An old deed, May 31, 1675

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MAY 31

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Richard Guy John hmkk Thomas Pyfe

AN OLD DEED

MAY 31 1675

Richard Guy John Fenwick Thomas Pyle

EDWARD S. SHARPE. M. D.

PRESIDENT

READ BEFORE THE SALEM COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY ON DECEMBFR 8. 1908.

PRESS OF STANDARD AND JER5EY

The Society

V\^-[

AN OLD DEED.

In compiling tlie following paper relat-
ing to the very first sales of lands in j
Fenwick's Colony, 1 take the oppor-
tunity of calling the attention of this
Society to an "Old Deed," the oldest of
several very rare and valuable parch-
ment manuscripts in my possession,
bearing date nearly one year anterior to
that of one already exhibited— belonging
to a series known as the William Penu
Deeds witli autographic signatures of
Wm. Penn, Gawau Laurie, Nicholas
Lucas and Edward ByUinge.

It was executed the thirty-first day
of May 1675, and conveyed to Richard
Guy teuthousand acres of land in this
county of Salem, in what is now the
Tewnship of Pilesgrve, and "located in
the upper part of Salem tenth where the
township of Pilesgrove is now."
(Shourds.)

The price paid by Guy for this large
tract of land, was fifty pounds Stirling,
about two hundred and fifty dollars in
our currency. The deed is signed by I
Fen wick and endorsed: —

"Inroled in tlie Register Liber A

belonging to Fenwick's Colony in the

Province of New Cesarea or New

Jersey in America, tlie XVIII th day

of June MDCLXXV.

per J. Garfield."

There is also a separate piece of parch-
ment attached to this remarkable scrip-
tory airtique, upon which is written in
exquisite caligrapliy a receipt for tlie
above fifty pounds sterling, signed by
Fenwick also by ten witnesses, whose
names are again written on the back of
the deed, viz: —

"John Smith. Samuel ,ic-holson. Rich-

ard Mergan. Peter Hoff. Edward Champ-
neys, Edward Wade Thomas Anderson,
Edmund Warner, Richard Noble and
James.. Garfieldser."

The property conveyed was one of a
numerous category, sold by Fenwick be-
fore he sailed for America, to be lo-
cated after' nis arr'ival there.

iA^lthough the name of tire purchaser
is ostensibly Richard Guy, it was actually
Thomas Pyle, a citizen of London, for
whom he oought it. on the same day
he acquired for himself and wife. Bridg-
ett Guy, a deed for one thousand acres
of land af'erward located in Klsinboro.
Salem county.

Most of tlie above signers of the deed
and receipt for the money given liy Fen-
wick afterward emigrated to Anrei'ica.
The last on the li?t, james Garfieldser.
did not, the final letters of the sur-
nanre. s. e. r. are supposed to represent,
not family senority, but to be an abbi-e-
vi;i,tJoiiI of his professional title, that of
a scij^n?nei'. and he probably wiote this
vei't* deed, the chirography being thai
of an old man. Indeed he did not long
survive the period we refer to. as Maiy
Fenwick in a letter to her husband 1678.
Aug. 27th, announces his death in terms
Of affectionate regai'd; in the interval.
liDwexer, he signed his name to docu-
ments coirnected with the litigation al
that time pending between Fenwick and
Eldr'dge and Warner in the City of
T.,ondon.

The Townsh'p of Pilesgrove did not
derive its name from the ten thousand
acre tract, deeded to Richard Guy in its
entirety, but only from a part of It.
where Thoma? Pyle. (whose surname is

IH'ipctuated by it) built his liome. Tliis
is sliowr. liy tlie following deed ma le
by William Hall to John Hopman, in
wbicli he reserves half an acre that was
i-.sed as a private cemetery and from
this circumstance we assume that it w.is
the original homstead of Pyle, viz: —

••1()9:!, Oct. 3, Deed. William Hall, of
Salem Town, W. J., yeoman, and wife,
Eiizabetli, to John Hopman, of Rattcoon
Creek. Glossester Co., l-.usbandman. for
the Plantation called Pile Grove. 3S0
acres, between the branches of Salem
Creek adjoining Joseph White, excepting-
1 a If a. used as a burying place." (Salem
Deeds. No. G.)

