USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > A history of the townships of Byberry and Moreland, in Philadelphia, Pa. : from their earliest settlements by the whites to the present time > Part 23
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(4.) John and Grace Townsend's Children.
(12.) PHEBE, born 5th mo. 7th, 1746; died, unmar- ried, 10th mo., 8th, 1783.
(13.) SARAH, born 8th mo. 29th, 1748; died, unmar- ried, 3d mo. 2d, 1770.
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(14.) EZRA, born 4th mo. 14th, 1760, married Eliza- beth, daughter of James and Susannah Paul, and settled on the old homestead. Few men stood higher in the esti- mation of the community than Ezra Townsend. His chil- dren were, John P., James, Grace, Susan, Sarah, Eliza- beth, Tacy, and Ezra.
(8.) Evan and Abi Townsend's Children.
(15.) THOMAS, born 9th mo. 3d, 1773, married Eliza- beth Strickland. They removed to Black River, New York. Children: Jesse, Sarah, Ann, Thomas, and Abi.
(16.) MARGERY, born 6th mo. 24th, 1775, married William Walmsley. She died 2d mo. Ist, 1832. Children : Robert and Jesse.
(17.) JOHN, born 3d mo. Ist, 1777, married Asenath Strickland, and went to Black River. Children : Robert, Mary, Martha, Ezra, John, Evan, and Abi.
(18.) ELIZABETH, born 6th mo. 3d, 1779, married Isaac Bolton, and went to Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania. Children: Evan, Sarah, Abi, Jason, and Eliza- beth.
(19.) EVAN, born 4th mo. 25th, 1788, married Eliza- beth Carver. He died in 1846. Children : Thomas, Abi, Mary, Mahlon, William, and Sarah.
(14.) Ezra and Elizabeth Townsend's Children.
(20.) JOHN P., born 6th mo. 10th, 1787, married Rachel Wilson. Children : Ezra, Wilson and Paul, twins, Jesse, Grace and Sallie Ann, twins, and Rachel.
(21.) JAMES, born Ist mo. 12th, 1789, married, first,
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Eliza Raison, and had one child, Tacie. He married, second, Sarah Knight. Children : Elizabeth, Maggie, and Carrie.
(22.) SUSAN, married Israel Walton.
(23.) SARAH, married Benjamin Cadwalader. Chil- dren : Hannah, who married Jonathan Gillam; and Eliza- beth, who married Joseph Comly.
(24.) GRACE, married James Thornton.
(25.) ELIZABETH, married Warder Cresson. Chil- dren : Ezra, John, Jacob, Clement, and Anna Bella.
(26.) TACY, married Charles Walmsley. Children : Elizabeth, Agnes, Susan, and Beulah.
THE THORNTON FAMILY.
JAMES, son of James Thornton, was born at Stony- Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, in 1727, and came over to America in 1750. In 1752 he took up his resi- . dence in Byberry, having purchased the farm still in the possession of the family, where he lived the remaining part of his life. 41 He was a man of superior abilities and of rare qualifications as a minister of the gospel. There was a dignity about his personal appearance, and a forcibleness in his declamation, vouchsafed to but few. Upon rising to speak he always remained silent for a few moments, then slowly uttered a few words, but as he pro- ceeded in his discourse his whole being seemed to be fired with the thoughts which he was uttering, and his voice and manner on such occasions became solemnly impres- sive. He was considered eminent in the ministry, and
" This property is now owned by Jesse Tomlinson.
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traveled extensively, both in America and England, in that capacity. In social conversation he was pleasant and cheerful, but never light or trifling; and he always clothed his thoughts in such plain language that his mean- ing was clearly understood by all. James Thornton was not perfection, but the errors he made were of the head rather than of the heart, and his contemporaries all unite in considering him an honorable and highly useful mem- ber of society. He was the principal minister at Byberry for forty years, and during that time he made several religious visits to different parts of the country,-the first to Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1780; and afterwards to New Jersey in 1781, and to New York in 1793. Mary, his wife, was also a paragon of excellence, both in domestic and other matters, so that from a very moderate beginning they soon attained a competence. She was also of a literary turn, and among other articles composed an essay on the death of her son, Asa, which was a production of considerable merit. James died in 8th mo., 1794, leaving a son, James, who succeed- ed to the estate.
