northampton
but lived in the latter township. The deeds show these purchases were partlv
made of Jeremiah Langhorne, who conveyed five hundred acres to Jamison
the 27th of February, 1724. This was part of the five thousand acres Penn's
Commissioners of Property conveyed to Benjamin P'urley, September 13,
1703, subject to quit-rent from 16S4. John Henry Sprogel bought one thous-
and acres of it, and. in 1700. conveyed the same to Thomas Tresse, and from
Tresse to Joseph Kirkbride and Jeremiah Langhorne, I^Iarch 23, 1714. In
'/.^4 TIcnry Jamisr.n conveyed two hundred and fifty acres of this land. Iving
in Warwick, to Robert Jamison, and, the remainder to his other children. It
is related that Jean Blackburn, afterward wife of Robert Jamison, was ship-
wrecked in coming to America on the island of Bcrmiida, and left in a

398 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

destitute condition ere she could get a passaj;c to Philadelphia. The father
returned lu Ireland, but whether he died there \\e are not infomied. Two
hi'ndied acres o£ the Jamison estate lately remained in the family, the same
the progenitor bought of Langhorne in ijjS. Jvobert Jamison, born in i6y8,
son of Henry, was the father of John Jamison, a captain in the Continental
army, who niarricil Martha, sister of the Reverend James Crier, of Deep Run,
of ]\obert, who was a soldier in the Revolution, anil long an elder in Neshaniiny
church, and also of Henry Jamison who kept the tavern at Centreville, called
Jamison's in 1767. and the father of the first wife of the Reverend Nathaniel
Irwin. Henry, a son of Cai)tain John Jamison, drew a $50,000 prize in a li-it-
tevy. At his death, in 1816, at the age of 35, he left S500 to Neshaminy
church, and, with the remainder, enriched his relatives. James Jamison, Buck-
ingiiam. who was killed by an explosion in his lime-quarry, in 1S37, at the age
of 58, was a son oi deacon Robert. 1^1 embers of this family have immigrated
to other parts, and the name is now found in various sections of this State and
■country. Henry Jamison went to Florida as early as 1765, where he died.

The Baxters were early settlers in Bucks county, some say about 16S2,
but we have not met with the evidence. In 1762, Margaret Baxter mortgaged
lier real estate, and afterward paid it oti', dying about 17S5. William Baxter,
.silversmith, was in Warwick, 1772, and Robert Baxter, 1813. The name
"Baxter" originally "Bakestre'' means a female baker and was spelled Baxter,
Beeksler and Bexter. In 163 1 several families of the nanie immigrated from
Shropshire, England to Salem, Mass., with John Throckmorton and others.
■Excomnuuiicaied. they went to Rhode Island where one family remained.
Two other Baxter families settled on Throgg"s Neck, West Chester county.
New York, where Thomas Baxter died 1715. He was there as early as 1685
and had served as Alderman, Justice of the Peace, church vestryman and cap-
tain. The third family of this name is the one that settled in Bucks county.
Colonel Baxter who commanded a Peimsylvania regiment in the Revolution,
was probabh a dt.>crndant of one of these families. He was killed at Fort
Washington and hi.-- remains buried at Tenth a\'enue and i82d street, New
York City. An unlettered stone marks the spot.

)1- CI.li CI. cm NHI 1. IN M.SUAMINV, UAK\MCK.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. ■ 399

The unorganized territory lying between Warminster, and erected into
Warrington, in J 734, Northampton, Buckingham, and New Britain, was
called "Aliddlcbury" for several years, and as such elected overseers of the
piinr and of roads. The 13th of February, 1733, twenty of the inhabitants of
this region, namely; Robert Jamison, Benjamin Walton, William Ramsey,
Alexander Brcckcnridge, Thomas Howell, Hugh Houston, Samuel I\]artin,
William JMiller, jr., \'alentine San.tee, James Polk, Robert Sibbett, John
.McCollock, Arthur Blcakley, Alexander Jamison, Henry Jamison, Andrew
Long, Joseph \\ alton, and Joseph Roberts, petitioned the court of quarter ses-
sions to organize it into a township to be calle<l Warwick, "to extend no
further in breadth than from ye north-west line, or Bristol road, to Bucking-
ham and in length from Northampton to New Britain." The draft, which ac-
companied the petition, makes ^Middlebury, or \\'ar\vick, of the same size and
shape as Warminster and Warrington. The petition was allowed the next day
after it was received, and there can be no doubt that the town.ship was organ-
ized luider it. As to what time the true name Z\Iiddlebury was dropped, and
the township took the name it now bears, with the boundaries that covered the
unorganized territory, th.e records arc silent. It was called Warwick in 1736.
The Dyer's mill road, wow Doyle-^towu and Willow Grove turnpike, was
<ipciied in 1733 by Rnbcrf Janiisrin "o^crseer of the roads of ]\Iiddlebury." The
same year Benjamin Walton was a])pointed constable for Middlebury and
Uiibert Jamison su[)ervi,sor of highwa_ys. At the October sessions, 1727,
William Miller v.as appointed overseer of the York road between the two
branches of the Neshaminy, from the bridge above Hartsville to Bridge \'aHey.
The petitioners for the organization of tlie township belonged to the first
generation of actual settlers, or their immediate descendants, and the names
remain in this and neighboring townships. The population at that time can
not be given, but at the first enumeration of taxables that we have seen, 1759,
when the township embraced a much larger area than at present, they luim-
bered 13S. Before it lost any of its territory it contained eleven thousand eight
Inuuired and eighty-three acres. Its present area is ten thousand seven hun-
dred and thirty-one acres. Since Doylcstown township was organized there
lias been one or two immaterial clranges in its territorial limits.

Shortly after the organization of the township those who were dissatis-
fied with its boundaries addressed the following petition to the court asking a
rcrlress of grievances. It is a literal transcript of the original d<u-nmenl :

"To the Blonoralile court held at Newtown the thirteenth day of Dc-
cemlKT. 1733.

"The Ilunil'.el petition of the inliabetance of Miildlebnrv. Humbly she\v :
"That bv a warant from Thomas Canl.iy, esq.. Deriected to Robert Jami-
scn. (Overseer of the Rodes of the said township, requiring your petitioners
\n open a Rode fornily Red out from Dyer's mill to the County Line which
is the lireih of tow townships to wir. Xorthampton and Warminster as they
a]>i'''ar by ve undern.—ith Tr.'ivfts: Now your petitioners repaired \Virk Iv>de
and '.p]ien ihe sil Iv'-de frrnii Niw r.rltten to ye Northwest Line whis is I'.risml
Rode and Divids aj-'art of the s^i lnwnsliip from ^\'arminste^, and is in Bredih
near four miles and in length six miles or ther abouts ; now theie is a C'Misiil-
vrable number of faTuilies Levinc on ajasent Lands Layint: betwixt ye North-
\'.est Line and yc Comity Line Ivpinle in Breath with \\'arminster as the sd
towushiii. is eminU in Breath with- Northampton.

"Mav it therefor please the TTonnorable court to consider the prinii^es
.'uu! ( Innt \rinr paiitii 'iiers Relive by ordering the sd townships to exleud as

400 ■ HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

furdcr in Uretli than from ye sd Xortluvo^t Line or Bristol Rode to Bucking-
ham, and in Length from Xorthami-lcn to Xew Britain, or outher ways as the
llonnorable cmirt shall see mcett, and your lujtiiioners in duty bound will
pray. 2\lay it pk-ase the court that sd township's name may be Warwick."

The Warwick Ramseys are descended from William Ramsey, a stauncli
Scotch-Irish rresbyterian, who was born in Lekmd in 1698, and came to
America in 1741. He purchased the undivided third part of six hundred and
thirty-eight acres in the south corner of the township, of Ricliard Ashfield, on
which he settled, and afterward bought one hundred acres adjoining, on the
Bristol road, in Warminster. The Warwick tract comprised the farms now
or recently owned by George Small, C. Carr, Joseph Carrell, Andrew Scott,
J. iVL Yerkes and Hugh Thompson. The Lairds and Bradys. relatives of
Ramsey, came into the township about the same time, and to whom he sold
part of his land. William Ramsey married Jane Brady, probably one of his
Scotch-Irish cousins, and by her had a family of seven children, Patrick,
LIugh, John, \\'illiam. Jennet, Jean and Robert, and died in 1787, at the age of
eighty-nine. Llis wife died in 1761, aged fifty-eight years. Patrick, Hugh and
Jennet died without issue. John, born 2klarch. 1731, married Eleanor Hender-
son, had five children, William, John, Jane, Elizabeth and Robert; was an elder
in the Neshaminy church, and died in 1813, at the age of eighty-two; William
was twice married, and died in 1814, at seventy-nine, without children, leaving
his real estate to his nephews; Jean married John Blair, liad children, Nancv
Jane and William R., and died in 1S25, at eiglity-two ; Robert moved with his
family to western Pennsylvania. Jolm, the son of John and Eleanor Ramsey,
born 1769, married JNEary Santman, and died on his farm in Warminster, wdiere
his son John lived, in 1849, at the age of eightw Robert Ramsey, the son of
John and Eleanor Ramsey, and grandson of \\'illiam, the first progenitor, was
born Lcbruary 15, 17S0, married iMary Blair, and had children, Eleanor, John
P., Jane, Ann, George, Charles, Robert Hendeison, William and another that
died in infancy. Four of these childreti were living in recent years. Robert
Ramsey lived on the farm in ^^'ar\vick inherited from his father, where he
died in 1849, '^t the age of sixty-nine. Lie was a man of considerable influence
and note in his day, and prominent in politics : was five times elected to the
Assembly, and was four years a member of the House of Representatives of the
United States.

The McMickcn family was in Warwick at an early da}', hut prolial'ly
not prior to 1740. It, too, was .Scotch-Irish. We find that un the 7th of Oc-
tober, 1763, ■\\'illiam Rodman and wife conveyed to Andrew and Charles
McMickcn, jr., of \\'arwick, oric hundred and forty acres in the township,
lying along Xeshaminy, on both sides of the York road, for the considera-
tion of £817. This was |)aTt of (he two thousand five hundred
acres ^^'illiam and John Stephenson conveyed to John Rodman and
Thomas Richardson, in 1703, and, in 1726 Richardson conveyed his
interest to Rodman. The kite Charles ^k'Mickcn, of Cincinnati, was
a member of this family, and born in ^^'arwick, in 1782. He was
yirohably a son of .Andrew.' His early advantages of education were few, but
he was trained to habits of industrv and self-reliance. At the age of twentv-
onc h.e left ln"s father's house and went to Cincinnati, then an inconsiderable
frontier village, and, wlien he arrived there, his entire fortune consisting of
his horse, saddle and bridle. There he. made his future home. He engaged in
trade on the Ohio, and by economy, integrity rmd close attention to husine--s.
amassed a fortune of a million, and died March 30, 1855, at the age of seven-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 401

ty-tive. lie never married. Ik- was a philanthropist in the broadest sense ui
liic word. After providing nioderalcly :ur his relatives in his will, he left his
iiilire fortune to tound two eolleges, one for males and the other for female-,.
]n his will he says :

"Having long cherished the desire to found an institution where white-
buys and girls might be taught, not only the knowledge of their duties tij
their Creator and their fellow men, but nho receive the benefit of a sound,
thorough, and practical English education, such as might fit them for the active
duties of life, as well as instruction in all the higher branches of knowledge,
except denominafional theology, to the extent that the same are now, or may
iiereafier, be taught in any of the secular colleges or universities of the highest
grade in the country, I feel gratified to God that through his kind Providence
J have been sufficiently favored to gratify the wish of my heart." Among his
charities during his lifetime were a gift of ?5,000 to the American Coloniza-
tion Society, and another of ^10,000 to endow a professorship of agricultural
clicmistry in the Farmers' college, of Ohio.

Joseph Carr, an immigrant from the North C)f Ireland, came to Warwick,
township, 1743. He first settled on a hundred acre tract he rented for a..
shilling an acre, piart of 1,200 acres William Penn granted to Henry Bailey,.
Yorkshire, England, 1685. but Carr subsecjnently purchased it for ii/S-.
Joseph Carr was born in 1707-8, died in 1767, and his will, exe-
cuted February 18, 1756, was admitted to probate March 2, 1767.
His executors were \\illiam and Andrew Long. Four sons and
three daughters are mentioned in the will; John, born 1746, died I\Iarch 29,
1812; William, Joseph, born 172S, died May 22, 17S0. His wife's name was
Mary and the inventory of his estate amounted to £900. As Joseph Carr was.
born fifteen years prior to his father settling in Warwick, it is conclusive evi-
dence lie was married before leaving Ireland, and Joseph was probably the-
eMest child. Joseph Carr, son of the first Joseph, left four children, xVudrcw,,
Margaret. Issub, and Mary.

John Carr, son of Josei)h, llie elder, as already stated, was born three
years after his father's arrival. John Carr's wife was Jane \\'allace, daughter
of James and Isabel (Miller) ^^'allace. They had three sons and five daugh-
ters— James, Joseph, William, b'lizabeth, Marie, Jane, Isabella and Priscilla.
At the breaking out of the K evolution Jolin Carr enrolled himself with the
Warwick "Associators," the last of August, 1775, and doubtless turned out
with the company wherever its services w^erc rec|uired. Of the .sons of John
Carr, James the elder read medicine, graduated, began practice and died
young. Joseph, died, 1839. ^\'illiam Carr, the youngest son of Tolin Carr,
ilie serr>!id, bicauK' quite pri>minent in county affairs. lie was appointed clerk
of the Orphan's Court in the thirties, serving a full term and was afterward
deputy in other county offices. He resided at Doxdestown, until in the sixties,
where he died, 1872, at tlie age of seventy-two. He never married. William
Carr ttxik a deep interest in Masonry aiVl stood high in the order. He super-
intended the erection of tiie Masonic Temple, built on Chestnut street in the
fifties, but taken down several years ago. Mr. Carr was a man of intellisonce
and somewhat given to liistiiric rescardi. The will of John Carr the second is
dated Mnrcli 23, 1812. the execulcrs being \\ i'liam Carr and .'^amuel Hart, but
\\e ha\-e ii'ii I)...'cn able U< iind llii- seltlcniriil. ()u the death of Joscjih Carr.
Sr., his children. (V'tuber 13. i7(k), rrleased tn their br'^tlu-r John their interest
"1 the farms tlu-ir father ilied seizeri i'>t. as fnlLnvs: "William Carr and Marv
his wifo. of Warwick: Thomas .Mct'une. and Margaret, his wife; John .Xndcr-

■402 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

sou, (if r..-iltimnrc Co., Aid., and Is:ibell:i Iiis wife, the said William, Mary,
Margaret and Isabella being children of josc])h Carr, late of Warwick, de-
ceased, release and (|uit claim to John Carr of \\'arwick, deceased, a plantation
of fifty-two acres, lying on the liristol road : also another plantation contiguous,
containing 100 acres." The Recorder's oflice, Doylestown, shows a numljcr of

w ;;•

conveyances ti~> John t'arr and some to his brother Joseph, evidence there
consiclerable real esiate in the family. The Carrs were all Presbyterians, anq
have remained of this faith. Down to 1876, there had been thirty-one inter-
ments of persons of this name, twenty males and eleven females, in tlie
Neshamiiiv gravevard.

.... - ... -^i^iaesi^'

NLS)l.«iM!NV cm KCIl. WARWICK

The Xrshamin\ cluirch of Warwick, on the north bank of that stream,
half a mile frmn Hartsville, is one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the
countv. Ju^t when the congregation was organi/.ed is n.it known, but it dates
back to tb.e iir.-^t quarter of the eighteenth century. The first known pastor
was the Reverend William Tennent, who was called fr. an Pensalem, in i7-''->,
and V. iis the foumler of the Log college. The origin.al church stood in the
gravevanl. and the site of the present building is said to have been an Indian
burying-ground. C)n the north-west end is a marble stone with the inscrip-
tion: 'i'ounded 1710, erected 1743, enlarged 1775, reV)aired 1S42." The date of
its foundation is an error, which arose from the earlv chroniclers confounding
its hi.^l"r\ with that o\ the Dutch Reformed church of Xorth and Southamp-
ti:ni. w'r.ii'h, at its founding,' 111 ^ju>. and ni.-niN- \ears afti-r. was called '"\i>bani-
itiy eluneli." 'liie Warwick church ni\er li;id the 1\(\creiid I'aulus X'an \'leck
for pastor, wk.o ..fi-rirMed at the I'.en>a1iir. .and \..nli and Southampton
churches, and wT.o was in no wi-r cnneciod with the f<irnier. T'bere is not
the le:i-t evidence thai li'.e Warwick ciinrch was in btiu'.: wlien \'an \ leek
preached in tlie comily, anil niore*i\er, he w:\s Dutch ReU'ruud, while this

HISTOKV 01- BUCKS COUNTY

403

fluirch is, au'l always has been, Presbyterian. On a stone in the wall of the
L;r,i\'eyaid are the letters and ligures :

W. G. •
1727.

Uie year the first wall was built. It was re-built some years a,c;o, and on the
L;ate-post is cut the dale, 1852. A number of disting-uished clcrg}nien have
lioen jiastors at Xeshaniiny, th.e Reverends ]\Iessrs. Tennent, Blair, Jrwin, IJel-
ville, Wilson, etc., who^e prominence in the church has given it and them his-
torical importance. W'hitetield preached in the graveyard, where the ciuirch
ilien stood, while in America a century and a half ago.

About this period William Riigers, al^o a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, set-
tletl in \\"arwick. Whellier he came with a family is not known; or if he
tiiarried after his arrival, the name of his wife and the time of their marriage,
pre also unknown. He died in Planover township, tlien Lancaster rountv,
now Dauj-hin. 1771, whither he had removed some years before. Among his
iliildren were two sons, Robert and Andrew Rogers, but we are .ignorant of
the date of their birth. Robert, the elder, married Isabella Carr, daughter of
liihn and Jane Carr, anrl his brother Andrew married Jane Henderson, daugh-
ter of Margaret and Robert Henderson. Both the sons settled in Hanover town-
-!iip. Lancaster county: we do not know whether before or after their father,
li!;l ]irohab!i abi/ait the .-ame lime. There ( ieorge W. Rogers, a great-g.randson
nf the immigrant, was born August 23. 1S19, and went west with father's fam-
ily, 1836. They settled at Springtield. Ohio, whence the son George was sent
lo Dayton, to school, but subse(|uently married and settled there, and died
.\ugust Ti, 1899. within twelve days of eighty years of age. The widow and
family still reside at Dayton. A\'illiam H. Rogers was the son of Robert and
Isabella Carr and grandson of Andrew who married Jane Henderson.

About 172S two new Scotch-Irish settlers located in \^'arwick, :\lauhew
and Elizabeth Archibald, with their daughter, 2^Iargaret, and her husband
Robert Henderson. On Aj.ril 4, 1739. John Thomas and Richard Penn con-
\eycd to Elizabeth Archibald four hundred and eighty-nine acres in Buck-
ingham, on tlie north-west side of the York road, extending from Sjiring \'al-
ley to the Bushington toll gate, which she devised by her will, dated January
lO, 1748, to her daughter Margaret, wife of Robert Henderson, ^iargaret
Henderson died intestate, 1793, leaving eight daughters; Elizabeth married
David Denny. Chester county. ?\Iargaret married John Kerr. Warwick. Jane
Havid Ferguson, Hanover townsliiii. Dauphin county; Agnes, piloses Dunlap,
I'himstead; :\Iary. Elijah Stinson. Warwick; Eleanor, James Polk, Warwick;
Martha Henderson, who died unmarried, ami Rachel married James Darrah.
In 1761, Robert Henderson imrchascd land of Henrv Johnson as "Robert
Henderson, of Buckingham."' and consequently mu'^t have lived there at that
time. The executors of IClizabeth Archibald were Charles Beattv and Robert
llender-nn. I'.lijah Stinson owned the M.-.l:uid plantation at the foot of
( arr's hill, near Xe>haminy Iirirl-e. \\";irwick. where Washington had his
headquarters Angu.n. 1777.- Diere is S'.me unccrlainlv in tracing the Hen-

1 These initials doiiixli-.vs .<:inn(! f..r \Villi:ini MWl-v. .•111 r.n-ly souk-r in the township,
■mil .1 I'rcsbyteriaii. wlin (l.inatccl tin- hiiul I'.V die c'nire-li in j^jO.

-•; Tl;c follnu-in- wore ;(„. ,|n,t,-^ .if l/i;!, ..f t'u- ehiMirn nf K,,I.ert ! ren,!er<.->n nnd
^larsMiit .•\rcl'.il.,ilii: Kli/nhetli. born M:nxl! 10. 1750. no cliildvcn ; M.-irgarct, May 2,

404 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

dcrsoiis, by reason of a line that does not sceiii to connect with that of Robert
Henderson an<l MHzabelh Archibald. Letters of administration were granted,
November 5. i;^"2. to his brother Samnel Henderson, on the estate of "John
Henderson, laic or \\ arminster, deceased." In the administrator's account i.s
the item of ph\sician"s attendance in sickness and funeral expenses in North
Carolina. £13. i^''>. in I'ennsylvania money £12, 18:3. iJalance of estate
i2i8. lyj J. Samuel Henderson then li\x\l in Xorthampton to\vnship and died
there, 18.21. His wife was nan.ied Elizabeth, and his will mcniions a brother,
"riiomas Henderson of Doylestown, Taylor, nephews William, son of brother
Thomas, and W illiam Penned, son of sister Margaret. There are also men-
tioned, in the records, a Jane Henderson, who died in Wrightstown, 1796,
whose estate was distributed to two heirs, Margaret Alontanye, late Hender-
son, ;md Jane Xanjaelt, wife of Isaac, late Henderson. These different Hen-
dersons were d<iubtless relatives, but we are not able to connect them. Robert
Henderson died in Warminster on the farm owned by John !\I. Darrah. Hen-
derson bought it April 5, 1772, of the executors of Charles Beatty. Dying in-
testate, the farm was bought by James Uarrah, grandfather of John M., the
present owner, Alay 2. 1793. It has been in the family one hundred ani.1
twenty-nine years, and owned by the Uarrahs one hundred and seven, pass-
ing from father to son.

A walk in the old graveuard donated to the church b\- William Midler,
Sr., and conlirmed by his will, in which the original church building stood,
exhibits to the visiter the resting places of four generations of the congrega-
tion, Imt there are no tomljsiones with inscriptions earlier than 1730. The
following are among the oldest: Cornelius 3.1cCawney, who died November
29, 173 1, aged lort\- years, Isabel Davis, August 30, 1737, aged seventy-eight
years, William Walker, October, 1738, aged sixty-six years, Andrew Long,
November 16, 173S, aged forty-seven years, probably the first settler of the
name in that ^■icillity, John Davis, August 6, 1748, aged sixty-three years, and
John Ikurd. February ye 2d, 1748, aged seventy-three years. Among others
is a stone to the memory of the "Reverend and learned Mr. Alexander Geilat-
ley, minister of the gosjiel in Middle Octoraro, wlio canie from Perth, in
Scotland, to Pennsylvania in 1753, and departed this life ]\lnrch 12th, 1761,
in his forty-second year." It is not probable any of these early inhabitants
of Nesbaminy graveyard were born in the county, and the birth of some was
years before the English settlers landed on the 13claware. Among the stoties
is one to the nieniory of Colonel \\'illiam Hart, one of the captors of the
Diianes. and after whom Hartsville was named, wlio died June 2, 1831, .Tged
eighty-four years. On the tomb of Mr. Tennc)-.t is the following: "Here
L}-eth the I'.ody of the Revd. William Tennent, senr., who departed this Life.
T^Iay the 6th, Anno Dom. 1746, annos natus 73."

Among the pastors of Nesbaminy church, during the past century, the
Reverend Robert P.. ]]clville was one of the most distinguished, who offi-
ciated for the congregation twenty-six years. He was a descendant of Hugue-
not ancestors, who came tj) .\nierica soon after the revocation of the edict of
Nantes, and w;is a relative of Nicholas r.ehille, the faniMiis French physician
who came to this countrv with Count Pulaski and settled at Trenton. Ne\\'

'7.Sf. "" cluMrcii : J.'ine. iic:. J2. \y^2. i]r<{ liii^li.-iiul. Rni^ers. no eliiljren. second. Fcriiii-
sop, several children: Afrnes. April 2, 1754, Moses Dunlap, one son; Mary, April 14.
I7,=ii. no cliildn-n; Jane. Dec. 22. I7.;j. lirst lin<l>anil. Ro.jers. no cl'iMren, second Feijiu
^^art1^a, i7to, one son and two danL,iUei'5; Rachel, Jnly, 1762, two sons.

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY. 405

Jersey. Mr. JJclville was born at New Castle, Delaware, in 1790, educated
at Pennsylvania University, studied divinity with Doctor Smith, Princeton,
was called to Xeshaininy in 1812, and remained until 1S3S. When he took
cliarge of the church it had but thirty-three members, but he left it at his resig;-
nation with three hundred. During his pastorale the church experienced two
memorable revivals, 1822 and 1832, the latter adding to it one hundred and
forty communicants. He married soon after his settlement at Neshaminy.
In 1S16 r^lr. Uelville opened a classical school in a small building on his own
jircmises, which he kept for nine years. From this grew other schools which
were of incalculable value to that region for many years. He removed from
Neshaminy the spring of 1S39, lived foiu' years in Lancaster, and 1843 P"''"
chased a farm in Delaware, his native State, lie died at Dayton, Ohio, 1845,
while on a visit to his brothers and sisters, and was buried in the cemetery
there. ]\Ir. Belville was an able minister, and his work proves him to have
been a successful pastor. C)ne who understood his character well says of him:
"He had the courage of a lion, and the tenderness of a babe; he was quick as
lightning, and true as the sun. and all who knew liini either loved him well, or
-at least thoroughly respected him." He was the father of the Reverend Jacob
Jjelville, foinierlv of Pottsvi'le, but retired some years ago, and since deceased.

Another able minister of this church was Reverend Plenry Rowan Wil-
son, son of a Revolutionary officer, and born n.car Geltysbtirg the 7th of Au-
gust, 1780. Pie was educated at Dickinson college, and licensed to preach in
1801. After laboring some months in Virginia he removed to Bellefonte, in
this State, where he organized a church, and also c>ne at Lick Run, twelve
miles distant and was installed pastor 1801. In 1S06 he was appointed pro-
fessor of languages in Dickinson college, where he continued until tSi6. He
was subsequently in charge of the Presbyterian church, at Shippensburg, gen-
eral-agent of the Board of Pulilication. and called to the Presbyterian church
of Warminster at Hartsville. 1S42, where he officiated until 184S when he
resigned because of age and disability. He was made doctor of divinit\- in
1S45 I'y Lafayette college, and died at Philadelphia, Marcli 22, 1S49.

The Stewarts were among the earliest Scotch-Irish settlers in Bucks
coimlv — John of Xorthampton and \Varwick, Robert of \\'arwick and Thomas
of Tinicum. Charles Stewart, who first apyiears in Phimstead, 1738, was
p.robablv a son of John, who was in Xorthampton, 1729. In 1757, April i. he
bought one hundred and sixteen acres in Plumstcad of William Allen. His
children were George. Charles and Rachel. This Charles Stewart is probably
the same who afterward removed to I'pper Makefield, which a comparison of
signatures, from 1738 to 1791. makes quite conchisive. Charles Stewart mar-
ried the widow of David Lawell, Xewtown. T75r)-57. At that time his resilience
is given at Phmistead. This was probably a second marriage, as John Llarris
married his daughter Hannah about the same time. While it is thought she
Aveiit to Kentucky for good. 1797, she appears to have been in Bucks county,
1803. where sh.e acknowledged a power of attornev to Robert Frazier, author-
izing hiin to convey her interest in the ^fansion Home. Xewtown, as liie
instrument was executed, there. In a letter of attorney, dated Juno 30. 171/7,
wliicli Hannah Harris and Mary Hunter executed, they are spoken of as
"late of \\'oodford. in the State of Keniuck'v. but now of lUicks county."
When Charles Stewart wciit to I'pper Makciicld we do not know, but he was
there Feb.ruarv 5. 1773.

The Reverend X'athaniel Irwin, both eccentric aii<l able, officiated inany
years at X'eshaminy previous ti") his death, 1812. It is related of him, that

4o6 lUSrORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

during his pastorate, he made an effort to intrudnce W'atls's hymns in tiie
placc of Rouse b version of the I'salms of David. Sometimes he wotUd gux
out from one book, and then from another. On one occasion he opened wiili
ii Rouse and closed with a \\ atts, which so greatly displeased a hearer, named
Walker, he took up his hat and walked out of the house when the Watts
was given out. lie went straightway up to Craig's tavern, now Warrington,
where he found several topers around the fire nursing their cups. On being
asked why he was not at church, he replied they were "doing nothing but
singing Yankee Doodle songs and play-house tunes, down at Neshaminy,'' aii^l
to cool his anger and assuage disgust, he cried out to the landlord, "Gee us a
gill o' rum."

In 1742 Reverend \\illiam Dean, county Antrim, Ireland, was sent tc>
preach at Neshaminy and Forks of Delaware, but the length of his stay is not
known. lie was ordained pastor at Forks of Brandy wine, 174.6, and died
there, 1748.

William Allen was a large owner of real estate in Warwick, and in
175C he conveyed one liundred and thirty-four acres to John Barnhill, bounded
by lands of ^^largaret Grey, James Wier and other lands of William Allen, lu
addition to the families already mentioned, we know that the Bairds, Craw-
fords, Walkers, Davises, Tompkins and others came into the township early,
all probably in the first third of the century. The name of Andrew Long is
affixed to the petition for the township, but we believe he always lived on the
south siiic of the Bristol road in \\'arrington though we know he owned land
in Warwick. The 3iIcKinstrys probably came into the township later, at least
they do not appear to have been inhabitants when it was organized. These
names are still found in this and adjoining townships. A daughter of Henry
McKinstry, Christiana, a young lady of twenty years, met her death, by acci-
dent, the lyth of April, 1809, under painful circumstances. She was return-
ing from Philadelphia up the York road in a wagon with John Spencer. He
got out at Jenkintown for a few minutes and meanwhile the horses started on
a run. Her dead body w-as picked up on the road just below Abington, where
the horses were stopped uninjured. It is supposed she attempted to jump out
of the wagon, anil fell, the wheels running over her head. The event created
great excitement in the neighborhood where she lived.

The Wallares came into Bucks with the Scotch-Irish Presbyterian immi-
gration the first quarter of the eighteenth Century, but we do not know where
they first settled. The\- were in Tinicum, Plumstead and Warrington, 1739-40,
and 1762. James Wallace purchased three hundred acres on Neshaminy near
Hartsville, hut was prolwbly in Warwick earlier, lie first appears in public life.
1768, when elected Cornncr. serving fnur N'cars. He was active against the
Crown during the Resolution, ami was at the meeting at Newtown, July 0-
1774, and joined in the protest against the oppressive measure of the Parlia-
ment; was a delegate to tlic Carpenter Ilall Conference, July 15, 1774: member
of the Bucks county committee of safety, and his name heads the roll of tl'.c
Warwick Associators. In January, 1776, he was appointcfl a member of a com-
niiltee to go to I'hiladelphia to learn the ])rocess of making saltpetre; in Jihk\
1776. was a member of the Carjienter's Hal! Conference that Ici'i to the frirma-
tion of a Slate government and one of the three judL;-es to holii the election
for dcleg.ates to the first constitutional convention. When the .State govern-
menl was r.rganizcd, James Wallace was appointed one of the Judges of tlie
criminal court, his commission bearinij date March 31, 1777. He was equally

HISTORY OF DUCKS COUNTY. 407

..aivf in church aftairs, scrvhig as trustee at Xcshamin^- fruin his tirst election,
-jij-, to his deatli. He died 1777 and his widow was Hving iSio.

' latiies Walhice married Isabella Miller, daughter of Robert and Margani
.(.irahani) Miller, Warrington, 1754-55, and was the father of five children:
\\ illiani, lane, Margaret, Rob^ri and Isabel. William and Isabel died single.
!;inc married John Carr, son or jL>seph and ^lary (Long) Carr. Margaret mar-
iied Samuel "i'olk, son of James: and Robert \\'allace married Mary Long,
(laughter of Hugh and 2\lary Corbit Long. Of the eight children of Robert and
.Mary Wallace, Priscilla married William Hart; Lsabella, Joseph Ford; ^Lary
Mark Evans; Jane, Charles Shewell, New Britain, and Rebecca, William
Ward ; ^L^rgarel died in infancy, and Tames, the only son, married Mary
1-ord. ■

Warwick is well provided with roads, being cut by three main highways,
tlie York. Bristol, and Alms-house roads, and a number of short lateral roads,
atTording easy communication from -one portion of the township to another.
■J"he road from the top of Carr's hill down to the Bristol road at Xeshaminy
church was laid out in 1756 between the lands of \\'illiam Miller and James
IJoyden. In 175O a road was opened from Henry Jamison's mill,^ on the
south-west branch of Xeshaminy, to the York road. A stone bridge, on the
York road, over the Xeshaminy, above Hartsville, was built in 1755."'- It was
replaced by another stone bridge in 1789, which stood until within recent years,
when it was destroyed by a freshet. The dalestone had cut upon it a human
iioart. The present bridge is an open wooden one. W^arwick is one of the
best watered townships in the count}'. Two branches of the Xeshaminy form
part of its east and northern boundary, which, with their tributaries, supply
almost every part of it with abundance of good water. This condition is
very favorable to tb.e building of mills, and their erection was begun with the
rir-;t settlement of the township. Before 1760 there were four Hour-mills in
\\ arwick. Henry Jamison's, now Lewis Ross's, Mearns', Hugh Miller's, and
l':irios's. ]"ifiv years ago the late Arlmiral Dalghren, then a lieutenant in the
I'nilcd .'^tates navy, owned and occupied the farm later in prisscssion of ^Ir.
Uamsev on the Warwick side of the Bristol road, half a mile below Hartsville.
He lived there several years to recover his shattered health.

In Warwick there are no villages deserving the name. All of Hartsville
but the tavern and iwo dwellings are on the \Varminster side of the Bristol
riiad. Bridge Valley, at the crossing of the Xeshaminy b_\ the York road, is
the seat of a post-office, with an unlicensed tavern and three or four dwellings,
and Jamison's corner, at tb.e intersection of the York and Alms-house roads,
consists of a tavern, a store, and a few dwellings. Warwick'<; three taverns,
v.hen that at Bridge \'alley was in commission, lay on the York road in the
distance of four miles. Before canals and railrciads were constructed they had
an abundant patronage from the large tcains that hauled goods from Phlla-
del])hia to the u: per country. Hartsville and Jamison's corner were so called
as early as 1S17, when Bridge Valley bore the name of Pettit's The town-
ship lias two post-offices, tint at Hartsville, established in 1S17. and Joseph
Carr appointed postmaster, an.I at Bridge Valley, in 1869, with William Har-

3 Now known as Mtarn:;' lower mill, and is ownctl by Lewis Ro>s.

3'j This bridge was built p.irily by subscription ;ind p.-irtly 1)y niomy ci>ntribn;cd by
'be county. The previous bridge was too lo.w in time of a freslict and there was trouble
from overfiow of the stream. George Hushes and John Wilkinson siiiierintcndcd its
enction.