This deed was for a part of the de-
n^ense— manor house witli land— com-
l)rising two thousand acres, part of
which liad been previously deeded to
W lliam jiall, viz: —

••ir93. June 15th, Deed. Thomas Pyle,
of Pile Grove. Salem Co., gentleman, to
W'lliam Hall, of Salem Town, yeoman,
for 1000 acres, the upper half of the
2000 acre iract called Pile Grove."'
(S'lem Deeds, No. 6.)

This is probably the final conveyance
executed by Tliomas Pyle, as his last
v.-ill and testament only two months, less
two days laier indicates; and we know
I'e certainly died before October lltli.
1C95.

It has bee:i stated that Pyle became a
very considerable land owner in Fen-
wick's Colony by sundiy purcliases of
real estate besides tlie large tract al-
ready referred to. I have failed to
confirm this; finding in my researches
nothing bou.ght, but numerous s'ales as
well as gifts of tracts originally parts
of the purchase made by Richard Gu.y.
Tlie gifts were mostly of his daughter
and lier husliand, William Hall, one of
waich. tlie largest, I quote, viz:

"1('02. Aug. 17, Deed. Thomas Pile (as
before) to William Hall and wife, Eiiza-
betli. daughter of said Thomas, for 4.0U0
.-icros of the preceding lO.oiiii and after

his death 2,000 more." (Salem Deeds,
No. 5.)

Richard Guy doubtless came over to
America in the ship "Griffith" with John
j Fenwick in 1675 and the following year
we find this Warrant of Survey, viz:

"167(5, 12d,'9m (Nov.) Warrant of Sur-
vey to Richard Guy of 1,000 acres at or
near the point formerly called Elsiii-
burge Fort and Now Guy's r-oiiit, form-
erly granted to John Townsend, said
name having been sused fictitionsly."
(Salem Surveys l(i7G.)

He was early an active participant in
the affairs of the Colony and wneii "John
Fenwick took the oath of office as Gov-
ernor of -'enwiek's Colony, 1676, June 21,"
the same day "Richaid Guy of Guys
Point, Township of New Salem, Fen-
wick's Colony, planter, (likewise) took
the oath as member of the Governor's
Council." (Salem Surveys 1676.)

Thomas Pyle's wife, nee Sarah Can-
non, was a daughter and namesake of
Sarah Cannon, who owned land In the
Town of New Salem, which she be-
queathed to said Sarah Pyle, as appears
from the following Power of Attorney,
which is interesting from the light it
tlirows on the residence of Samuel Car-
penter in 16S.. viz:—

"16.S6, April 23d. Sarah Pile, of Pile
Grove, by her Attorney, William Hall..
of the same place. Salem Tenth, AV. J.,
yeoman, to Samuel Carpenter, of Elsin-
boroug.i, said tenth, merchant, for :;2
acres in the Town of Salem, on Fen-
wick's River, and the highway from
Salem Landing. be(|ueatlied to said Sai-an
by lier motlier, Sarah Cannon, who
bought the lot of John Smith, June 4.
1683." (Salem Deeds, No. 4.)

From the dates of -he preceding com-
mission we know that Sarah Cannon
died before the year 1686. About one
vcar previously. Samuel Carpenter, then
residing in Philadelphia. bought tlie
Guy's Point Estate and hau removed to
Elsinboro as shown by the followin,g
deed, viz: — •

" THE CAPITALL HOUSE "

William Hall. 1691. Joshua Bradway. 1791.

"1685, May 13th. deed. Richard Guy,
late of Elsiiibiirgh, Salem Tenth. W. J.,
yeomon and wife, Bridgett, to Samuel
Carpenter, of Philadelpiiia. merchant,
for 812 acres at Elsinburgii." (Salem
Deeds, No. 6.)