MARY, died in 1793. Children : Lydia, Joseph, James, and Asa. Of these Asa died while a vouth; James died unmarried in 1794, aged 33 years. Horsham Monthly Meeting issued a testimony concerning him, in which "he was stated to be a pious young man, and a bright exam- ple for the young men of his day." He was of a literary turn, and a manuscript volume of his poems is still ex- tant. Lydia married William Walton; Joseph married Hannah Warrington, of New Jersey, and settled in By- berry, where he died in 1790, leaving one son, James,
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who married, first, Grace, daughter of Ezra and Elizabeth Townsend, and settled on the old homestead. They had one daughter, Elizabeth, who married Dr. Isaac Comly. After his wife's death, James married Rebecca Stokes, of Moorestown, New Jersey. Children: James, John, and Edmund.
THE WALMSLEY FAMILY .*
THE earliest mention of the Walmsley family that we have seen, is a certificate from Settle Monthly Meeting of Friends, near Bristol, England,42 containing a list of the names of Friends who were about to remove to Penn- sylvania, in which there is mention of Thomas Walmsley, Elizabeth, his wife, and six minor children. This was about the time of Penn's first visit to Pennsylvania. Ac- cording to Watson's Annals, some of the earlier emigrant ships were nearly three months on the passage, during which time the small-pox broke out among the immi- grants, and about forty of them died. As there is no account of more than three of Thomas Walmsley's chil- dren in this country, to wit, Thomas, Henry, and Eliza- beth, it is probable that the rest died while coming over.
Thomas before leaving England bought a tract of land on the Neshaminy Creek, in Bucks County, probably near Hulmeville. As he designed building a mill on that stream he brought from England the irons and several other articles for its construction, from which we infer
* I am indebted to Watson Comly, of Byberry, for the greater part of the genealogy of this family.
" Settle Monthly Meeting was in Yorkshire and not near Bristol in Gloucestershire.
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that he was a man of property. They landed at Burling- ton, New Jersey, and within two weeks of the time of landing he was attacked with dysentery, from which he died. His three children were thus left under the care of their mother, who was a very estimable woman. She, however, married John Pursley about two years sub- sequently.
THOMAS WALMSLEY AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
THOMAS, the elder son of Thomas, married Mary, daughter of John43 Paxson, in 1698, and settled first in Bensalem, probably on his father's farm, but not being satisfied he sold that place and bought fifty acres of Cross's patent in Byberry, recently owned by Charles Walms- ley,44 one of his descendants. He removed to this place in 1703, and resided there the remainder of his life. He soon afterwards purchased fifty acres of the Tibby tract adjoining, one hundred and twenty-five acres of Henry English, and eight acres of Joseph Knight, where Robert Purvis now lives. 45 He also owned two hundred and twenty-five acres in Middletown, Bucks County, fifty acres where Spencer Worthington now lives,46 a farm at the foot of Edge Hill, now William F. Ervin's, also four hundred acres in Buckingham. The latter farm was so far back in the woods that he traded with one of the Car- vers for the lands lately belonging to Jesse Walmsley and
43 This should be William.
# This property is now owned by Elijah Osmond.
" This property is now owned by John Dillworth.
46 Wilmer Worthington now owns this property.
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William Walmsley,47 giving two acres for one. He was a farmer and dealer in horses, and was very successful in both. He is represented as a quiet, peaceable man, at- tending to his private business, and doing but little in the affairs of either Church or State. He had good natural abilities, and although successful in accumulating prop- erty was not at all parsimonious. As a proof of this, having a number of daughters, most of whom were mar- ried in meeting, he made provision to entertain large com- panies of wedding guests, sometimes amounting to more than a hundred; and on one occasion after meeting broke up, he invited the whole congregation to dine with him. He was considered a wealthy man, and his property con- sisted principally of lands and horses. His house con- tained three rooms, which were built at different times; it was one story high, and was covered with oak shingles. He died in 1754, aged about 80 years. His widow died in 1755, aged 79 years. Children: Thomas, William, Elizabeth, Agnes, Mary, Abigail, Phebe, Esther, and Martha. In his will Thomas Walmsley left fifty acres to his daughter Mary, the Edge Hill property to Abigail, and the remainder of his real estate to his son William.