4o8 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY

vcy the first postniaslor. The classical school of Reverend Robert B. Belvillc
Nvus followed by schools of the same character, kept in turn by Messrs. Samuel,
Chark'b and Mahlon Long and for nearly a quarter of a century were quite
celeliraled. The first-named, Samuel Long, was killed by a limb falling from a
tree under which he was standing, giving directions to wood-choppers, in
December, 1S36. Some of the early settlers of Warwick lived to a green old
age. viz: John Crawford, who died September 4, 1806, aged eighty-eight, Airs.
Elizabeth liaird, widow of John Baird, November 9, iSoS, aged ninety-tivc
years, John VIough, January 6, 1818, aged eighty-eight years, and Charles
McMicken, December 24, 1822, aged eighty-two, who was born, lived and
died on the same farm. A later death shows greater longevity than the fore-
going, that of ISlrs. Phcebe Taylor, widow of Jacob Taylor, wlio died October
27, 1S67, at the age of ninety-nine \ears, five months and four days. She
was a daughter of Jeremiah and INlary Northrop, Lower Dublin, Philadelphia
county. Among the local societies of tlie township is the Fellowship Horse
Co., organized 1822.

In 1784 Warwick — then embracing a ])ortion of the territory now be-
longing to Doylestown. contained si.x hundred and nine white inhabitants,
twenn-sevcn blacks and one hundred and five dwellings. In 1810 the popu-
lation was 1,287; 1820, 1,215; 1830, IJ32, and 216 taxables; 1840. 1.259;
1850, T.234; i860, 881, and 1870, 775. of which 19 were of foreign birth ; 18S0,
722: 1890, 709; 1900, 631. We cannot account for this constant shrinkage of
the ]iopulation of Warwick on any otlier theory than the incompetency of the
census takers. If the figures be correct, it does not speak well for the growth
of a township which had 350 less population in iS.jo than it had forty years
liefnrc.*

The surface of \^"arwick is not as level as the adjoining townships. In
tlic \-icinity of Ncshaniiny it is considerably broken in places with stee]), abrupt
banks and rolling. The soil is thin on some of the hillsides. The Arctic drift,
«vi<lence of which is seen in Warrington, extended into Warwick.

\Varwick lay in the track of the Continental armv at one of the most
critical periods of the Revolution. Washington passed the winter, spring and
most of the summer of 1777 near ^^forristown. New Jersey, watcliing the Brit-
ish in New York ; but, when lie heard of the British lleet sailing south, in July,
T778. believing their destination to be Philadelphia, he put his army in march
to intercept them. ?Ie crossed the Delaware at New I-Tope, then Coryell's
Ferry, the 30th and 3rst of July, marching down the York road to the vicinity
of Ccmiantown, where he hailed to await further tidings. As the movements
of the British fleet were uncertain and deceiving, the Continental army re-
traced its march to the Neshaminy hills, lialf a mile abc^ve the Cross roads,
now Ilart^\ille. where the\- went into camp .\ugust in. While the Con-
tinental armv lay r.n tin- Neshaminy hill';. \\'ashington rinartered in the farm
liinisc of Jolm ^Inland, then lately deceased, and the familv probablv lived
there. The dwelling was surronnrled bv a plantation of one hundred and
thirty-four acres, which Daniel Longstreth 7>urchascd, 1789. lie sold it. 1700.

4. Tlie shrinkage in tlic pripiil.ition of \V;ir\vick, is =a!d to have been dne tn two
causes, incompetency of the census taker";, and adrlinG; portions of it to Doylestown. once.
if not twice. When Doylestown was nrffani^ed. in 1818. it was taken from the three ad-
joininc: townships of Dnckinsham, New Britain and Warwick, tlic hllcr cjivins .1.3'5
acres. Some 40 years a^o the .Mms House and farm was taken from Warwick and added
to Doylestown. This reduced the population over 100.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 409

to John Richards, a l'hihKlL-l|ihia nK-rehaiU, wlio prohahly never Hvcd there, as
lie conveyed the pro]Krtv to £lijah Stni.--on April I. i/'j2. Tlie latter spent the
remainder of his life there, dyinrj iNlarcli 5, 1840, at the age of eisjhty-nine.
The dwcllint^, with ahout half the oris;inal plantation, was sold by \Villiam
r-otluveU's cxecntors, to .Mrs. Sarah R. Camjljell, Ajiril 3, 1889. The Moland
house, still standinti', in ^'jod preservation, is on the east side of the York
road. facinEf south and tliree hundred yards north of Xeshaminy. It is a sub-
stantial stone building, thirty-hve feet square, two stories and attic with a stone
kitchen at the east end. 16 x 18 feet. A porch runs in front of each building

.. ...jLiiiai

MOLAXD HOUSE, WARWICK.

%Vashineton's Headquarters. August. V

on the south side. The end of the main building stands to the road on a bank
a few feet high. . As when Washington occupied it, the first floor of the
main building is divided into two rooms with the entry near the kitchen ; the
larger room being on tlie south side and entered from the porch, the smaller,
back. The latter is thought to have been used by \\'ashington as an office.
the larger a rece])tion room. In each there was an open fire place and then
as now a door opened into tlie kitchen. There has been no change in the
porclics in sixtv vears, and similar ones may have lieen there IJJJ-S. Here
Lafayette rejiorted fur duly and first took his seat at the council board. The
whipping piist was on the w e^t sitle of the York road, oppo>ite the house. The
army was again put in march for T^liiladel]iliia on the 23d tr> intercept the
enemy, the battle 01 Uramlywinc and Cicrmantown shortly following.

The Hares^'- were among the early settlers in W'arvvick, George Hare
being in the townshi]i prior to 1724. but whether he came single or married is
tinknown. \\'e ha\ e not lieen able to learn the name of his wife, but she is
known to have had live children: joseiih. Mary, who married a Macfarland :
Jean, wife of Ji'lm Ri'liins.in: r.eiijamin and William, .\inong the records of
tlie r.en--aleni rrcdiyterian ciiurch is the hillouing eiitrx': "Ticorge Hare and
his wife liail a sim hajitized. iiannd jlenjamin. 8th month, ye ist day. 1724,"
probablv their fildcst child, ('ieorge was one of the trustees in the deed for the lot
on which the "Xew Light church" was erected. 1744. .Mthough himself and

4!'j. Tliis Ti.Tiiic is .spelled Iiotli llaro .Tiiil ILiir.

4IO HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

wife were PreshNterians there is no record of tliein in the archives of Neshani-
iny, not e\en of their ikaili or burial.' His will was executed January 2, 1768,
and probated July JO, [."u'j, liis death taking place between these dates. His
son Jienjaniin was his executor. In his will he bequeathed a legacy of £21,
for the "support of the Gospel at the new meeting house at Xeshaminy," and
another of £50 to his son Joseph. William Hare, son of George, died before
his father, July, 1756, his will being executed January 22, and probated July 6.
In it he directs that "l-'ather be provided for.'' William lived in New Britain
and probably died there. Benjamin Hare was probably the longest-lived child
of the family, dying ^larch 31, 1804, aged about eighty. His death is in the
Neshaminy records. The name of William Hare appears on the rolls of Cap-
tain Henry Darrah's com])any of militia, 1778, and the second lieutenant of
Captain \\'illiam IMagill's company of riflemen was a Hare, the first name not
given. Tiiis company belonged to Colonel Humphrey's regiment of ritlemen,
called cut for the defense of the Lower Delaware, 1814. One at lea.st, of the
Hare famih', kept public house, probably a son of Benjamin. In the issue of
January 15, 1805, the Pennsylvania Correspondent, published -at Doylestown
by Asher Aliner, says, in speaking of the public house of the village, "that noted
tavern stand, 'sign of the ship,' in the tenure of J^Iathew Hare, situated in
Doylestown, afronting the Easton and New Hope roads." It occupied the site
of Lenape Building, south-cast corner of Idz'in and Stale streets. In 1822
Joseph Hair (Hare) was captain of the Independent Artillerists, Doyles-
town, organized the previous fall, and officers elected January 24.''

5 The records relating to the Hares, are somewhat conflicting'. George Hare, prob-
ably a son of William, is 5.''id to have removed to New Jersey, but the place of his settle-
ment is not given. He died, 17S3. A Benjamin Thornton Hare, whose wife was a daugh-
ter of Jacob Krider, a soldier of the Revolution, is mentioned, but that is all. It is just
possible he was the Benjamin, son of George, who was baptised at the Bensalcm Church,
1724-

CHAPTER

WARRIXGTON.

1734.

Landholders in 16S4.— Richard Iiigelo.— Devise to William Penn, Jr.— William Allen.—
Division of his tract.— Joseph Kirkbride. — The Houghs. — Dunlaps. — Old map. — Land-
owners.— Township organized. — The Millers, Craigs, Walkers, et. al. — The Longs. —
The Wcisels.— Nicholas Larzelere and descendants. — Roads. — Township enlarged. —
Craig's tavern. — Sir William Keith, and residence. — Easton road opened. — Plcasant-
ville church, — Traces of glaciers. — Boulders found. — Mundocks. — Pine trees. — Valley
of Neshaminy. — Posi-oiTices. — Population. — Nathaniel Irwin.

Warrington is the upper of the three rectangular townships bordering
tlie ^lontgomcrv Count)- Line. \Mien Holme's map was published, 1684, there
were but four land-owners in the township, none of them living there, Rich-
ard Ingclo, R. Sneed, Charles Jones, jr., and R. X'ickers. At this time War-
rington was an unbroken wilderness.

There must have been some authority for putting Richard Ingelo on
Holme's map as a land-owner in Warrington, 16S4, although the records
say he did not become an owner of land until the following year. January 22,
16S5, Wiliam Penn granted to Ingelo six hundred acres, which he located on
the county line below the lower state road. In 1719, Ingelo conveyed it to
Thomas Byam, of London, and, in 1726, Byam sold one hundred and fifty
acres to Robert Rogers. The farms of James and Lewis Thompson were in-
cluded in the Ingelo tract.

l!y tlie will of William Penn ten thousand acres in the county were de-
\ised to his grandson, William Penn, jr., of which one thousand four hundred
and seventeen lay in AVarrington, extending across to the county line and
jiroliablv into Ilor.^ham, and was surveyed by Isaac Taylor by virtue of an
order from the trustees of young Penn. dated November 16, 1727. On August
25, 1728, the tr;ict was conveyed to William Allen, including the part that lay
in Warrington, nuilcing him a large land-owner in the township. August 31,
17^15, Allen c(<nvoyed three hundred and twenty-three acres to James Weir,
x'vlio was already in possession of land and j>rol5ably had been for some time.
He riwned other lan>ls adjoining as did his brother John. \\'eir and his heirs
Were charged with the payment of a rent of "two dung-hill fowles'' to William
Allen, the irjth of November yearly, forcvei". The three hundred and twenty-
three acre tract lay in the neighborhootl of ^^'arrington, a portion of it being

412 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

owned by lleiijainin W orthington. In 1736, Allen conveyed one hundred and
five acres, near what is now Tradesville, on the lower slate road to Richard
Walker, and, in 173S, one hundred and forty-eight acres additional, adjoining
the first jnirchase. This tract was lately owned by several persons, among them
Philip ] '.runner, eighty-eight acres, Jesse W. Shearer, Lewis Tomlinson and
others. The quit-rent reserved by Allen on the first tract was a bushel of
oats, with the right to distrain if in default for twenty days, and one and one-
half bushels of good, merchantable oati, on the second tract, to he paid an-
nually at Philadelphia, the sixteenth of November. The first of these tracts
ran along Thomas Hudson's grant the distance of one hundred and twenty
perches. In addition to these lands, Allen o\\nied five hundred acres he re-
ceived through I'lis wife, the daughter of Andrew Hamilton, in 173S. This he
conveyed to James Delaney.. and wife, also the daughter of Allen, in 1771. In
1/93 Dolancy and wife conveyed these five hundred acres to Samuel Hines,
William Ilincs, Matthew Hines the younger, and William Simpson, for £1,500.
each purchaser taking a separate dced.^ This land lay in the ujiper part of the
township, and extended into the edge of ^Montgomery county. There was an old
dwelling on the tract, on the upper state road, half a mile over the countv line,
in which a school was kept many years ago. The road, from the Bristol road
to the IV'thlehcm pik'c. at Gordon's hill, was the southern boundary of the
Allen tract. '

In 1722 Joseph Kirkbride owned a tract in the south-west corner of New
Britain, and, when Warrington was enlarged, some tliirty-five years ago, two
hundred and fifty-eight acres fell into Warrington township. In it were in-
cluded the farms of Henry, Samuel, and Aaron Weiscl, Joseph .Seiner, Charles
Haldenian. Benjamin Larzelere and others. In 1735 the Proprietaries con-
veyed iwn lunidred and thirteen acres, on the county line to Charles Temient,
of [Mill Creek in Delaware, and in 1740 Tenncnt sold it to William Walker of
^^'arrington. The deed of 1735, from the Pro])rietaries to Tennent, slate the
land was reputed to be in "North Britain" township, but since the division of
the township, it was found to be in ^^^a^ringto^. John Lester was the owner
of one hundred anrl twenty-five acres prior to 1753, which probalily included the
ninety-cidit acres that Kobcrt Rogers conveyed to him, in 1746. and lay in the
uni)cr part of the town<^hip adjoining the Allen tract. The 12th of August.
1734. the Proprietaries conveyed to Job Goodson, pliysician. of Philadclphi.T.
one thousand acres in the lower part of the township, extending down to
Neshann'ny for part of its southern boundary and across the Bristol road into
Warwick. The 2rth of Mav. T73> Goodson convcved four hundred acres to
Andrew Long of Warwick for {2^l'\ This was the lower end of llie thousand
acres and lav alonir the Ncshaminv. and the farm of Andrew Long, on the
south-west side of Ihi- Bristol road is part of it.

.\mong t!ic selliers in \\'arringlon in the eighteenth centurv, were the
Ilonshs. desccndp.nN of Richard Houcrh, who came from EnHand. T6R2. and
settled in Lower Makofiold. lie was highly esteemed by William Pcnn and

T. .•\t the cxtrcn'o '.vest- rnrricr of the tract, wbcre tlie Sintc ro.iil .niul cftiiity Uni'
intcr.^ert. >:Imu!s an oii! >'.onr lioii=e built nvor a century ncro. It i^ now the property of
Allen Wliite and a part of tl;e hamlet formerly called "Harp's Corner." Tn this hou'C oi^r-
rcidcfl John Simp'on. trraiid father of Gen»ral Grant, and h'\^ dancrhter Tlannah. mother
of the renowned fieneral and President. The re^idenre of the Simpson family there w.t;
only temporary, diirir.'.; the year iS[S. J^impson had sold the preiient Dudley farm in
northern Ilorishain. .^e;.tt mlur. if^iy. and left Warrington for Oliio, M;iy, 1819.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

413

ciij(>\oil his cuiifidi.-iice. Joseph Tlough, llic immedialo ancestor of the Houghs
.if Wnrringioii and other jiarts of Jjucks county, and grandson of Richard, was
liorn in tlie t<j\vnshii>. Ho married Mary Tompkins and was the father of
s'-vcral chilihen. In 1791 his son Ecnjamin married Hannah Sim]ison, daugh-
ter of John Simpson, a b'.ildier of the Revollition. The substantial stone dwell-
iii>4 at the southeast corner of the Easton and Bristol roads, at Ncwville. and
known for many years as the "Hough homestead," with the tract belonging
to it, embracing the pres-
ent farm and that form-
erly Rolicrt Greir's, was
bought by Benjamin
Hough, 1804, of John
Barclay, — for several
vears its owner and r.c-
cupant, who built tlie
house, 1799- It still
stands a])parenl!} as sub-
stantial as wlien erected.
I'.enjaniin Hough a n d
wife had nine children,
who married and settled
in Bucks: John, Joseph,
y\nue, married George
Stuckert ; Benjamin;
Silas ; Hannah married
Daniel Y. Harman : Wil-
liam ; Sanuiel M.. and
-Mary married John
JSarnsley. ]J e n j a m i n
Hough and wife both
died, 1848, bis \\ ill being
executed August II,
1S47, and probated .May
-'0, 1848. The projieriy
was bought b> Robert
Radcliff, "1855,' and by
him coinexed, iS'.i4, t'l
bis i,on, I'ilias H. Rad-
cliit, the present owner.
Ibis >emi-eoli.<nial honie-
--lead has become some-
what famous, from the

lact that L'lysses S. Grant, while a cablet at West Point, spent his vacation in it.
i be Houghs wore cousins of young Grant, through Hannah Simpson, niece of
Benjamin Hough's wife, whom Jesse Grant married. The Hough mansion-
a<lornmg this volume, is four miles below Doylestown, the county .seat of Bucks,
rn.m an old map of Southampton, Warminster and \\'arrington, rcpro-
d\iccd in this volume, this town.-^hi]-) api'cars to have bad no iletinite north-west
and .south-east boundary at that lime. It had already been organized, but. in
the absence of recc.rds to .show the boundaries, it is not known whether thev

IlOt'GlI HOUSE.

Where Grant spent his v.»catioa whV

It was t.'.kcn for the .Tuihor, hy Mi';.^ Hinc^. a yoinitr luly of I Viylc^town, 1S99.

414 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

had been dtlerniincd. Tb.e names of land-owners given iin the map are

Andrew Long, J. J'aul, Lukens, Jones, K. Miller, T. Tritehard, ihe

London ceinipan) . the Proprietaries, Charles Teniient. \ailor, and Will-
iam Allen. Thar th.ese were not all the land owners in the ttjwnsliip, 1737, can.
be seen by rcferrini^ to the previous pages. Allen was still a considerable
land-owner along tlvo north-eastern line, eoming down to about Warringion,
and the I'enns owned tu (j tracts between the Street road and county line, above
the Eastern road. The land of ]\Iiller, Pritchard, and Jones lay about War-
rington Square, the seat of Neshaminy post-office.

Our knowledge of the organization of the township is ver)- limited, and
the little we know not very satisfactory. The records of our courts are
almost silent on the subject. It is interesting to know the preliminary steps
taken by a new community toward nuuiicipal government, and the trials they
encounter before their wish is gratified, but, in the case of Warrington, we
know nothing of the mo^•ement of her settlers to be clothed with township
duties and responsibilities. At the October session, 1734, the following" is en-
tered of record: "Ordered that the land above and adjoining to Warminster
township shall be a township, and shall be called Warrington." It was prob-
ably named after Warrington, in Lancashire, England, and the first constable
was appointed the same year. We have not been able to find any data of
pojjulation at that period, and are left to conjecture the number. In 1S50,
the south corner of New Britain was added to Warrington, and the James
Dunlap farm was part of it. He was an early settler, taking up land about
1750. It also included part of the Kirkbride tract. This became the Larze-
lere farm of two hundred and twentj'-five acres. James Dunlap died, I7yt,
and Larzelere bought the farm, 1S55 for $11,000. The Dunlaps were Scotch-
Irish. The McEwens, "sons of Ewen," early settlers in Warrington, are de-
seeniled from James ^Icliwen, born in the North of Ireland, 1744, and set-
tled in the township in 1762-67. He married I\Iary Ann Denni.^on, who was
born, 1748, and settled on the Bristol road a mile above Newvilie. He was an
ardent foe of Great Britain and served his adopted country during the Revolu-
tion. His wife died July 27, 1806, and he April 24, 1S25. They left eight
children from whom have come many descendants.

'Poward the close of the first quarter of the eightecenth century there
v\as a valuable accessirju to the sparse settlers in the territory afterward
erected into the townships Warwick and Warrington, the Craigs, Jamisi'ins,
Stewarts, Hairs, Longs, Armstrongs, Wallaces, JMillers, Grays and others,
and a little later, the Walkers. These immigrants, Scotch-Irish, and Pres-
byterians in faitli. were the fathers and founders of the "I'resLn terian church
of Ne.-haminy in Warwick." They formed a group of pioneers that would
have done credit to any state. William Miller and wife Isabella, liorn in
Scotland, 1670-71, came with three sons, William, Robert and Hugh, about
17J0. (')n March 2h he purchased of Josejih Kirkbride. four hundred acres
in \\ arwick, dedicating one acre to the use of a churcli and graveyard, and
hire the first Presbyterian cluirch building was erected. While Willi, nn
Miller was a leading man 'in the comnumity. he held no ])ublie ofiice except
memhcr of tin- (irand Jur\'. commissii^ni.-r of highways anil elder in the
elnn-.h. He d.ii..l if^X. ;u ilu- U'^v i^i ei'.i!it v-s<'ven. his wife jirect-rlinc" him a
fi'W month-. Ili^ eliildriii married into the fanfilies of Jamison, Graham,
L.-rg. Earlr. rurry and Wallace. William .Miller, jr.. lu-.-amc a large laud-
owner; his cliildrii! :ind c;r.nid.'lnldri-n interm;irrii-d with the Kerrs. Craigs,
.•;nd i.lher Scoteh-Iri;-h faniiii.-s. and he died, 17S6. Roljeri Miller was a land-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

415

<nvncr in Warrinyton as early as 1/35, owning three hundred acres in all
and dying, 1753.

The Craigs were in Warrington about the same period, the familv con-
sisting of Daniel and wife Margaret, with children Thomas, John, William,
Margaret, wife of James Barclay, Sarah, wife of John l!arnhill,-'-- Jane, wife
of Samuel Eanihill, Mary Lewis and Rebecca, wife of Hugh Stephenson.
Paniel Craig located a considerable tract on the west side of the Bristol road
including the site of the tavern at Xewville, subsequently built upon it, and was
known as "'Craig's tavern'' for many years. Two of his brothers, Thomas and
William Craig, settled in Northampton county and formed what is known as
"Craig's" or the 'Trish Settlement," Presbyterian, in Allen township. This was
the first permanent settlement north of the Lehigh. Thomas Craig, son of
Thomas, of Northampton, took a prominent part in the Revolution. He was
commissioned Captain, October, 1776, and rose to the command of a regiment,
serving to the end of the war. His cousin, John Craig, was captain in the 4th
I'a. Light Dragoons. Thomas Craig and his eldest son, Daniel, married into
the Jamison family, Warwick.

John Gray, from the North of Ireland, was an elder in the Presbyterian
church, i7-i3, and one of the trustees in the deed of trust, 1741. He owned a
I>!antation on tlic north-west side of the Bristol road extending north-west-
wardly from the village of Newville. He died April 27, 1749, at the age of
iifiy-sevcn, leaving a widow and two sons, John and James, and two daugh-
ters, ^lary and Jean, the latter being married to a iMacDonald. His sons are
not mentioned in his will, but, after making some bequests to nephews and
nieces, among the latter being Margaret Graham, "late wife of Robert JMiller."
and to some cousins in Ireland, he devised the whole of his estate to his wife
}>Iargaret for life, then to "Brother" Richard Walker, Revd. Charles Bcatly
and Revd. Richard Treat in trust for the cluirch and kindred purposes. John
Grab's son John removed to the Tuscarora A'alley, Juniata county, 1756,
where his wife and child were captured by the Indians anrl taken to Canada.
He returned to Bucks county, 1759. where he died broken hearted. The wife
made her escape and came to Warrington shortly after his death. She mar-
ried again, and returned to Juniata county with her husband. The settlement
of tlie estate of the first husband gave rise to some important and interesting
litigation that was in the courts for fifty }'ears." The child was never iieard oi.
Tlic ^^'alke^s settled in Warrington about 1730, taking up land and going
to farming. The immigrant's name was William, with wife Ann, sons John,
Robert and Richard, and daughters. Christian and IMary. John, born 1717,
married Hilary Ann ]]lackburn and died 1777; Robert died unmarrieil in
-Xonhampton, 1758. Christian married John McNair, and I^Iary, Jamcs
King. William ^\■alker, Sr., died 1738, aged sixty-six years, and his wife,
1750, aged seventy. Ricliard Walker, third son, was the most prominent

J'j President 'I'lK-nlore Ro.iMielt is descended from W'arringloii ancestry. Koli-
ert H.irnhill, his Hi-eat-grandiatlK-r. wlm was born in Warwick township, Bucks county,
1754. was a son of Jolm Rarnhi!!. who married Sarah Craip;. dansjhter of Daniel Crain.
"i Warringion. The wil'e 01' Kolierl I'.arnhill was Eli-'-aheth Pott?, Gcrmantown, and
il'iir daui;hter, Margaret. Imumi I7'j7. n:arriod Coniclins \'an Scliaick RooseveU, grand-
tatlier of Theodore Roosevelt.

,1 Tltc suit is known to tlie IcHal profession as "Gray Property Case," and is one of the
v.iii^; celebrateii ejectment suit- ever tried in tlie state, being rcportd in 10 Sergeant anJ
'vnwle, page iS_'. rredcick vs. Gr.ay.

4i6 nisroRv or bucks county.

nKUibL-r of the family, lie was born, 1702, married Sarali Crai^j, and died
April II, 1791, aged eighty-nine, lii> wife dying .Vpril 24, 1784, at the age of
seventy-eiglii. Me was a riian of nnie before and during the Revolution. He
served in the I'rovincial Assembly, eonlinuously from 1747 to 1759, commis-
sioned captain in the i'rovincial militia, Februar}- 12, 1749; was a Justice of
the Peace, and sat on tlie bench from 1749 to 1775, a member of the Committee
of Safety for Bucks county and an elder of Xeshaminy church. He probably
died without children, as his estate was divided among his collateral heirs,
descendants of his brothers and sillers. His wife was a sister of Elder
Thomas Craig, founder o'f the "Irijh Settlement" in Northampton county.
Richard Walker's jilantation was on the Lower State road, extending west-
ward from the Bristol road to Tradesville, two hundred and fifty-seven acres.

Of the old faniiiies of the township, the Longs still occupy their ances-
tral homestead, and we can not call to mind another family which owns the
spot where their fathers settled over a century and three-quarters ago. Andrew
Long came to Warwick between 1720 and 1730, but the year is not known.
He and his wife, Isaljcl, daughter of William Miller, Sr., were both immigrants
from Ireland. His son Andrew bought the four hundred acres in ^\■'arring-
ton, part of the Goodson tract, and moved on it and built a log house,
just south of the late Andrew Long's dwelling, on the Bristol road. He
liad three children, .sons, \\"il!iam, Andrew and Hugh, and died
November 16, 173S. His son, Andrew, born about 1730, and died
November 4, 1812, married Mary Smith, born 1726, died 1821,
about 1751, and had children, John, Isabel, Andrew, William, born March 26,
1763, and died February 5, 1851, grandfather of .Andrew Long. Mary, I\lar-
garet and Letitia Esther. The two latter married brothers, \\'illiam and
Harman Yerkes, Warminster, and Margaret was the grandmother of ex-
Judge llarman Yerkes, of Doylestown. After the death of Andrew Long,
senior, the brothers and sisters of Andrew Long, junior, re-leased to him. 1765,
their inierL-st in two hundred and twenty acres in Warrington.
This was part of the original four hundred acres bought in 1735.
The pre>ent L()ng homestead on the liristol road was built between
1760 and 17(15. 'i ''^' north-west room was used as an hospital at one time,
during the Revolution, probably while Washington's army lay cncamjied on
Neshaminy hills, 1777. Andrew Long, the second, was a captain in Colonel
!Miles"s regiment of the Continental army. In 1735 Andrew Long liought
fiftv-eight acres, on tin- east side of the Bristol road, of Jeremiah Langhorne
and William ^Miller.

The Weisels of ^^'ar^ington, members of a large and influential German
familv are descendants cif Michael Weisel, who immigrated from Alsace, then
part of France, ni^w belonging to Germany and settled in this comity about
1740. He brought with him three sons, }ilichael, Jacob and I-'rederick, who
were sold f|^r a term of years from on shipboard, to pay the passage of the
familv, customary at that day. In wliat township the father or sons setttled,
we are nrit informed. About 1750 Michael, the oldest of the three sons, mar-
ried Marv Trach. and bmight land in I'.edminster on the Old Ikthlehem road.
near Hagcrsville. which was owned by his grandson. Samuel. Micliael Weisel
the second, had four sons and three thuighters, Plenry, John, Michael, George.
Anna. Maria and Susan. Ilenrv married Eve .Shellenberger. and settled on
the ho;nesti?ad, Bedminstor. and bis children and his children's cliildren inter-
married with the Fiilniers. llar^'el-. I'jctweikrs, I.cid\s, h'lucks. I.ouxes, .'^iil-
lida_\s ail'! Seijis. and settled |irinci|>,-ill\- in the townships of Bedminster, Hill-

IIJSTORV Of DUCKS COUNTY. 417

tiAvn and Rockhill. From them have sprung numerous descendants. Sonic
liave removed to otlier counties in this State, and few to other states, but tlie
great majority are hviuij in liucks, the home of tiieir ancestors. Nearly all
the W'eisels in the county are descendants of r^lichael, the late Henr\^ Weisel,
of Warrington, being a great-grandson. Jacob, the second son of Alichael the
elder, married about 1755, but to whom is not known. He had five sons,
George, Jacob, Peler, John and Joseph, and all settled in Rockhill, Richland
and Alilford townsliips. George, Peter, Jacob and John afterward removed
to Bedford county. Joseph had three sons who married and settled in 2^Iillord
township. What became of Frederick, third son of Michael Weisel, the elder,
is not known. JNlichacl Weisel, jr., and his son Henry, served as soldiers in
the Revolutionary army. The W eiscls of New Britain and Plumstead are of
this family. The family of Henry Weisel, Warrington, has in its possession a
!;tove plate with a number of unintelligible letters upon it, and the date^
1674. Richard Walker, a contemjiorary of Simon Butler, a justice of the
peace, and a prominent man in his day, lived on land now owned by the
\\'cisels.

Benjamin Larzelere, who settled in the township half a century ago,,
comes- of an old Huguenot family, nearly a century and a quarter resident of
the county. Toward the close of the seventeenth century, Nicholas and Johiv
I.arzelere immigrated from France to Long Island. Nicholas subsequently
rcmo\ ed to Staten Island, where he married and raised a family of four chil-
rlrcn, two sons, Nicholas and John, and two daughters. In 1741 Nicholas, the
elder, removed with liis family to Bucks county and settled in Lower Make-
ileld. He had eight children. Nicholas, John, Abraham, Hannah, Annie, Mar-
garet, Elizabeth and Esther, died at the age of eighty-four, and was buried in.
the Episcopal graveyard, Bristol. The eldest son, Nicholas, born on Stateii
Island about 1734, married Hannah Eritton, Bristol township, and moved into
I'.cnsalem, where he owned a large estate, and raised a family of ten children,
Benjamin, one of his sons, died in Philadelphia, about the age of ninety. The
fatlicr fought in the Revolution, and died at the age of eighty-four. Nearly the
whole of this large family lived and died in this county, and left descendants.
I'enjamin, the eldest son, married .Sarah Brown, Bristol, moved into that town-
shi]>, had eight children, and died at eighty-four. Part of Bristol is built on
his farm. John, the second son, married in the county where he lived and
died, and a few of his descendants are living in Philadelphia. Abraham, tlie ■
third, married Martha VanKirk, Bensalem, removed to New Jersey, raised a
familv of eight children, and left numerous descendants. Nicholas, the fourth
son, married Martha Mitchel, eldest daughter of Austin ^litchel, of Attle-
IxTrough. now Langhorne, had two sons and three daughters, and lived and
died in Bristol Borough. One of the sons. Nicholas, settled in Maryland and
reared a familv of nine children, of which the late Mrs. Thomas P. Miller,
Dovlestown, was one. .\lfred, another son, removed to Kansas m.any years
ago. Thomas Eritton, the youngest son of the third Nicholas, who fought in
the second war lor independence. 1812-15, '^'''^^ born in Bucks county, 1790.
but died in Philadelphia. iS()f<. at the age of eighty-six, of injuries received
from a fall while crossing a culvert. leaving a widow and one daughter. Of
the daughters of the third Nicholas. Mary married Nicliolas \'ansant, of Ben-
salem. and jiad three sons and t'wc daughters: Eh'zabetii married .Vsa Sutton,
'I'uUytown. and had five chikhen : .^aryh married .-Xiidrew Gilk\son, Lower
M;ikefiel<l. and had five cliildren : ll;mn;ih married Thomas Rue, who removed
to D.iylon. (Jliio; N:nu-y iiiarrieil Jnhn Thompson, Beii'^rilem, who removed to

4i8 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

Indiana; Catharine married Aaron Knight, Southampton, had five children, and
cHed at the age of eighty-four. Margaret never married.

The late Uenjaniin Larzelere, \\ arringlon, was a grandson of Benjamin,
the eldest son of the third Nicholas. His father was Nicholas and his mother a
•daughter of Colonel Jeremiah Berrell, Abington, Montgomery county. He
was one of twelve children. The Reverend Jacob Larzelere, long pastor of
the North and Southampton Dutch Reformed church, was a descendant of
John, brother of the first Nicholas.

Warrington is surrounded by roads, excejU the elbow running into
Doylestown and several others cross it. Elsewhere will be found a history of
the Bristol, Street road, county line, and the Easton road which crosses it
diagonall) through its lower end. Of the lateral roads, that which leaves the
Bristol road at the Warrington school-house and runs via Mill creek school-
house to the Butler road, was opened before 1722. It afforded the settlors in
the upper end an outlet toward Bristol and f'hiladelphia before the Bristol
road was opened the length of the township. In 1737 a road, called "Bare-
foot alley," was opened from the Street road terminus, above Neshaminy,
across to the county line, in a zigzag course. It is more in the nature of a
private lane than a public road.

About 1849 the north-west boundary of Warrington was extended to the
Upper State road, cutting off from New Britain territory about a mile in
length, and adding fifteen hundred acres to the township. This addition was
made because the township was a small one. At Warrington, the township
line leaves the Bristol road and forms an elbow up into Doylestown.

The tavern at what is now Warrington, but still known and called by
many, Newville, is much the oldest public house in the township, and for many
years was the onlv one. It was probably opened by John Craig, at least he is the
first landlord we have note of, who kept tlie house as early as 1759, but how
much earlier is not known. He was there, 1764, and the same year was one
of the petitioners for a bridge across Neshaminy, "on the road from William
Doyle's to John Craig's." It was under this petition the first bridge was built
at Bridge Point. It was still called "Craig's tavern" 1S06, although the cross-
roads was known as Newville as early as 1805. The original name probalily
fell into disuse after Craig ceased to keep the house. It was owned and kept by
lohn Wright, 1813. Afterward the tavern was kept for many years by
i'Vancis Gurney Eukcns. During his administration it was a gr'>at stojiping
place for tlie hea\y teams that passed up and down the Easton road, and as
nianv as ihirtv wagons have been known to be there over night. It is told of
one of the leading teamsters from the upper end who was stopping there, that
after making a square meal on meat, bread and butter, coffee, etc., he pulled up
a preserve dish and ate its contents with his fork, remarking: "Well, dat is as
goocl ajiple-lvjtter as ever I tasted." There are two other taverns in the tinvn-
>hip. ''lie (in the Willow Grove turnpike, south of Neshaminy, at a place
known as "krog Hollow," the other on the county line, at Pleasantville. the
seat "i k.nreka post-oUicc and was forinerlv called the "J',ells kixil," now Green
Tree.

On the edge of Montgomerv comity, near where the Doylestown :md
W'illow Grove turnpike crosses the county line, and on the very coniincs
of Warrington, stands the barr>nial country lionie •<( Sir William Keith while
I.ieutcnanl-Governor under the Proprietaries. The demesne originally con-
tained siinie twelve hnndied ;icres, a small jiart of it lieing in llncks crjunty. I he
greater part nf it w,i.> maintained ri> a lumting park, r^ads were opened ihriiUL^li

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

419

the woods in c\cry direction from tlu: dwelling, the wood cleared of under-
briisli, and tlie whole surrounded by a ditch with the bank planted with privet
licdge, something after the manner of the parks of England. It was stocked
with deer and other game.