The words "UUe of Elsinburgh" imply
the removal of Richard Guy, after a
residence of ten years— h.is old friend.
tie Proprietor, having been dead about
two years— from Salem to Burlington,
wliere he made his will, 1689. September
■22. leaving "wife, Bridgett, sole heiress
and executrix of real and personal es-
tate." "proved December 2. 1693." In-
cluded in the inventory of his estate
is "a moi-tgage of £ 300. on a plantation
al E!?inborrow due by Samuel Capen-
ter." Bridgett Guy survived her hus-
band about five years, dying in 1698.
Samuel Carpenter was named one of her
executors. In the deed to the latter from
Sarah Pyle of the 22 acres "on the high-
way from Salem Landing" it is said her
mother. Sarah Cannon, "bouglit the lot
of John Smith, June 4th, 1683," and on
llie same day Samuel Carpenter came
in'o possession of the said twenty and
two acres. April 12, 1686, he assigned it
to "William Kylle," of Salem. W. J.,
and five years later lacking eleven days,
this same lot became the property of Wm.
l-;all. who previou.sly sold it to Samuel
Carpenter as Attorney for Sarah Pyle,
viz —

"1691. A pill 2d. William Kelly, of Salem
Town, weaver, to William Hall, late of
Pile Grove, now of Manneton Creek, W.
J., yoeman. and wife, Elizabeth, for 22
acres in the Town of Salem, sold by
said Hall to Samuel Carpenter, April 13,
16S6, and assigned by said Carpenter on
the same day to present grantor."
(Salem Deeds, No. 5.)

The exact location of the Smith, Can-
non. Carpenter, Kelly, Hall Town Lot is
definitely settled, by its being named in
the following memorandum of sale, as
thp place whene a certain payment of
nionev wa.« to be made, viz: —

"1685-16, 22d, 12th m. (February), Mem.
of Sale. Wm. Groome to Richard Mar-
shall of 200 acres in AUoways Creek,
bought of Marcus Elger. of Middle Neck,
Salem Tenth, who is to give deed, the
land adjoins Dennis ffishers 500 a. — "pur-
chase consideration to be delivered at
Wm. Kelly's house at Salem Town
landing." (Salem Surveys. No. 8.)

In the year 1701 Samuel Carpenter,
then a merchant of Pliiladelphia, sold to
"Rothro" Morris, of Salem Co.. W. .1..
yeoman, the plantation of twelve him-
dred acres in Elsinboro, viz:—

"1701, Nov. 20. Do, Samuel Carpenter,
of Philadelphia, merchant, and wife,
Hannah, to "Rothro" Morris, of Salem
Co.. W. J., yeoman, for the planta-
tion of 1200 acres in said county called
Elsinburg." (Salem Deeds.)

Thus we find that Carpenter owned
property in Fenwick's Colony from 1085
to 1701. sixteen years and resided there
part of that time.

John Smythe, the original owner of the
lot he sold to Sarah Cannon, was deed-
ed sixteen acres of the two and twenty
by John Fenwick, that being the size
of the Town Lots, inclusive, awarded
to each purchaser of one thousand acres;
the additional six acres having been ac-
quired by a separate deed, also from the
Proprietor 'In verba magistri' jurare."
(To swear by the words of a master).
— Edson Saulbbury Jones, Esq.. of Port
Cliester, N. Y., who in his valuable paper
read before this Society December 10,
1907, has ably discussed the present sub-
ject, says it "was deeded to him by
Fenwick in 1679." (Town Grants P. 5.)

He conveyed both lots to Sarah Can-
non, viz: —

"1683, June 4, Joliu Smith, of Mon-
m.outh R, alias Alloways Creek, W. J..
gentleman, and wife, Martha, to widow
Sarali Cannon, of New Salem, 'W. J., for
22 acres in New Salem Township, 16
thereof along the highway and ffen-
v.-iek's River, the other 6 on the road

from Salem Landing." (Salem Deeds,
No. 2.)

We observe from the above deed that
only six acres of the two and twenty
conveyed to Sarali Cannon were "on the
road from Saiem Landing."

The Warrant for the Survey of the
sixteen acre lot for John Smythe reads
as follows, viz: —

"1G76, Sept. 19th. Do Do. to John Smytlic
for a liome lot of 16 acres in New
Salem." (Salem Surveys, 1676.)