(2.) Thomas and Mary Walmsley's Children.
(3.) THOMAS, married Hannah, daughter of William Walton, the preacher, in 1728. They settled on the Edge Hill farm, and within a year from their marriage, as he was returning from Horsham meeting, he was thrown
47 These properties now belong to Frank Dyer and Edwin Tom- linson, respectively.
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from his horse and so badly injured that he died shortly afterwards.
(4.) WILLIAM, was born in Byberry, in 1709. In 1735 he married Sarah Titus, of Long Island, and settled where Edwin Tomlinson now lives.
On the occasion of his marriage, Friends gave him a certificate, stating that "he was of a sober and orderly behavior, and in good unity with them." He seems to have sustained this good character, and to have advanced in the good opinion of his contemporaries, as we find him filling several important positions in the Meeting, such as clerk, overseer, and elder, all of which were to the satis- faction of his friends. He wrote a good plain hand, and kept the Meeting records, as well as his own private ac- counts, in excellent order ; and in all business transactions he was very correct and methodical. He inherited con- siderable real estate in Byberry from his father, also, a number of slaves, which he afterwards emancipated. He was justly esteemed as an honest and upright man. His wife died in 1763, and in 1764 he married Susanna, widow of Walter Comly. He died in 1773, aged 64 years, leaving five children by his first wife: Thomas, William, Silas, Mary, and Sarah. Susanna, his widow, died in 1795, aged 81 years.
(5.) ELIZABETH, married Jeremiah Walton, in 1718.
(6.) AGNES, married Job Walton, in 1728.
(7.) MARY, married John Worthington.
(8.) ABIGAIL., married Isaac Comly, in 1738.
(9.) PHEBE, married Isaac Carver, in 1742. 1
(TO.) ESTHER, married Stephen Parry, in 1755.
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BYBERRY AND MORELAND.
(II.) MARTHA, married David Parry, in 1761. Chil- dren : Martha and David.
(4.) William and Sarah Walmsley's Children.
(12.) THOMAS, married Agnes Mason, of Fair Hill, in 1768. He inherited from his father the homestead, with 168 acres of land, also one-third of the Middletown tract, and a lot of land in Smithfield. He afterwards sold the Middletown and Smithfield tracts. He was a man of more than ordinary abilities, and was noted for his indus- try and honesty. He was so peaceable that his neighbors said they did not recollect that he ever had a quarrel with any one. He held a respectable position in Meeting affairs, being Overseer for many years, and an Elder during the last thirty years of his life. In person he was rather above middle size; strong-built, though not fleshy, and possessed of great strength. His health was remark- ably good until a short time previous to his decease. In I792 he buried his first wife, and in 1794 married Ruth Kirk, of Little York, an eminent minister in the Society of Friends. He died in 1819, aged 82 years. Ruth died in 1798. His children by the first wife were Benjamin, Mary, Asa, Richard, Thomas, and William.
(13.) WILLIAM, married Abigail, daughter of Giles Knight, in 1764. They settled first in Middletown, but afterwards removed to Byberry, and built the house where Robert Purvis now resides. He inherited considerable property from his father, but, like many others, he prefer- red an easy life to one of toil, hence his estate did not increase. He was possessed of good natural abilities, yet he took but little interest in the affairs of the neighbor-
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hood. He died in 1819, aged 79 years. Abigail, his widow, died I Ith mo. 8th, 1820. Children : Sarah, Giles, Mary, Joseph, and Israel.
(14.) SILAS, married Martha, daughter of Walter Comly, in 1765. Children : William, Jesse, and Silas.