Governor Keith arrived at I'liiladelphia May 31, 1717, with William Penn's
commission as Lieutenant-Guvcrnor, and tb.e oath of otticc was admmistered
to him the next dav. He was accompanied by his wife, the widow of Robert
Drig-gs, England, his steiidaiightcr. Ann Driggs and Doctor Thomas Gra-nie.
The Keiths were knighted, 1663, and Sir William was probably the last of
the family to bear the title. He succeeded to it after he became Lieutenant-

^-''N,

SIR WI1,I.I.\M KEITH.

•Governor, on the death of his father, about 1721. He was a man of popular
manners, and, notwithstanding his eccentricities of character, made one of the
best governors iniiitT the I'enns.

Sir William commenced a setllement on the county line about 1721, al-
though we believe the contract, which bore the Keith coal-of-arnis, for the
erection of the buildings was not executed until the following year. The
buildings consisted of tlie mansion, several small structures for offices and
domesttc purposes, and a malt-hou-^e where he intended to manufacture the
barley of the farmers. There is a tradition, not sustai;ied bv any documentary
evidence that we have seen, that he built a grain-mill on Xadrir's branch in the
meadow^ on the iSucks cnnuity side of the line.

The mansion, stiil standing, and in good repair, with its north end to
tlie coimty hue. an<l a slo])ing hiwn 'falling to the creek, is fifty-six feet long
bv twenty-five feet wide, and the stories are fourteen feet in the clear. The
dVawiiK'-rooni at the 11. .nil emi is i\'. eiily-one feel s.|uare, and the walls hand-

4:;o lUSTOIlY OJ- BUCKS COUNTY

soniely wainsci ^tul and paneled fnuii lloor to ceiliny. The fire-place is adorned
with niarhk- hr. I'^lit from Ijiijlaiid, and those of the other rooms with Dutch
t'le plates ai'i.,i- o.e fa-hion wf ihai day. Ahove the mantel of the drawing-
room is said to have been a jianel hearing the arms of the Keith family, but
it has been removed and something plainer put in ils place. In the fire-place
of one of th.c u]jper rooms is an iron jilate bearing the date. 1728, said to have
been placed there by Sir William's son-in-law, Doctor Grxme. The stairs
and banisters are suljstaniially built of oak. 'J"he house is of sandstone, such
as is found in that vicinity, and iis joists, beams, rafters and other timbers are
of white oak. as solid and .Mrong as tlie day they were put into it. The
kitchen and otliei' "ffice^ were detached from the main structure, and so
]ilaccd that \^ hen \ iewed from the front tlie\ had the a])pearauce of wings,
and being liut one story ga\e the general ettect of grandeur to the mansion.
Tliere is said to liare been a lock-up at the park, in which the Governor tem-
porarily confined ofi'enders. W hen Keith returned to England, 1728, the prop-
erly ])assed into the hands of Doctor
Gr:eme, who jilaced tlie iron plate in the ;

cliimney cornier liearing that date,"* Ihe
tr;n:t is now di^ided into several farms,
but the mansion, which belongs to the
I'enrosc family, has al\va_\s borne tlie
name of Gr;enie park. It was the summer

residence of the Keiths and the Grremes, v'

these families residing alternately in the
city and al the park, with some interrup-
tion, fr'mi tile lime the house was built
fei I he (leaih of .Mrs. Elizalieth h'erguson,
iSoi. On the west front are the remains
of a wall, probably once enclosing the

court-yard, and of a ditch, said to ha\'c ' ]

been ihe race to the mill who=;e remains

we are told can be traced m the meadow. ■

Two large sycamore trees st;md at what

was prol.ialih the western limit of the court-yard. Xo doubt they are as old as

the mansion, .'md stood sentinel at the gateway.

This building is the onlv remaining "baronial hall"' in this section of the
State, and its history is loaded with memories of olden time, when tlie provincial
aristocracy asscnbled within ils walls to make iricrry after a lumt in the park.
Many a gav partv has driven out there tlirough Ihe woods, from the infant
metropolis on the Delaware and partaken of the hospitalities of Sir William
and Lady Keith.

At the meeting of Provincial Council. March 2S, 1722, Governor Keiih
stated he had made considerable ailvanccmeut in the erection of a building a.t
Ilorsliam, I'liiladclphia county, in order to carry on the manufacture 01
grain, etc., and asked that sonie convenient pujjlic road and higliway be oj^ened
through the woods, to and from it. Accordingly Robert Fletcher, Peter Cham-
bcrlin, Richard Carver, Thonias Iredell, John I'.arnes, ami Ellis Davis were

.\ Dr. Gr.rtne ii.troiluccd tlu- ?ii-i:;ilif'l dai.sy .is a i^rj-Jcn llowcr, which h,ns been :i
world of trouble to laniiers. It seon Inc-imc a niiis.-ir.ce. It was given the name of "Park
weed," from Gr.inu: I'lrk. \\'l:cn llie ^Muhor was a bny it was the nio?t troublesoint
v.ecil farmers had to deal wi'.n, but modern seniinicnt has canoni/ed it.

if

kH

^

KEITH IIOVSE, GR.EME PARK.

l-"ront Mew.

a[>pointed to lay out a road from tlie Governor's settlement to the Horsham
ineeting-lionse, and thence to a small bridge at the Round iSIeadow run, now
Willow Grove; also to lay out a road from where the York road intersects
the county line, northwest, on that line as far as shall be convenient and
necessary to accommodate the neighborhood. These roads were surveyed by
Nicholas Scull, the former April 23, the latter April 24, 1722. The county
line was then opened from the York road twelve hundred and seventy-four
perches to a black oak tree standing by a path loading from Richard Sander's
lerry^ on Neshaminy to Edwin Farmer's, miller.'^

Governor Keith died in the Old Bailey debtor's prison, London, November
18, 1749. His widow survived him several years, and lived in a small franre
house on Third street, between ^^larket and Arch, Philadelphia, poor and
Secluded from society. The house was burned down, 1786.

Warrington has but one church within her borders, the Reformed at
Pleasantville, on th.e county line, founded, 1S40. It grew out of a wo^^ds'
meeting there in August or Sciitendier of that year, held by die Reverend
<.'h.irlcs H. Ev.-ing, on invitation of Frederick W. Hoover, and he became the
llrst pastor. A comfortable brick church building, still standing, was erected
that fall. It v,as organized with seven members in the grove where the first
sermon was i^reached. but it now has a membership of about two hundred,
and a congregation of some three hundred and fifty. Among its pastors have
been i\Ir. Ewing its founder, and the Reverends Messrs, WilHam Cornwell,
N. S. Aller, and D. W. C, Rodrock. :\lr. .\ller officiated twenty years and
seven months, longer than all the other [>a?tors combined. Although it was
organized and incorporated a-; a Reformed chinch, all the pastors except
Mr. Rodrock. have been rre.-byterian in faith. The present pastor is Rev. J.
Hunter Walts, called, iSgS,. _

There is evidence of the' Glacial peririd in Warrington. Traces of glacier,'?
are found in this county even tf) the tops of our highest mountains. Our
geologists advocate a Maine, Coimecticut. Hudson an<l a Susquehanna glacier,
and we have a right to believe there was a Delaware glacier also, sliding from

5. Pmluhly where llic Doylestown and Will'nv Grove turnpike crosses Neshaminy.
6 In \Vliiiei'.iar>h.

422 ' HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY

the mountains soutlnvard, in a direction a little poiitli of east, a spur of it
passing over this county. It crossed the hills aljout Kittle Xeshaminy, and as
it advanced, carrieil the boulders we now find in snnie parts of the county,
dropping them out of its melting edge, and received their rounded shape bv
constant fricti(jn and rolling. These traces are seen in the northeast part
of the township and the adjacent parts of Warminster. In this section we
observe lo.ose round stones lying on or near the surface, varying in size from a
few inches to two or three feet in diameter, of different composition from the
stone foimd in quarrying. They have no cleavage or grain, and when broken
are like fragments of trap-rock, scored and scratched on all sides and in
several directions, having evidently been brought from other localities and
dropped where they lay, at random. They are found on both sides of the
Bristol road, half a mile south-east of Warrington post-office, extending three
or four miles in that direction, bearing to the west, and from a half to a mile
wide. The line crosses the Street road, east of Little Xeshaminy, and the
south-west corner of Warrington into Horsham. The drift probably extemk
farther both north and south than is here stated. These stones evidently mark
the track of a glacier, and their presence cannot be satisfactorily accounted
for upon any other theory. The inhabitants of the vicinity call them "mun-
docks,"' the origin of the word being unknown. Webster gives the word
"niundic" as applied in Wales to iron pyrites in the mining districts. It is
possible that the word mundock is a corruption of mundic, brought to us
by some inmiigrant, but it can hardly come from the Latin mundus, world.
On the Darrah farm, near Hartsville, ^^'arminster, in an oak grove, is a fine
giowth of pines, which have been there from the earliest settlement of the
country, the seed being probably deposited by the glacial drift. The trees
belong to a more northern region. In early days the site of Pineville was
covered with pine trees in the midst of a region of oak, whose origin may have
been the same, and there is evidence of tlie same drift in the upper end of
the county. Along the shores of Solebnry, and likewise inland, are found num-
erous boulders of the same character as those scattered about Warrington.

Warrington is well-watered by the branches of the main stream of Xesh-
.aminy, the Xorth branch, and several small rivulets. The surface is generally
level, and the soil fertile, with some thin land on both sides of the Bristol
read ascending from the Warminster line. North of Warrington post-office
the country falls off considerably, and the Doylcstown and Willow Grove
turnpike descends a long declivity, called Greir"s hill, to the valley of Xesh-
aminy. I'roni the top of the hill is obtained a beautiful view of the valley
below and be_\ond, with Doylestown in the distance seated on the opposite
ridge like a thing of beauty, the wliole making one of the finest stretches
of landscajie scenery in the cmmty. Tlie population is wholly engaged to
agriculture. There are no villages in the township, but several hamlets of
about half a dozen houses, each, Warrington, Xeshaminy, Tradesville, and
Pleasantville. The two first and the last named are the seats of post-oflices ;
that at Warrington was established 1839, and Benjami]i Hough, Jr., a])|)ointo<l
postmaster, and Xeshaminy, 1864. wiih Daniel S. Dulhee postmaster. The
post-office at riea.-antville, called Lurcka, is on the Montgomery side of
the county line.

We have not been able to obtain the inmiher of inhabitants in the town-
ship prior to 17S4, when the population \\as 231 wliite^, 4 blacks, and 3,%
dwellings. The popuiation in iSio was 429; 1820. 515: 1830. 512. and i i.%
taxables ; 1840, 637: 1850. 761 ; i8(Jo. 1,007. ^"'1 1^70, 940. of which Go were

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

423

foreign-born; iSqo, 820; 1900. S83. Tlie area of tlic township was five thou-
sand three hundred and ninety-seven acres, 183(3. but since then its territory
lias been added tu, and its acres soniewliat increased.

Nathaniel Irwin, pastor at Neshaniiny, Warwick, was a resident of this
tf-.wnship many years, living in the large stone house on the west side of
the W illow Grove turnpike, a mile below Warrington. This remarkable man,
tlie son of a maker of sijinning-whccls of Fogg's manor, Chester county,
worked his way up from the bottom of the lailder to the pulpit and eminence.
]]e spent a year and a half in missionary labors among the Indians on the
frontiers of i'ennsylvania and Virginia after he was licensed to preach, and
was called to Neshaminy, 1774, at the death of the Reverend Charles Beatty.
During his forty years of pastoral life he was one of the leading ministers
of the large and able body of which he was a member. He was an active
patriot during the Revolution, stimulated the people to resist the British
crown, and more than once was obliged to ilee from home to escape capture.
On several occasions he loaned money to tlie struggling patriot government.
He was a man of large information, and there were few branches of learning
of that day with wliich he was not conversant. Me was a great student of the
natural sciences, antl, in his leisiire, indidged in the delights of music. He was
everything to his people, law}er, doctor, minister and friend; was the patron
of all schemes that promised good to mankind, and rendered great assistance to
John Fitch, the inventor of the steamboat. He took an interest in politics,
and had great jjower in the county. In 1802 he was appointed register and
recorder, but, resigning shortly, his son-in-law, Doctor Hart, was appointed in
Iiis stead. He was mainly instrumental in having the Alms-house established,
and placed in its present location. His death, 1812, was considered a public
calamity. In person he was tall and muscular, of full Scotch-Irish type, and
his manners courteous and affectionate.

CHAPTER XXVII.

WILFORD.

173-4.

Concluding group. — Early names. — Fiisl township settled by Germans. — Ask naturaliza-
tion.— Their language. — Mum. — Change of names. — Germans aggressive. — Churches
and schools. — Upper and Lower jNlilford. — Early settlers. — Jacob Shelly. — Petition
for township. — Names of land-owners. — Township allowed. — Jacob Bcidler. — Name
desired. — George Wonsidler. — Michael Musselman. — Old stone house. — Land turtle.—
German name.>, 1749. — Ulrich Spinner. — The Zolhiers. — The Hubers. — Opening of
roads. — "The Fries rebellion." — John Fries.- — Henry Simmons. — Effort to annex Mil-
ford to Lchigli. — Sninnersville. Irunibauers et al. — Lower Milford clnirch. — Scliectz's
■ Lutheran cluirch. — Mennonites and ?\Ii:nnonitc churchca. — Strieker's graveyard. — Tav-
erns.— Fine land.- — Population

Miltord, the fml towiisliip of our last and concluding g^roiip, includes
?.!!. (he remaining- towusliips in J'ucks, and those of Northampton and Lehigh,
organized prior to 1752.

Setticr.s were on our north-west herder in I'liiladclpliia. now INIontgoniery
county, before 17.^0, finding their way into this distant wilderness up the
vallev of the Pcrkiomen. Among the land-holders in Hanover township,
Montgomerv connlv, 1734, were Melchoir Hoch, Samuel iMusselman, John
I.indf-man, Peter Paucr. BaUhazer Iliith,'^ Andrew Kepler, Jacob Hoch, Jacob
iSechtcl, Ludwig I'itting, or Pitting. Jacob Ileistandt. Piiilip Knecht, Henry
Lilting. Barnabas Tcjlhero, George Roudenbush, Conrad Kolb, Jacob Schweit-
zer. Adam Ochs, Nicholas ]o<, now Yost. Jacob Jost. Bastian Rcifschneider,
John George, Jacob .Sch;cfer. John Sclin.eider, Anthony Hinkle. Anthony Puih,
Nicholas Halrkman and J-Icnry Funk owned land, and probalily lived, in
Salford township atid Herman Godshalk in Towamcncin, !\lontgomery county.
As these are all P.ucks count v names, proliably the ancestors of those bearing
them here came from over the border. I'efore 1739 George Gruver built a
grist-mill in (.lie j'erkiomcn valley five miles above Sumncytown, and, 174-
Samuel Shiilcr built one on East .'-^wamp creek one mile abo\-e the same ]*!ace,
the walls of which were standing and some of the machinery remaining a few
years ago. In 17^8 Shuler Inn'lt ;i rlvvclling near the mill which is still in
use. .Miotit the .=amo time Jacol) Graff Jjiiilt a large grist-mill on the Perkio-

I Probably I-^ith.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 425

men creek on tlie site of IVrkionienville.. It was in use about an hundred
years, and is now occupied by the three-story gjrist-mill lately owned by
Mr. Hiestand. The next mill buik in tlic valley is about half-way between
Green Lane and Perkiomenville, and still standinj^. Among the earliest settlers
in tiiis part of Montgomery ci'unty were Frederick Hillcgass, of Upper Han-
over, Jacob \\'issk-r. Johannes IIuls. I'liilip J.abar, George Shenk, Ludwig
Christian Sprogel, Henry Rtider, Ludwig Bitting and Peter WaLtein. Liinii-
grants were not tardy in crossing the line into Bucks county.

Milford is the first township to which the Germans came in any considerable
numbers. From their first coming into the Province, a few found homes in
liucks, but they were too few to make any impression upon the English popu-
lation. The heaviest German immigration took place between 1725 and 1740,
and during this period a large nimiber settled in the upper end of tliis county,
and what is now Northampton and Lehigh. By 1775 they numbered about
one half the population of Pennsylvania. Our early German settlers followed
the track of those which had jircceded them up the valley of the Perkiomen,
and planting tliemselves in the north-west corner of the county, they gradually
spread across to the Lehigh and Delaware, and southward to meet and check
the ii]iward current of English immigration. In time they became the domi-
Tiant race in several townshifis originally settled by English speaking people.

The early Germans came with a fair share of common school learning,
and there were but few who could not read and write. They early estab-
lished schools to educate their children : and it was a feature with German
settlers that they were hardly seated in their new homes before they began to
organize congregations, build clnirches and ojicn schools. Among them were
men of education, and to the Moravians, especially, are we indebted for the in-
troduction of a high degree of cultivation into the wilderness on the Lehigh.
The third newspaper published in Permsylvania was in German, in 1730-
Christian Sov,r, of Gcrmantown, had printed several editions of the I'.ible
in German, years before the first English Bible was printed in America, which
issued from the press of Robert Aitken, Philadelphia, 17S0. As a class, the
Germans excelled tlic other races that settled this county in music, and were
the first to introduce it into their churches. At first the Proprietary govern-
ment was prejudiced against them, but such was not the case with \\'illiani
I'enn, and it was not until 1742 the Assembly passed an act for their naturaliza-
tion, tiiongh in 1727 an act was passed requiring them to take the oath of alle-
giance to tlie English crown on their arrival. Shortly after the act was amended
so as to apply to Dunkards, iMoravians, Mennonites and all other Protestants
except Friends, who refused to take an oath. But this boon was not granted with-
"«t the asking, and then it took years to get the law passed. A petition was pre-
sonlcd to the Assembly in 1734. from "inliabilants of Bucks county," staling
llic petitioners \\cre from Germany, and having jjurchased lands they desire
naturalization that they may hold the same and transmit thom to their children.
Tiiis was signed by John Blyler. John Yodcr, Sr., Christian Clcmmer. John Jacob
Clemn'.er. Abraham Shelly, Jacob Musselman. Henry Tetter, Peter Tetter, Leon-
.'ird Button, l"'etcr W'oibcrt. f )\\en Rcsear, John Resear. p-elix Pruncr, Lawrence
Earp, Joseph Evcrhcart. Michael Everhcart. Jacob W'etsel, Michael Tilinger,
lialtzer Caring. Joseph Zcmmerman. John Rinck. Jacob Coller, John Lauder,
Peter Chuck: John Breeht. Henry Schneider. Felty Kizer, .Aclam Wanner,
Martin Piling, John I.andes, George Sayres, Abraham ITeystantlt,
• hristian Ncwcome. Felty Young, Henry Weaver, John \\'eaver,
Jacob Gancrwer, Francis Bloom, I'roderick Scliall, Henrv Rincker, Lawrence

426 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

]\Iirkk', Leonard Cooper, John YoiJcr,. Jr., Adam Shearer, Felty Barnard, John
]^ced. The earhcst case of an ahen of lUicks county being nalurahzed by the
j\s>embly is that of Johannes Ulecker and others on petition of Francis Daniel
Pastorius, September j8, 1709. In 1730-31 Jacob Klcmmer, of Richland, Jacob
Sander, Philip Keisinger, Georye JJachman and John Drissel petitioned the
As>embly to be n.iluralized.

The descendants of the German immigrants of this county liave retained,
to a considerable degree, the manners and customs of their fathers. The
every-da}- language of at least one-third of the population is German, or
"Pennsylvania Dutch," as it is ]iopularly called. In so far as diis is a lan-
guage at all, it is mosaic in its character, and the result of circumstances.
The early immigrants from the German principalities and Switzerland became
welded into one mass by intermarriage, similaritv of religion, customs and
language. This, with subsequent admi.\tiu-e with the English-speaking 'por-
tion of the population, gradually gave rise to a newly-spoken, and to some
extent, a newly-written, dialect known as "Pennsylvania Dutch," which is
used, to a consideraiile extent, throughout eastern Pennsylvania.- The advent
of the Germans introduced a new drink, called .Mum, from .Mumma, the name
of Ih.e inventor, who first Ijrewed it at Jhainswick, 140J. It was a malt liquor,
brewed from wheat and at first considered a medicine. It was nauseous, but
made potable by being fermented at sea. Ash detines it to be a beer brewed
from wheat, while a dictionary of 1770 says it was "a kind of physical beer
made with the husks of walnuts infused." Tiswick, in the Xotcs and Queries,
says: "]\linn is a sort of sweet, malt liquor brewed with barlc}- and hops
and a small mixture of wheat, very thick, scarce drinkable till purified at
sea." Pope turned his verse upon it, and says :

"The clamorous cioutl is hnslicd wilh nuigs of mum,
Till all, turned cqu:il, sound a general hum."

It was sold at Bethlehem, in 1757. at a shilling a jiint ; but we doubt whether
the Germans of the present day have any knowledge of the beverage that
regaled their ancestors a centnr\- and a half ago.

A noticeable feature in connection with the Germans of this comity is
the great chaiige tliat has taken place in the spelling of family names. In
some instances the (.ierman original is almost lost in the present name, and
the identitv can be traced \sith diinculty. Who but one versed in such lore
would expect to Ihid the original of jjeans in Beihn, lirown in Braun. or Fox
from Fucbs. and vet there are greater changes than these. Mr. William J.
Buck, wlio has paid considerable attention to the subject, prepared for us the
following list of changes in the names of German families in this county :
.Swope from .Schwab. Bartholomew from Eartelcmc, iMiller from Midler, Fox
frcan Fuchs. Smith from Sclnnidi. Meyers from Meyer or Mo}-er, Shank from
.Schcnck, Kind>- from Kindigh, Overholt from Oberholtzer, Shoemaker from
Schumacher, Cassd from Kassel. I'iverhart from Ehcrhardt, Black and SwarLz
from Schwartz, Wolf from ^^'oHT, Calf from Kolh, Kcyser from Reiser, Snyder
from Schneider, Knigiit from Knccht, Shearer from Scherer, Overpeck from
Oberbcck, Wise from Weiss, Buck from Bock, \\'eaver from Weber, Stone-
back from Steinbach, llarwick from Harwich, .-Vmey from Fmig or Emich.

2 The innucncc nf the puhlic schixjN. wh.erein F.ii;;li-;h alone is iaup;ht. is graduali>'
doing away with (itrai.-in as a .^iioktn and written language in Bucks county.

HISTORY OP BUCKS COUXTY. ' 427

Fisher from Fischer, Root from RiUh, Funk from Funck. Rodrnck from Roth-
rock. l?ro\vn from ]!r;uin, Fralcy from FrcchUch, Deal from Dieh.l, Hijjh from
I loch, More or Moore from Mohr. Beans from I'.cihn, Straw^iiyder from
Strohschncider, King from Konig, Yonncc from Jung", Stover from StantYer,
Siceley or Stalcy from Stahlc, I'Vankcn field from I'ranckenfeldt, I'ulmcr from
]"(>lmcr. Bishop from I'.ischoff, ArnoM from Arnoldt. Heck from Hecht. Krnery
from Emrich, L'mstead from l/nistadt, Xonamakcr from Xonnemacher, Gruver
from Gruber, Kline from Klein, Flinkle from Hinckle, Vaniossen from Van-
fusscM, Godshalk from Gotschalk, Singmaster from Singmeister, Allom from
Allium. Mickley from Michcle, Ilcancy from Heinicli, Applcbach from Affler-
bach, I.cidv from Lcidigli, Clymer. or Clemmer from Klcnrmcr, Lock from
Loch, Taylor from Schneider, and W'ireback from Weicrbach.

The Germans ha\-e been exceedingly aggressive since they settled in Bucks
county. Seating themselves in the extreme north-west corner of the county,
thev have overrun tb.c upper townships, and in some of them, nearly rooted
out the descendants of the English race. Like their ancestors, who swept down
from the north on the fair plains of Italy, they have been coming down
C"i;nty for a century and a half with a slow but steady pace. Sixty years ago
tiicre were comparatively few Germans in Plumstead, New Britain, Doyles-
town and V\"arrington,^ now they predominate in the first and are numerous
in the other three townsiiips. Among twenty-two names to a petition for a
road in Hilltown, in ij.yl- three only were German, and it is now considered
a Germrni township. Thev have already made considerable inroad into Sole-
bury, Buckingham and ^^'arv.ick, and still the current is setting down county.
As a class, they are money-getting and saving, tliey add acre to acre and
farir, to farm, their sons and daughters inherit their land, and they go on
rejieating the process. They have large families of children and but few
emigrate, but niarr}' at home and stay there. With a ])ersistent, clannish race
like the Germans, this system of accumulation will, in course of time, enable
tlieni to root out others who have less attachment for the soil, ^\"here this ad-
vancing Teutonic colunui is to halt is a question to be answered in the future,
for it has its pickets here and there, in all the townships down to the ni'iutli
ot the Poqucssing,

Our present German population is well up to the dc^ceiidnnts of the
English speaking settlers in the spirit of progress. Their schools arc numer-
ous and well attended, and they give the common scliool system a generous
suijport. Churches are found in every neighborhood, and all denominations are
administered to by clergymen of their own choice. Their church edifices, as
a whole, are superior 10 those in the English portion of the county, cost more
money and are constructed in l.icttcr architectural taste. In addition, there is
liardlv a tjernian church that does not contain a pipe organ, some of them large
and expensive. They ])ay considerable attention to music, and some good
performers arc foimd in the rural districts. During the Revolutionary war
the Germans were universally loyal to the American cause. The great majority
of them left the land of their birth to seek liberty in the new world, and th.ev
came with too cordial a haired of tyranny to assist th.e English king in enslav-
ing the land of their adontioTi. Many Germans of this county served in the
ranks of \\ asiiingti'u's army and a number bore commissions. No portion of

.1 There are a r-cnpnrt and boroiic;h in, Peiiiliruki\<hiio, Walts, and a vill;igc and parish
in England 01 thib name.

428 HISTORY OP BUCKS COUNTY.

our pojiulatioii excel tiic Germans in- those qualities that go to make gooi.1
citizens, kind nciglibors and fa~t friends.

Our knc'w ledge of the earlv settlement of Milford, is neither extensive nor
as accurate as we could desire, for we have found it exceedingly difficult to
obtain information of this and other German tov/nships. Originally, the terri-
tory iiicliuled in the townshii' and l'pi)er }dilford in Lehigh, was one district
for niuniri]i;d purposes, hut was never embraced in one organized township.
These divisir'us bore th.e distiiictive names of Upper and Lower !\lilford down
to the close of tlie eightcenih century. The new county line of Northampton,
1752, ran through the midflle of this district, or thereabouts, leaving each
county t'' fall licir to a Milfnrd township. Its first settlers were Germans who
came ovrr the border frnm Philadelphia county, having found their wav up the
■\alley of the Perkiomen.

It is not known who was the first land-lioKler in ]\Iilford, but Joseph Grow-
den ov.-ned a large tract there at an early day. Martin Morris, who was there
among the first, took up five hundred acres which he conveyed to Jacob
Shelly, ]\Iay 5, 1725, part of which is now owned by Joseph S. Shelly. In
17.49 Abraham Shelly was a petitioner for a road. William Allen likewise
owned land in Milford among the first. The 17th of November, 1724, Nicholas
Austin, of Abington, Philadelphia county, purchased two hundred and seventv
acres of Joseph Growden the patent to which was not issued by the Penns until
1739. It passed through, two generations of Austins to John Haldeman, the
ancestor of the Haldeman? of New Britain.

The Bcidlcrs were early settlers in INlilford, but just when they came is
unknown. They are descended from Jacob Beitler, a redeniiitioneer, who is
credited with arriving car!}- in the eighteenth century; settled first in Chester
county, then removed to Lower ^lilford, Bucks, where he married Anna,
daughter of Hans Meyer, or INIoyer, a recent immigrant. After this the family
history is known. Li 1753-60 Henry Beidler patented one hundred and twenty
acres, became a farmer, and died 1810, at the age of loi, his will being pro-
bated ]\Iay 10. He had seven children : Anna, who married Henry Ober-
holtzer; Barbara, John Newcomer; Elizabeth, Christian Swartz, and sons,
John, Abraham. Jacob and Christian. Of the sons of Jacob Beidler, John
sf.ent his life in Chester coun'.y. leaving many descendants there and else-
where, Judge Abraham !M. Beidler of the Court of Common Pleas being
one ; .-Xbrahnm settled in his native township, had one daughter, Mary, who
inherited her father's estate, married John Stahr, who became the ancestress
of the Reverend John S. Stahr, D. D , a distinguished clergyman of the Re-
formed church, and president of Franklin-^ilar.-^hall College, Lancaster, Pa.
He died iSoo, liis will being probated November 25: Jacob, the third son of
Jacob, tlie immigrant, settled in Hilltown, married Annie Leiderach, had three
children, lleiiry. Jacob and Annie and died, comparatively young, 1781. His
will directs, that after his children are well educated they shall be "put to
trades." Of his children, Henrv, born 1778, removed to Lancaster, Pa., dying
there, 1852. Jacob, born Oct. 5, 1776. and dying February 8, 1866, married
Susanna Kraut, and was tlie father of n'lie children, Annie, who married Sam-
uel Stover, Aaron, Elizabeth, married Isaac Kratz, Henry, Nathan, Jacob, the
millionaire lumber merchant, who died at Chicago, ]\Iarch 15. i8q8. Christian.
Su^arina, widow of Jacob Fretz, and Joseph, residing near Plumsteadville ; all
are dead except tlie last two named. Annie Beidler, daughter of Jacob and
Annie (Leiderach ) Beidler. married Henry Liccy and died 1837, without is-
sue. Christian Beidler, the youngest son of the immigrant, wh.o died 1827,

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

429

inherited the homestead, Lower IMilford, married Alary Shelly, daughter of
Jacob Shelly.

No doubt the agitation for a township organization in Richland, whose
inhabitants were movnig in this direction, stimulated the people of Millord to
set u]) for themselves. Un June 13, 1734, those Hving between the county line,
and tiie section then about to be laid out as Richland, petitioned the court
to erect the country they inhabit into a township with the boundaries thev
specify. They state 'in the petition that heretofore they had been united with
Richland for municipal purposes, but now wish to be separated, because the
territory is so large the constable and collector can not atttend to their duties.
That section of the county must have been pretty well peopled at this early
day, for the petition has sixtx-two names upon it, nearly all German, and
among them, we find those of Cline, Clymer, JMusselman, Jamison, Nixon,
Jones, Lawer, Wies, Ditter, Hosne, Sane, and others equally well-knov/n at
iliis day. The court doubtless granted the prayer of tlie petitioners for the
township was laid out and established soon after. It was twice surveyed both
times by John Chapman, the second survey only differing from the first on its
south-east boundary. The first was returned into court September 13, 1734,
and the last October 22. On the first plat of survey are given the names of
the following real estate owners: Robert Gould, JNIichael Atkinson, John Ed-
wards, Thomas Roberts, David Jenkins, Edwin Phillips, Peter Evins, .Michael
Lightfoot, Arthur Jones, Morris Alorris, John Lander, Jacob Alusselmaii,
John Yodcr, Peter Lock, Abraham Heston, John Dodsel, and "Joseph Grow-
den's great tract, sold mostly to Dutchmen." On the back of the draft is en-
dorsed '"Bulla," the name the petitioners desired their township called. Whether
it was ever called by this name we are unable to say, but, however this mav
be, it was soon changed to Lower Alilford, and afterward to Alilford. The
survey fixes the area at fifteen thousand six hundred and forty-six acres. Some
of the land-owners did not live in the township but only owned land as an in-
vestment. In the session's docket, 1734, we find the following entry: "Ordered
that some part of the township of Richland, now and for the future to be
called Bala (or Bulla) be recorded according to a certain draft of the said
townshi]). now brought into court."' This has reference to the formation of
.Milford.

Among those who caiiic into the township, after it had been organized,
was George W'onsidler,'' ancestor of the family of this name, who immigrated
from Germany, 1744. at the age of twenty-two, and settled in Milford, where
he spent his life and died in 1S05, at eighty-four. He left two sons, George
and John Adam. George remained in }ililford, where he died, 1S5S, at the
age of cigh.ty-four, leaving three sons and one daughter, John, George and
Jacob, and the daughter's name not known. John died in 1S69, at the age of
seventy-seven, leaving three daughters. George lives in Milford, at the age
"f eighty, and Jacob in Springfield, who have sons and daugliters married,
with families; there are only seven descendants of the second George
living. John Adam, the second son of George W'onsidler, born 1770, and
died 1S54, agctl eighty-four years, sctttlcd in Planover township. .Montgomerv
county, wIktc he i«sscd his life. He had eight sons and two daughters, and
1'iurteen of liis di'scendruits, bearing his n.nme, are now living. The name
is but >ol(irni met with, and probably all who Ijear it in this si-clion of the
Tnilcd States can trace their descent back to the Milford immigrant, 1744.

4 He landed at rii:Indclp!ii.i. from tlie Pl'.anix, Oct. 20, 1744.

430 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Charles il. Wonsidkr, of TrunibaiKTs\illc, is a dcsccii'hiiu of George, cldebi
son oi the lirst Geor^^c.

The ^Teai-graiu.hather of Michael Musselmau came into the township
with a son, fifteen years old, in 1743, and bought land of William Allen, on
vhich he built a log house, still standing twenty years ago, and used as a dwell-
ing,, near the Mennonito nuetiug-housc, not far from the Milford and Steinsburg
lurnir.Ue. The great-grandson, A'iciiael Mus^elnian, o\cr eighty years of a:;e,
no-.v lives in the old house wheie probably three generations of the family
were bcrn. An adjoining tract, then owned by William Roberts, belongs to
Jacob W. Sliell\. i'robabiy the oldest stone house, in the north-west section
of the couniy, stands in the south-east corner of Alilford a mile from Trum-
bauersville near the road from JJunker Hill to Sumncytown. It was bailt
1740, 1742. by Thomas Koberis, and then passed to the estate of John Won-
sidler. 'Jlie stone house of Daniel H. Kline was built, 175O. Among the early
inhabitants of 2>iilford ami possibly remembered by some of the present gen-
eration, was a land turtle, which was there probably as early as 1750. It was
picked u]> in May, 1821, and found to be marked "'J. U. 1769," and ''Ditlow,
1S14."' As it was found between, and within a mile, of the dwellings of J.
Blcyser, and Air. Dillow, it was probably marked by them. It had been a
known inhabitant of iliat vicinity for years, but how much longer no one
can tell.

iiefore 1750 Milford had practically become a German township, for of
forty-nine names signed to a petition for a road, in 1749, every one is Ger-
man, and many of them are familiar names of residents of this and adjoining
townships at this time, viz : Abraham Zaln, John Drissell, Johannes Funk.
George Clark, Paul Samsel, Ludwig Cutting, Philip Hager, Christian Casscl,
Ulrich Wimnicr, William Labar, Christian Willcox, Adam Schneider, Andrew
W'icliscliultz, David Mneckley, Ileinrich Plilz, Michael Kberhart, Philip Liber,
Hciirv liach. Rudi Frick, Kasper Hayser, Christian Sitzmar, Jacob Plecock,
George Ackcrmann. Peter Kreiling. Jacob Zweifuss, Xickol Mumbaucr, An-
dreas Truinbauer, Theol)o!d Branchlar. Jacob Bcittler, John Stell, HciuricJ!
Ifuber. Johannes Frick. Lorcntz Esbacli. Charolus Oiinger, Rudolph Rcigert,
Abraham Sbellw jr., .Abraham Dittlo, Johannes Huber, Jacob Martin, Jnc'>l)
Martin ?>tus,-elman, Sanniel l.auder, Abraham Kreider, Andieas Hochbcin,
Johanne.- \\.imi>"l. Jiibanues Reb. George Rodi, Johannes Clymer, John Peter
Kreider and Michael Schenk.