" Note: The like warrant for

Roger Huckings, Samuel Nicholson, Ed-
ward Champneys, Edward Warner, Wm.
Hancock, Edward Bourne of the same
date." (New Jersey Colonial Docu-
ments.)

We have mentioned that John Fen-
wick took the oath of office as Gover-
nor of his Colony 1676, June 21; and after
his decease, in 1685-6 we find in a deed to
William Wilkensen a reference to the
"Governor's lot." (Town Grants Liber
A. Page 343.)

The inference from the following ab-
stract, naturally is, that Governor Fen-
wick had an official residence in the
Town, which may explain in a measure,
the designation "Governor's House,"
which lias been associated with the so
called "Bradway House," at the foot of
West Broadway in this city, viz:—

"1685-6, Jan. 20, do same to William
Wilkinson, of New Salem, planter, for
10 a. there on the street to the Gover-
nor's Lot." (Town Grants, liber A. Page
343.)

In the Archives of the State we meet
with tlie names "Broadaways street" also
"Bradaways street" also "Brod street,"
earlier "Main street" and "The High-
way." in 1701 it was called "Salem street."
viz: —

"1679, May 15, do same to Christopher
Sanders, of New Salem, yeoman, and
wife, Mary, for Sanders Lot 14 acres on
"Bradaways street N. E. Robitnson's
riantation" and "Tnrolled May 30. 1G79.
Patent. Same to Richard Robinson, of

New Salem, yeoman, and wife. Elinoi-,
for a lot on Broadaway's St.. 10 a.''
(Archives P. 34.)

Again 1692, August 17, do Jonatlian
Beei-e, of Salem Town, yeoman, aiul
wife. Mary, to Henry Hurley, of tli(>
same place, weaver, for a lionsc and lot
of 14 acres there, at the corner ol" Krad'i-
way's street along said street to the S.
W. side of Robinson's plantation, grant-
ed by John Fenwick to Christopher San-
ders and wife, Mary, May 22, 1679" and
by them conveyed to grantors. October
9tb. 1686." (Salem Deeds. No. 5.)

The preceding compilation from the
published Archives of New Jersey are
included in this paper on account of their
possible relation to one of the original
or very early names of what is now
known as West Broadway, one of the
principal streets of the City of Salem
and of late year's long known as Brad-
way street. In fact Shourds in his val-
uable "History of Fenwick's Colony"
says that in "1693 the Town of Salem
was incorporated into a bor-ough and
the authorities of the town changed the
name of Wharf street to Bradway street
in honor of Edwai-d Bradway," who,
although the owner of valuable pr-opeily
in the Town of New Salem, clearly
pointed out by Mr. Jones in his paper
alr-eady referred to, never, as far as 1
have been able to learn resided there,
except as Mr. Jones says "though un-
doubtedly he fir-st lived there, as in the
Meeting Records a minute is found show-
ing that a committee of four was ap-
pointed on 12 mo. 1679. (February 2. 1679-
SO) ti) view liis house and see if it was
suitable fdi- ii meeting house. As earl.v
as June 6, 1680 he was of Alloways Cr'eek
(Salem Deeds 5,34.1) and such was the
sepcified abode at all later times." And
there he died 1693, his will being dated
Dec. 6, 1693, in which his residence is
given as follows, viz:—

"1693, Dec. 6th. Bradway Edward, of
Monmouth River-, Salem Co., yeoman."

Thei-e was however a street in New Salorir

PENNY HILl. SALEV, N. J.

s

iirtined "Edward Bradway's street." bin,
it was apparantly situated in auotlier
part of the Town now or recently known
as "Penny Hill" and is mentioned in the
following deed:—

"16S9, May 27, Do. John Ireson, of
Salem Town, tanner, to Richard Marshall
of Salem Co., planter, for 10 acres in the
Town, on Edward Bradways street, lately
in the tenure of Charles Bagley."
(Salem Deeds, No. 5.)

