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Full text of "History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time"

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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- 


•  --~i  12:: 


'i 


;^^|^^.: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. 


^*'"-;. 
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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