(15.) MARY, married Thomas Knight, in 1759. She died in 1802, aged 60 years, leaving no children.
(16.) SARAH, married Isaac Bolton, in 1766, and set- tled near the county line in Southampton. Isaac died in 1783, and his widow and children moved to the house now occupied by William Forrest,48 in Byberry. She died in 1795. Children : William, Joseph, Isaac, Mary and Margaret (twins), Jesse, Thomas, and Sarah.
David and (II) Martha Parry's Children.
(17.) MARTHA, married David Cummings, of Phila- delphia.
(18.) DAVID, married Elizabeth, daughter of Mordecai Thomas. Children : Joseph, Samuel, and Martha.
(12.) Thomas and Agnes Walmsley's Children.
(19.) BENJAMIN, married Beulah Newbold, of Spring- field, N. J., and settled on the homestead in Byberry. He was a Justice of the Peace for several years, and occupied a prominent position in the affairs both of the church and the neighborhood. He died at about the age of 70 years. Children : Charles, who married Tacy, daughter of Ezra Townsend; Agnes (deceased), and Ann.
(20.) MARY, died young.
# This property is now owned by John Samms.
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BYBERRY AND MORELAND.
(21.) AsA, married Mary Paxson, of Bensalem. He erected the buildings now occupied by Ross M. Knight,49 and afterwards kept a store there for eleven years. He then sold the property, and removed to the farm now owned by Horace Smyth, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was for several years a clerk, overseer, or elder, in the meetings, and was highly respected. His wife died in 1838. Children : Sarah; Thomas, who mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Ephraim Haines; Anna; Mary; Morton, who married Eliza Moon; Richard, who married Rebecca Smith, and Margaret.
(22.) RICHARD, died young.
(23.) THOMAS, was born in Byberry, 3d mo. 25th, 1781. In the early part of his life, while yet a schoolboy, he gave evidence of more than ordinary talent, and ac- quired a knowledge of all the branches then taught in the school at Byberry Meeting with unusual facility. After having mastered all these, he commenced the study of Latin under a ripe scholar and an excellent teacher, the late John Comly; and by close application, along with a retentive memory, soon gained a good knowledge of that language. He had a great love for books, and generally carried one with him, which he studied whenever oppor- tunity offered. He became particularly interested in scien- tific subjects, and resolved upon becoming a physician. He accordingly entered as a student of medicine under Dr. Gregg, of Attleboro', Bucks County, where he re- mained closely pursuing his studies for three or four years. While thus engaged, his active mind led him into other channels of learning, and we find him the ardent
4ª Lewis Hall now owns this property.
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THE HISTORY OF
promoter of several literary societies. He then went to Philadelphia, in order to become more proficient in the various branches of medicine, and attended lectures in the University of Pennsylvania. While here he made the acquaintance of many of the most eminent literary men of that day, from whom he derived much profit, as they assisted him in his studies. He was elected a member of the Philadelphia Medical Society, and was among the original founders of the American Linnæan Society, of which he became Vice-President. While attending lec- tures he made several experiments in regard to the absorp- tion of medicines; and these experiments, together with some other observations, formed the basis of his inaugural thesis for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, which was conferred upon him by the University in the spring of 1803. Soon after graduating he removed to Chambers- burg, Pennsylvania, where he obtained considerable prac- tice in his profession. In 1805 he was solicited by Dr. Young to settle in Hagerstown, Maryland, where a physi- cian was badly needed, and he concluded to remove thither. In the 8th mo. 1806, he was seized with bilious fever, and, after twelve weeks' sickness, died, in the twenty-sixth year of his age. He was the author of a number of original essays, political and scientific, the former of which was published in the newspapers of Maryland, and the latter in Barton's Journal. A eulogium on him was published, but has probably been lost.
(24.) WILLIAM, went to Philadelphia, where he was at first unsuccessful in business, but becoming a broker he was more fortunate, and amassed considerable prop- erty. He died single, 3d mo. 27th, 1839.