As the incorporation of the Town of
Salem into a borrough did not take place
until li59o, the date of the above deed
conflicts with the statement of Thomas
Shourds, informing us that four years
previous to that event, i e— in 1689 "Ed-
ward Bradways street" was one of the
tlioroughfares of the village, and there-
fore the conferring of the honor, of the
naming of the street, on Edward Brad-
way, by tlie "Authorities of the Town,"
is apparently incorrect, nor Is it probable
that such an obvious impropriety under
the circumstances, as the changing of
the name to Salem street, doubtless
years before 1791. could have been per-
mitted by "the rude forefathers of the
Hamlet."

"We may be able to form conclusions
as to the general bearing of the street
named after him and other property of
Edward Bradway by another and the last
deed pertaining to his subject to which
I invite your attention, viz:^

"1685, 25th d. 6th m. (August) Do Rich-
ard Wilkinson, of New Salem, laborer,
to Richard Johnson, of the same place,
carpenter, for that part of the 16 a. lot,
bought of Edward Bradway (Supra P.
22.) lying on the N. W. side of a line
drawn from tlie outermost bounds of
grantee's 10 a. lot by the highway lead-
ing from Salem Town to Ihi' Mill Creek."
(Archives P. 582.)

Finally m tne cimveyances. divers and
sundry. from John Smythe through
Sarah Cannon. Samuel Carpenter. Wil-
liam Kelly to William Hall we ai'e un-
;ihh> to trace an.\- ownerships to this

property, except those already included
in this paper, the evidence being con-
clusively in favor of the statement of
Mr. Jones that "Thei-e is every reason
to believe that the house which bears
upon its East gable the date 1691, was
built by William Hall and that he had
established it as his inn by 1692. His will
dated .Api'il 10th. 171", devised to his son.
William, the "Capital! house," where
the testator dwelt, with all the lots
bought of William Kelly."
T am of the opinion that we have found
1 no valid reason for re.iecting his con-
I elusions, together with his infoi-mation,
j that— "Salem records do not show that
Edward Bradway ever owned a home or
lot on the North side of Broadway be-
I tween tlie wharf and Market street."
I Still, there is no doubt that the de-
scendants of Edward Bradway did afte:'-
ward become seized of the very property
now (after the lapse of so many years)
ill controversy, which finally came into
the possession of John S. Wood. Esq..
of Jericho. Cumberland county, by his
marriage with Sarah Ann Bradway.
daughter of Thomas and Isabella ^Dun-
lap Bradway, the husband lieing a son
of Thomas Bradway. .only son of Aaron
Bradway by his second wife. Saraii
Smith, widow of John Smith, grandson
of John Smith, of Smitn..-.d. Aaron
Bradway was a grandson of Edward
Biadway. the emigrant. By his first wife
he had a son, Jo^^hua. who bought the
Hall property, at the foot of West
Broadway from Joseph Hall, a grandson
of William Hall, the emigrant. March
2d, 1791. So just one hundred years after
the "Capitall House" was built it thus
passed from tl.e Hall to tlie Bradw:i\-
family.

The late Tliomas Wood., of tliis Citv,
son of John S. and Sarali Ann M'ood.
built the frame dwelling house nn tin-
corner of Front street and West Broad-
way, and resided there several years.

Tlie unusjal circumstances srrroundiii.«
tli(» lun-chfise bv Richard Guy from Jolin

l-'euwick, in 1(575, of the ten thousaiul
acre tract afterward called "Pile Grove,"
with inoiiex- tiirnished by Thomas Pyle,
iiivdlved tile necessity of a subsequent
I<i;al ii-aiisrei- ui which we will pres-
riitlx- refer. AVe do not know even ap-
liroximatelv- when tlie latter inimig'rated
to America, but may be guided by the
following "Return of Survey," June 20,
KSL', not having any information of his
movements, during the intervening seven
.\ears. fiom the iate of i)iircha.--e \v
proxy, and the following transaction,
viz: —