L'lrich Si iniicr.^ or ."^[linor, the great-grandfather of Edwin D. Spinner,
of Milford. immigrated from liasle. in Switzerland, in 17.39. His wife, L'rsida
Frick, came fr<Mn the same jilace, and ijrobably he was married at his arrival.
He settled in Milft^rd the same year. In 1753 he bought two hundred and
three acres in the "(jreat swamp." lying about Spinnerstown. in the western
jiart of Milford. and died, in 17K2. at the age of sixty-live, leaving two sons
and two d.augiiters. The youngest son, David, received the real estate, oiher
cliildroT gvtiing their share in mone\-. The eMe.-t son settled in Salisbur\.
Lehigh ciunlv. and llie d;int,diters married a Munilwiicr and a Deal, Mrs.

5 L'irlcii .Spimu I .irrivi-.! ;ii Pliil.ndelplii.i ncceiiil'ir If. 17,?0, in the I.ydia, and was
23 wars (4ii at tl'v liiiK-. Wish iiiiii caim- I^iidwi'.^. Jdhanncs and Casper Frick, nrobul'i.v
reintivcs of liis wik' Rnpp hivos tlie iianio a-; L'lricli "Stciner." an error in copyiivu <•!'
traiislaiion. Tlio ori8;i:i;!! li-t uim-- the nanie Llrioh "Spindi-r." I'avid Spinner, ymni-; -i
-. n i.t firicii. liieil. 1-S!I. w:i- lli^- inirlc nf \'. E. Spinner. I'n ;i-'.iror "f tlio tiMcd
St.itc-- tS(.iI 75. and Iii> <\i'...'V.- -ii,'nature to tlic nrcenliack is not lorpottcn.

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY

431

l\L'ubcn F. Sclicetz, of Doylostown, being a (ksccudaiil of the latter. David
>]>iiiiKT, the son, died un the lK)niebtead, in 1811, at tlie age of fifty-three, fol-
lowing the trade of a jiottcr, besides cundiicting his large farm, to his death.
He was Justice of the I'eace, and held other local oftices, among them collec-
tor of taxes, about the close of the war of independence. He advanced the
entire amount on his duplicate to the county in gold, which was afterward paid
in, in t.'onlinental mone\ , by which he lost a large sum. He left two children,
[l:e late David Spinner, who died about 1807, at the age of seventy-six, and
.>ne ilaughter, who married a Weaver and had one child. ]Javid Spinner's
\\ idow survived her husband many years. The latter left two children, Edwin
1 ).. who married, and has one child, also married, and a daughter, Elvina, who
married Doctor Dickcnshied, and has one son. The homestead is still in
the hands of the family. The wife of the late David Spinner was the only
daugluer of John Eckel, of J?,edminsier.

The Zollners or Zellners*^ were in the Province by the middle of the eigh-
teenth century, Conrad, Christian and John Zollners, relatives, if not brothers,
settling in .Milford township. Conrad who came in the Phrenix, was natur-
alized .August 28, 1750. He was a Lutheran and became a member of St.
Peters' Church. In 1751') we t'md him a soldier in the Provincial service,
called out to defend the frontier from the Indians. He married Margaretha
Camerer, or Kemerer, and their son John, born September 12, 1747, and died
in Lehigh county, January 20, 1824, was a soldier in the Ive volution. He
married Maria Elizabeth W'oll, and was the father of four sons and for.r
daughters, two sons and two daughters living to maturity. The sc)ns were
John and Peter Zollner. Christian Zollner, the supposed brother of Com-ad,
niarried Susanna Stahl and was living in jMilford, 1761. One of his sons was
a lieutenant in the XorthamjJton regiment, probably in the Whiskey Insurrec-
tion, 1794. and his descendants are still living in the neighborhood of Dilling-
(rsville, Lehigh county. John Zollner, the third of the three brothers, born
December 3, 1743, and died May 26, 1S34, married Susannah, daughter of
(ieorge and INIagdalina I\Iagle Getman, and were the parents of ten children,
amoiig them Aaron, a ?itennonite minister of Michigan. Hannah, who mar-
ried Benjamin I'\ P.rown. I'hiladclphia, and Sojihia, who married the late
Charles Hamilton, Doylcsinwn, April 2, 1845, and Peter a soldier of the war

of 1S12-13 with Fuigland. He married Elizabeth and their seven clii!-

dren bear the name of Zollner. Hendly, Rittenhouse, Philadelphia, and others
elsewhere. John Zollner was an elder in the Schlicterville Lutheran church.
Charles Hamilton, who married Sophia Zollner, was born in the Xorlli of
Ireland, November. 181J, and came to America when a young man. He was
a farmer in Doylc^town inw nshiji fur many •}ears, btit moved into the borough
in his later yrars. He bad cunsiderable local prominence and served several
ye.-irs in the borough cuuncil. He made a visit to Ireland a few years before
his ileath, dying at D<7ylei=town, February 11, 1884. George Getman, a leading
man in the Fries Rebellion, 1798-99, married ]\Iagdalena Magic. Haycock
township, and had tliree daughters, Susannah, who married John Zollner,
.'dary married George Trumbauer and Hannah niru-ried. George Solliday. The
latter was a farmer and Justice of the Peace of ^lontgomeryville, Montgomery
O'vinty anrl among his children were ihe late Penjamin ."-^(illiday, Doylcstown.

'I'lie Ihibcrs immigrated frmn .^'.\ itzcrland between 5730 and 1760, and

n:ime. wliieli is Gorman, im-ans toll, or tax collector, w.'i5 varioi!=;!y corruptctl
■ records into /t!!i-r. S.lliur .T.id Scahicr.

432 HISTORY OP BUCKS COUNTY.

settled in IMilford. The father's name we do not know, but the mother's was
Ann, burn, 1/22, died 1775, and buried in tiie Trunibauersville church. Thcv
liad a family of eight children, of which Henry was born, 1756, and John
Jacob, 1758. The former made powder for the Pennsylvania Committee of
Safety, 1776, at a mill he built on Swamp creek, on the road from Trum-
bauersville to Sumneytown, the remains of which are still to be seen. Part
of the properly w;ife in the possession of Jesse \\'onsidler in recent years. The
children of the lirst settler married into the families of Hillig, Trumbauer,
Weidner, Hartzel, James, and others. There are said to have been several
powder-mills on Swamp creek, below Dannehower's mill, during the Revolu-
tion, and that one was in operation many years later.

We know but little of the opening of roads in ^lilford, but there were
few of them for several years, the inhabitants appearing to have been disin-
clined to increasing the number. In 1749, when there was a movement for a
new road, the inhabitants complained there were four highroads in the town-
ship already to be kept in repair, and they opposed the opening of the liith
because to repair it would be a heavy charge.

"The Fries rebellion,'' as it is known in history, an insurrectionary move-
ment against the house- tax of 1798, and other direct taxes, broke out in this
township in the fall of that year. The head and front of it were John Fries,
Frederick Fleany and Joh.n Getman, all residents of jMilford. Fries was born
in Hatfield township, ^.lontgomery county, about 1750, married JMary Brunner,
of \\'hitcmarsh, at twenty, and five years after removed to Jvlilford, where he
built a house on land of Joseph Gallo\\ay, at Boggy creek. At the time of the
outbreak he lived in a log house on a lot that belonged to William Edwards on
the Sumneytown road, two miles from Trunibauersville. He was a man of
good mind, but h'ad received only the rudiments of an education ; he talked
well and possessed a rude eloquence that swayed the nuiltitude. His char-
acter was good, and he was popular among his neighbors. He learned the
cooper's trade, but follow-ed the occupation of vendue-crier, traversing the
comilry attended by a little dog, named "Whiskey" to which he was much at-
tached. Heany and Getman were Frics's two most active lieutenants. The
formei-, born at Stover's mill, Rockhill, and at one time kept the tavern at
Ilagiersville, died in Nortliampton comity. Getman is supposed to have Ijcen
born in the same township, but this is not certain, and his brother George died
.near Scllcrsville, 1S55, at the age of ninety-two. The opposition of Fries and
his friends to the tax prevented all assessments in that township and they were
given up. It also extended into Northampton county, where several of the
insurgents were arrested and confined in the Sun tavern, at Bethlehem, March.
179Q. Fries headed about one hundred and forty of the malcontents in 'S\\\-
ford, including two companies in martial array, and marched to Bethlehem.
taking possession of the tavern, and by threats and intimidation, obliged the
officers to surrender fine prisoners to him. The President sent an armed force
to put down the "rebellion," and in .April, T79Q. Fries was captured in a swaini'
near Bunker Hill, on the farm of John Keichlinc, betraved bv his little dog.'

7 The armed force Prcsiilcnt Ad.ims put into the field to quell the "Fries Rebellion"
ciMi'^i-;tO(I 'if tl'O (!i<iin-;ilile troop; the sovcnunoiit had to spare. Tliey were cnininaniied
by Brl5adier-Gf:ieral William McPherson. who was born at riiiladelphia, 1756, and died
there Nov. 5, 1S13. He was appointed an ensicn in the 16th recrinicnt foot. British .Army,
lyiiQ. in v.iikh lie 'erved as ensicrn, lieutenant and ad.iulant until 1770, when the Con^re'^'^
appointed liirn Iiri-vct-niajor in the army of the United State?, serving through tiie war.

histoid: 01- BUCKS COUNTY. 433

lit ua> tric(l. ■ccin\-icti<l. ^tiUciKH-d lo lie hanged, but ];arduncd h\ rrcsidcnt
Adams, llt'any and (."ivur.an were Jike\vi>e tried and ci.nivicletl. but recei\ed
iiuuii li£,dilcr sentences. After lii- jiardou jtihn l-'ries returned to his huinhlc
!i''n;e in .Milford and ])in'sne(l his tVirinor occupaticm, lie and his little <li)g
'Whiskey" traversing- the upper end of the connty attendintj ven(hies as".
bcfi'V^-. lie died about 1820. Fries was a patriot during- the Revolutionary
.struggle and twice in the military service. On one occasion, while the llritish
Ju-M I'hiladclpliia, he headed a ]iarty of his neighbors and gave pursuit to the
light-liorse that were driving stolen cattle to the city, rescuing them abmu the
Spring- house tavern.

Among the authors, of Bucks county birth, was John Simmons, son of
lleiiry Simmons born on his father's farnj, Milford. He began life as a school
leaclicr and removed to Horsham where he taught school. He first imblished
ihe "Peniisvlvania Primmer'' in 1794, but subsequently went to Philadel])hia.
where he puljlished "A Treatise on I'arriery," and died there, 1843. \\ ithiu
the past seventy-five years efforts were made to annex Milford townshi]) to
l.ehigli county, the last attcnipt in January, 1823. when jietiiions were presented
lo the Legislature. Tlie j-iroposition. 01 course, was not favorably entertained.
What the cause of comiilaint v>as we have not been able to learn.

'I'he villages of .\lillord township are Trumbanersville. Spitmerstown, near
llie l.ehigh conntv line, .Steinsburg am! .Milford Square."'- The largest and
most populous is Trumbanersville. formerly called L'harlestown, a place of
over sixty • families, built half a mile along Ijuih sides of the
ri^ad from Philadeliihia to AUeme.wn. Half a ceiiturx' ago it con-
tained about a di'izen iKiuses. 'i'he h'agle tavern, that claims to be
tile jiairiarch house of the village, is said to be si:>me one hun-
dred and twentv-five \ears old. but, from appearances, the one ftirnierly
occupied bv George ^\'ollsidler is nearh' as old. h'or se\-eral years Trumbauers-.
ville, was the seat of extensive cigar manufacturing, turning out two millions
ot cigars a vear, a single maker, Mr. Cronian, employing thirty-seven hands,
and making a million and a half annually. There was but little room for tliver-
sitv of political opinion. e\en if allowed t\vent\-tlve year? ago. for the inli;d)i-
lants all voted the same ticket. Trunil);,uers\-ille has a handsome uniciu church,
built of stone, at a cost of ?r5,eiOO. Tlie datcstone tells us that it was "foundei-i
17(10; re-built 1803: and again re-built. i8'j8." Tlie ceiling of the audience
chamber is handsomelv painted in frescoe ; a jiipe organ stands in the gallery,
and- a shajjelv S])ire ]iciinls heavenward. The size of llie liuihiing is si.\iy-i\vo
by fortv-six feet and was originally called the Lower .\lilfcird church.

The congregation was probably organized several years before the first

:iM(l \v;is aii!c-(iC-c;niip lo LawycUc aiul licniral St. Clair. He wns appointed siir\eyor ut
the i'lirt c'l i'hilaiklpliia !•> W'asliiiitji'Ui. Maicli 8, 179-': siibsequemly fillinir a luimher
"f pciliti'.-al and otlier apiinmtments, including delegate to the Pennsylvania eonveiuion to
ratify the Consiitntion of the United States. He was an original member nf the Pcnn-
^.\lvania Society of tlie Cineinnati, and vice-president to his death. He married Margaret
Stout, daughter of l.ienl. Joseph Stout. K. X., born, 1764, and died Dec. J5, 1707. Hi«
f-lder brn'',cr. Capt. John MePluT^oii. u.is aitlc-dc-eanip to General Mont.iioniery. and
killed ;i; Qnvb(.c. Deceinhir \\. 1775,

-' . On the f.irni oi lr\ni Shant?. ln-tweon .Milford S(|u;ire and .'^pinnerslown. stancls
a large eliesnmt tree, one of the \ ery l.u-i.;e<t in the state. Ky the nieasiircniont of Stale
l'ore-.try Cciiiiiiis-i.iner Kotln-c'Ck it i? 54 feet'liiKh. and 27 feet d inches in eirenniferenec
four feet ahove tile eround, .'ind JO feet 4 inelie;, at the base.

434

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

church was erected, for wc find that Adam Rudolph and wile prcs.entetl it
with a Bible, June 24, 17'iJ, and a CL'ninuniion service was presented by George
Seibert, Seplenihcr 30, ijL'j. Tl.c Ivevereiid Phihp Jlenry Rapp' took charge
in 1769, antl L'hrisiian Kdlirccht was Reforniel pastor aliout that time, al-
though we are t(jld the church was \\h<'lly Lutheran until 1S05. The first child
bajnised was George i'eler. s^'u uf (^ieorge Michael and Anna Eve Koll, Janu-
ary 23, 1770. Running throu.gh six }ears we find the following among ih.c
nanies of the baptised: Loliaus. tleist, Aliller, Zangmeister, ;_Singniaster.)
Schuetz, (Scheetzj, Sax, Maurer, Cugler, Weber, Schantz, Leister, Barthol-
omew, Slacher and I'rederick. Christian Espick was pastor in 1792, and was
succeeded by Frederick W. Geisenhaimer, in 1793, George Rceller, 1798, Fred.-
erick Waage, in 1S22. who. after a succcessful pastorate of forty-four years, \Nas
succeeded by his son, Uswin T. Waage, in 1864. In 1809 there was great pros-
])erity in the church, and forty-three f)ersons were contirnicd. Abraham R.
Smith led the singing in 1S15, and filled the ofiice for seventeen years at five
dollars a year, but the Swamp church paid him forty dollars for the same
service. There was a lottery for the benefit of the church, in 1818. We know
but little of the Ivcfurmcd ]iastors. .Mr. Senn was there in 1823, and served
many years for a salary of Sm8 a year. Reverend ]• . A. Strassberger was also
Reformed pastor, but we do not know his length of service. The oldest
stone in the grave\ard licars date 1769, and the next oldest, that of Atuia
Huber, born 1722, died Xovember, 1773. Amcing those who preached in
the church at Trumliauersville. was Reverend John Theobold F"aber, Jr., of
Montgomery coinitv, in 1773. but we do not know whether he was Lutheran
or Reformed. He was an excellent man auil died suddenly, in 1788, from
an apoplectic stroke while preaching in the Xew Gosiienhoppen church. He was
succeeded by his son, who died of the same disease while preaching a funer;',}
sermon in the same pul];it.

There is nothing worthy of special note to be said of the other three ^■illages
of ]\lilforcl township. They consist of a few dwellings each, Spinnerstown hav-
ing a tavern and a store, and ^[ilford Square a printing office, where the org'in
of the ^lennonite denomination is published.

Schuetz's Lutheran church, known as Saint John's, is on ihe road fr^'Ui
Spinnerstown to rennsbm"g. in the north-west part of the township. It has
been the site of a church f^r ijver a century anil a quarter, and, ih.e i;ew
building, erected in 1874. and the third house, faces south and overkioks the
valley of Molasses creek. The oldest stone in the graveyard bears date ij^)-
hut the inscri]>tii'>n is effaced. Head and foot stones of primitive rock withinit
inscription, sliow tliat jiersons were buried there at an early day.

The IMennonites, so named from Menno Simon, a prominent reformer of
Friesland. (^"lermany, born, 141.12 auil died in Holland. 153^, were among \hc
first settlers in L'lijier lUicks. T!u-y were mostly from the I'alallnate. wliitlu r
religious persecution! had driven them fv. an Switzerland and Alsace. They were
poor but imlustrious and frugal, and soon pr^n-ided homes for themselves and
families. Tiiere are few indigent ann /ug them, and no one in goofl standmu'
will acce])t ]iui)lic alms. They settled in the north-eastern corner of Milforil,
about 1715. The first un'nister in the county of this denomination, was \'ale'i-
tine Clenuncr, as earlv as 1717, anil altemlod the first Mcnnonite conferenic
in .\merica. held at Skip; ack or F'ranc .nia. 172.1. He represented the chiirch
at the "Great Swamn.''

Th.e earliest services were heli'I in )irl\ate houses, the first church build

8 lie v.-as the uiiccilor of ilie l\.nii[i l;niu!y of Durli.un aiiJ .W

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

435

jiu; ncit bciii<; erected until 1735, builL uii the land of William Allen. In 177 I.
t M cund building was ereclei.! lor the Swamp ciiiirL-h, a nnle east oi the einy-
;i,i! line, on a piece of land conveyed by L'lrich Drissel, Abraham Taylor and
lolni 1-cderacIi, tu \ alentine L'lemmer, Peter Saeger, Christian Ucidler and
lacoli Clemmer, "Trustees of the Religious Society or Congregaiion of Meu-
H'^nites in the Great Swamp." In 1790 the original building was removed to a
'hH .Michael .Musselman and wife conveyed to i'eter Zeity, Christian iluns-
berger and Michael Shelly, "Trustees for a meeting house and burial place.''
This is half a mile west of the site of the first meeting" house and the site
of the present \\"est Swamp church. Eoth the pre.sent churches are the third
buildings on their respective sites, the one at East Swamp,, a brick. Until
US50, that at W'cbt Swamp a two story stone with basement and a seating ca-
jiacity of 450, '10x40 and cost 87,000. In all there are eight Mennonite
churches in Bucks county, three of them in }ililford township.

In 1S47 the }vlcnnonites became divided, causing a rupture in a number of
churches, the organization of new congregations and erection of church build-
ings. The two sections were known as the Old and New Schools. While the
Mennonitcs are conservative they have held pace with the times in the vari-
ou.-. Inanches of church work', the Xcw School [Nlennonite being the most ])ro-
gressive. The Mennonites of Uucks took the lead in the introduction of Sun-
<l,i\ schools into the denomination, the first one organized being at the West
Swamp church, the spring of 1858, the Reverend A. B. Shelly, superintendent,
lie was sulisequently called to the Swamps parish, composed of \Vest Swanij),
Mast Swamp and I'datland churches, which he has been serving nearly thirty-
tive years. Other Sunday schools followed and at this time nearly every i\len-
n;>niie church in tiie county has' Sunday schools, both the old school and the
new. The majority are kept open the whole year, annual Sunday school con-
\entions are held, and the Suinlay schools of the S\\am]5 church hold period-
ica! Sunday school Institutes. In some churches church music receives due
:!iteinion and all connected with the Eastern 2\Ieiinonite conference are sup-
1 lie(j with reed or pipe organs. Some of the churches are not behind other
<!eiioniination.-> in Young l\-oiile's organizations. The Eastern IMennonite
c'lifercnce to which a number of the churches of this county belong has estali-
li-!;ed a "Home for the Aged" at h'rederick, Montgomery counly. This c-n-
feroiice being connected with the Clencral conference of North America, the
.iuu'ches belongiuL:' to it assist acti\'ely in its work. This includes mission-
arv work among the Indians, local and general home mission work, publicatio.n
\V' TK. etc.

In the nortli-v,-esi CLirncr of the tounsldn is a burinl-gruund known as
' '-tricker's graveyard." established l.iy Henr\- Strieker, sevcnty-lhe vears ago,
wluTc about twenty iiersons have lieen buried. Wheeled carriac:;es were in
n>e in this section of the county as early as tjV). Tn a petition to th.e court that
'■i.ir. on ;he >ubjcct of repairing a road "leading toward the coiuitv line near
Jo-eph Nailer's." it i- stated that many rif the "back inhabitance. with waggons.
i;oes down to Shaver's mill on Toliickon creek." Tn 1757 there were two pub-
lic houses in the north-w\'st corner of Milford, on the old. road leading to
lMiila<lclphia. one ke; t by a Pitting, or Bitting, probably the same who peti-
tioned fcir naturali/.ation, in 17.>4. and the other hv a man iiameil Smitli. One
■•'1 the earliest public liouscs in Milford was that kept by George ITnrlacker,"

0 Ccorte llnr]:irkcr. or Horlocker, was a priv.itc in tlic Lower Milfonl coitip.iny of
■N-^^ooiators. C:ii>;:nn llcnry lIiibiT, 1775. and liii nanu- will lie fciuiil in iho .apiionJi.K
wiih proper reference.

436 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

and Mibscqiicntlv by Conrad Alark^, on the "^lagunshoy" (IMacungic) road, and
licL-n.-cd as early as 1 750. Marks, who was a petitioner lor a hcense at the
August sessions, 1797. states there had been a tavern kept tliere for fifty years.
Mis petitifm was alli)wed, his sponsors being David Spinner and George Hor-
lacker, the kilter doubtless the previous landlord. An hundred years ago it was
known as "Conrad ?ilark"5 tavern, and a resort of the insurgents" during the
"I'rie.-. Kebellion.'" When it went out of liceiisc is not known, as the quarter ses-
sions cilTice lins no record of it. Christoplier Clynier was appointed constable,

Miliord is a fine farming region and the careful tillage of the German
farmers for a century and three-quarters, has brought the land to a high state
of cultivation. A majority of the real estate has passed from father to son
since its settlement. The township is well-watered by Swamp creek, a branch
of the I'erkiomen, and it» numerous tributaries, which enters at the southwest
corner and spreads in every direction. The stream aii'ords a number of fine
mill sites, and mills were erected along it at an early day. It is populated
almost exclusively by Germans. The population 1784, was S61 and 156 dwell-
ings; in 1800 it was 1,334; 1820, 1,195; 1S30, 1,970 and 402 taxablcs ; 1840,
2,203; 1^50, 2,527; i860, 2,708; 1870, 2,900, of which only 64 were foreign
born; 18S0, 2,975; i590. 2,725; 1900, 2,532. ^Nlilford has four post-offices,
Trumbauersville, the oldest established, 1822, with Joseph Weaver, post-
master; Spinnerstown, 1825, Henry Haring postmaster; Steinsburg, 1852,
George Steinman, postmaster, and Alilford Square, 1872, and Charles Him-
melwriglit postmaster.

CHAPTER X>C\'III,

RICIII.AXD.

1734.

TIk- Grer;t swamp. — "Rich lauds.'" — Engli.^li Fricnd< llr.-t setticr^. — GriftVil! Jom-J.—
!Manor of Richland. — Peter Lencr — Edward Fuulkc. — Morris Morris. — lidward
Roberts. — Thomas Lancaster. — Growdcn', tract. — Settlers of i/JJ-- — Benjamin . Gil-
GillnTt. — Randall Jden. — Earlle^t mention of Richland. — Sncking creek.— -Petitioners
for road. — Movement to organize lownshii). — Friends' meeting. — Land-owners. — The
Matts family. — Jacib Strawn or Strawhen. — Pnrsell — .\ndrcw Snyder. — Population. —
Poor-tax. — Qnakertowii. — Its situation. — Xucleus of town. — McCook's tavern. — Public
library. — Industrial establishments. — State Xormal sch.ool. — Richland Centre. — Its pop-
ulation— Richlandtciwn. — Saint John's church. — Oldest hcMise. — Bunker llill.~-Lottery
land. — Opening of roads. — Tlie Fluck log huu>c. — A German township.

In the early day a large scope of country in the north-west corner ot the
coiiiitv, incluiling ]\.ich!and and [Milford. with (jnakertown as a Centre, was
known as the "Great Swamp.'"' The origin of the name is not known but prob-
ably because the surface is llat. and. before it was cleared and cultivated, water
stood itpon it at certain seasons of the year. It bore this name for three-
quarters of a century, and those who were ii'.t familiar with the ccnintrv be-
lieved it to be a veritable swani];. P.tii tlie true character of this section was
soon ascertained by those in search of new hi>me>. for. shortl_\' after 1720. it
began to be called "Rich lands."' no doubt from the fertilit_\- of the soil. and. in
the course of time, this designation gave the name to the towtiship. Tradition
says this section was heavily timbered, with a luxtn-ious growth of grass iitulcr
the great trees instead of bushes, with occasional small clearings, or "oak-open-
ings,'' called bv the early settlers "Indian fields." It aboutidcd iti wild animals,
bears, wolves, p.nnthers, etc., and rattlesnakes were su plenty the early mowers
had to wrap their legs to the knees, as a -prinectidn from their iiciseMious fan^s.
Indian wigwams were built ali'iig the Suani[), Tnhickon and other creeks
wduch then swarnu-d with shad. The Indians livcl on c^tunl terms with the early
sei tiers, and lingered abn'ui their favorite hmuiug groinids after white men
had become (|ti;te inimerons. There were deer licks on some of the streams,

I Prwb.ibly the earliest meuli'Ui i.f this b.cality i^ in a leUer of James Lotran to
\Vil!i:ini PiT.n. .Mareli i/. 1705. whereiir he writes of i'k- "Great Swamp enviroind by
Rocks," Peiina. Archives, Series H, \"ol. \'l!. p. jy.

440

'^'^ mSTORV Of DUCKS COUNTY.

wliithci this beaiuiiul animal rusoiU'd aiul where they were watched and bliot
by the liunter. An Indiau patli, tlie lino of coiiiiiiunication between distant
tribes, ran nearl\ n'lrtli and suulh throuL;!i the Great Swamp.

h is a feature eif interest in the bcltlenient of Ivichland, that, it was first
peopled by English I'rimds, who located far away from their kindred in tlie
lower section of the county, and who reached their new homes over the route
afterward traversed by the tiermans who settled Milford. The English pre-
ceded tl;e Germans int^ ]\ichland several years, and, while descendants of the
former are quite numerous, those of the latter prednminate and ]\ieh!and is a
German township.

Griffith Jones w;is probably the first man to own land in Ricldand. for
on the 12th of October. i6Si. and before either of them came to Pennsylvania.
William I'enn granted six thousanil acres to Jones, to be taken u]i in liis new-
Province fin the Delaware. At what time he arrived is not known, but in i(')89,
he purchased several hundred acres near the North Wales settlement, which
was adjudged to belijng to Cithers, by virtue of previous surveys he was not
aware of when he i)U!-cha.--eil. He now determined to locate his grant in the
Great Swamp, and, in 1701, the whole six thousand acres were surveyed to
him in what is now Richland township, and. in 1703. twenty-six hundred acres
were patented. This was the first land surveyed in this section of the coimtv.
and embraced nearly one-half the area of the township. So highlv was the
land of the Great Swan-!jj esteemed, by those who managed Penn's interest in
the Province, it was selected for the location of one of the Proprietary's n-ian-
ors. In March, 170,'^. Tames Logan directed Thon-ias Fairnian and David
Powell, surveyors, w-ho were about to make a journey to this section, "to lay
out either in one or two tracts, as it-.shall best suit the iilace. ten thousaml acres
of good land under certain bounds and certain marked lines, and courses, fcjr
the Proprietary." The tract laid off under these instructions was called the
"Manor of Rich.land." In 173S 'Idiomas Pcnn estimated these lands to be
worth .£15 per himdred acres, lly virtue of a warrant of .SeiJtember I, T700,
five hundred acres -were directed ti i be laid off, in this and everv other f^w-n-
sbin CI five thousand acres, or niure. that should be surveyed to the Pr^ ■-
l)rietarv. and in I7.V^ Thomas I^enn ilirccted his Surveyiir-' ieneral. T^enjamin
EasllMun. tn infjuire ab.^'.t this reservation in ]\ichland. (if the result of the
inqiu'ry wc are not informed. It is not certain that Griflith Jones ever became
a resident of the town^iip. but probably he did not.

Peter Tester, cir Eeicester, of Leicestershire. England, is thought to ha\e
beeii the first actual settler in Richland. Tie came to Chester in 1682. was mar-
ried here to Mary Dnncof. iti 1685, and in 1716. with wife and children became a
memiier of Gw-ynedd monthly meeting, ''having alrcadv settled in the Great
Sw-ani|i." Tie settled below- (jii.'ikertow n and six or seven generations
of the family have livid and died in ihe township. Ili< first location was on
1,'ind U'iw, iir latelv. nwned by .Sanniel Cietman. hut in a few years he renioved.
til tli'- m'per I'art of Ouakertown where his descendants nr;w live. If Peter
Losler w-ere the first aclird settler. .\l)raham Griffith, of P.yberry, could not
b-'vi- b"''n I'Ug behind him. lie married a daughter of Lester in 1708, and.
sli'irlK- :'.fter rem'W-ed to the southern part of the township where, the same
year. !"> ]v.n-ch:iseil thai part of Griffith J.'iies's tract known .-is the "bog," an !
on ii irrciid a ^hc-h.-r bmeaih a leaning i"ck. In this rude- dwelling was li^rn
tlie fir-i while child in liu; scltlement. a -.mi. named after the father.

l-".lw-:\rd b'.>nll-e. tlu- nr<t of the name in Penn-;\lvania. and among tlu'
oarlic'^l -cutlers in Ri-ldai:d. was b,,ni in \'. )rlh Wales, ('ireat P.ritain. the r.^th

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY. 441

>.i luly, 1651. lie wa.-- the son oi Thnmas iMHilki'. who dLSCcnded ilirr.uL,'h
iwelve geiu'nilions fr.iiii l.wnl I'diUxn. married l-llraiiur, daug-htcr of Hugh
CadwaliadiT. and had iiir.e children, d'humas. Hu,';li. Cadwalladcr, Evan,
i'lwcntlv, Grace. Jane. Catharine and Maryarel. He came to America with his
fainilv.'in iC.jS. "landini;- at rhihidelpliia the 17th (it July. He bought seven
hundred acres in (iwvnedil i. >\vnsliiii. M i'nt;:^>imery county, wliere he settled
the foUnwint;- Xoveml)er. wuh a nuniher of otlur immiirrants who came about
the same time. His second son. Hu>;h. Imrn 10S5. on his marriage in 1713 re-
moved to Richland and >e!lled in the nei-hburhoo.l of ( juakerlown. Xumerous
descendants of Edward j-culke are living.;- in this and' adjoinins;- counties and
states, among- which, in the pa.-t. was the late Ijenjamin i_i. Foulke. of Quaker-
town. The I'amilv ha> alwavs been "ue nf consideration and influence, and several
of its members have occupied responsible positions of public trust. Thomas
Foulke, son of Edward, son of Hugh, died 1786 at the age of sixty-three, and
liis daughter Jane, the widow of Thomas, died June. 1822, at the age of ninety-
three. The "l-'oulkes are members cif the Society of I'riends. (See Foulke
l'';inuly, vol. iii. )

r.etween 1710 and 171'! a number of -cttlers came into the township and

took up land. lA which we can name the following; Jn 171^ one hundred acres

were .granted to lame- ,\lc\'eagli, or Mc\ augh. convenient for building a mill,

, . at one shilling cjuit-rent, and one thousand

// <7///"7>// '"■' -^'"''"'■'^ -Morris, "at or near th.c tract

fj /o^yf^J /'i^iZ^^J called ( ireat Swamp in I'.ucks county." in

"^ 1715 twn hundred acres to John }ifoore. and

tl'ic -anie quantil\ to John Morris, of Shackamaxmi. March. 170'). ami twi-

hundred and tiftv acres to Michael .Atkinscm. adjoining Mnore. and three

hundred, and hfly acre.-- to .Michael l.iglUcaii in two tracis. one of one hundred

and hfiy acres, between I'.dward Jxoberts' and Thomas Xixcni's land, and the

other of two hundred acres on the west side of Arthur Jones's land. Tlicse

tracts wore not confirmed to LiglUcap imtil 1732-33.

In the spring of 1716 ]-".ilwar(l ]\(.ibcrts. witli his wife, r\]ary and dau.gliter,
and all their worldly goods, came up through the woods from Bybcrry on
h.ir>cback. and located the ])ti'pert\ laielv owned b\ .Stephen Foulke. He wa-
in.irried. in \-\x. In a daughter of lAerard and I-'li/'.;ihcth F.olton, who im-
migrated from hjigland. and settled at L'heltcnham. in 1082. wdierc she was
lioiMi No\emlKT 4. i'>S7. 'Idicy had seven children two of the daughters niar-
rving ]-'onlkes. The ancestry of the lioltons is traced l)ack to the Lord of
I'.olton. the lineal repre-enlative of the Saxon I'.arF of Murcia. The late
F\-Jndgi- Roberts of Doylestown. was a de-ccndant of Ivlward ]\obcns. The
wife of i-".d\vard Roberts was laken -ick ^^^^

wuh small-pox soon after their arrival ^Q^, /^^ O^/^CTt^^
m Richland, and he wa.- obliged to le- y^ ./I '^ ^ ^^f—

turn with lur tr. t iwvnedd, the nearest

-euiement where she'c..uld lie jimpcrly nursed, (in her recoverv an<l their
return to Richland, be erected a lemjiorary -heiter of baik against some of the
iarue tree- that covered the. ground, until he wa- able to build a more comfort-
able (Kvellir.g jilace. In this thev lived until 1728. when he built the south-east
end of the (rwelling lately taken' <lown b\ Ste|ihen I'oulke. .\t that time there
were several Indian wiuwam- on the creek, .-md -h.ad were caught clo-c to hi-
de,or. .\mong the ear!ie-l -elllers 111 _Richlaiid. were \\llliam .X'ixon. W'XW m
li.So .and died in 1717. Thoin.as I anc'i-ter. wl-o ,,wned four hundred acres in
the town-hip. which were divided among bis children at hi- death, in [731. w iien

442' HISTORY OF DUCKS COUXTV.

returning:; inini a nli^sionary visit tu the iblanJ of liarbaduos, and Samiu-1
Ihomas, burn in 11J95, anj diod in 1755, an elder in the Ricliland niectiii;^.
Huijli I'oiilke, burn in 10S5, and died in I7(>0, purchased three hundred and
thirteen and a half aeres. burve_\ed to him on a verbal order of the Proprie-
tary, lie was in the ministry forty }ears. John Edwards came with his wife,
I\Jary, and their children from Abington. Their son William became a promi-
nent minister amoni; iM-iends. dying in 1764, at the age of sixty-two. His wife
was 3.1art!ia Foulke, likewise an accepted minister, who was appointed an
elder in the Kiehland meeting 1745, the first woman who held that position.
After the death of her husband she married Jolm Roberts in 1771, and died in
1781, in her sixty-fifth year. Among the large tracts taken up in the townshiij
were, one thousand acres by James Logan, three thousand in two tracts by
Joseph Growden, one thousand by a man named Pike, a large tract by Josei'li
Gilbert, and t'lvo hundred acres liy George ^NlcCall, adjoining lands of James
Logan. These large tracts were sold to actual settlers, and, in a few years,
the bulk of thiin liad pa>sed from the possession of tlie original owners. Al-
though the manor was called "Richland,'' it was only partly in this township.