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(13.) William and Abigail Walmsley's Children.
(25.) SARAH, married Thomas Phipps, of Abington. Children : Abigail, who married, first, Thomas Stack- house ; second, Robert Eames; Drusilla, who married John Rowlett.
(26.) GILES, was subject to convulsions, and died at the age of forty.
(27.) MARY, married, first, Joseph Stackhouse. He died in 1806, and she married, second, John Lester, of Richmond, but left no children.
(28.) JOSEPH, married Ann, daughter of John Barton, near Camden, New Jersey. He settled where Robert Purvis now resides. He was very successful in business, and was very active in the affairs of the Meeting, as well as the neighborhood. He afterwards moved to Frank- ford, and subsequently to Philadelphia, where he died. Children : Abigail, Rebecca, Morgan, and William.
(29.) ISRAEL, married Rebecca, daughter of William Walton, and settled in Byberry, where John Comly now lives.50 He died in 1822, from a fall down the cellar steps, leaving one child, Delilah.
HENRY WALMSLEY, AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
(I.) HENRY, the younger son of Thomas, married Mary Searl, in 1699. They settled in the lower end of Southampton, Bucks County, on or near the Lead Mine Farm. He was above the middle size of men, and was a jovial, comical sort of person. He did not inherit much property from his father, and never became so wealthy as
" This is now the residence of Charles Osmond.
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THE HISTORY OF
his brother Thomas. He died in 1760. Children : Thomas, Francis, Elizabeth, Joan, and Rebecca.
(I.) Henry and Mary Walmsley's Children.
(2.) THOMAS, married and settled on the homestead, where he died, in 1786. Children : Henry, Ralph, Mary, Sarah, and Elizabeth.
(3.) ELIZABETH, married William, son of William and Mary Carver, in 1719, and settled at Buckingham.
(4.) JOAN, married Thomas Tomlinson, in 1719. She died in 1772.
(2.) Thomas Walmsley's Children.
(5.) HENRY, married, first, Martha, daughter of Daniel Knight, and settled on the Lead Mine Farm. Children : Daniel T. and Sarah. After Martha's death Henry mar- ried Esther Duncan, but had no children. He died in 1792.
(6.) RALPH, settled on part of the homestead. He married, and had two sons, Thomas and William.
(7.) SARAH, married John Terry, and had one son, James, and probably other children.
(8.) ELIZABETH, married Joseph, son of Thomas Worthington.
(5.) Henry and Martha Walmsley's Children.
(9.) DANIEL T., married Mary, daughter of General Augustin Willet. He inherited a large portion of his father's estate, but lost the greater part of it. Afterwards he kept tavern at Smithfield, where he died, leaving chil-
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dren : Elizabeth, Martha, Sarah, Mary, Grace, and James Madison.
(IO.) SARAH, married William Ridge, and settled in the northern part of Bensalem. They were highly re- spected in the community, and by industry acquired a competent estate. They had children: Isaac, Daniel, Martha, William H., Walmsley, Rachel, Effie, Anna, and Samuel.
(9.) Daniel T. and Mary Walmsley's Children.
(II.) ELIZABETH, died unmarried.
(12.) MARTHA, married Mahlon Atkinson, and moved' to Drumore.
(13.) SARAH, married Dr. Benjamin Rush Banes.
(14.) MARY, married Isaac J. Rush.
(15.) GRACE, married, first, Bernard Walton; second, James M. Boileau.
(16.) JAMES MADISON, died young.
THE WALTON FAMILY .*
The name of Walton frequently occurs in Besse's Ac- count of the Sufferings of Friends in England, published about 1751. The first of that name who came to America were four brothers, NATHANIEL, THOMAS, DANIEL, and WILLIAM, who arrived at Newcastle early in 1675. They ascended the Delaware River and settled in Byberry, on land now owned by George Dehaven.51
*I am indebted to Watson Comly, of Byberry, for the greater part of the genealogy of this family.