"16S2, ,June 20. Return of Survey to
Thomas Pyle. of I^ondnn, citizen and
upliolstei-er. of 10,000 acres, bought by him
in the name of Richard Guy. of the
Parish of Stepney Co., of Middlesex,
Cheesemonger, who, by a deed of trust,
( onveyed the same to John Eldridge,
.loseph Kemseley, Richard Noble. Ed-
ward Champneyes and Edmund Warner,
of said tract 7,905 a. are bounded by
Fenwick's River. Cannon's Creek, whicli
.goes through part of it; P.vle's Mount.
Masacksy, alia.s 01dman"s. alias Berkely
Creek. Pyle's Bounder Creek .the bal-
ance in Necomusses Neck. between
Necomusses" run now called Fenwick's
Grove Run and Fenwick's River" (Fen-
wick's Surveys 1676-1703) ; also by a
"Deed of Gift from Sarah, wife of
Thomas Pde. of Shadwell, England, up-
holsterer, to her daughter. Elizabeth
Pile, and William Hall, both of Piles-
grove, jurisdiction of New Salem, for
all her personal estate, and her title to
10.(X)0 acres of land, on condition of mak-
ing certain payments to Sarah Canuoi>,
the mother, son, Ephraim Pile, daughter,
Sarah Gibson ami son-in-law, Simon
Gibson" (dated Jaiiuaiy 10th, lti,S3-4) also.
viz:—

"16S.">, 15th d. 9th m. (Nov.) Deed of
Gift from Sarah Cannon, of New Saler>i,
widow, to hei' daughter, Sarah Pile,
of Shadwell Co., of Middlesex, (Eng-
land) for all her personal property."
(Salem Wills. A. P P 2-7.)

"The preceding two deeds of gifts, so
called in the record, are evidently in-
tended to be last wills and testaments."

If the above surmise, of the compiler
of the Archives, together with the asso-
ciated dates ai-e correct, Thos. Pyle's wife,
Sarah, did not emigrate from London io
West Jersey, unless several years elapsed
between the making of her last will and
testament and her demise, or if she did,
must have returned to England before
her death, which we infer from the date
of the inventory of her estate occurred
in March 1683-4, although the "Deed of
Gift" from her mother, Sarah Cannon,
dated November 15, 1685, implies that slie
was living at that time. She left for
those times, quite a considerable per-
sonal estate, viz:— "£290.11 incl., a boy
servant, Richard Wheat, £7, a maid
servant, Mary Harrington, £7, a negro
woman £14, 43 oz. of plate, £10.05, an old
watch 12s. and debt? (all desparate)" said
to be due from some of the most re-
spectable and perfectly responsible citi-
zens of Fenwick's Colony such as—
"Samuel Hedge," "Richard TindaU."
"Major Fenwick," "Samuel Carpenter,"
and many others, indicating another in-
stance of gross inaccuracy in tlie publish-
ed chronicles we possess.

In her "Deed of Gift' 'to her daughter,
Elizabeth, and William Hall, she speak.s
of "her personal estate and her title to
10,000 acres of land." Are we to infer,
from this in connection with the indirect
purchase by Richard Guy, that she was
the original and actual owner of part
if not all of the Pilesgrove estate ? If
she died in 1683-4, which she evidently
d:d not, but which the inventory of her
property," made by Com. Braithwaite
and Samuel Hedge," both residents of
the Colony would imply, her husband
survived her more than twelve years,
he left a small personal estate, viz:—

"£49.16.11 incl books £1. a gold ring
IS. s. made by Jona Beere and Samuel
Hedge" all of which together with his
real pi-operty he left to his daughter,

FAMOUS OLD OAK
West Broadwaky, Salem, New Jersey

Elizabeth Hall." Sou-in-law, William jj
Hall, executor." (Salem Wills A. P. 173.) |j

Ephraim Pyle. the son, died August i
iT). 1685, about one year and seven months
after what we suppose to have been the
date of the demise of his mother. "Ad-
ministration on the estate granted to his
brother-in-law, William Hall," who about
one pear perviously, i e.— May 21st, 1684.
had married his sister, Elizabeth Pyle.