About 1730 there was an additional influx of settlers to the neighburhood
of Ouakertown, a few of them Germans, John Adanison. .Arnold lleacock,
John Philliijs. William Morris. Joshua Richardson, William Jamison, Edmund
Phillips, John Paul, Jolm F.dwards, Arthur Jones and others. John Klemmcr
was in the township as earl\' as 1730, and in 1738-39, he was the owner of laml.
George Eachman. bought two hundred and thirty- four acres in 1737, and P>cr-
nard Stcinback took up fift\- acres, in 1742. In 1737 John P.ond located two
hundred and fifty acres, and. about the same time, Casper \\"isler. of l^hil.n-
delphia, purchased one tract in Richland, and another on the south bank of
the Lehigh. Grace Grcwden was the owner of five hundred and tweniy-fi\e
acres, which, she received from her father's estate, and sold. 17S5, but its lo-
cation we do not know,

Penjamin Gilbert, son of Joseph and Rachel Gilbert, of P.vberry, I'bi!."-
delrhia, removed to Richland about 1735, where he remained until T740,
when lie went to Makcfield, and back again to P.yberry, in 1755. Tlie life of
Mr, Gilbert liad an unfortunate termination. In ij~^. at the ace of ?i\-ty-
fom\ lu- rcm<ived v.'ilh b.is fami'v to ^Vfalinning creek, a frontier settlement tlvn
in Xortham]4ou counl\-, wlure he erected saw and grist-mills and carried on an
extensive and prosperous business. In T7S0 a party of hostile Indians liurned
his buildings and carried lumself and family prisoners to Canada. lie died
v.-hile going down the ?t. Lawrence, hut his wife and children, after sufferuig
ni-mv hardships, returned to Piybcrry in 1782 where his widow died in t8i'i.
^Ir. Gilbert \>as an author of some merit, and wrote and published several
works on reli^^iuus subjects.

Tlie ancestor of Tames C. Tden. late of P.uckingham. \\,is an earl\- settler
in the "boc;"' of Richland. Randall Tden. the great-n-rand father of Tame- C.
was born in P.ristol harbor. Encland. on shipboard .about i('i84 or iCSh. 0!i the
eve of tlie familv sailiuf^- for .America. The father rlied on the vovaE;e, leaving
a widow with nine children. On th.eir arrival in the Delaware, or soon after,
the mother auil two voiuicjest cliildren went to live at Jo--eph Kirkbridt-'s. 1 Iv'
vouncrest son, Randall, marri<d Mar^-aret Greenfield wlm was broufrht up "t
Rirkbride'-;. bnt removed to Richland where he spent his life, raided n familv
of children. .Mi-l died at a good old aoe., Tn 1^16 his crnnd-'-'n S-uniiel. the TaSlier
of T.-:inie<: C. removed te. P.uckinHiam where he died, Sanmel was a son ot
Randal ( t,^ who married, F'ea-ior T'oulke.

HISIORY Of BUCKS COUNTY

443

Ahhougli the town-hip was not laid out and ort^anizcd hv the court until
tli- fall of T7;;4, it had a qua^i cxislcncc tur nuniicipal purposes several years
1-.!' re. The earliest mention oi it. even for thi.s purpose, was in 1729, when ihe
'.r.iiahilanis of "Rich lands" township petitioned the court to have a road "'laid
out from the upper part of said townsliii). near a creek called Sackinf^, or
.<'. ckinj:. ( Saucon) to the jilace where the (Juaker nieeling-house is building, anij
fruin thence to the end of Abraham (.iriffith's lane.'' In 1730. thirty-two of tlie
inhabitants of "Rich lands,'' one-half of whom were Germans, namelv :
•<yf y^/f Hugh Foulke, John ].e>ter, John

'^/fyy/^yy^^ Adamst>n, Arnall Hancocks, li.ilin

1/ C-yltUfr:^ ■Phillips, George Phillips, jr.. Will-
iam Morris. Edward Roberts, Ar-
ilir.r Jones, William Xixon. John I'.all. John Edwards, Thonias Roberts,
I'_i>l;ua Richards, William Jamison, Edmund Phillijis, Johannes Bleilcr, Micliael
Mverliart, Joseph Everhart, Abraham Hill, Johannes Landis. Jacob Klein, John
Jacob Klemmer, Jacob ^^lusselman, Jacob Sular, Peter Cutz, Jacob Drissel,
Henry Walp, Samuel Yoder, George Hix, John Jacob Zeits, and Heinrich iJit-
u.rlv. petitioned for a road "from the new meeting-house to the county lino
near William Thomas's, in order to go to Philadel])hia bv tl:e Alontgoniery
road."' Before this road was opened the nearest way for the inhabitants ni
Ivichland to go to Philadcliihia-was round by the York road, which they say
"is marshy, the ground not fitting for carts or loaded horses." As the "Great
."■^wamp"' was an objective j)oint in Richland, the ffjllowing reference to a.ldi-
titirial locations of lands thereabouts, and kindred matters will be of interest.

A]iril 0, 1720, John Leatherbe. who lia<l licgun to btiild a inill on a branch
of tlie Tohickon, near the Great ."^wanip, by ]iermission of some of the inliabi-
tams, now de.--ired a grant of land; Deceiuber 22, same year. Christian Ailc-
baugh dcsircfl to purchase one hundred and fifty acres, the inhabitants being-
ilesiroits he should settle there, being a good weaver by trade. January T^
1724-5. Duke Jackson, a wliip maker, requests the. grant of one hundred acres,
having pitched on a sjjot called "Chestnut Hill.'' He must have settled there,,
as lie was a petitioner for township organization, in 1734; Feljruary 6, 171S, a
warrant for three hundred acres was granted to Peter Wisehart : Edward Ri'^b-
e"!--' w.-irrant lor survey was i^^sncd January 12. i7T5-ih. and the jiatent granted
Xi'vemlier 21. 171(''>. Februarv 14, 17,17. a jintent was issued to Jr.hn George
I'achman for three hundred and thirty-four acres; P.enjamin Seigle. cari^enter.
Lower Mil ford, purchased a tract May 26. 1760, and settled on it. He was
a metnber of the ''Committee of Safety." during the Revohuinn. and was liv-
ing. T703. One of his sons was the founder of the village of Sciirletown.
Xew Jersey, iri th.e r\lusconetcong \'al!ey near Fincsville. where members of
tiic family still live. It is recorded in Col. Records. \"ol. XI. patre 4'>3. that on
.\.pril 10, 177^^. an order was drawn on the treasurer in fav(ir of Joseph Cars(-'n.
tor the suiu of fQ.(:)43, ros, the balance due him frir a cpiamitv r-f woolens seized
by the council in the "Great Swamii." in the c>innlv of Pucks, and to be applied
t'' the cI(Hliing of the Continental trooj-s.

The first movement toward a townshi]i organizati'in \\a> in SepiteinTier.
17.^4. when Peter Lester, l>ukc Jackson, Lawrence (irowden. n>it a re>idenr.
John Ball. George Ilyat. JmIhi Philiipis. ICdward ]<oberts. John Lester and
T homas Heeil. petitioned the court "to lay out a township by the name of
■Richland.'" The metrs and bounds given n^ake it five and a half luiles from
U'-'rih to si.t;;!i. and f^ur and a half from ea^l t''i we-1. The cr.nrl. whirli con-
firmed the fir,-.t survev ex Lower Milf.Td. ali^nt ihi. lime, (.rdere-l the lines .1"

444

HISTORY OF nUCKS COUXTV.

Ri(.-hland to he run accnrtling- V< that surx-cv wlicri- the two tuwiiships tciucli.
On tlic draft returned into cnurt xvire marked the following real estate own-
ers: Joseph Gilherl. James L()i;an. Joseph I'ike, Lawrence (irowden, Grit'filh
Jones. Michael Li;^httr"Jt. Samuel I'Krsnn. and Ilenr_\- Taylnr. hut there were
others. The laud ui LiritTuh Jones, at this time, comprised mitre than one-tift!
of the townshi]).

A meeting for v.-rjrsliip was held al the Imu-e of I'eter 1 .ester, sever;:!
years hefore the (_lw ynedd mmthly L;ranteil the Kicldand jreparative mcetini;-.
about 1721 or 1723, when a small meeting-house was erected a mile below
Quakertown, on the propertv latelv helonjjini; to William Shaw. The increa^e
of Friends made a lar|.:er house necessary, and, in 1735. a lot was purchased in.
the middle of the settlement, on which a new meeting-house was built. The
Swami> Friends wanted a stone one. but the month! v meetiuij' advised that it

f4

KICULAND IKIENDS' MEETISC. UOL'SE cjUAKKKToW.N.

be built of wood, as more consistent with their means. A monthl_\- meeting was
■ established in 1742-" In 1744 Sauck>n hViends were i^ranted ijermission to hold
incetiu'^s for worship, and, .S])rinL;tield 1745. Richland beinp^ the mother ineei-
iuL' : and in 174''. or 1747. .\hrahani (irilTth. Samuel Thomas and Leui>
Lewis, were ajipoiiuc 1 to assist the l-'riends of .Sprin^tield to select a ])lace
for building a meeting-hon^e. .\n addition was huilt to die Richland meet-
ing-house, in 174'). the sum n-iiuived being raised Ij\- thirt\-eight '-ubscriher-.
among which we lind the names of William L^gan. and Israel Pcmberti u.
Jr., bi'tli land owners Init n.in-residents. In 176.2 an addition, twenty by twen-
tv-six feet, was added to the nnrih end. nuniey being borrowed to complete i'. .
and there was a further addition in 171)3, leaving the house substantially as \\e
row see it. .AuT'iig those most active in religious matters, fr(Mn the first c-^-

2 At Riclilaiu! nn-otinc; wri'; or,^';mi'i-<l the \'<r>\ sociily for miniuainiuvr trieiiiUy re.
tlc'ii^ \\ith tlic Krcl men. c.lllol "Vc I'ri'-nilly A.-M.ciati. n I'.ir Ki-iriiniii!.; ami I'rc-crMi
PiMi-i- with ^■l■ InitiaiH." It wn> iiiaiiKaiiiol iiiitl! the in\-i.-r i if 1 75';. ami .Innnu' ihi; !••;
porind of frnntiir wnr< p'.'aoctul ri-KT,i..n<; wen- niaintaiiu .1 hv the Iwi race^.

HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY. 445

KililislmK-nt ni tl:c nicctiiiL;'. w c fiiiil ihc names ui l"oulko. Robcris, r^loore, IjuH,
Sluiw, Idon, Killer and IJcnni,-.. The Ixmlke family has furnished six ciders,
jix elerks, and iwo aecepted mini<iirs. In 1781 a meeting was held at the Mil-
ford school-hi inse, i_)nce in three weeks. In 1780 the nuinihly meeting was
iran--lerrec_! in Aliini;tiin qnarlerlx. Jn 1781, ele\en vi the leading" memljers of
tin- Riehlanil meelMiL;. viz: Sanniel l-'imlke. James Lhapman, Thomas iuhvards,
Imu'cIi Ri.iherls, Everard I'uulke. Lhumas Thomas, John Thomas, John J'onlkc,
■jliomas I'onlke. Joini Letter and William Edwards, were disowned fur snb-
>cril)ing the uatii of allegianee t(j the eokinies, but the yearly meeting failing to
coiieur, most of them retained their membershi[>. Tlie same \ear, Elizalx-lh
I'ntts was disownefl for liolding biaves. The hrst marriage in the monthly
n.ieeting took plaee September 24, 1743, between Samuel Eoulkc and Annie
(.ireasly. ']"he earliest certitieate of marriage in this seelion, is that of Will-
iam lidwar<ls. of Milford, and }.Iarlha, daughter of Hugh I'onlke. October 4.
1738, and amciug the witnessij are the names of Edward.'-. Fiuilke. Roberts,
(iriftith. Ecstcr, Liall and others well known in this section." We arc told,
tliai fluring the Revolution the men about Ouakertown organized themselves
into a comi>auy to enter the patriot service, and used tci meet to drill under the
large oak tree that stands near the Eriends" meeting-house.

The ^latts familv, Richlancl — the original name being Met/, then changed
\i< Maiz. au'l afurwards to the ])resent spelling — is de>eendi.i.l from John
.Michael Metz. who \sas Ijorn in the eity of .Metz, (_iermany, 1750. ami came to
I'hiladelphia before 17O0. He Irarned the trade of tanner and currier with one
.MHl.ione. and married li.irbara hnxnian. During the Kevolutinn he was ini-
[iressed into the .American arm}', and was at the battle of Germantown. After
the bailie he was engaged in finishing leather for knapsacks, at .'Mlcntown. Of
hi? seven children, two sons and three (laughters died _\oung. ."^arah and John
living to between eighty and ninety. In 1798 John Michael Metz settled in
S; ring-field townshi]). anil in 1800 removed to Richland, four miles northe.asi
of Ouakertown. where he followed tanning In his death, in 1813. at the age "f
>!\ty-th.ree. llis sister Sarah married and remo\-eil to Xorihainpton county.
' 'n ihe ileaih of the father the >on. JiMm Matts. came into possession of the
pr'-qierly. where he followed the >ame traile to his death. Jamiary 14, 1875. at
the age of eighty-nine. He \\as a man of considerable iirominence. ami in
i8j4 was elected to ilu- l.egisl:iture, ser\ ing four .se-^ion^. He was likewise
t'i''Ionel of militia. He left ten chililren. sexen son^ an.l three daughters,
eight of wlio!!! Were married and had families. ]-'our of the ^ons were latel\'
h.^ing in Wisconsin, one danghiei- in [owa, and another in K:nisas. Elias H.
Mails, the foinih son. live<l at iIk oM homestead. Tlie chiMrin married into
the families of bliek. Dickson. llarUell, I'tlley, I'jdman. Dunkil. Anthony and
."servaies. of this e"uni\' ;md elsewhere.

Jacob Str.'iwn. or Strawhen. ancestor oi the family of this name in Ricli-
'..md. was born in .MiddiClown. T710, where his father. Eauncel.it ."-^trawhen.

.^ Gillicrt C<i\>i;. "t \\\--t Clu-strr. urnte iis : "I have imti.' i.f ilU' iiKirria.ni' of Tlinmas
Hcoil. r.f S'iU'lniry. widnwir. ;iii(l Diana ITiiliii.us, of Richlaivl. will. '.v. i r. JO, 17.^0- .^r. nt
kic'nlaiiH iiieciiii<-r, and aiiioiig the wiine^.'ic^ arc the iiaiiios of .-Miraliam (Griffith, Il.niiiah
'"iriniUi. Patioiico PhiUip':, John HckI. r.cnrf,'c Philli|is. John dritiilli. .'\hraham ('.rifiitli. Jr.
Diiko Jackson. Peter Ball, Jr.. Dehorah PliiUips, Kaiherinc Hall ct al. K.hvanl Phillips, of
Richlanfl. and F.lizaheth Oavi?, of .Mont,i;onicry, were married. _'. 2j, 1720, at Guvnedd
n;eetinfr. .'ind. aninnii the witni-s'-es were (ieoi-<>e and Patience Phillips. John and Mar\
I'avl<. John and Geov^e Phillip-, David Davies, .M.rahani GriiVnh. .-Xmold Hancoek. et ah

446 JJIS'IORV Of BUCKS COUXTV

tlii-d ij-'o. His niiithur was Mary, sccuiid daughter of W illiani Uuckman, Sus-
sex, Lnghuul, wliu arrived in the Welcome, 1082. .Mary JJuckinan's tirst hu>-
band was Henry Cooper, Xewlown, and married Launcelot Strawhen prior i.j
1716, for which she was disowned by the Society of I'"riends. Jacob Strawu
.married Christina I'urcell^ (^mentioned in the jvichland meeting records as
■■■Staunchy"j 1741 and n.-movcd to Richland where he became useful and
prominent and a large land holder. They had nine sons and seven daughters :
Thomas born 1742, John 1744, Jacob 17.17. William 1740. Daniel 1752, Han-
nali 175''. married Ji>hn While: Uaiah 175S. Job 1760, Jerusha 1762, married
Jeremiah Rcid ; Abel I7'i3» F-nnch 170S, who intermarried with families of
Heacock, Dennis, X'anlJuskirk, \ an Morn, Roudenbush. I'urccU. Moore and
others. John married ]\eziah Dennis, and removed to Westmoreland county,
and later to Kentucky. He wa.S the father of nineteen children.'" When William
Buckman was candidate for sherift", 17(16, about sixty young new members of the
Strawn famil\- and their friends came down to the election at Xewtown to vote
for him and stayed with him all night. Se^me of the children of Jacob and
Christina scUled in Ha_\coek.

Andrew Snyder was. among the early settlers of Richland. He was the
ekle.it ^o!l of a noble family of the Duchy of Deu.K Fonts of Rheinish Bavaria,
where he was born in 1739, and, in order to obtain money to come to America,
sold his title to the immunities of nobility to a younger brother. He arrived
at Rhiladelijbia, ^jyj. and apprenticed himself to Benjamin Chew, with w henn
he remained three years. At the end of this time the Chews assisted him to
purchase four hundred acres in Richland, and, marrying Alargaret Jacoby, in
1765, settled down to a farmer's life. He entered the army at the breaking out
of the Revolution, and was present at Trenton. Cermantown, and other battles,
and, at the end of five years' service was paid in worthless Continental cur-
rencv. He was appointed collector for Richland and probably other town-
ships, about the close of the war, and was rendered penniless by going security
for others, but his old friends, the Chews, came to iiis aid again. Mr. Snyder
died October 26, 1S15. at the age of seventy-six. He had a family of eleven
children, five sons and six daughters, but Amos H. Snyder, the son of John,
and ,b.is f;nnil\'. of Richland, are the only descendants nf the name who reside
near the old homestead. His son l-'rederick settled in Hilli.'\sn, Andrew in
I'julaileliihia and Ceorgc in ( )hio.

Jvichland is in the northwestern part of the county, thirty-five miles tr'nn
Philadeliihia. and bounded by Springfield, Haycock, Rockhill and .Milford, with
an area of thineen tlinus-md nine hundred and eighty-six acres. The surl.aee
is geiierallv le\el and the « lil fertile. In the norlhwest ci truer is a r' leky
eminence, bare nt veL;etaiii in. cmering sume five acres. The rocks arc tiirown
to'j;eilier I ell-nie!l. and. wlien struck liy ir. 'ii, give a ringing snund. Here s"me
of the headwaters of the 1'uiiickun rise, and a rocky ledge fnll.iws citlier bank
M.nie distance. W ith these exceptions there is but little brnken land in the
t'twnship. and it is -wcll-walered bv the Tohickon and branches of the I'erkio-
meii. Bv clearing u]) the laud, and cultivating it. a large senile of country,
thai w:is considered a swamp al its first settlement, has been changed into
good farm land, among the best in tlie upper end of the county. By the cen-
sus <,t 17S4 the townshii) cnntaiiud a iM.pulaticn of l^i'.o. and t47 dwelling-:
in iSi.i. i.,^i7: if^20. i.^'^^S; li^.^o. 1,719. and 344 taxahles: iK^n. 1,781; iS^n.
1,720: tS(>:), 2.n5S white and K) cnlnred. and in 1870. 2.104 wdiile and 7 col-

4 This n.unc is spelioj rur.sen, Piirccll .^nd Piircel. 5 Warren S. Klj.

UiSlORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

447

fV^-d. i.if wnicli i;3 were if iMreiyn l.)irlli ; iSSo, 1.1J94; if^yj, 2,oSS ; lyoo, 1,826.
I he to\vii>liii> \)'j'A< lit Kichlaml ^liuws' that in 1705 the overseers reeeived
ii.j.. ij:-. 3cl. 1 uor-iax. Thai vear the mayor of Pliiladeli)hia sent home a
female pauper U> be supported by tb.e township. Lewis l.-ewis, one of the
nverseers, kept her six months for i'5. willi an extra live shiUings a week for
fnur weeks when she "was sick aiiii trm:li!esi'me m.ire than common."' In
I77_' the townslii]) sent Snsaimah I'.oys to Ireland, anil paid her ])assai,'e and
rundry expen-^es, aniiunuin;,^ to i\(>. iM. 3. In 1770 two shillings were spent
1 y tl;e township fur a "lioille of licker"' for John Morrison, who sat up with a
.-iek man. In rSor the ])oor-tax levied ainoiinted to L'^J. 5s. lod.

The villages of Richland, are Ouakertowii and Kichlaml Centre, now
united under one nnmieipal government, in the western section of the town-
ship. Richlaiidtown. twn miles and a half to the northeast, and liunker Hill in

i

the southern part. The >ile of nuakeriown is a jjasin. with a diameter i;>t front
two til three miles, with a rim nf higher ground running around it. and drained
by the tributaries of the Tnhiekon to the Delaware on tl:e sinilheast. and l.iy
Swamp creek nn the s"uthwesi emjitying inl.i tile rerkionien. and thence inti.>
the Schuylkill. ( hi the U'/rthwest >ii!e nf th.e town is a little rivulet called
Licking run. emiilying into the 'I'nliicki iii. which i- ^-aid in have gi>t its name
from a salt lick on iisdiank. Half a century ago a cnitipany w.'is fnrmed and
some stock subscribed to work tlie lick'. The first settlers at tlii> point located
on the elevated gmund arenind the basin, then a swaiiiiix' meailow wliere their
cattle were turned to pasture: ;md. witln'n the meniore nf tlmse living, the kind
aromid the t'lwn wa-- ~iil! a >\\anip. and covered with a he:ivy growth rif tim-
lier d'lwn tn the raih'i i.ad .-latinn. The n lad lielween these points l>ecamc al-
most impa>>able in the -^jiring nf the ye.ar. - .\ liamlet first began tn fnrm at thf
iuterseciinn of wliiit ;ire kn"wn as the .Milfnrd ."~'i|uare ;md .Xewtowu ;md
llellertiHvn and 1 'hiiailei)ihia roads, ail ci.ened at an early day. We have no
date when tliis cnllection <if earK <lweliings tirsi developed into a villai^e. it
was jirobaiily called ijuakertnwn frnni tlie first. ]iii^sibly as a siur upi^n tlie
I-"riends who settled it: and very likely was tirst called "the (Juaker's town."
In 1770 W'.-dter Mci/inle ke; t tavern at the crn->-r. ..iiis but a po-t-oiiice was
not e<talili>lieil until i^'o^. with William lireeii. pn>tmaster. .Mct'nnle Imilt
nne nf the tir.-i aiil!> in ilie inwuslt-j,. \\-,- same l:i!e!\- nwiied b\- W'nif. iiut we
dn nnt know liie pre-.eiu nw uer. I'lie l-'riend-- nj'ined a sell ml nf a higher
gr.iile at On.akertnw n. llie ni:!\ nue in the upin-r end ti\ ilie cnunte. shortly
after tile ninnlhly nieeti'ig w.'.~ e-! ibli-lied. which l.i.-:.-ame pnp.ular witii the

1

■A '

If

^

ii>^

Rl-.roKMEU CHLKCll. tjL-AKEKTOWN.

Gcrnuins wlm .scat tlu-ir chiidix-n to it from \WxV-, and Xorthamptoii. In 170^
a public library was LStablishoJ. with Abraham Stout, Evcrard Fotilke. '\o-
seph Lester, Isaac l.ancaster and Samuel Sellers, .jircctors, and thirty-tw-
members, of whnni St.io-dale Stokes, of Struudsinir-. was the last survivor.
Anion,:;- the names we find six Foulkes, four Robertses, three Greens and three
LestiM%, these three families furnishiuij oncdialf the member>, no better evi-
dence being required to pmvc who were the earlv patrons of reading about
Ouakertown. This is the third oMe>l library in the'e.umt\. and is still kept \\\\
with a collection of 1.400 volumes. The charter provides it shall be kept withi.i
a mile of the cross roads. (Juakertnw n was incorijorated iS;:; with fortv-tivi
freeholders, and at the election in March, Edward koulk was elected chie:
burgees witli a full com|)!iment of borough officers. It has largely increase.!
in population and wealth since tlie opening of the Xnrth I'enn niilVoad, 185'..
At that tiine ii bad sixty-two dwellings, and one humlred and fifty additituial
were added prior to 1876. two hundred and twelve in all. In 1870, the popu-
lation was 803: 1888. -()^). and 2,i(j<j, i8ijo: i<).>o. 3,.. 14. hi 18.^5 the borou-ii
was divided into tbree wards, the first two embr.iciug nrigiiial" Ouakertown.
tlie third village is Kichi;md Centre, that part nf the b..r.iugh east of the rail-
road. The i)re.sent population is about 3,(100. the first and second wards i,8cxo.
the third t.joo.

In the past tweii;y-five years Quakertown has undergone great change
anil develo|iiiieiit. It has ten churches, representing the l''riends. Lutheran.''
Reformed. Methodist. aii<l Roman Catholic, and five' hotels. In industrial and

6 Tlic l.tulieran clunvli. Si. Joh,,.. trcotcd itVx). was llu- secon.l house of worsliip
in On.-.Vcrtowii. li was r.iiio.UleJ .in.l ■■nl.irccil, iSi«. aiul ,,eeu|,R-,l tlie tollowiiig ipriiiR.

HISTORY ur m'CKS COLWTV.

449

iiifciuiiiicai pursuits, it has kepi pace with the most i:rospcroiis sections of the
ciiui.ly : amoug the plants are Roberts, W inner & Co. '3 stove works, the lCa,4c
silk null, giving- employment to about one hundred iiands each : several ci^^Mr
nianut.'iciories, large and small, employing live hundred hands, the iudusirv
jirusjiering during the late depression; shoe manufaciuring, etc. A n.itional"
liank was cliartcred 1S76, with a i)aid up capital of $100,000; it has a sur))li!s
ol Si 75.000, and $450,000 deposits, .\mong the secret societies, the ;Masons,
Odd I'ellows, American 2\lechanics, Kcd 2\len, Knights of the Golden Kagle.
and the Brotherhood of the L'nion have nourishing lodges. In addition to the
industries named, are a foundry, a.x handle, s])oke and felloe factory, tannery
ajid hay press.

Ouakerlown has tiecn fortunate in her schools. Besides the hViends
Sch(X)l, estal)lished at an early day, ]\ichard .Moore and Thomas Letter openeil.
a boarding school, 1S1.S, that was a success wliile continued. In 185S the
Reverend A. R. Hcirne, D. D., opened a Normal and classical school, his as-
sistant being the Reverend H. L. Bougher, D. D., former professor of Green
at IV-nusylvania College. Gettysburg. It began with three scholars and had
Idiiy beiiire the end of the term. During the five \ears the school continued
it liad lour hundred students from half a dozen slates, and from one-third of
the countie> of this stale, and one hundred and fnuneen of the number were
liLleJ for teachers. The former iiuiiils hold a reunion every five years on
Augu>l 11).' \\ hen .\lr. llorne left, 1863, Revereml L. Con became [.rincipal,
but it was changed ir.tn a "."-soldiers' CJrphans" Schnul, i.'!!ii5, aiul coutinned until
]80(_), under j()se])l! Fell and Alfred H. Alarple. .\l the present time the bor-
ough has three public school buildings, with an average ailendauce of seven
hundred, ihe principal being Prof. .s. M. Rosenberger, Alilfiird townshi]-). 'J'he
post-otfice is a distributing office Iit niosl i)arts (if the njipiT end of the
county liy rail and stage. The village lias a writer plant, the Tohicknn creek
furnishing the abuiKkuii supply; the streets and houses are lighted with elec-
tricily, and a trcillex' line connects ii with Kichlandtown.''

Richlaiul C'enire. a mile east of what was old Ouakerlown, and with

h ii finishtd'wiili all ninflcni comforts and conveniences: ha^ a seating cip.ncity of .■?no
ill .■iiidilorimn and 150 in gallery; in basement are Sunday-sciiool room and other apart-
nicnts, licatid uiih .-team, li.u'hted with eleeiricity, and has a I'ipe orjian. The ehnrch ha^
had five |ia.,tors : The Revs. Berkemyer. C.enrge W. I,a.7arn=;. J. I". OhI. Cieo. G. Gardner,
and I'.. l\ I'retx.

7. In the .V(i/i. ').•<// Uducalor, 1S74. .Mr. llnrne rel.iud the tullnu iii.u remmi-cencc of
til.' -iehiHil : "When ihc rehellinn lir.'ke mit. i.^n. we had chart^e of the Ruek- ronnty
K.^rmal and Cla?<;ical schord, Quakertown .\ spirit ra' palrioti->m was aron-eil amon;^
the -.Indents, and they organized a eomp.niy of 'minnte men.' who went thmu.nh daily
drills. Tlie captain of the company was a tall, stalwart stndent, slanihny almcisl he;id and
shoulders above the rest, the drummer boy was a "wee bit" of a fellow. On Suiulay week
V.T met botli of tliese men in their ministerial capacity. The c.iptain. Prof. J .S Slahr. of
l'"ianklin and Marshall college, ai»d the drummer boy, the Rev. C. J. G><ipiT. of Sonlii
}ieth!ehcm, also pallor of the Lower Sauenn church. Xonhampton comity."

S Tile late 1 )r Kaae S Mnyer. one of the most [ironinient residents of Quakertown..
and ail acconipli-hed lir.t.ini'-t. prepared the cal.ilogiie of iil.int,- fur the first edition of this
w.ork. lie was l«'rn at 1 larleysville. .Moiitfloniery county. iS.v'^. aiul died. l8i>S His wife
w.is a sifter of H. I'rank I'aekeiitliall. lOaslon, Peim.-yU ania.
30

450 HISTORY 01- BUCKS COU.XTY.

which il was cunncctL-d by a biuad street, has Ijeen consclidateil witli it into
one iimnicijiahty. J lore the station of the Sonh Pennsylvania railroad was
e.^tahlished when opened, the road being the (.lividint;- line between the two vil-
hiLje-^ nntil tiK-y w xre united 1S74. The ])Ost-urtice was established 1867; and
ail the luiildin.ns but tin have been l)nilt sinee iS^d. The to\vn is mainly built
on ihc farms of Joel II. Roberts and John Sirawn, a'ld has a fair share of t]ie
in'liistries credited h' Ouakeriown.

Richlandtown. two and a half miles northeast of Qnakertown. is a vil-
laS'e of seventy-five houses. Among the earliest settlers were John Smith, a
soldier of the Revolution: John Jierger, ]'hili]i Grower and Daniel W'alp. Wal;--
built th.e first dwelling, a frame. 1804, but the oldest house, now standing, wa>
built liv .\braham C'berholtzer. about sevcntv-five years ago and, in recent
years, was owned b\- William Reed. The place was first called "Three Lanes
]ind." and tlien, in succession "Ducktown." "T-'rogtown." "I-'latland," and the
name it bears. It has the usual village industries, including the manufacture
iif shoes and cigars, stores, etc. There is but one church, St. John's Evangeli-
cal. Lutheran and Reformed, organized 1S06-7. 1die lot was the gift of John
Smith, the building erected 1 80S. and rebuilt i860. .\ school-house was there
])rior to the clnirch. and a grave-yard half a mile northeast. Here several 01
the earliest sctttlers were bm'ied. Init their graves have been plowed over and
can no longer be distinguished. The first Lutheran i^astor was the ]\.evere!vl
(Icorge Keller, then I'rederick W'aage. William L. Kemmer, thirtv-eight vears,
dying i860, E. T. M. Sell. L. Ciroh. P. p.. Kistlcr, Joseph Hil'lpot, and the
Reverend I). II. Reiier. installed 1880. and still the rector. He has also offi-
ciated at East Onakertown. since the church's organization, 1890, and at Trum-
bauersville. The first Reformed pastor was the Reverend Samuel Stahr, who
served until his death, 1826. then INfr. Berke. Samuel Hess, forty years, who
resigned on accoimt of old age, and the Rev. Henry Hess, who succeeded
him. 18(18. The ])Ost-ofticc at Richlandtown was established 1830, and Chris-
tian .\. Snyder aii'fointeil ])nstmaster. I'.unker Hill is situated on the New
PiCthlohem road, on the line between Richland and Rockhill. and contains a
store and about a dozen dwellings. A tavern was licensed there nianv vear<
but it has been closed a long time. Within a few years a small hamlet called
California h.as siirimg up on the railroad. t\\-o miles above Ouakertown. which
contains a tavern, store, mill, and a few dwellings.

Along the l;order of tlie Onakertown basin, near California, there were a
few years asjo two old log houses, inhabited bv the (Ireen 1ami!\- at a verv earlv
day. A mile ea^t "i Richlandt<iv.-n. on the road to Doylestown and near the
cross-roads at Loi;\-'s smith-shoj). Haycock, is an oM grave\rir<l. wliere \va'-
once a log Metho.dist chnrch. but taken down half a century ;igo. On a ruin.d
gravestone can be read the initials. '"J. M.." the latter letter lieing supposed to
stand for Motley, an inhabitant of the neighborhood.

This section of the county has been noted for its healthfulness and the
longevity of many of its citizens. A few years ago the Provident Life aivi
Trust conijiany, Philadelphia. in--titufed an inr|uiry intri the aue to which peojile
lived in various parts of the county. .\n examination of Richland meeting
rc'-or.L pro\-e<l that a larger number of its memliers died at a L;reater afi^e th ni
of ,nny other meetinu;-. The oldest inhabitant of that section. 1873. was J"hn
Heller, near Ouaki.ito\vn. who was one lunidred the 23tli of Januarv, hut we
do not know when he died. He was born in Rtv-kliill. 1775. and lived ^ivtv
years in Milford town.^hip. He met with nian\- mishaps, among others falliu-:'

nfSTORV OF BUCKS COUXTV.

451

;t i!i.-i.ance of Uiiny-cnc feci fn in the wall uf a mill, at the aj^c nf scventv-ciK'.
uliich lamed him for hfe. lie was industrious, and in his old ai;c cnjo\cd
L;"od Iiealth. There were several lots of land in KichUnid containing;- in all fnur
iiundred and thirteen acres, and twenty perches, included in the tract known as
"l.oitery lands;" oriy;inally survcvcd by John Watson, and rc-surveved, 1773,
liv >amuel I'^mlke. A century avid a iialf ago Robert I'cnrose was the most ex-
ieusi\e f/.rinor in Richland.