51 This property is now owned by Col. E D. Morrell. It lay next to the farm of John Hart and was, as the text states, at first occupied by the four brothers. After a time Nathaniel's three brothers re- moved to the northward and Nathaniel became sole proprietor.
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THE HISTORY OF
(I.) NATHANIEL WALTON, AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
In the records of the Monthly Meeting of Friends, held alternately at Tacony and Poquessing, we find that NATHANIEL WALTON had their approbation to accom- plish his marriage with Martha Bownall, of Philadelphia, which was accordingly done 1Ith mo. 26th, 1685. When the Keithian controversy divided the Society of Friends, Nathaniel and his family joined the Keithian Church, of which John Hart was the minister. When Hart joined the Baptists, Nathaniel joined the "Church at All-Saints." In a letter found some years since, written by Nathaniel to his brother William, dated 7th of October, 1713, he reminds him "that he paid five pounds for his passage from England, which had not been repaid, and makes a demand for the money." We have no other account of him, except that he lived on property now belonging to George Dehaven, and left two sons, Nathaniel and Benja- min.
(I.) Nathaniel and Martha Walton's Children.
(2.) NATHANIEL, was a schoolmaster as early as 1727, and Thomas Chalkley speaks in his Journal of having sent his children to Nathaniel's school. He died in More- land, back of Edge Hill, in 1784, aged about 80 years, and left two sons, Boaz and Joseph.
(3.) BENJAMIN, we have no account of, except that he left a son, Benjamin.
(4.) JOSEPHI, son of (2) Nathaniel, lived on property now owned by William Wenzel1.52 He taught the school
1ª This property is now owned by Colonel E. D. Morrell.
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at Byberry for fifteen years, after which he moved to the Falls, in Bucks County, to follow his profession. It is said he was a teacher for sixty years. He died Ioth mo. 4th, 1759.58
(5.) BENJAMIN, son of (3) Benjamin, was a rigid Whig in the time of the Revolution, and very active in his distraints upon Friends on account of military requisi- tions, exorbitant in his seizures, and of imperious dispo- sition. He was commonly called "Black Ben," on account of his dark complexion, and to distinguish him from another of the same name.
(I.) THOMAS WALTON, AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
(I.) THOMAS WALTON, the second of the four brothers, settled back of Smithfield (Somerton), on the Horsham Road, in the manor of Moreland. Nothing is known of his history, except that he married Priscilla Hunn, of Philadelphia, 12th mo. 24th, 1689 (O. S.), and that he died in 1758, at a very advanced age, probably near one hundred years. He left several children.
(2.) THOMAS, son of (I) Thomas, lived with his father, and was a preacher in the Society of Friends. He usually walked to meeting at Byberry, a distance of five miles, and officiated when no other minister was present. He was afterwards disowned for not paying his debts. He was commonly designated as the "Old Bishop." He died Ist mo. 31st, 1777, aged 84 years, unmarried.
58 This date is either incorrect or the facts are confused. If Joseph died in 1759 and taught school for sixty years, he must have begun teaching in 1699, and must have been born at least nineteen years previous. This would make his birth 1680 or five years before his grandfather was married and twenty-four years before his father was born.
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3
(I.) DANIEL WALTON, AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
(I.) DANIEL WALTON, one of the four brothers, set- tled on his tract of land near the present residence of Linford Tomlinson. 54 He married Mary Lamb, 6th mo. 2Ist, 1688 (O. S.) Throughout his long life he was much respected, and was considered among the faithful Friends of that day. He died in 1719, leaving seven children : Samuel, Daniel, Joshua, Joseph, Benjamin, Nathan, and Mary. Nearly all the Waltons at present residing in the vicinity of Byberry are descendants of the ancient Daniel.
(I.) Daniel and Mary Walton's Children.
(2.) SAMUEL, was disinherited by his father, for "dis- obedience to his mother," but inherited the estate belong- ing to his brother Nathan, who died intestate. He left the neighborhood and settled near Quakertown, in Bucks County. He had four sons, Samuel, Benjamin, Abraham, and Jacob, most of whom emigrated to the Western coun- try.
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