There was beside the latter, another
(laughter, Sarah Gibson, wife of Simon
Gibson, who also had a claim by the
•"Indenture Tripartite" of 1675. June 16th.
in which wa.s awarded "one-half to the
use and behoff of Simon Gibson, of the
Parish of St. Paul, Shadwell Co., of
Middlesex, carpenter. du'Mng the life of
hi.s wife, Sarah; the othei half in trust
for said Thomas Pyle and wife during
their lives, the whole to go finally to
Ephraim, son and Elizabeth, daughter,
of said Thomas and Sarah Pyle."
As we find no further reference to Sarah
Gibson, we conclude that her husband,
Simon, survived her and therefore her
share of the property according to the
provisions of the "Indenture Tripartite,"
fiuoted above. Ephraim being dead, re-
verted to her sister, Elizabeth Hall. (New
Jersey Colonial Documents, Salem No.l.)

The only example of the hand writing
of Ephraim Pyle, whose premature death
we have noted, is his autograph, spelled
"Epraim Pyle." as witness to the nun-
cupative wnll of Thomas Knowles, of
New Salem, planter, wherein he devises
lo Elizabeth Pyle. .spinster, as a tri-
bute doubtless to her worth, virtues, and
possible personal attractions, the singular
U gacy of "a heifer in the hands of
Charles Bagley and makes James Nevill
and Sarah Pyles. executors." The in
ventory of his personal estate, amounting
to £17.7.2. made by Thomas "^'oodruff.
SheriiT. and Edward Lumley. planter, is
dated April 2. 1682, and from the fact
that Sarah Pyles" was one of the execii-
toi-s. we mu?t, regardless of our former
I jiinion— that she remained in England

declining to emigrate— in view of the
above circumstances, admit that she was,
nevertehless, at that particular time,
"in propria persona," here.

The last hour of Knowles, within the
mortuary chamber of his humble home,
as he uttered the words disposing of his
small estate, to which "Epraim Pyle" af-
fixed his signature as witness, must in-
deed have been a time lugubrious
Imagination can transport us also there,
to mingle with the faithful friends gath-
ered around him, and hear him with lal-
tering accents utter his last wishes. A
mysterious influence pervades the room,
which tells us that spirits uncanny are
hovering near— are already there. >'t
seems a haunted spot.
"O er all there hung the shadow of a

fear.
A sense of mystery the spirit daunted.
And said as plain as whisper in the ear.
The place is haunted."

The Parcae, the weird sisters, the un-
relenting fates have come and now are
busy with their horrid work: —

"Sororem fila trium patiunter atra."

Although invisible we are aware of
their presence, the painful concentration
of the exalted sense rendering there
movements audible, when, the pen of
the scrivener ceasing, and the frigid ton-
gue of the expiring mortal forever silent,
we iiear the clashing shears of Atropos
sever the black worsted cord of sorrow,
which frees the spirit, escaping from th,-r
desolation and unavailing grief it leaves
beh'nd. curable only by the antidotal medi-
caments of resignation, of time, and of
eternal hope.

It 's indeed a dark and gloomy hour,
without one lucid ray, save when tho
anticipated arrival of the heifer, led by
the hand of the ubiquitous Bagley, sheds
a gleam of humor across the final scen.^.

On opening this "Old Deed" and read-
ing its contents, one cannot fail to real-
'ze. the comparative permanence and
ms^'ability of inorganic matter and or-
gfinir life. Coming down through eight

generations of my family, without espe-
cial care, until witliin a few years, aftei
the lapse of more than two hundred and
thirty years, it is apparently in as good
a state of preservation as when it was
written, signed, conveyed and witnessed
in 1675. But where are the hearts and
hands of those twelve men, whose mem-
ory is embaaned within the body of the
Instrument ? Long since crumbled intc
dust. Those liearts which then responded
to the impulses of expectation and of
h.ope, those brave hands, whose deft pre-
hensile fingers with psycologic transmu-
tation changed intuition into visible form
and made it stay, for centuries, save in

tlieir progeny and finished work, hava
vanished from the scenes of life, utterly
disappeared and "like (an) insubstan-
tial pageant faded left not a rack be-
hind" and were it not for this treasured
manuscript, miglit be forgotten now.

But though they are gone, one of their
creations, this sheepskin with is written
message, a legacy of long ago, rescued
by their cunning art from disintegration
and decay, still lives, as it were eter-
nal, alike defying and escaping tlie ro-
dent "tooth of time and razure of obli-
vion."

E. S. S.
Salem, N. jersey, December 3d, 1908.

W$^i(