We have r;iet with no record of roads earlier than i7:;o, when the inhabi-
tants ])etitioncd to have a road laid out "from the upper part of the said town-
siii[). near a creek called Sacking, or Sucking, to the place w'hcrc the Quaker
meeting-house is building, and from thence to the end of Aaron Griffith's lane."
It is impossible to say what road this was, but it was one leading from the
ujiper end of the township- to Ouakertown. The following year the inhabitants
petitioned for a road from Ouakertown to the county line, at Perkasie. an earlv
oiulet to Philadelphia. The same year Tlilltown and Richland asked for a
road from the mouth of I'leasant spring, via the most northerly corner of Ber-
n.ard Young"s land, to the county line, near Horsham. The starting may have
been near the spring in Pleasant X'alley, Springfield. In 1734 a road was laid
out from the Great Swamp to the .Xiuth Wales road leading to luhvard ]'"arni-
er's mill. The Ijcihlehem road, early laid out through Richland, ga\-e the in-
habitants a conwiiieiu way to the valley of the Lehigh in one direction, and, in
the other, o]iened a new route toward Philadelpliia, and the lower end of the
county. In 1780 the name of John b'ries, the hero of ".Milford rebellion," was
signed to a petition for a road in Richland.

C)ne of the oldest houses in Richland, possibly in the upiier end of the
county, is (he I-luck log house at the junction of the Swamp ri.ad and that to
Hunker Hill, two miles east of Qnakertown. It is oecujiied by Charles Moll,
grandson e)f Samuel J'luck, born 1S04, had eleven children of which si.x are
living. The house was built at two jjcriods ; in the older part the logs are not
^'lULired, but left in the rough and chinked. A date, cut in the chinmey piece
of the more recent structure, is very distinct, 1789, and the other part may be
a cou] lie of generati(.ins older. Toliias Kile, now in his ninety-fourth year, who
has lived near by all his life, and in possession of all his faculties, says he has
no knowledge when il w.is built; that it was an old house in his earliest bijy-
i:o(.)(l. The Kile famil\- is numerous and of great longevity. There were
eleven children, four iif which are still living at an advanced age. Tobias,
.Mirahani, Sarah Ilartranit and Nancy Coar. with onv set of triplets, Isaac,
Jacob and Abraham, the former dying recently, close on to ninety. The father's
n;!!vie wa^; .-\braliam Keil, and the mother Catharine .M. Souder. The grand-
father was Hartman Keil and the grandmother a Souder also. .AH lived to
nearly one himdred years. The Keil farm is now owneii b\ Xicholas Kile, a
grandson of T'obias. .\ very old log house '.>n tin's farm is still occupied.

In Richland the Teutonic lace has ]iraetieally overwhelmed the desceu-
d.i.nth of the English and Welsh Iriemls. the tir^t t.j invade the wiMerness. and
!:a\e made it a German township. In Ouakertown proper the old (Juaker fam-
ilies have more nearly helil their own, but everywhere else the German is the
riding element of ihe iKijiulation. We have been able to get but little informa-
tion of the German families which first settled in Richland. }ilany of them
l"a>e numerous flescendants living in the town>hip. who are n preseiUed in the
Mu-srinians. Walps. Ditterlys, .Milums, J'.iehns. Singni.avlers. Diehls, I'reeds,
and oibiTS well-known.

452 HISTOKY Of BUCKS COUXTY. j

Charles All)crt l-"cchlcr, a ili-tingui>lied tragcilian, ^)<:nt several vears |

of his life in Riclilaml, ou a small farm he bought, 1S74, dyings there iSjg.' \

9 Mr. Fechtcr «;i< bMni ai LiukIchi, 1.^24. of Gcrniaii-French parentage, rcceivinc; ;t '5

liberal cducauon in Fraiicu. Choosing llic histrionic profession as a life pursuit, allvr j

proper preparaiion he joined a traviiing troupe, making the tonr of Italy and playing at I

difTercnt times at Paris, Berlin and London. He took leading English characters, incliid- 1

ing Hamlet and Macbeth. He met with remarkable success and took rank with the leading; ]

actors. He cajne to America, 1S70, well indorsed by the press and public; also Cliailo- j

Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Ednuind Vates. He received a warm reception in all tl^e a

leading cities. He was a man of genius and should have acliieved gi-eater distinction thai; j

he won. He v.-as buried in Philadelphia. I

CH.-\PTER XXIX.

UPPER MAKEFIELD.

1737.

Last township bolow Bediiiiiistei- to be organized.— Manor oi Iliglihinds surveyed. —
Original purchasers.— Henry Baker and Richard Plough.— The Harveys. — Judge Ed-
ward Harvey.— The London Company. — The Lees.— Windy bush.- Balderstons. —
Townsliip petitioned for.— Effort to attach part to W'righlstown. — Township en-
larged.— The 'Jrcgos.— Charles Rceder.— Samuel McXair. — William Keith. — The
Magills.— McConkeys.- Doctor David Fell.— Burleys.— First-day meeting.— Meet-
ing-honsc built— Oliver H. Smith.— Thomas Langley.— Bowman's hill.— Knowles
family.- Doctor J^hu Bowman --Lurgan and its Scholars.— Old Shafts.— Indian bury-
ing-g'round.— William PL Elli.-.—Dolington.—Taylorsville.—Brownsburg.— Monument
at Wasliington's crossing. — Jericho. — Aged persons. — Taxables and population. — Loca-
tion and surface of L'pper Maketield.— Continental army.— Monks on Jericho Hill.

Lower Makclicld had been an organized township forty-five years before
■rj>l)er Makeheid was separated from it, and was the last of th.c original town-
s.!iips below lled.niiaster to lie organized. The canse of this may be found in
tlic fact that the t;reater part of the land was retained by the Penns as a manor,
and the influx of settlers was not encouraged. The same \\a.s the case when
a portion of the manor fell into possession of the London company. W hen
Lower Makefield was organized, in 1692, what is now Upper Makefield was a
wilderness. Probablv a few adventurous pioneers had pushed their way
iliiiher, hut there was hardly a permanent seittlcr there.

About 1605 'I'homas Holme laid off a tract of .seven thousand five hundred
acres f.ir William Leiin. immediately north of Lower Makefield, and gave_ it
the name of •■.\lannr of Highlands." It lay principally within this township,
but exlended inl.j the edge of Wrighlslowu and Solebury, the road from Tay-
lorsvllle t(i the I'.agle being laid . m the southern boundary. Among the original
imrcha-ers we have the names of i'.dnumd Lufi', Henry Sidwell. Thonias Hud-
snu. wh'ise large tract lav about Dcilington an<l exlended to the Delaware. _h'-
seiih .\lilnor, and his brother Daniel wh.i seltlled near '{'ayiorsville. Part or all
oi the- Hudson tract was i.P'bably soil to Jnlm Ch-.vk. who ..wued eight hun-
dred acres in the uei-b.bMrhocd r>t r')i'linL;tnn which be sold to b.Iui Lstangh. in
1710. and he t.i Kicliard Sunley. in i-jS. Part ^A thi■^ tract is now
owned bv (he Trei^os. In 174;^ S-uiuie! I'.rown bo;, -lit four luuidred and
twfutv-sfven am'- of it in ri^hi of bis wife :md on behalf < i her -isters. the

454

HISTOKV OF BUCKS COUNTY.

claus,'lncrs of Jr.hii Clark. In 1700 W'illinni Penn o-rantcd one thousand aci'L--
in tiic manor to Thomas St'irv, but, when he applied to have the land laid out.
it was found to have been already grar.ted to another. In 1703 Thomas and
Reuben Ashton, ancestors of the present family of this name, purchased eaLJi
an hundred acres. According: to Holme's map, Henry Baker and RiclKird
Houdi took up land on I'.aker's creek, which empties into the Delaware just
l)clow Tavlorsville. Sui)sei|uently it was called Musgrave's creek, from a man
of that name who occupied a Imusc on its banks near the river, then Hough's
creek, after Richard Hough, which name it now bears.'

The li.-irvev familv. originally spelled Harveye, which came into the
townshij) at the close of the seventeenth century, are descended from Matthias
Harvevc. Xorthampton county, England. _He settled on Long Island, i(>f>'j.
and was married twice, his first wife being :\Iargarcl Horbit, of Flushing. De-
cember 2. 1682. She (lied without issue, June 9, 168S, when he married Sarah
Harrington, of Flushing, June 2. i6?9. She had three children, .Matthias, born
April 4, i6i)0, died August, 1742: Thomas, bom October 27, 1692, died August
1758, and Acnjamin, born Ai^il 11, 1695 and died :March. 1730. Thomas Har-
vev, second v,,,, cif }ila(thias Harvey and Sarah Harrington, married Tamar

— ^ and liad is.sue, Joseph, born February 8, 1734. Mathias, IMarch 7. 1739.

William, AugusfsS, 1748, and Thomas February 13, 1750, and eight daughters.
The daughters were all born in Upper .Makcfieid but the date of birth and the
names are not known. Thomas Harvey, son of Benjamin, Vvdio was the second
son of Matthias, the elder, was born May, 1749, but nothing is known of lii.-
marriage, when, where or to whom. There was also a Joshua Harvey, born
to one of the sons of Mattliias. the elder, who married Elizabeth Patrick ami
died at St. 'I homas. Augu-t 24. 180S. While Matthias Harveye, the elder.
Jived on Long Island he attained some ]iromincnce, among the public position>
he held being that of one of the Justices of King's county, to which he was ap-
pointed C)ctober I, lfx;o.

There is some uncerlainty when Matthias Harveye. the elder, came to-
Bucks county and -ettled in rp[ier ^drdcefiold. As he was living at Flushing.
Long Islar.d. November T. i<«/j. he nuist have come to this county subsequent
to tiiat time, but we can only aiipro.xiniate it by a real estate deed he was
panv to. Tiie public records show that on the 8ih of 12th month, i6ij8-o.
William r.iles. attorney for Thomas Hudson, conveyed one thousand and tiliy
acres in Upper M.akcfield to Matthias flarveye for the consideration of £2^'^.
the deed being acknowledged in open court. In the recital the purchaser is
spoken of as "of Bucks county." There is no positive evidence he was then
living in UpiK-r Makefield, but doubtless he was, and the inference is equally

I \\ ilH.'.ni reiui convovii ;ivc hunJred .-utis to Jacnb Ilnll. M.iy 25, lOS.?- K\r.c'\
lla'.l r<.iu-(>o.l 10 Tll•-'m;l^ lhul-..n. 7, 16. 1601. .■iinl Wil'.i.iiii rciin cnni'irmod live luiii.lr. ■!
aorc-; v > I liii!-.'. ■ti. whioli two ir:u-ls.'a< will be seen later, were conveyed U> Mathias llar\e\.
of Miisb.in'^. l.oMc: I-land. \vbo<e de-ceiidams owned llie tract for three generaiirn-.
There were foniid. in a manuscript rn[,y of "Kesurvey;;," by John Culler, ainoni; ti-c
papers of Surveyor J( bn W.itsoii. nineteen sfan/as on ibc death 'if M.iry Estaiiu'i'.
addressed to her luotber, I'nnice F.slani,di. by Zl-bulon Hushes, of which ihe following.

is one Stan:':! :

"Vy worthy friend, suppress thy constai'.t sic;hs.

Kor pain thy breast with nnavailincr srici.
.'^l.'P the soft sorrows' of tby a.ued eyes,
1 hcv can ii'it pivo tbv woutidcd heart relief."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

455

strong tliat he died lliere. At that time, and d(_i\\n to 1713. llticks enimtv wills
were ailinilted ti.) probate in I'hiladelphia, ami this was tlie case with that of
Matthias Harveve, the elder. It was dated April 5. lUjg, and prnbated at I'hil-
adeljjhia Xoveniber 23. 1706. the inference l)einq; that he died slmrtK' prinr to
the latter date. He devised his kirye lamled estate to his three sons, as folliiws;
to Matthias his dwelling;- lionse and 40a acres: TlKjnias, three hnndred acres
and to JJenJamin three hundred acre.-, the reniainint;' titty acres not lieinjj cm -
ered by and inchuled in the beiniois. It may have been sold prior to his
death or otlierwise disposed of. Un the death of the sons of .Matthias Hr.r-
vcyo, the elder, they devised their real and personal properly to their chiulren.

In the last centurv the ilarveyc faniil_\- have become much scattered, few
of them remaining- in L'pper Makeheld, althoii,L;h man\ are to be found in this
and other counties and States. Enoch Harvey, a son of Joseph antl f^rent-
Errandsou of Matthias, the elder, removed to Doylesnjw n, near the close of
the eighteenth century, and purchased what is now the "Foimtain House," one
of the most popular inns of the county scat of the past and present centuries.
Here he spent his life, dying in 1831. His wife was Sarah Stewart, dauaht ^r
of Charles Stewart, \\'arwick towmship, to whom he \vas married March 20,
1792, the ceremony taking place in the Xesharainy Prcslnterian church. Let-
ters of more recent years speak of Mrs. Harvey, iicc Stewart, in the highe^c
terms, as a woman of great retinenu'iit. intelligence and dignitv of niauners.

The Stewarts were among the earliest Scotch-Irish settlers in l!ucl:s
county, Charles Stewart being jirobalily a son of John Stewart who first a])-
pears in Northampton, 1720. and subsequently in Plumstead. Enoch Harvey
had a family of several children, among them the late Josejih Harvev. and
Dr. George T. Harvev . Doylestpwn. A daughter married \\"illiani IT. ]\)well.
Norristown. who was proprietor and editor of the Doylestown DcinocnU. a
couple of years or more, 1S32-3. The Harve^s luwe always lieen a )iatriotic
family, si.x of the name from this county serving in the armies of the Ivcvolu-
tion, one in Captain iJarrah's company, 1777. Ur. Cicorge T. enrolled his
name in a company f..r the Mexican war, but the quota being full from this
State liis military aspirations were nip] ed in the bu.d. When the Civil war,
1867-65. broke out he was one of the first in the ctuintx to enroll, serving as a
lieutenant in the Dovlestown (.Guards in the three monih>' campaign in the
.Shenando;di \ alley, and sulisefiuenlly three years in tlie 104th I'ennsvlvania
regiment. Charles Stewart, ]irobably the father of 1-jioch Harvey's wife, was
an ensign in the t"ir>t cormpany. 4th I'.attaliou, I'.ucks County Militia, 17761, his
commission bearing date May 6. l''.x-Jndge lulward Harvey. AUent^vvn. a
distinguished lavvver, is a grandson of Juioch Harvev and son of I.Jr, George
T. Harvey.

The "London comiiany" became extensive lanrl-owners in Upper !Make-
lield many years before it was organized into a townshij). This was composed
of Tobia.-< Collett. Daniel Ouere and Henry Goldn.ey. of London, who. before
1700, jun-chast-d live tlioirsand acres of the manor lands, which were surveyed
to them August o. \joc\. When the company'.-, land was broken \\\k vcars after-
ward, it w.as sohl to various purch.asers, ;md anioug them five hundred and
liltv-tvvo acres tii Simnel H.-iker. (if Maketield, in I7_'j, King on the south line
of the maror and running to the river, two iunidrnl nf which he soUl to Philip
W.anlcr, jr., 1724. which came into the possession of the widow of John
Kno\vlr>. 1730. .As late as .\pril '1, I7i'ij. Willi.im Cox, 1 'hiladelpliia, ]iur-
ch iM'd '-'W hmidred and eighteen acri^s .ni,! ninelv-tive jierclies of the con.i-
panv\ lanil, in Cp]ier Makefield, When the comiiany's land was surveyed,

\:,6 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

I7(K). Thnmas Kiilc, J..lui I'idcuck and Gilliert WhccKr wcro land-owners
i;; the nmiior. on ilic nnrih side of that tract. In August. 1705, James Logan
V. rote to Wilhaui I'cini that the London company must have five thousand
acics niiirc hiid ott to thcin in the manor of Hig;hlands, tnit we do not know
lliat it was done. That spring renn wrote to Logan complaining that a
great part of the n;aniir was taken up by "'encroachers." In 1738 Thomas
I'cnii "wncd twtnty-iive hundred acres in the tnwnship, probahlv the re-
maimler of the seventy-h\e 'hundred of the manor land.s not purchased by the
London company, and whicli he valued at £80 the one hundred acres.

William Smith, son of William Smith who settled in Wrightstown. in
1(^4, purchased two liundred and one acres in Upper ^lakeficld, in 1708.
Tiie surveyor was instructed 10 lay out the land "at a place called Windy
bush ia J'enii's manor of Highlands, near Wrightstown." The deed was
e.Nccuted April 28. 1709. and the purchase money, £50 Pennsylvania cur-
rcuc\ . ! aid. lli> son Thomas lived several years in a cave in the woods, and,
when Ik- moved into a new I'lg hciusc. the Indians occupied the cave. The
late J'wi'.h Pi. Smith., of Xewiown. was the sixth in descent from \\"illiam, the
piiineer. \\ illiam was owner to his death, of part of the ancestral acres. Among
oth.ors v.ho were settlers on tlie manor lands, outside the London company's,
were Tiionias Ross, ancestor of the family of this name in the county, Jefifrey
P.urges, R. Norton, John Pidcock and \\'illiam Blackfan.

The Lees were early settlers in Upper r\Iakeficld, William Lee, the im-
migrant arriving prior to 1725. He bought a tract near BuckmanviUe, late the
farm of Josliua Cordon, a great-great-grandson of tlic pioneer, and now owned
by Thomas W. \\'hite. Doylestown. William Lee, jr., son of the immigrant,
first ap])cars at Wrightstown meeting, .\ugust 19. 1725. as a witness to tlie first
marriage recorded there, and in March, 1737, he signed tlie petition to the court
of Quarier Sessions tliat resulted in the organization of the townshi]). Iliere is
some doubt when he was married, but none as to the name of the young woman
he look to wife, to enjoy his joys and sorrows. Her name was Llannah Smith,
daughter of William and Mary Croasclale Smith, Wrightstown. They arc known
to have been the parents of four scius. and family tradition credits them with
one daugliter. \Vi!iiam, the eUlest son. married Hannah Saunders shortly
after February 5, 174G. and was the father of nine children, seven sons and two
d.Tugliters. Tliey si-iciit their life on the ancestral farm, where he died JMarch
23, 181 [ and was Ivaried at \\'rigbtstown. Among his sons was Ralph Lee,
born April 28, 1763. who died r)ctober 23. 1834, on his Xorthainpton township
farm, and was also br.ried at Wrightstown. His wife was .\niy Martin. He
siib.-cribed the oath ul allegiance October ir, 1785, before John Clia])man. anil
the certihi:ate and f;'.inily bible are both in possession of the family. The third
son of William Lee, die elder, was Prdph Lee. who married first a flaughter of

bihn Aikiusoii. and secimd Sibella . lived in Buckingham, died prior to

!\rarch d. r748-() and was likewise buried at Wrightstown. I'hey had two sons.
Davitl a.nd William. The former. bi->ni 1740. removed to .Maryland, about 1770,
built the Jerus-dcni mill on the Little Gunpowder river. 1772. dicil 1815 and
was buried at Little < iiinpowder meeting, leaving a number of dcscenilants in
that vicinity. William Lee. second son of Raljjh and Sibella. removed to
Marvkuid .'liiout the time of his l)rother l)avid.. and li\e<l near him. and, at his
death, left several children. Samuel T-ce. fourth son of William Lee. tl'C
■elder, removed from WriL;-ht>iown to (■.nniiowder meeting. 1773, but returned
1783. His will, dated lanuarv 17. r7MO, is said t'. have tven recorded at
P,<-lalr. Mavvlan.l.

HISrORY OP BUCKS COUNTY

457

l\;iliili l.cu. Uk- ^on ut Kaljih, who was the son of \\ iUiani, wliu was the
son of \\'ilhani the iuMiiiyrant, Ix-canie Dr. Ralpli Leo of Xcwtown, the most
pri niii-eiit ic'i)resiinativL- of the family. He wai born Xoveml)cr 2y, ^792,
niarric'] Rebecca Richardson ^^to^y, iJaugliter of Davicl Story. Xcwtown, May
20. iSj.\, the cercnmny being- performed by .Ma\or Joseph Watson, I'hiladcl-
|)hia. first cousin (if his wife. He died at Xeutown, April 25, 1S55, and was
buried at \Vrig;htstown. He read medicine and graduated from the Pennsyl-
vania University, ]8i(i. He snl)sei|uenily made a \oyac;e to China as jihysician
and sur.L^eiin to the ship, and npon his return, sctltled in practice at .Xewtown,
where he spent his professional life, lie was widely known in his profes-
sion, and a useful citizen in every walk. He was active in organizing the
Hacks County Medical Society, 1848, and was its tirst president, elected X'^o-
vember 20, 1850, He was a delegate to the State Medical Society of Penn-
sylvania, 1S33, and to ilie American Medical AssC'ciation, 1855. He possessed
])Oj ular manners. Dr. Lee liad two children, a son and daughter: Dr. Rich-
ard Henry Lee, the elder, born May 15. 18J7. graduated in medicine and set-
tled in Philadelphia, where he was a well-known practitioner, married Sarah
l-'.liza Lathro]), of Providence. Rhode Island, and died >.Iarch 21. i88r. He left
a son. F.dwaril Clinton Lee. Philadelphia. The daughter of Dr. Ralph Lee,
Rachel C.'troline. born May, 1825, grew up to be a beautiful and attractive
woman and was the toast of the young men of her generation, ."-^lie married
William I-'.. Parlletl. Jr.. iJaltimore. and dieil January 27, 1847. The family
line of tlic r.ncks county Lees may be traced down in six generations in direct
descent without a break: William. Willi;mi, Ralph. Dr. Ralph, Dr. Richard,
Henry and lulward Clintrm.

The two Makehelds were under .jne municipal jurisdictiun ii'V many
years. .\> the settlers increased in tiie manor of Highlands the constables
and assessors of .Maket'ield were given jurisdiction over it, and continued to
1737. when the population had become so lumterous as to make it incon-
venient for tlie ofticers to discharge their duties. A division of the township
was now asked for which led to the organization of Upper Makefield.

At the Marcli term. 1737. a i)eiition, signed by twenty of the inhabitants,
■viz: Ji>lin I'alnier. Dauie'. Palmer. William Russell, Alexander Rickey. William
Lee, J-dea/.er l)..ane. l\Ki:ar.l Iloii.^ii. lOlward P.ailev. Thomas SmitJi. Richanl
Parsons. John .\lkinson. John ("ismond. John Trego. Joseph Tomlinson.
Charles Reeder. lames Tomlinson. John P.rown. John Wall, John Call! and
John Whiteacre. was jiresented to the court of i|uaner .sessions. The peti-
tioners represented themselves as living on that part of the manor of High-
lands called "Coldney's and company's land," /. c. the London company, that
the townshi]! is so large, comaining twenty-twf> thousand acres, and the
lan.ds referred t.i have become so thickly settled the townshij) officers cannot
discharire tluir duties toward all the inliabitants. that the const.ablc docs not
kn.ow lJ!e liounds of the to\vnslii]i. and frequent!}' returns the names of
jersons taxed with the inhabitants of Wrightstown. ]*'or these reasons the
jietitioners ask to lia\c the said com]ian\'s lands attached to Wriglitstown,
'T to he erected into a tow.nshii> l)y itself. This aptu-ars to h.ave been the
earliest action towanl tlie organization of what is now Upper Makefield, and
led to such result, aliiioueh we have riof been ab.le to fmd the ncord nf_ it.
Tn 1733 Toh.n T'.eamiiont. William Kei'.h. IV-njamin Tavlor. with others, living
on the L- ndon companv's tract, petitioned the v-ourt to be cilhci-' erected into
a townsliip bv themseive-- -r added, to -Ui'ier Makefield. This latl-r request
was C'-mi'lied with, and it was i rder.-.l tl'.r't ■"il'.e ui'i-er line of J'lm Duer s

458 niSTORV Of BUCKS COUXTV.

traci lie Uic pan;tii>ii liLiuxt-n \.\\v two tinvuships." Tliis line no (ioul)l is llio
jji'L-scnl sonihcrn ln^iimdarv. I'lic jian (irt;ani/.cil into L"i)per Makcfielcl con-
tains an area of eleven llnjiisand >ix luuulred and t\\ enty-ei^jlU acres and the
boundaries have luideryone little, it any, change from 1753 to the present
time.

The Jnirleys were early settlers in I'pper Alaketield township, proliahiy
.al). .ut i7-'5-30. ani! K^hn Ikirley was the owner of considerable real estate.
lie held his first tract miiler a palenl from Thomas J'enn, but its date is not
known. IJe was tl;e owner, in all. of twii hundred and hft\-four acres of whieli
two hundred- were jiurchased of Samuel Bunting. JJurley is an ancient name
in both England and Ireland, an<l spelled in various way.s, but Lurlcigh- is
the nioilern way of siH-lling it. The lirst of the name, to settle in America,
was Giles J'.crtUy. or l^.m-ley. who was living at ipswich, Mass., 1648, and his
will d;ited July. iOf>S. jolni liiudey. Sr.. died in Maketield, 1748, and his will jiro-
bated April 5, 17411. lie left live children. John, Joshua, Sarah, Elizabeth
and Mary. The will ]iruviiles, that in case his widow shall marry "'a careful
frugal man," she and her Inisbaiul ma\- enjoy the income from the real estate
until tile youngest child is fourteen years of age. As the widow found a new
liusliand in one John Simmons, wc may presume be "filled the bill." J'"h.n
Burley Jr.. the eldest son and child of John Burley, ."-^r., died in 1799 or 1800,
leaving three sons and eight daughters. After iSoQ the name of llurley dro]is
out o\ the county record.s. but the descendants in the female line arc numerous.

( )i tiie chikireii of John Burley. Sr.. the eldest daughter. Sarah, married
^\'i!liam 1 'avis. al>o an early settler in I'jipcr }\lakeficld and grandfather of
tlie late (ieneral John Davis, deceased, of Davisville. about 1756-57. Tliey
were tile parents of seven children: Jeuiin^.a, born December 25, 1758; Joiiii.
SeiUember 0. T7(.i:.i; Sarah, October i, 1763; \\'illiani, September 9, 1766;
Joshua, July 6, 171.19 : .Mary, October 3, 1771 and Joseiih, Marcli i, 1774. The
eldest sou was named after the gramlfathcr on the motlier's side. C)ne of
Sarah Biirley's sisters married James Torbert. and liie lUirleys were con-
nected. h_\- marriage, with the Slacks and McNairs. all well kiujwn Bucks
c^iuiUN' f.-iiviilies. ( H William Davis, the husband of .sarah Biuriev, we kuow
luit little, in fact nothing excejJt that lie Sjent hi> life in Solei)urv. and died
there, married .Sarah Burley and was tiie fatiier of a famiiv of ciiildren.
Til;' widow of William L)avis survived him until Alav 10, i8i<j. dying at tl'.e
age of eigiity-four, whicii places iter liirtii in 1735. ( )f the children of William
Da\is and .Sarah Burley. Jemima, the eldest married John I'itner, son of
Henry and Deborah, aTioul 178(1. Me w;is born in I'enn's Manor. August 18,
t755. and n.iarried. in early life, a daughter of :i C:iptain Tliiim])Son of near
\ewi"un. Si.x iiau<.;l!ters and two sons were bom to Jemima and J'llin
I'iliier; Sarah. .May _m. 17.'^7. died .September <). iSoi;. of yellow fever; James
-Xeely. .<ej tember Jo. 178S. died .-ihont 184J: Deborah. June I*;, 171P. died
.\pril 5. 1870: -Mary. Ahiy 30. 170J. and has been dead over half a century ;
.\iina. January 11, 170!. died December 14. i83fi-. John. Oclol)er U). t8o"-
died ( )clober 15. 18J3; William, t )ctober 2<). 179S, died .Vpril to, 1833. and
VJ)/..i .\". l)orn Jnlv u. j8oj. living, 1885, at Wilmington. Del. Several "i
tlie-e liiildren left huge families. John I'itner lived at Xewtown several
_\ear.s after liis sec.md marriage and died at Xew Castle. Delaware, after 1811.
.Among those who settled in I'pper Maketield early in the eighteenth

In Pairkf'-; I'i-!T:ii;e. ninoiccii diiTttcm coats nf anus arc Riven a^^ liDrno l\v 1!
, Ijiirlish faiiiilu - "' ''ii- iiaiiie.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV. 459

century \\crc the families of Trego, 1-ieeder. MeXair.-'- Keith, hell. Mat,'ill.
Stewart, and others. The Treyxis are descended tnmi Frcncli Huguenot
anrc-.trv. In idS.'^ three brothers immigrated to luigland, and. two >ears
afterward, Peter came to America and .>iettleil in MidiUetown, tlien Chester,
now Delaware, county, where lie lived until 17J2. Our Bucks county Tregos
are descended from his elde>l son. Jacob, who married Mary Carllcdge, Darby,
170CJ, and died 1720, leaving two children. John and Rachel. His widow mar-
ried John Laycock, Wrightstown, ijjj. wh.ere she and her two children
came to reside. 'J"he son John, married Hannah l.ester, Richland, and in
ij-TiC) bought a tract of land in the western |iart of Upper Makefield where
l;c erected buildings and lived, and dieil about 1792. at the age of sixty-six.
They had two sons. William and Jacob and several daughters. Jacob died
unmarried, William married Rebecca Hibbs. Byberry. 176S, and died, 1827,
from who.se six sons and three daughters have descended a numerous pos-
terity, living in many sections of the Union. The Trego family jiroduced
two artists of merit. Jonathan K. a portrait painter, son of William Trego
and Rachel Taylor, and his son William, a military painter. The former was
born in Upper Maketicld, 1S17, began the study of art with Samuel F. Du-
Rois. Doylestown, and finished at the Academy, j'hiladelphia. He followed
his profession at. Detroit .several years, and then settled at North Wales.
M on.tgon-.ery county, Pa., where he died February, iij(M. He painted the
]jurtraits of nianv prominent peoiilc. his pictures were noted for being true
to nature. His son William, studied with the <listinguished military painter
of France, is still living and an artist of national rei)utation. One of his
latest pieces is the "Rescue of the Colors." ))ainted for Bucks county and the
gift of Flon. John ^^'anamakcr.

Tiie Recders were among the early settlers in the town.-hip. but we do nut
know tlie dale of their settlement. In 1746 Charles Rceder bought two hun-
dred acres of Samuel Carey; his will was executed June iTi, 1800, and admitted
to f robale September 8. 1S04. This plantation was sold by his executor to
l.'hn Chaj.man. in i8o6. He Itad ten children, of whom the late Merrick
keeder was the eldest son. There were Merricks in .Middletown. where John
M'.rrick bought a farm. 1750. and died in TjO^. leaving six children.^

The Baiilerstons were lirst known in England about the time of the inva-
sion of the Prince of (Grange. .i638. when Joh.n Balderston was settled at
Xorwich with a family of children. Me may have been one of the invading
h.:>st, for tradition says the family originally came from Norway, thence to
Holl'anil and llten to England. It is said the name was devised from that of
the -Norwegian god "Balder." The eldest .son of the family, Joh.n. was the
only one ni'entioned for generations, a custom that curtails family informa-
tion. The second b'hn B;diler>t. .'n married twice at Norwich and died there,
and it was his sou.'h.hn. the third, b'.m 1702. wh.. came to .\merica, but there
is some uncertamty as to the time. He settled in Upper Makefield and mar-
ried Hannah, daughter of lonalhan and Sarah Coo]xt. but subsequentlv re-
moved to Soleburv. They 'had a family of eleven children; John. Jonathan.
Bartholomew. Tin'iothy. Jao'b. Hann;di. Isai.ili. Sarah. .Mordecai. Lydia ;uul
Sarah. Thcv all married and left chiMren except I lannali.

b.hn BaldersiMii. the f.iurili, Ij.-.rn .^ ni'r. 13. 1740. married. Deb'.r.ali. daugh-
ter o"f Mark and Ann Wat.-on. wImsc mother was a druii^hter of John Sotcher.

2'.. James S. Mo.Vnir. r (lisoei;(!;inl of iIk- iiiuiil.ynini. li.Tii MnrcU i.t. tSuS. diod in
fpi-cr ^!akclicl(l. July ('., iS^;7,

^6o HISTOKV OF BUCKS COrXTY.

Sfttk'il on a fnnr, in Solclniry aiul I-.ail a family of ci^lu cliililicn. His wife.
born, 3 niu., 1744. iHi'l 4. 17. I7')4. and he then niariieil Kli/ali'jth Lanrdaic.
Mark iJahk-rsiun. ~' n if Jnhn and ndif.rah, hurn 3. 1. 1770 ami (Ho<l (). 3. i8_'3.
niar-rlfd Ann I'lrown. horn 7, 10. 1778, danghtcr of John and .Martha r.ruwn.
3 nio. 18, 1801. and died 8. 25, 1802. from the elTocts uf lightninfj that stnuk
the ht'iise. They Hvetl on a farm in I'alls near Trenton. They had one
son, |ohn B. Ilalderston. .\fter the death of the tlvst wife. .Mark Uakk-rs. ti
married EUzaheih Lloyd and had .several ehildren. one Ix'ini^ Llosd llalder.^n-n.
Cecil connty. .Md., wlio married Catharine Canby. John I'.. I'.alder.-^ton. the
sixth, married I.etitia. daughter of Cyrus Cadwallaiier. I'alls township and
had h\e children, one ilyinsj youn.s:. Mary married David Ileston. Elizahetli.
lames H. Moon; Edward. Elizabeth P. r.rown : and William. Sarah W. I'lrown.
the two latter daug-hters of (ieorgc W. P.rown ami descendants of tlie orij^inal
Geori^e Brown, who settled in Ealls. 1679. as was also .Ann Brown, who mar-
ried Mark Balderston. .All of John 11. Pialderston's sons and daughters have
families of chiklren.

The McXairs are .^coich-Irish. Saimiel. the son of James who was
driven front Sc^tian! to Ireland, was Ijorn in county Donegal, in 1699. lie
married Anr.a ^vluri'ock, and witli hi> family anel father-in-law. theii eighty
j'ears of age, came to Amercia, 1732. landing at Bristol in this county. They
passed the tlrst winter in an old school-house around which the wolves howled
at night, and tlte next spring settled in Upper Makefield, \vhere the family
lived for tive generations. They were members of the Xewtowu Presby-
terian cliurch. and there their remains lie Samuel, the progenitor, dying 1761.
They had five children. James, born l-'ebruary 6, 1733, Samuel, September 25,
1739,- .Soknion, 1744. ]\ebecca, 7747, au'l one other. The eldest son, James,
purchased a farm in L'fpcr Makefield, 1763, which was the homestead for three
generations and only passed out of the familv in 1873. He married Martha
Keith, had nine cliildren and died, 1807. From this coujile descend our ]5ucks
county McXairs. and their chiklren married into the well-known families of
Torbert. McM:l^ter. Wynkoop. \'anhorne. P.ennct. Slack and Robinson, arid
left numerous descendants. The late James M. McXair, clerk of orphans'
court, juvtice in tiie peace, officer of volunteers and church elder, was a
grandson of Jaircs the elder. I'roiii Samuel, who married M:'.rv Mann. ■-,•■
Horsham, and liad seven children, have descended the Montgomery cin;iU}-
McXairs, and h.is chiklren married into the families of Mann, Cravet!, \ an
artsdaleri. Long and Kirk, 'ilic late Jeihn McXair, member of Congress fr- ni
Montgontery county, was a grandson of Samuel and son of John, of South-
ampton. Solomon McXair, son of ."-^amuel the elder, married and had three
children, was a nierchant of Philadel])hia,. where he died Mav 15. 1812, at
the a;.;e "i sixiv-eieht. The descendants of James and Sanniel are found in
many ]iarts of th.e L'nion. the eldest member of the family living licin.g Samuel
McXair, of Dans\ille, Xew ^'ork.■' They are found in the various walk-
of life, several are minister.- of the g'-pi 1, a few members of the liher learried
professions, but ih.e -.^reat maioriiy follow the occupation of tluir first ancesi''i'
m .America, hn-bandry. -They have retained most of the char.'icterislics of the
races from which tl-.ey sprung, have generally inlermnrried into families of .'.
commo.n origin, and cling with tenacity 10 the Scotch i'resbyterian faith.

3 Imc of X"rtl'nnii>!i>ii tiUMislii]), lUiclcs cinuity. sm:i nt Juhn McX:i;r. of Smil'
niiii'ii 1'. li'irn May .;. '.'•}.. .iti'l .linl _biii'i.iy .^. i.^^S

nisruRy or bucks couxtv

461'

.W iUiam Ki'ith \\;i> in tl'.c tnwnship prinr lo 17511. arul came aljcuii the time
i.t i1k' I'tliiT Sc'ili-li-lrisli I'roliyurinii-. We timl that Mr. Keilli l)wii'_;lu two
lininheil at!<l thirly acr<s •<{ til'' l.i'nd'iu e'Hiipanx, the ,vl nf |)eci.nilier. I7rir.
lli> wire. Alary, died in 177J. at llie a-e cf litty-one. anil \k. 17S1. a-ed sixty-
-e\en. and l..uli w.ie 1 iiried in the I 're>h\ teiian yard at Xewt'iwn. .\ Samuel
Keith, t'rcther nt Wii'iair.. died in 1741. at tlie aL;e dl l\venty-;;eveii.
I>aac Sli.cktnn Keiili. >i:n ut W illi.ini and .Mary, ln.canie a di>tini;ui.-.hed di-
\ nie. lie \\a.-> h(irn in li per .Makitiuld. January 20. 175,3, i.;radnated at I'rince-
t'>n. 1775. taui;!u a Latin scdnnl at hJiznljeth, Xew Jer>ey, then sttldied di\inity
and \va^ ii.-en.-ed ti > jirea:]) bv th.e I'hiiadelphia l.'reshytery, in 177S. In 1780
lie w.i- calKd til i1k I 'ri,sl)\ lerian ehnrch. Ale.xandria, \"ir:.;inia, ami tu the

KEITH IlOU.Sl.. tlH'liK M.-^KEFIi;].]!.
\V:i5hiiicMns n.-.ia.iuarnr?. ;>fcen'b.-i I I ■-•'x IT

church at Honej^al. 17SS, with a salary^ nt twn hnndred i^uineas. He .<horllv
afterward married ,1 daughter nf l)MCtnr Spinat. of riiiladelpiiia. lie hecame
the jia-lnr nt the Independent nr (, nni^recalinnal church at I'liarltslnn, .Snuth
t.'amHna. tl'e li.ih n{ September. 17SS. The hnimr nf 1,!.. 1). was cniilcrred
iilmn Mr. Keitli. l)nt we tin nnt knnv, when nr 1,\ what institution. C'harle-
Ste\sart. fath.er-in!a.\\ 1 t Inhn llarri-. .Xewtowii, spent his lite in I'pper
Maki.tield. where he died. 171)4. rhrnu.L,di his daui^hter. the wife of Harris,
he bi'came the nncestnr nf snnn' nf the must distinn^uished families of Ken-
tucky. .\t his lU-ath .Mr. Sti-\>.-.irt msned land "in the cottiity called Kantuckee,
in the State of \ iri^iiiia." The .Mai^iUs nf this tiiwnshiji. and nnmliers elsewhere,
are descended finm an lrish-( jnakei' ance^tnr, William .Ma-ill. who inimitrrated
from the Xnrlli nf Irel.md about 1730. ;ind ^eltled nn a farm half a mile
from where Walton 1'. Ma.Lrill lixed in Solelitiry. Ihe orii^inal home-
stead nnw lie- withm tlie limits nf the 'bomn^h of Xeu llnpr. lulward II.
Maeill. late i.rr>ident i<i .Swarlhmnre cnllcqc. i^ a iiati\e of Soleburv

462 IIISTOKV OF Bb'CKS COUXTY

and a dcsccmlniU oi ihc Irish-niiakcr anccstur. The McCunkcys, after whom
ihu furry ai Ta_\ lursN ilk was iianu'd, were in ihe lM\\n^lli]) early, also Scotcli-
Iri.-ii l'rc^')> tcri.-iiis. \\ (_■ liiid ihal L'hanly .NU'Luiikcy died Scpleinbcjr 2, 1771.
at the age of lifiy-tlirce \ears, and was buried at Aewti.nvn. The main sup-
jiort of mat cluirch jirobaijlv came from L"i),,er Makefield.

Josejjh la'll, jjrands-'U of Joseph Tell, of Ihiekingnam, at his death left a
larm in L"])per Makelieid to liis son Joseph, wno settled there, and was great-
grandson of die Jose])h l-'ell who came from England, 1704. Here his son. wlm
became Ducti r J)a\ul Fell, and father of the late Joseph I'ell, Uuckingham.
was IjLirn Septer.'iber 1, 1774. liis mother was Rachel Wilson, granddaughter (if
Thomas Canby, the father of eighteen children. In his youtli there were few
facilities fi.ir farmers' sons to acquire a goml education, but. instead, the labiirs
of the fi<dd, t'lshing. swimming; and fox-hunling, with horse and hound. ga\'e
them robust health. In these David bell was proficient. Me studied mathe-
matics with Doctor John Cliapman. U])i)cr Makefield, and Latin with the Rev-
erend Alexander JJoyd, Xewlown. He entered his name as student of medijiiK-
with Doct(jr Isaac Chapman. \\ riglustown. liaving Doctor Phincas Jenks as
fcl!ow-siii(knt. Completing b.is studies at the University of Pennsylvania be
married Ph(ebe Scholield. Solebury. and .--citled in practice in his native tov.ii-
ship, near the foot of Jlowman's hill on the River-side road. On leaving the
i'niversily ]")uctor J'"ell carried with him the following certificate from Doctor
Rush, the great founder of the medical school and a signer of the Declaratii^m
of Independence :

"I do hereby certify that Mr. David ]''ell bath attended a course of my
lectures upon the Institutes and Practice of ^ledicine in tlie Universit\- uf
Pennsylvania, with (hligcnce and punctuality.

(Signed) "Eexj am ix Ru.sii."

"l'hiladcl[yhia. February 251b. 1801."

}le continued to practice here until 1814-15. when he removed to Jenkin-
town, !\lontgomerv countv, but soon returnerl to P.ucks county, to the premises
lateiv owned anrl occu[)ied by Dr. Setb Cattell, Ruckingbani. Here he resided
the reniainiicr of his life, attending to his large practice while health permitted,
dving Fcbruarv 22. 1850. in bis eighty-second year. Doctor Fell was much
esteemed b\- ail who knew him. was remarkalily n:ild and ger.lle in his disjiosi-
tioii. a peacemaker amon.g neighbors, slow to believe e\-il of another and quick
a.t the call of suffering lninianit\-. lie was a warm friend of education, and
an advocate of temperance.

b'irst-d.av meetings in Cpjier Makefield v,ere fiisl held at the house oi
Samuel P.aker. who owneil the farm just below TayIors\ille, and late t!ic
jiropertv of Mahlon K. Taylor, deceased. Sanmel P>aker. born in Darby. Laii-
c;i--bire. t 'ctober 1. i'')7''>. was a son of llenix and MarL;:iret ( IL'inlm.m) P.aker.
who came to lUick's county in ifi84. married Rachel Warder. 170,^ and was the
Pivest'T of lohns 1 loj'kins. the fomider of the nni\ersit\ which bears his name.
.\ meeliug-bouse twenty-five by thirty feet, one story high, was erected. I7.^-.
and the first meeting held in it l!ie t'.illowing b'eljruary. The btiilding commit-
tee were j'.enjamin Tayi<ir. Jo.->i')ib Dner. Timothy Snfith and I'.enjamin Gilbert
It \eas enlarged. 1764. Ity extencling it twenty feet to the north, at a cost 01
ir20. It w:i- n.ieil as an li'vpita! while \\'asbinL;ton heM the Del.aware. De-
cember. 1770.

The Kiiowles faniilv settled in l"i>l;er Makefield. Jolm being the first comer.
Droliablv jirior to 1700. an<l fettling on the f.arm ow-ned by the late Thomas I,a\v-
less. .X portion of tlu' original log homestead is still stanling. 1 .ater. ;i stone

HISTORY or BUCKS COUXTY. 463

^id'litiiin (.-iL^lULL-n l)y t\\ ciuy-!"'iir wa,^ br.ilt to it, Um:i stDrics liisli. J'jhn
kuuwlo niarncd ^araii, dau^luer 01 Julin aiul .Mary Scai"l)orou<:;li, 1716, as is
.-liuwii by the I";'.U iiie^'ling records. She was Iwrii, iOy4, and iHed 1717, after
tlie hirtli of their sun, Joseph. John Knnwles married a second time, and a
.-. .n, Julin, was tlie only child, from whom is siipjiosed to have descended all of
the name in Ihicks cuimty. John KnowUs. the elder, died intestate, 1730. The
iKimestead passed out of the family, I<S73.

Anion.i;- the distinguisheii ^oll^ of L'ppi'r Makeheld the late Oliver II.
Smith, Indiana, member of the Legislature and of Congress, United States
>enator. Aiiorney-General and lawyer, probably stands iirst. He was a sijn
<if Thomas and Letitia IJlackfan Smith, a descendant of William Smith, who
setttled in Wrightstown. 11)84. ^»J was born on the farm f(irnierly owned bv
John A. I'lCanmont, 1794. and died in Indiana, 1S59. He had a vein of wit
»;nd Inimor in his cijmjKisition, and many anecdotes arc related of him. When
quite a ynnriL;- uKin. a raftsman at New Hope offered a high price for an ex-
l)erienced steersman to lake liis raft through Wells's falls. (Jliver. believing
lie conld do the jub, acce]iteil th.e offer, and carried the laft down the falls in
safety, but lie knew nothing- nx^re about the channel than what he had learned
while fishing. It is told of him. that when lie first went ti) Washington as a
-Senator, he was asked by one of his felli^v-Senatiirs at what college he had
graduated and answered "Lnrgan." tlu' name of a roadside school-house in
L pper -Makeiield. At one time Mr. .Smirh ke])l store at Hartsvillc, Warmin-
ster, and at (ireen Tree, LSuckinghani, 1817. He settled in Indiana while a
\oung man, and, as already mentioned, rose to distinction. Moses and Ed-
ward Smith were brothers of Oliver H.. and Th"m:is Smith. Wrightstown, and
father of Dr. Charles W. Smith

Thomas Langle_\' was as eccentric as (Jliver II. Smith was distinguished.
He was born near London, came to I 'ennsvlvania about i73'>, at the age of
twenty, with a hand.>ome frirtune for that d;iy. settled in L"])per rvlaketield.
ommenced. teaching sclioul. and, for sever;il years, conducted his l)usiness
with jiropiriety. W ithout aiu- a; p:iri.ui cau'-e his mind became deranged and
he continued s(i to his death, 180C). aged u))ward of seventy. He imagineij
iiimself tlic kmg of l'enn^y!\ ;inia and beliewd. in the invisible agency of tvi!
spirits. He traversed the counlr\- in the emplo\' of an itinerant coojier. carry
ing saddle-bags with clothing and tools. .\t .times he hired out to farmers,
and journeyed liack and forth with his staff to visit hi> frieinL. reading 1 Hack-
stone and other books. In the summer, I'^oj;. with kna]>sack anil rations on
his back, he traveled to L'harleslon. .^ouiii L'ainlina. on font and was alisent a
ve.ar. lie was a m;m oi \ery cnii^ideraMe knowledge, dignitied and pcilite.
clean and ue:U in his j/ersnn anil correct in h.i.-- murals, l-'rnm his c'm'ers.'nion
no one couM discover his ])eculiarities. lie w;i- educated an Liiisco; aliin.
liut joined the k'nends and attend. -d iluir meeting. .\t his death he left a
-personal estate of £500. but had no iieirs in this country.

( )n the line between I'pper Makefield and .Solebury lises an elevati.ni
know-ri as Ilowt-iian's hill, said to have ))een nrmied after Hector luhn llnw-
inan,' an earl', settler on ridenck-'s ci-eek. I'.eing .if a ci mtenipkitive turn of
mind he n^ed t^ frei|ueiU the nunid ti'p nf the hill, and when he died, was
buried there at iii-. re,me-l. 'file Indi- n na.mi- f.ir the bill w.'is ^aid bv s<ime to
hi- Xe-h'iMid'ick. au'l In mlx-rs. \ei;e-l-aw --a-.-lnmL;. S-ver.-il oiliers have
I'liund a last re>t;n'.;-iilare on tlie top of this hill. I'm.'iig them .'i man who \vas

4 lie is llk.wNo i-;illf--l "I.. -Ml-:..;!"

464 HISIORY 01- BUCKS COUXTW

diuwncil at \\rll>'.-. lall.-,. in the I )^-iau .ul-, many _\^.^u■^ ayu. 'ilic l.j)) i,s rcai-hcU
by a road .)f (.-a.-y aM-i-ni. up iln.' ur^urly likJ. J rauuu.n lia> uuvcn a laic 01
rmnaiicc around ilii- nanu- .'i D- -i. r l..iunian. Ji leiis us lie ua> a;.'])OinU'd
surgvun of llic J'.u|^lish llect SL-ni out under capuu'n William Kul. iihjO, 10 sup-
press piracy i;mi llic high scar., and turned pirate w ith him ; he came to \ew-
luwu after K\d was hanyed, alxjul 1700, and by his habits, and the visits of
titran;;ers. drew upim himself su^])iciun tliat iic i)elonged to the pirate's gani,' :
that lie mysteriuusl\ disappeared and was gunc fur years, and then relurneil
an.i built a cabin at the foot of tiie hill that boars his name; that he removed !■ ■
Newtown in hi.-- old age, built a liuuse on the edge of the village in which he
was found dead: thai he left a "massive oaken chest" behind, but it failed to
yield up Captain Kyd's gold. The story used to be told, that if one would go
quietly and lie down by Jjowman's grave and say, "ilowuian, what killed your"
tile reply would come back, "Xothing." ilowman was probable an eccentric
man, and bad a )ireference for the summit of this quiet hill for his last resi-
ing-iilace. Thi.- ridge of liiils extends into \ew Jer.-ey, an 1 there is ever\
appearance of its having hem broken throiigii ^onie time long in the juist to
allow the drniuue.! u\> waters to llow to the sea.'

At the southern l)ase of JjOwman's bill.'' is a small hamki calle.j Lurgan.
after the birth-i)lacc of James I,(jgaii. In a little one-story building, now used
a,- a dwelling, was kept a day-sclioi.il three-iiuarters of a century ago, where
were cilucated several promin.ent men. Among the scholars were tlic late
Judge Jijhn Ross, ( )liver 11. S;nith, Senator in Congress from Indiana. Doc-
tor John Cha[)inari, Edward Siiiitb, ;i learned man, Sclh (._"h:!j.^!i;m, son of
Doct^ir John L-ha|jnian, lawyer and judge, Doctor Setb. Cattell, a student of
and wjio succeeded Doctor Job.n Wilson, who died early, and other.-, of note.
Amongst those who taught at this primitive seminary, were .Moses .Smith,
afterward a distiitguished ithysiciau of Philadelphia, Mr. McLean, a noted
teacher, fine Latin scholar and mathematician, I-.nos, rather of Iliram .^car-
b'Tough, Xew Hope, celebrated for his penmansh.ip. and Joscpli I'ell, lUick-
ingham. The glory of Lurgan is de])arled, and most of her scholars, states-
men, and jurists have gone lo the "undiscovered country."

5 "1!. W'.." :i oMro.^ixMulcnl. in cr:lici.siiig what is said ol Bowman, in the hrst t-duion
of llic ■■lli^inry ni lUicks Couiily," n in.'uk.s : "Joliii Downian hoiiglit nf l-crael Morn-;
fifty-iwo acres in Xcwl.iwu towinhip, liy cieed dated ;ili of loth mo., 1708. and by lii-^
will, 1712, save -aitl land to his -ion Jeremiah, and £40 to his danglUcr Sarali. He wa-;
buried the Stii 01 lotli mo., i/U. (irohably at Middloiowu, and France.-; Howman. hw
widow, die 1st of lotli ni.i., r^jiO, was buried at the same place. Jeremiah Bowman <ol(l
l'ifty-t\\.. acre.-; to Slei'.lien Twimn'.;. the deed bearini; dale Oeecnilier 26. ^y^S■" '"'•■'
anther did nnt \,,ul-1i fi.r wli,.l ■B. N." -^aid of Jolni Bowman, but ere.lited. it 10 "lrailitio;i."
We r.'Rret -B. W." did not thniw ?i.Mne li«!it on the siili.iect. What lie saiil of Bowman>
wlio lived in N"orth,imiiion docs ncit nnravel the mystery. What about the Bov.man who
pave the name 10 tlie hill, is the (jnestion. Miss .Sallie X. Boyd .--aid of Bowman: "He
was an eccentric F.nsli-liinaii. and made Ids home at the r.i.amnonl place on the river, a
tract of land taken up by lliat family. 174.'. now the Heed pn.periy. Before hi'; death he
requested to be buried on Xenc-haw-ca ohun.^. a< that woiibl b<- as near heaven a^ he ever
expected to Ret. Tl-.i> i;.ive the eKvaii.iti the name of ■■Bowman'-; llill." His grave was
rot marked and si.me tbir.L the b,..!v w.is removed

6 The site of an Indian viH;i.e;e, near the west end of Bowman's Hill, was marked.
f ir many years, by thousands of lonoi-c shells. These shells were seen as' late as i7?o. by
Rciieeca, wife of the lie." IV-ter Callel. who lived in the vicinity.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 465

On a hill on \\ indy bush farm, tlic homestead of the Smiths, and which
tradition tells was so called by the Indians because the leaves on the scrub
oaks tluttered in the wind all winter, are several old shafts where sulphate of
barytcs was mined many years ago. Half a mile south is a clear and sparkling
spring, v.ho^e waters, impregnated with iron, were used for medicinal pur-
poses. The late Jacob Trego, who died near Doylestown upward of ninety
years of age, and whose father was born on the adjoining farm to Windy bush,
1744, frequently heard him say that when ten years of age he used to go to the
minc^ to see the miners digging for silver, in charge of an experienced English
miner. There were tlien hve shafts sunk, about fifty feet deep, but only a very
small quantity of silver was obtained. The mines were abanduned, and the
tools left at the bottom. The water that came into the shafts cut off the flow
of a fine spring on tlie farm owned by John L. Atkinson, several hundred yanis
away. It is said that attention was first attracted to the spot by the great
number of trees struck by lightning in that vicinity, and the frequent dis-
charge of electricity from the clouds coming to the ground. The first school-
house in that section was built of logs, 1730, a short distance soutliwest of
the mineral spring. There was an extensive Indian burying-ground a little
west of the road that passes over \\indy bush hill, and within an hundred
yards of the old silver mine. People living a few years ago rememlier walkitig
among the graves, then kept well banked up. The Smiths left the limber stand-
ing around the burial-ground, in respect to the memory of the Indians, who
had been kind to them. A cent'.jry ago a few Indians lived in cabins in the
vicinity by making baskets.

William H. Ellis, Upper Makefield, was a steel-engraver of no mean
repute, and produced many works of merit. His first production, doubtless,
is his engraving of "Washington's First Interview with ^Irs. Custis," his
fi'.ture wife, a spirited sketch of that interesting occasion which me< the ap-
probation of George Washington Park Custis, grandson of the lady.

The villages of Upper Makefield are Dolington, in the southern part on
the line of Lower ^ifakefield, Tavlorsville and Brownsburg on the Delaware,
i Jericho, a hamlet at the foot of a range of hills which bears the same name,

I and Piuckmanville in tb.e northv%-est corner of the township.
Dolington, on the road from Newtown to Taylorsville. in the midst of a
beauliful and highly cultivated country, contains a dozen or more houses, a
I j)nst-ofi-ice with daily mail, and a graded school. Its first settler was Peter
I Diilin, deceased since the Revolution, and the place was called "Dolinton,"
I after its founder. What ambitious denizen changed the name to that it now
I bears is not known, or it is just jiossible that tb.e "g" crept in by accident. His
I daughter married Paul Judge, an eccentric schoolmaster, who loved whiskey
{ and governed liis sclioul by ihc rod. Xext to Dolin, Benjamin Canby and
I William Jackson were the earliest inhabitants of the village. The latter kept
I store, but was succeeeded by ( )livcr Hough, who, dying 1S03. was followed by
{ William Taylor. A <lraii of the village. r8o6. then called ''Dolinton,'' shows a
I number of iuts laid out on the road to Yardlcville but only a few were im-
I jirovcd. Here a Friends' meeting ami sch''o!-housc. The post-oflice was first
i calkd Lower Makcfiel-l. but changoil to Dolington. 1827.

> Tayk>rsville is just below what was called ."McConkey's ferry' for many

i years, wlure \\'ashiugt'^>n crosseil tlic Delaware with his army tlie night of

I 7 Thi* ferry w.w ioriTn.r!y callcl •■\'c-<;i.T> Krry,'' but wc do ncii kn. nv when the

I, iMine was cli.TMsed.
I 30-

466 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

■ Dcconilicr 25, 1776, to attack the Hessians at Trenton. This circumstance has
niadi' it a point of great historic interest. It is a small village, with a tavern,
store and a few dwellings, and received its name from the Taylor family which
established itself there more than three-quarters of a century ago. A wooden
bridge spans the Delaware, and on the New Jersey side, the railroad station
is called "Washington's Crossing."' In 1895 the Bucks County Historical So-
ciety erected a monument at Taylorsville to mark "Washington's Crossing" and
■dedicated it October 15 in the presence of an audience of 500. The services
consisted of vocal and instrumental music, an historical address by General
William S. Stryker, New Jersey, and an oration by Dwight M. Lowrey, of
Philadelphia. The monument consists of three brown-stone slabs five feet,
nine inches high, w ith base five feet eight inches by three feet eight inches and
weighs T,50O jjounds. On the front of the upper slab is the following in-
scription :

A' ear This Spot
U'asliiugton Crossed I he Dclanvre,

On Christmas Night, 1776,

The Eve of the Battle of Trenton.

Hist. Soc. Bucks Co. Erected, 1895.

On the same day tb.e "Xew Jersey Society of the Cincinnati" erected a
•bronze tablet on tlie east bank of the Delaware to mark tb.e spot where the
army disembarked. Tlie occasion was one of great interest.

Brownsburg, four miles higher up the river, had two small houses,
one stone, the other wood. 1790; belonging to ^.J.ahlon Doane, uncle of Thomas
Belts, \\ho owned the surrounding property. He lived a mile west of the
ferry, his brollier Joel occupying the log, and Joseph Dubree, haniessmaker,
the stone house. There was probably no tavern then at the ferry. Down to
i8r(;-i:? there were still but two houses, a frame, probably on the spot occu- j

.iiied b\- the log tweiiiy years before, and the stone. The frame belonged to |

Jlarman IMichener, who lived in one end, and kept a small store in the oth.er. J

but the stone house was not occcupied. About tliis time David Livczey built j

a tiivorn down at the ferry. Brownsburg, containing a tavern, store and a few i

dwellings, was itirnierly called "Peljbletown," but received its present name 5

from Slacy J'.rown. He got the post-office established there, 1827; was ap-
poiritcd postmaster and held the commission to his death. ]

The hamlet of Jericho, on the southeast slope of Jericho hill, was founded ^

1)V lerenii.iii Cooper, known in his day both as "Lying Jerry," and "Prating j

brry. " lie was I,>'irii, iji.iO, probably in Falls, and, 1795 bought tliree acrci. |

of lohn I l;iNhurst., built a house upon it and took to wife Mary, daughter of j

M:di!on !)M:uie. the father of Brownsburg. He gathered enough mountain j

lioulders upon his In to fence it iji. A century ago the hill was called tlie i

"1 ireal bills," and tl'.e lianiiet "Kaylnian's." Cooper was a carpenter by trade. I

lie was susj)ected of assisting in tlie ri.'bbery of the County Treasury and \^cnt j

awa>' until the exciteinem b!t-v/ over, lb- admitted that ho accidentally came ,|

tqion a partv 01 men, coimiing a large amount of money on a coverlet, but tiie I

evidence again>t him v.a^ n<a stnMig enough to cause his arrest. On the old j

Tomlinson farm, urw owned by Heity Ann William-;, near the Eagle, and a ^

j'ew feet north of M. Hall's line, is a head->tone said to mark the grave of j

John Tomlinson. who ;..>si>tcd the Doanes in the rolibery of the County 'i'reas- j

iiry, at Newtown, i7"^i- lie is said to have beeen a Tory. Tradition tolls us j

.ho was advise<l tu bide and for a time kept hinisolf concealed, but was finally |

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 467

caught, convicted and hanged and buried as stated. Ii is said the wahmt tree
jiear his grave has been frequently struck by Ughtning, and that liowers that
bitMni but once in a ciiunry have Liioomed over Tomlinson's grave. Uther
nuinbers of the family are said to be buried at the same place. Two graves
cmly, are marked.

Among the aged persons who have died in Upper Makefield were John
Kr.oules, .March i, 1817, in his eighty-eighth year, leaving ten children, lifty-
oiglu grand-children, and twenty-nine great-grandchildren. He was probably
a grandson of the first Knowles who settled in the township, and Airs. Jemima
Howell, who died February 13, 1S25, aged ninety-nine years, eleven months
and nineteen days. In the winter of 1870, a negro woman died in the neigh-
boring township of Lower JMaketield, at the age of one hundred and live.

1 he earliest enumeration of taxables in Upper Makefield is that of 1732,
when there were but fifty-seven, all told. This was four years before the town-
ship was organized, but it appears that Makefield, whicli included both town-
ships, had been divided into "lower division," and "upper division" some time
before for the convenience of collecting taxes, etc. In 1742, but fifty-eight tax-
ables were returned, of whom seven were single men. That year the town-
ship rate was 3d., and single men paid 9s. each. In 1754, the taxables were
79; in 1762, 108, and in 1763, 97. In 17S4 the township contained 792 white
inhabitants, and 5 blacks, with 1 17 dwellings; iSio, 1,271; 1820, 1,367; 1S30,
1,517 inhabitants and 314 taxables; 1840, 1,490; 1850, 1,741 ; i860, 1,955; 1870,
2,o6';i, of which 210 wtrc colored, and 227 foreign-born; 1880, 1,470; 1890,
1,236;^ 1900, 1,143.

Upper Makefield is a river township, its eastern shore being washed by
the Delaware its entire length, and on the land side is boinided by Solebury,
iJuckingham, \\'rightstown. Newtown and Lower Makefield. On the east-
ern side, a ridge of hills broken here and there, runs from nortli tO south nearly
parallel to the river. In the northern part of Jericho mountain' runs almost
across the township, pushing up broken spurs at the eastern end that unite
with similar spurs from Bowman's hill. In other parts the township is diver-
sified with gentle swells, intervening dells, and stretches of nearly level sur-
face. About the Jericho range are some cozy little valleys, while from Ih.e t'-'p
the eye takes in a wide expanse of cultivated country, following tlie windings
of the river several miles. Hough's creek in the south, Knowles' creek in the
middle, and Pidcock's creek in the north, with their numerous branches, sup-
jily an abundance of water. All these creeks empty into the Delaware, toward
\s Inch all the water of the township flows. In 178S the commissioners of Penn-
sylvania and Xew Jersey confirmed to this township liarvey's upper, and
Lownc's Islands.

They, who gave Jericho hill its Biblical name, little dreamed it would be-
ci:)me associated, in tlie future, with a religious incident of romantic interest.
In the Fall of 1894. fnur or five monks came to old Jericho, 1)uilt a Priory^ on
its summit, a long one-story frame structure with a cross, containing slcepin.g
cells, a rcfectorv anil small chapel. The monks made a roadway up the rocky
hill and about the Priory, built a rustic fence, of saplings, whose gate wa?
surmoimted by a cross. They prayed and fasted ; wore the garb of the Bene-

R Thc<c hi!;- r.rc tlio "moniitniii"' ran.uc alung tin- fnrit '■>• which th.e liiio of Willi.iin
Pciin's first purcluise ra;i in its conr=c southwest, from ".T corner spruce tree, marked with
tlie Icuer P.. to a onicr white f.ak, standing near llic patii that leads to an Indian town
called Plnvwiokev"

468 HISTORY Of BUCKS COUNTY.

dictiiK monk of old ; their licads were shorn, their feel protected by sandals,
and wore the .Cfo-.vn and cowl, la Summer, life had its compensation, in
winter, iti jirivnij. m and physical pain, for no fire warmed their cold cells,
lighted by narrinv windows. The founding of the order was the work
Bi^llop Potter, of the Protestant church, to revive in the nineteenth centurv
tlie monasticism of old. 'The order was known as the "Community of Saint
]iened;cl." It spranj^ from the motlier of the church, and was instituted by
Bishop Potter in St. Chrysostom's chapel. Trinity Church, New York, 1S94.
Kusse! Whitcomb, a young Bostonian of culture, and successful in business,
took upon himself the vows of the order and became prior. After an experi-
ence in conducting a Priory in the tenement districts, New York, the monks
came to Falls township, Bucks county, and occupied an old farm house offered
tliem without cost, llere they established a home for orphans and crippled
children, gave up their names and became "Fathsrs of the Coinimunity of Saint
]Jenedict." Some, finding the life too austere, abandoned the order, the others
removing to Jericho the Autumn of the year they came into the county. When
the cold weather came on, it was decided to abandon the Monastery on Jericho,
for what reason unknown, when Russel Whitcomb, who was known as
"Faiher Hugh" went to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where Bishop Grafton pre-
sided, to pursue the same religious work he had taken up in Bucks county.
After the monks had departed the Priory was torn down, and the top of old
Jericho was given o\er to its former solitude and the bark of the fox and
mournful call of the owl. The people of the community lived in harmony
with their strange neighbors, being particularly interested in Father Hugh.
Despite his shorn head and garb, he Mas a very handsome, prepossessing man,
quite young, and, in former years, had been the companion of men of learning
ar.d social distinction.

A considerable portion of the Continental army found shelter among the
river hills of Upper iMakefield, immediately preceding the attack on Trenton,
December 26, 1776, and Washington had his headquarters at a quiet farm
house in the shadow of Jericho hill, and that band of patriots embarked from
IVkkefiekls's shore on the desperate venture that turned the tide of the Revo-
iniionnry contest.

In Upper l\Iakefield on the farm owned by John ^I. Darrah, stands the
original I-Iastburn cherry tree, with a few live branches still bearing fruit. The
cherry is cultivated quite extensively in the surrounding neighborhood.

^ J

yy

1/ 1,^

^' ■/' 1 ^ ,.J^^"' \ PART or WEST

^./,-^r»-'"" 1.^^ NEW JERSEY.

CH^VPTBR

THE WALKIXG PURCHASE.

iTsr.

Indians dissatisfied. — First purchase. ibSz. — Treaty of i6S6. — Treaty of i/S7- — PreHniin.iry
walk. — Course and distance. — Steele's letter to Smith. — Great walk arranged. — Mar-
shall, et al. — The starting. — .Monunitnt erected. — -Jennings and Yeates give out.- — iJis-
tance walked. — ilead line drawn.^The walk 'and the Indians. — Terms of treaty. —
About treaty of lOSo. — Treaty of 1718. — The Charles Thomson map, — The exact
starting place. — Location of chestnut tree. — Testimony of witnesses.- — Fairness of the
walk. — Testimony of the Chapman family. — Location of Spruce tree. — Towsisnick. —
Head line of purchase, 1682. — Solomon Jennings. — Edward Marshall. — His wife
killed.— His death.— .Marshall's rifle,

Xo event in the early history of the county gave so much dissatisfaction
to tlic Indians and led to severer criticism of the Pcnns than the "Walking
i'lirchase."' This was tinder the treaty of 1737, \vhich confirmed to the Pro-
prietaries all that part of Bucks county above a line drawn from the Nesliam-
iny through the lower part of Wright.itown to the Delaware at the mouth of
Knowles' creek. V\'e ]3in-pose, in this chapter, to give an account of this ccle-
bratetl purchase and tlie way it wa.s carried out.

The first purcliasc of land in this county of the Indians, as already stated,
was in 10S2, by William ^Nlarkhani. This embraced all the territory between
the Xeshaminy and the Delaware as high up as Wrightstown and Ujiper
Makeneld. after I'cnn's arrival he purchased the land lying between the
Pennypack and the Xeshaminy. The next treaty is said to have been made
August 30, 16S6, although such treaty, or 'deed, has never been found, by
which the Indians conveyed to Peim all the land above the upper line of the
treaty of 16S2, extending as far in.land "as a nian can go in one day and a
half," to be bound oit the west by tlie Xeshann'ny, and on the cast by the Dela-
ware. After this treaty while settlers established themselves in considerable
ntmilK-r on tlie lower part of the purchase, and .some settled in the country
about the L.ehigh. I'he Indians, becoming uneasy at these encroachinents.
de>ircil to have the limits of the treaty of 16S6 marked by definite metes and
boini'ls. Thev liad several meetings with the Proprietaries to carry otit its
provisions. The fir<t was held at Diudiani, 1834,' continued at Pennsbury,

r This hi-toric event took plaix- ni the meadows along Durham creek some lime in
Oclolicr, 1734. See letter of James Lof;an to the Proprietaries, Penna. .\rchive3. Series H,
Vol. 7, pages iS:;-i8,5,

4/3 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTV.

May, 1/35, a"^ concliukd at I'liiladeljAia, August 25, 1737. At these meet-
int;>. or treaties, the limits of tiie tract described in the treaty of 16S6 was coii-
firnied, and it \sas agreed the nijrthern boundary should be determined by
walking a day and a half in a northwest directinn from a point in the head
hne of the jmrchase of 1682.

To ascertain hnw far the wallc could be made to extend, the Proprietaries
caused a preliminary walk to be nuide while the treaty of 1737 was in negotia-
tion. This was arranged in J'hiladelphia about April. 1735, by Timothy
Smith, sheritt of Ducks county, and John Chapman. They were to procure
three persons, "who can travel well," to be accompanied by two others on
horseback, with provisions and to assist them on their return. To show the
anxiety to have the trial walk before the treaty was concluded, we need but
quote the letters of James Steel. Receiver-General under Thomas Peon, who
wrote to Timothy Smith the 25th of .-\pril, 1735 : '"The Proprietaries are im-
patient to know what progress is made in traveling over the land that is to
be settled in the ensuing treaty that is to be held with the Indians at Penns-
bury, on the fifth day of the ne.xt month, and therefore I now desire thee,
without delay, to send down an account of what has lieen done in that affair,"
and, on the 29th of the same moiiih, he again wrote to Smith and John Chap-
man : "The I'roprietaries are very much concerned that so much time hath
been lost before you begin the work recommended so earnestlv at vour leav-
ing Pluladelpliia, and it being so very short before the meeting at Pennsbury,
the 5th of next month, that they now desire that upon the return of Joseph
Doane. lie, together witli^two other persons who can travel well, sh.ould be
immediately sent on foot on the day and a half journey, and two others on
horseback to carry necessary prr)\-isions for them, and to assist them in their
return home. The time is now so far spent that not one moment is to be
lost; and as soon as tlic-y have traveled the dav and and a half journey, the
Proprietaries desire tliat a messenger may be sent to give them account with-
out any delay, how far that day and a half traveling will reach up the coun-
try.'' .Steel promised tlie Proprietaries would "generously reward" Ihose who
engage! in this Inisiness.

The ]iartics started on the ]irelimir]ary walk the 22d of April, 1735, and
occupied nine days. J.^'lm Cha]inian went along in the capacity of surveyor,
and from John \\'ril.='in's note-book, who ma}" have been of the party, we
olitain \\\c courses and distances, as follows: "From Wrightstown, where the
first Indian purchase came to, to Plumstead, is a little to the iiortli of the
iiorih\vcst along the road.- nine or ten miles, and tlic several courses of the
road from Plumstead to Catatuning hill,-''- is northwest eight miles to the head
of Perkiomen l)ranch, iKjrthwest by north four miles to Stokes's meadow,'
north one mile by the f'ld draught, northwest bv north sixteen miles to the
\\'e-t 1 '.ranch,'' thence by the same north thirty chains, norllv-northwest
twenty-t'ive chains. n..rihwest six dilto, north ninety ditto, north-norlhv.est
oiie lunidred and seventeen ditto, north seventy-four ditto, north-northeast
thirty ditto, and noriluvest by north four hundred chains to the iiKvantain?."'
The trees were blazed through the woorls so the route could be followed at
tb.c subsequent walk. As the Penns caused this walk to 1)C made without the
knowlei'.gc of the Indians, our readers are alile to judge of the morality of
the act. .

2 IV.'liably Diiri.Hii! Ru.iil. .5 AppJcbrL-lisvillc.

J' J K.iyciick itiuiinl;iiii. 4 l.cliigh.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

473

liniiK'diati-Ix- the treaty cn" .the 25th nf Auiyiist. 1737. had been conchuled.
Steel aetitiainted Tintothy Smith of the fact, and asked him, in the name 01
"Our I'rojirietor. to speak to that man ut the tliiee which traveled and held
out the best when they walked over the land bofnre. to attend that service at
tl'.c lime mentioned, when Solomon Jenniiii^'S is expected to join and travel
the day and a half with him." Smith and rha]iman were bcitli expected to
accompany the walk, and the fcirmer was to prLi\\de needful jirovisions. The
time lixed for the walk, under the treaty, was the iJtli (jf September, but as
the Supreme Court, and Quarter Sessions of liucks connt\- v.'.iuld both be in
-ession then, it was postponed to tlie iQth. The preliminaries were all arranged
in advance, and Erlward 3.1arshall, James "^'eates and Soinnum Jennings, all
famous walkers, and no doubt one of them '"that man which held out the
best" in the trial walk, were em])loye(l by the Proprietaries to make the walk.
It was agreed the Indians slunild send several of their young men along to
see that the thing was fairlv (k>ne. The walkers were promised £5 in money
and live hundred acres of kind, but Marshall always niaintained that he never
rccei\'ed an\' rennineraticn. The ]ilace of starling was fixed at a large chest-
nut tree that stood in the Ci^rner of the field where the road from PennsviHe
nioi'ls the Thirhaui riiad, near the ^^'^igl1tstln\•n meeting-house. Tliis tree
was selected because it was a well-known point, and near the nurthcrn boutid-
nrv of the Markham ]")urcl"iase. Tlie walkers were accompanied by several
persons on horseback, and ]jruvisions were carried for them.

A number of persons had assembled at the [ilacc of starting. iMarshal!,
Yeates, ;md Jennings siockI with their hands u])on the chestnut tree, and,
as the sun slitiwod his face ab'ive the horizon, ihe word was g!\-en bv Sherifi
Smith, and ihev siarled. ljiii(.ie..l by tlie conipas.-. iluy walked in as ilirecl a
line as tiie ohsiructions would ]KTmit. some of the way being on the bed of
the l^urham road. Bets were made on the speed of ttie walkers. Yeates led
tb.c wav with a light stcj), and next to him. hut some way l>ehind, came Jen-
nings and two of tlie Indiari walkers, and Marshall came last, far behind
Jennings, swinging a hatchet in his hand, and walking in a careless manner.
'J iiey reached Red Idill.^'- in P.edminsier. in tun and a h:ili hoiu's, and took
dinner in the meadow near Wilson's, an Indian trader on Duihani creek, suj'.-
pi.'sed to h;ive been about where the oM furnace stood. They crossed the
Lehigh a mile below lletbleliem. at which is now Jones" island, and passed the
Itlue moiuitains at .^mith"s gap'. Moore townsiii]). Xnrtham])ton comity, and
that night slept nn the north side of the_ mountain. The walk was resumed
the next da\- at sunrise, audi th.e cxtrcmest point reached at twelve, M., wdien
Marsliall, wliri rdouc hel-l <-\:\. threw himself at length on the ground, and
grasiied a sapling which marked the end of ilie line. Ji'nnings first gave out,
two miles north of the Toliicki'ii, ab^nt ten or eleven ei'cloek of the first da\',
and tb.en lagged on liehind in tiie company of th.e cmdon.s. lie left them oii
the l.ehigh. and returned to his home above P.ethleheni, but never recovered
Iris lualth. ^'eates. who fell in the creek at the foot of the mountain the morn-
ing of the seconil day. was fjnite blind when taken up. and lived luit three
da.vs. Marshall lived to the age of ninet\'. and died in Tinicmn. The walk i>

4''. On S;.trr(l:iy. .^cptiMiJ'er .!_\ n>-io, ,t imu;f'ri:il laliUt «:iv dfilie.-iteil ik-:ir l\o
Hill, (O'.t^vilK) lit ihiiiii-tL-r ■.r;\vii-hi;i. i.t i.-iinnu-iii'.niu- tbi- u'rea! u.dlc nf iS."- 't u:'
tl'.e \(i},'\ ;inii!ver-..iry. Tlic \v;ilker> pa^-scd nenr ihc- place. Cliarle- I.aiiliaeli Durhriiu lU
livi-rod a ^MUat)K- adiln--. 'Ilu- ru in.irial' \\a~ iho v;ill of J. W. l-.iinry. aiul iieiud a
lli^ cspen-e.

474 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

sail! to have foUowcd an Indian path that k'd from the hinUiny-groiinds of
tlic Su.-qiichannas down t" thic Dchuvarc near Bristol, the same which the
Indians followed on their visits to I'enn at I'ennsbitry. 'J'lie Indians showed
their dissatisfaction at the manner in which the walk was cotidncted, and left
the party before A h.ad been concluded. It is said they frciiucntly called upon
tlie walkers not to rnn. The distance walked, according to the measnrenicnts
we have, was sixtv-one and one-fourth miles. Nicholas Scull says it was
tifi\-live statute miles, while some estimate the distance as great as eighty-six
miles. 'Idle fojlowing cnirses anrl distances were discovered during our in-
vestigations, and purported to be those of the walk of 173", but beyond this
we cannot vouch for them :

Xo. r — X. 34 degrees \\"., 13's miles.

Xo. 2 — X. 19 degrees \\'.. 3'^4 miles.

Xo. 3 — X. 37 degrees W"., 14' s miles I'o Lehigh river 32JS miles.

Xu. 4 — X. 06 degrees \\'.. 3^4 miles.

.\'o. 5 — X. 31 degrees \\'.. 8'j miles.

Xo. () — X. 35.30 degrees W'., S miles.

Xo; 7 — .V. 30 degrees \\'.. 9 miles.

Total, Tii '4 miles. A day and a half's walk.

When the walkers had readied the furthest point po.ssible to the north-
west, from the place of starting at W'rightslown, it remained to run the line
t!< tl'.e Delaware. This the Indians expected would be drawn in a direct line
to the ri\er at the nearest point, but instead it was run at right-angles to the
line of tb.e walk, and struck the river at or near the Laxawaxen. These lines
embraced all the land within the I'orks of Delaware, the celebrated 3>lini.sink
slats, aiid in fact all the land worth anything south of the lllue inountains.
This also included territory that belemged to the Minsi Indians which the
Delawares had no right to convey. This northern line had not been fixed by
the treatv, which left it o]5en for the I'enns u-> make ih.eir own selection of the
course. Thev are accused of intentionally including in the ]nirchase all the
good lands south of the lUue mountains. The southwesterly line of the piu'-
chasc is the line Ijctween Bucks and .Montgomery counties, or nearly so. It
it said, in extenuation of the cou'luct of the F'roprietaries, that it was tb.e intent
of the deed to run the northwesterly line from the ijoint where that from tlK-
white oak marked \'. strikes the Xesbaminy. up the most westerly branch, ci
that stream to its utmost limit, then in a straigb.t line back into the woods as
far as a man could ,go in a day anda half. In thi- earlier deeds of pmxhase,
where the same or similar words are used to signify the line that was to run
back into the country, it was meant to be :il righl-aT\gles |o the general course
of the river from Xew Castle t.. tlie bend .above IVnnsbury. anel was so run
when these lines came to be .surveyed. The general curse of tlie river is from
•1 irtlieast to southwest, hence the southwesterly line of the inirchase from the
•itmost limit of the westerly liranch of the Xesb.aminy must be northwesterly,
the direction the line was run l)y the Surveyor-rieneral. Mr. luistburn. Wh'-n
he came ti> run the b.ead-line be c^msidered it but just and reasonaljle that it
should be at ri,ght-angles to the Sduth-wesu-rly line, and it was so run. Tiie
(jnantiiv of laiul embraced in the purcba.-e was abuut five hundred tlmusand
acres. Tames Steel wmte to l.etitia .\ubre\. in Nnwmber, 1737. that it re-
((uired about four ihi>s 10 v,;i1k fn-m tlie upi>er end of the da\ -and-a-lialf'.-'
lourney, and "'that al'ter ibey cros>ed the great ridge <<i mountains tliey .saw
verv little good or even tolerable land" lit for settlement."

This walk gave great dissatisfaction to the Indians, and was the subject

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUXTY.

475

<ii much controvcr>y. Il was maiiily the nccasinn o\ the .i;(.'iKTal lii'Han coun-
cil at ILaslon, 175*1. wIktc the niatuf was fully (liscu.sM.'d. The two main
causes of coniplaini vcrc. tirst. that the walk should have been made up aliiiij:^
the Delaware, and second, that it was nut fairly made, ihat the walkers walked
too fast, and loo constantly, hut should have sinjijici! occasionallv to shocit
game, smoke and eat. As to the first cause of complaint the Indians had no
case. 'File deerl of purchase says, e.\ijressly. thai the iini.-.hinL;' and cliisint;'
line of the honnd.-iry shall he down the l^elaware, 1j> its si.\eral ci'Ur>es. to the
])lace of beginning- at the spruce tree. The exact >i")t in begin the walk was
left optional with the conlracl'ng parties, but it was intended tij be at some
jiuint toward the western e.xtremiiy of the head-line of the purchase of lOSj.
'Jherc was nothing'- to prevent llxing tlie point of ^ta^ting■ where the lieadHne
crosses the Xeshaniiny, but W'rightstown w-as probaljly selected l-.ecause it was
ci '!i\ enient, and on a ]niblic highway. Xow- as to the unfairness nf ii'.e walk.
!!y the terms of llie treat\- the purchase was tn extend a> far back intn the
w-(>(uls "as a mail can i^i> in one Ja\ and a half." Tlie agreement wa.i clear
»md explicit, and the Proprietaries were only carrying- out tlie treaty. The
w.'dk was intended to be just what was provided for, a real. earne.--i. llU.-ines.^
aflaii-, and not an idle walk w-ithoui object. There was nnthing in the terms
of the treat}- that conlined the men. to i^-alkin^, w-lio could lia\e gone at a fa--ter
gait haiJ they been so disposed, but there is no evidence that they wen: fii>ier.
The conditions oi th.e deed were ])r<ibably hard for the Indians, and they may
have been overreached in the treat) of 1737, but when the Proprietaries ean.e
to have the terms of the purchase carried cait, the\- cla nicd no more thiun th.ey
were entitled to. "As far as a man can go in a day and a half." back into
the w-oods was to l)e the limit of tlie inirchnse. At tlie time, the Indians made
no objection to beginning- tlie walk at \\'rig-lUstow-n, Init this as a cause of coni-
j)Iaint was an afterthought when tiny realized the ([uantity of land embraced
in llic purchase. The witnesses all testify that tin- walk was fairly mad.e in
eighteen hours, \n ilh the necessarv intermissions for i.ine niglit's rest, and
meals.

There is serious rjuestion w-lietr.cr there ever was any treaty of i6Si'i.
After L'enn's deatli a document wa.s f<-iuiid amoiig Ids ])ai)ers. in luiglrmil,
whicli was eudiirsed "Cojiy t>f the la.^l Indian ])Urehase." It was not an attested
ci'jiy, and tlie hand.w-riting- of tiie endorsement w-a.s not known. The "Report
of riuuicil" on the subject of the complaints of the Indians, made 175!^. states
that the ]iaper found was in tiie hand.writing of Phili|i Thleluiman, then a note I
clerk in llie oftices of the Secretary, and land-oftlce. who died. 111X7. Tlie
rejiort further stales that the endorsement was by Thomas Holme, aUo th.ai
meiiticjii was made in an ancient diary eif William Markham's, that he and
Holme treated with the Delaware Indians for the ])iirchase of the lands in th.e
lorks of Delaware just before the date of tlie ilecd in I'.iSi). There was never
any attempt to i^rove the deed J:)y calling tiie persons who witnessed it; and th.e
onI\- ])erson;d evidence is th.'it of William ililes and Joscpli W !• h1, wlio <!,.•-
dared they remembered a treaty b.-Uig lieid, bill did iio; know lliat a deed had
been executed. The place wheif i!k- iri-aiy wa^ niai.le is not nieiiiioned anv-
wlierr. .\l the treat) at I-iaston, X"-cember. 175(1. Teedvuscung. chief of the
1 )i.l:r.vare>. deiionncvd the diced of uC^o a for.i;er\. and .-aid that the lar.d ai
tile l-'orlcs had bien taken from him by fraud.

In all the- negoliat'.oiw. lonching the <leed of loS'.. and its aiiirmati'.'n, no
menllou is made of the d.eeil of i-|,>s executed ai I'inl.'idelphia. The cliieis
of tile Delaware lndian> imaginin- iliev had iioi Ijcen ]iaid for ail th.eir Innd.s,

4/0

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

a ininilitT nf thcni came U) I'hilaiKliiliia. in 17 iS, to dcniand what was iluu
lliciii. Tlu-ir C(ini]ila:iit was lu-aril in cunncil. and a g'reat mimber of deeds tliey
had iinvicjiisly made with the I 'r( 'prietarx were presented. They were satis-
lied from the deeds that they had been jiaid for their lands from Duck creek
( at the head of Delaware bay), to near the I'lirks of Delaware, ami executed a
release for all those lands and of all demands whatsoever, on accoimt of pur-
chases l)et\veen these jioints. This deed was executed the 17th of September.
I7]S. anil embraced all tlic land between Duck creek and the South ^lountain.
This lreat\-. and ih.e deed under it. appears to have settled all contrtwersy lie-
tween the Proprietary and th.e Indians ilown to tliat period. 'J"he deed of
iC^SO does not ajipear to have been mentioned in this transaction, or, if it were,
this new deed was thought to cover the purchase ]irovided by it. The terms
of the deed are : ■■\\"e therefore, in g-ratitude for said jjrescnts, as well in
consideration of the several grants made by our ancestors and i)redecessors, as
of the said several griods herein before mentioned, the recei[)t whereof wc do
Itereliv ackni 'wiedge. d'l. by these jiresents. for us. otn- heirs and successors,
grant and remi.-e. release and fore\er quit claim unto the said William Penn.
his heirs and assigns, all the said lands situated between the said two rivers
of Delav.are and Susquchaniia from Duck creek to the mountains on this side
Leechas." etc. The map. acconijiaiiNing "Charles Thomson's Inqtiiry," and
drawn in J751J. -Iimws the "Leechay hills" stretching away from near the mouth
of the Lehigh to tlic Susquehanna, above the mouth of Concstoga creek. The
luaj) has various Indian [ntrchascs marked out ui)on it, and among them is that
which "describes the lands granted by the Indians' walking sale, as lately
w.'dkcd out b\- ^\'. Peason, containing three huridred and tliirty thousand
acres." The line begins at the Xeshaminy where that fnim tlie spruce tree
strikes that creek, and which it follows up to the "l.eccha}' hills," thence along
these hills to the Delaware, and down the same to the spruce tree. When was
tb.is waikeil out an>! what for? The deed of 1718 confirms the purchase of
;i!l uf llucks county aliovc the purchase of 1682. It leaves no room for doubt.
I'rom it we learn tliat the Delaware Indians had no title to lands south of the
l.ehiL'.li. and the Pmjtrietary bad no right to claim the lands north of that
ri\er. ."^o far as the deed of 1718 is considered, it seems to have adjusted all
dilTerences belweer, the Projirietary and Indians that had grown up under
pre\iiius di'cds. In 17J7. when some persons wanted to take u]j lands in il:e
.\linisink-. jtimes I.'^gan wrote John Watson, the stirveyor of I'.ucks county, t"
prevent it; nor would he permit land to be surveyed four miles abo\e Durham.
■ 'U the gruund thai it had not yet Ijeen ]iurchased of the Indians. The Indians
Were a L;n. m1 deal jircynked liecause Thomas I'enn caused a numlier of tracts to
be surveyed in the horks nf Delaware tnider his lottery scheme. T733-.V4-
.se'.eral (if which were taken u]i and >etllei! uprMi.

'I h'.Te h,i^ l;ee\i ci lUsiderable cmUri i\ers\ as In the exact p'lint from which
the walkers started on the morm'ng- of the lOth of ."-September, 1737. Some
contend that the chesiimt tree st^od below W'rightr-town meeting-house, while
there are nut wanting those wli'i beliew it was .as low down, as Xewtown. .\
winiiss iif that ]ier!iid, T-liomas Jar.ney, .stated th.it he saw ^'e.iles, lennings.
and Marshall pa->s through .Vewtnwii ■ in the ilreat Walk; while Srmu'.e!
I'resti.n -i.iies tlia.i Mar.-h.all rela.ted in him an acoimt nf his great w;dk from
['.vi.-iMJ til "'.Stiihsater." < )f eom-.-e there is im truth in these statements, sn
f;!r as the walk i>l 1 737 is cnncerned. ( )ne sinipU- f.iet is suliicient to contr<>ven
these statements, ili.i; il-.e w;dk wa-'tn ^lart f ri .m the head line <jf the \)W-
ch.ase I'f I'i8j, whii.h r.an f ri mi th.e n;i'Uth nf K'nnwle>' creek, in Upper Make-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 477

field, through the Inwer end of Wrightstown to the Xcshamiiiv. It is not
pro'iable that the Proprietaries would begin the walk several miles below the
line tlxed upon, and thus reduce the extent of the purchase. Nevertheless we
\sili bring a few witnesses upon the stand and let them tell what they know
about the starting^ point.

Amonsj those who accrimpanied the walkers, was Thomas Furness. a
saddler of Xewlown. wiio had learned the particulars of what was to take place
of James Yeatcs, one of the walkers. He went to the place of starting- on the
morning in question, "at a chestnut tree, vcar the turning out of the road from
Vv.rham road to John Chapniau's," who lived on the road from Wrightstown
meeting-house to Pennsville. They had gone vvhen he arrived, but, ])ushing
on, he overtook them before reaching Ruckingham, and continued with them
to the end. He was probably on horseback. Besides fixing the place of start-
ing, Furness gives some incidents of the walk. He states that the Indians left
the afternoon of the first day. being dissatisfied with the manner in which the
walk was made. The first day twelve hours were walked, and it was twilight
some time before th.cy stopped to give them the exact time, that they had a
piece of rising ground to ascend and that he called out to them to "pull up,"
\\hicii they did, and that when he said the time was out, Marshall clasped liis
arms about a saf)p!ing for support, and. on the sheriff asking what was the
matter, he said he was "almost gone, and could not have walked many polls
further." Tliey lodged in the %voods that night, and could hear the Indians
shouting at a cantico which they held in a town near by. Before the Indians
left tile walkers, thev complained of the unfairness of the walk, that the
walkers would pass all the good land and it was not worth while for them to go
anv further. The Indians refused to resume the walk the ne.xt morning. As
the parties returned from the walk, coming near the Indian town, an Indian
made a hostile demonstration with a gun, but he did nothing further. Joseph
Knowles. a nephew of Sherift Smith and living with him at the time, acconi-
])aiiied him on the walk, to carrv provisions, and was also present at tlie pre-
]iminar\- walk and assisted to blaze the trees. In a public statement made
many \earo aftcrvi-ard, he agrees with Furness as to the place of starting,
which, he says, was "at John Chapman's corner, at Wrightstown." John Chap-
man, who owned the land on which the tree stood, accompanied the walk, and
his grand-nephew. Edward Chapman, wIio was hnni, and died in the township
at the age of ninety-one, had a recollection of the chestnut tree, which blew
down about 1765. He said the tree stood where located by his uncle, on the
south side of the Pennsville road where it strikes the Durham road, now in a
corner of the Wrightstown meeting property. Steel writes to Nichcilas Scull,
2Sth of August, 1737. requesting him and John Chapman to run the head-line
of the purchase of 16S:?, from the Delaware to Neshaniiny, and he sent the
Indian deed to Scull, to aid them in running it. Tlie Proprietaries wanted this
done because '"from the second course or line from the spruce tree, the day-and-
a-half journey is to begin." Xo doubt this line, which crossed the Durham
road about where the chestnut tree stood, was re-run. and the tree fixed upon
as the starting point, because it was a well-known land-mark. Scull, aftcr-
w.ird surveyor-general, in a s\vorn statement made before the Provincial Coun-
*■"''> '757. ^•i.^'S he acci.>nipaiiietl the wall:, that besides himself were Benj.imin
llaslburn. Surveyor-Cjeneral. and Timothy Smith, Sheriff of the countv. tliat
ti;c distance was al)0ut fifty-five statute miles, that they walked eighteen hours,
and that it was f;iiriy (li'ne. that the m'ght after the walk was completed, he
and luastburn and s-juk- uilu-rs .-lai.l at an Indian town called I'oahopohkunk,

47S HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

where there were many Delaware Indians, among whom was one known as
Captain Harrison, a noted man anio'n.c: them, but lie did not remember that lie
or any other Indians complained of anv unfairness in the matter, that the men
walked, but did not run, and the walk was begun at a place near Wrig-hts-
town.^ There is a discrcjDancy among the witnesses in regard to eating on the
road, some of them saying tliat the ^■icLU.-ils were served to the men while they
walked, others that tliey halted at noon for dinner, and of course breakfasted
before starting in the morning, and ate supper after they stopped in the even-
ing. After the walk was made surveyors were sent to mark out the tract in-
cluded in the purchase, which enabled the authorities to fill up the lines left
blank in the treaty.*^

The traditional and other testimony of the Chapman family of Wrights-
town should be sufficient to fix the starting point at the chestnut tree without
question. Edward Chapman, who died about 1853 at the age of ninety-.one, said
tlie cheshmt tree stood in the field lately pwned by Alartha Chapman at the
southwest corner where the Pennsville road comes into the Durham road and
then belonged to John Chapman, the surveyor. Edward went to school in a
house that stood near by, and said he had swung upon the branches after it was
blown or cut down. The author was told by John Knowles, sexton of the
Wriglitstown meeting, and a resident of the neighborhood for over forty years,
thai Edward Chap.mr.n pointed out to him the stump of the chestnut tree in
the corner of what is now I^Iartha Chapman's field. Abraham Chapman, the
brother of John, the surveyor, lived on the Durham road near where the
chestnut tree stood, was married 1715 ^ind had a family of six sons and two
daughters, John, the eldest, born in 17 16, and Joseph, the youngest, 1733, all
born prior to the Great Walk. Several were old enough, and, no doubt were
present at the starting, and had a distinct recollection of it. Some of th.em,
father and sons, held positions of trust — members of Assembly, justices of
the peace, and one Trustee of the loan-oftice, and all men of undoubted intecr-
rity and veracity. Many of their children lived to an advanced age, and died.
in the memory of persons recently living, and the children of others deceased
convQrsed with them on the subject, and they all unhesitatingly declared the
starting point was the chestnut tree that stood on the corner where the r^nd
from Pennsville joins the Durham road. They must have often heard their
father and uncles .speak of the matter, and, being born and brought up on tlie

.=; In tlic early history of tlie connty, the townstcad in this township was known hy
the name of Wrightstnwn. and no doubt surveyor-general Easlburn makes this reference
wliri; lie .says the walk "becran at a place near Wrightstown."

6 The controversy, a' to the point of beginning the Indian "Walking rurchase. ' ■ :
17,'". Ii3s not entirely subsided, despite the conclusive testimony in our text. Mr. Bi!e<
says it did actually begin a few yards above Wrightstown meeting house, instead of be!"'.v
it at the Newtown township line, as given on Benjamin Eastburn's map of the w.i!k.
Among those who believed the walk began at the chestnut tree, a part of which is sti'I
standing on the farm now belonging to Joshua Tomlinson. just south of the \Vrightsto\i :i
mooting house, was the late Dr. Phincas Jenks, Mcwtown. He was born in 1781, duiir-r
the life of some who had taken part in the walk, and heard it much talked about in n.s
youth. In a recent letter from Geo. A. Jenks, son of Dr. Phincas, and written to t.it
author, he states his father had often pointed out to him the tree below the meeting hou--.
and said that Yates, Jennings and Marshall started from it on the walk. We give '.h-^
evidence because the witness is credible; but do not tliir.k '.bo testimony strong enoi'--">
to f'-iin'^av that in the text.

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 479

spot, their oi>portunity of obtaining correct informatinii could scarce be
equalled. Some of thcni fixed the spot n'lore particularly as a little west of the
northwest corner of the graveyard.

The Bucks County ""Historical Society, i8.%, erected a fitting monument
to mark the starting jioint in the Walking Purchase. Action was first taken
at the Quarterly meeting, held at Wrightstown, July 31, 1S83, at which a com-
mittee was appointed to carry out its views. It was composed of John Cooper,
Mrs. Cynthia A. Holcomb. Eleazer F. Church, IMiss Annie Scnrboro, Thomas
C. Kno'wle?, and George C. I'.lackfan, who were instructed "te wait upon the
present owner of the land where the old chestnut tree stood, at which the
\\'alking Purchase, 1/37, was begun, and get permission to place a stone or
mark of some other character, upon the spot; to furnish some plan for the
mark, or other device and to report etc., etc. No further action was had until
lainiarv 19. 1886, when the committee reported, recommending a pyramidal
monument' of fine hard sandstone or granite, the shaft about four feet high,
resting on a base of symmetrical size placed on a sodded mound two feet high.
It was erected that season at a cost of one hundred and one dollars, and, on
three sides is the following legend:

A^.^-

'^ ANriEXT (mm OF THIS mm

THES1-: STONES ARE PLACED AT THIS SPOT
THE STARTING POINT OF THE

"INDIAN WALK" '^

Scpleiiiber I*), 1/3/

<j>

Martha Chapman gave the land, six hun-lred and twenty square feet, she
deeding it to Edward Atkinson and wife, and they to the Bucks County His-
torical Society. It stands about on the site of the che^tnut tree, near the
Wrightstowii meeting property.

In this connection it is of interest to locate the corner marked spruce tree
by the Delaware, from wliich the northern boundary of the purchase of 16S2
was run. This tree was standing, 1756, and, according to measurements of
John Watson, the surveyor, it was one hundred and forty perches, measured by
the bank of the river "abr-vc the mouth of the Great creek, so called," and now
known as Knowles' creek. In 1722 Samuel Baker," owned a tract of five

7 Vn-ler (l;itc of May II, i^^^, Richnrc! Kiiud.ilph Parry, New }l0[)i', wrote il-e
aullior as follows: "1 find among my papers an olJ deed, unrecorded, from Josepii Kriow'es
and Catharine Knnwle>, hi? wife, to John Kiiowles, dated July 4, A. D., 1759, for a tract
cf land in Makeiv.-lJ township, L'r.cks county, Penn'iylvania, which deed describes it as a

4So HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY

IniU'Jred ami fifty-two acres in L'ppcr INInkeiield, on both sides of this creek,
and extending ninety and livc-tentlis perches abo\c it, which is good reason
whv the creek was then called Baker's creek. It is the only creek in that section
of the county which lias high hills along: its northern bank, which is not the
case with Hough's creek, which some claim was Baker's. The white oak,
mentioned in this grant, Watson supposed to stand, at the time he measured
the distance of the spruce tree from the mouth of the creek, near the northeast
corner of Josei)h Hampton's land, on a branch of the aforesaid Great creek,
and that Playwicky, an Indian town or plantation, was about Philip Draket's
mill, below Heaton's mill. Towsisnick creek, near the h.cad of which tlie
town of J^laywicky was situated, i.s supposed to have been tlie southerly brand',
of Knowles' creek, which then headed on Hampton's farm. The line, from the
while oak across part of Upper Makelield and W'rightstown. was marked by
a line of blazed trees. John Penquite, who deceased about 1756. remembercrl,
\\hen a lad. to have seen the marked trees across his father's farm, and to have
heard the Indians tell liis father that it was the line between them and Peiin,
and they ordered him to till th.e ground on I'eim's side only, and not to meddle
with theirs. Tliis line ran west, southwest to Xeshaminy.

Of the three white men who started upon the Great \\"alk of 1737, Mar-
shall is the better known. Jennings who gave out tirst, lived o;i what was h'-ng
known as the Geisinger farm on tlie south bank of the Lehigh, two miles above
Bethlehem. \\'hen he settled tliere it was the extreme frontier of the comity
in that direction, and the house he lived in was one of two in that neighborliood
wlien the Moravians came. His son John was sherifif of Northampton county,
in 176^. and aq-ain in 176S, and a good officer. Solomon Jennings was a com-
missioner of the county, 1735, and was often on road-views. In 1756 he
passed through Xazareth at the head of a company of militia en route for ti;e
scene of the Indian massacre on the frontiers, to search for and bury the dead.
Beside a son John, he had a son. Isaiah, and daughters Judith and Rachel, and
one married Nicholas Scull. He died Februar}- 15, 1/57, and was buried in
the family graveyard on the farm. After the death of his widow, 1764, ihe
two hundred acres were sold at public sale to Jacob Geisinger, of Saucon
township, the ancestor of the late owner, and also one hundred and sixty-four
acres adjoining. James Yeates lived in Newtown, but piubably died before he
reached home. He came from New England.

Edward Marshall was a native of Bustleton, Philadelphia county, where
he was born 1710, which makes him twenty-seven jcars old when he per-

part 01 tlic "Knowles tract'' of 540 acres more or Ics.-;. in Upper Makef.eld. owned, 17--,
li_\ Sanuitl Baker, who, it recite^, conveyed in tl'.e month of December, 1725, to John
Ki.i u!c:i. the ehjer, ot L'pper Makeiieid township. In General Davis's History of Bucks
C"iinly. Pennsylvania, page 495, it is noted as being npon both sides of "Knowles Croek. '
a.ul contents given 552 acres, oicncd by Samuel Baker, in A. D. 1722. ('Ihis land seems
ti have gained 12 acres over llic land office survey.) This doubtless covers the historic
"Kti'.mles Coi'c," from where the boats were t.iken for "]Vashington's Crossing." The d<ed
o',i!;lu to be recorded, as it forms a valuable link in a chain of historic events. The dini
w:is not acknowledged, beinjr a family atlair. nntii 22d of June. 1772. when it was <!■ :ie
luf'ire John liarri.s, Esq.. J. P.. who look Catharine Knowles' acknow!ed;;nient in prrS'-ii,
and that of Jo-;ei>h Kn^'wles, presuniably deceased, by the aiTidavit of John P.eaumont. lint
lie >aw Josiph Knowles siprn it, and .ilso Juhn W'at-on. Jr., one of the attesting witnesses,
afiix his siifnatnrc to ihe deed — W'atsou also probably being deceased."

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 481

formed the Great \\'alk. Ho was a hunter by occupation and clioice. He
was twice married and the father of twenty-one children. It is not known at
what time he came into the county, Imt we first find him Uving with his wife
near where Siroudsburfr, ,Munroe county, stands.' In his absence from homo
hostile Indians came to his house, wlien his wife fled, but was overtaken and
killed with two unborn infaiit.s. From this tune .Marshall swore vengeance
against the Indians, and never lost an opportunity of killing one. He would,
at times, simply remark, when questioned about his Indian experience, that
when he saw one "he generally shut one eye, and never saw him afterward."
After the death of his wife, Elizabeth Meaze kept house for him, and, during
that time, the India-ns attacked it again while he was away from home. His
son, I'eter, loaded the gun and Elizabeth fired out the window, keeping the
Indians at bay until r^Iarshall returned. He afterward married her, and she
had eiglit children. He was probably a. single man at the time of the walk,
and did not move up to 3.Ionroe county until afterward. The Indians were
hostile to him because of the part he took in the Great Walk. He subsequently
removed to an island in the Delaware, opposite Tinicum, which bears his
name, and where he died. His bod_\- was brought to the Pennsylvania side
and buried from a h')use that stood on the site of one now standing just below
the mouth of Tinicum creek. His place of interment in the ^ilarshall burying-
ground, is marked l)y a stone, with the following inscription :

"In meniorv rjf Edward IMarshall, senior, who departed this life November
7, 17S9, aged seventy-nine years.

"L'nveil tliy Iiojom fnitlifu! tomb,
■ Take tliii fr.iil li-ca?.ure to thy trust,
And lliid these sacred relics room.
To sliiinber in tlic silent dust."

Anrither stone is "in men-.ory of Elizabeth Alarshall, who departed this
life October 12, 1807, aged eighty years," his second wife. Of his children
William died at the age of eighty, at the mouth of Tinicum creek, Catharine
was the maternal grandmother of many of the Ridges of Tinicum, and Mar-
.shairs island, which contained two hundred and fifty acres when Edward
iSlarshall lived on it. was given to his sons. 3.1artin and William, !\Joses died
about the last of June, 1S28, on Marshall's island. He said that his father did
not move to the backwoods until after the Indian war of 1756, and that he
escaped when his mother was massacred by hiding under a bench on which
were several bcc-lii\es, and upion which the Indians threw their match-coats
while they went to scalp his mother. He used to relate several incidents of
the walk. His father wore very tiiin and tiexible moccasins, and carried a
hatchet, and a few light bisctn'ts. Xone of the streams on the route were to be
crossed in boats except the Lehigh, but were to be forded, neither were the
walkers permitted to run and juni]) over a creek, but might go first to the c6ffc
and make an obser\atirin, and then return and jump it. The walkers did not
leave tlie Flurhnm ri^.ad uiuil they reached the furnace, when they followed
blazed trees through the wo..i!s. The ritle that Edward ?ilarshall carried was
owned bv his grandson, Wilham Rids:e. Tinciim, wdio lived on tiie Delaware a
short distance below the mouth oi Tinicum creek, and i< nr^w in the nniseum
of the Ilucks Cfounty Ili>toricrd Society. It is a llint-lock. in go.^l condition, and
the name of the Gennan maker, or the place where made, slanii/ed on the barrel.

482 HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

The family tradition is that Mar>hall killed one thcuifanj and three hundred deer
with it, besides other animals, and unnumbered Indians. Hliza Kean, his grand-
daughter, and a daughter oi his son Thomas, eighty-two years old, in 1S76, was
tlien living on the New Jersey side of the Delaware, just below Fretichtown,
owned his eight- day clock, in good running order, and his chest of drawers,
three hnudrcd \ears old, which his grandfather brought from England. Piiilip
Hinkle i;as a shot-gun that belongea to Edward ?vlarshall.

56^7