USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 14
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I have seen the play about the Money-diggers by Col. Forrest-there were two editions. An aged lady once told me the real names of all the characters. The cooper therein lived in Tun Alley.
A large haunted house was in Front Street, vis-à-vis Norris' Alley- anotherin Fourth Street, an old frame, just above Walnut Street.
Jacob Balls was the first who exhibited equestrian feats in Philadelphia, probably about 1780-1. I have a plate of it.
Parson Smith, in his life time, had a tomb built above ground, at his seat at the Falls of Schuylkill, and was buried in it when he died.
"Fort Wilson House" was noted for being covered with copper. I saw the firing, it was not long,-saw one killed only, near Hobert's door.
Numerous other facts illustrative of the early history of Philadel- phia could have been connected with the present article, but as they had also some direct bearings on places, characters, &c., intended to be specially described under their appropriate heads, they are less nes ' y in this place.
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THE PENN FAMILY. (PRIMITIVE RACE.)
" Proud of thy rule, we boast th' auspicious year- Struck with thy ills, we shed a gen'rous tear."
Business Concerns of William Penn .- These facts concerning William Penn were derived from the perusal of his letters, from 1684 to 1687, to his chief steward or agent, J. Harrison, at Pennsbury, to wit:
In 1684, he says he " hopes the Lord will open his way this fall. I should be sorry to think of staying till next spring."
1685, he says,-" I am sorry my 40 or £50 charge of the sloop is flung away upon oyster shells. I hope it will not continue to be so spoiled." He also says, " Captain East charges you all with let- ting the ship lay three or four months by the wall, to his and my detriment; and he protested, and made a profitable voyage of it truly. I have no prospect yet of returning, but as soon as I can I will; for I should rejoice to see you face to face again. I'm sorry you have drawn upon me here, when I am here upon their errand, and had rather have lost £1000 than have stirred from Pennsylvania. The reproaches I hear daily of the conduct of things bear hard upon my spirits. I wonder you had no wampum of mine, for I left about 20 or £25 worth that came from New York, as part of the goods I paid so dear for there. I hear my sloop has been ill-used by Cap- tain Dore, and is now laid up in the Schuylkill. I have disposed of her to Richard Song, the bearer. If she be not fit, then hire him a sloop for his turn. I send rigging by him, which preserve if not wanted for him. He is to be loaded with pipe staves on my account, or any others that will freight to Barbadoes. Let him have one of the blacks of Allen,-two of which are as good as bought,-such a one as is most used to sea; and if George Emlen will go with him, hire him. He will return to thee, by way of Saltitudoes. If George Emlen be settled, [he was wanted as mate] pick out an honest, true man to go with Richard Song. I have sold the Gulielmina for £40 -so great is my loss. I have lost £500 by that vessel. The trees I sent are choice and costly things, and if I live, and my poor chil- dren, I shall have want enough to transplant to other plantations. Receive £40 of the bearer for a lady in England that intends to go over soon with her family; and many considerable persons are like to follow. She has bought 5,500 acres, and her first 300 must be chosen on the river, next (above) to Arthur Cook's. She wants a house of brick, like Hannah Psalter's in Burlington, and she will VOL. I .- O
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give £40 sterling in money, and as much more in goods. Francis Collins or T. Matlack may build it. It must have four rooms be- low, about 36 by 18 feet large,-the rooms 9 feet high, and of two stories height." In another letter he calls her a relative, and says he sends money from Plymouth, by Francis Rawle, on the 24th of 2 mo. 1686. {Such facts may be deemed too minute for preservation, but who can foresee that even such facts may not be requisite to illustrate other needed points of information :- For instance, in the above the price and value of buildings then are given,-the names of two respectable families now are given as first settlers at Burling- ton,-and the ancestor of the Rawle family is given, and the date of his emigration. It is by such incidental facts that more important ones are sometimes explained.]
He writes from London, 1686, saying, he sends for his family (to go to Pennsylvania) twenty-five barrels of beef, some hundred pounds of butter and candles from Ireland, and £30 for my coming over,- meaning as a preparative for such a visit. In meantime, cheer the people; my heart is with you; expect a net by first ship, and some powder and shot. The king is now courteous to Friends before im- prisoned, but pinching to the Church of England; and several Ro- man Catholics get into places. To you I say, be wise, close and respectful to superiors.
In another letter he says, " The Lord has given me great entrance with the king, though not so much as is said. Pray stop those scurvy quarrels that break out to the disgrace of the province. All good is said of the place and but little good of the people. These bicker- ings keep back hundreds,-£10,000 out of my way, and £100,000 out of the country." In 1687, he says, "I expect to see you this summer, though preferment I may have. I choose my lot among an unthankful people."
Penn, the Founder .- Penn, the founder, was once, in the pro- vince, called Lord Penn, and it was ordered to be discontinued by an act of the Council at Philadelphia. From its minutes we learn, that on the 9th of 11 mo. 1685, the Secretary reported to the Coun- cil, that in " the cronologie of the Almanack sett forth by Samuel Atkins of Philadelphia, and printed by William Bradford of the same place," there were these offensive words, to wit: " the beginning of government here by Lord Penn." The words " Lord Penn" were ordered to be struck out, and the Printer was charged not again to print any thing which had not the " lycence of the Council." This fact of course indicates an Almanack of two years'earlier date than the one of 1687, which I have preserved.
Character of the Penn Family .- The following are personal no- tices and facts concerning some of the members of that family, as they were found incidentally mentioned in the pages of Mrs. Logan's MS. selections,-kindly lent to me for gleaning what I might deem pertinent to the present work, to wit:
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Isaac Norris, Sen'r., in 1701, thus writes respecting it, saying, " The Governor is our pater patric, and his worth is no new thing to us. We value him highly, and hope his life will be preserved till all things are settled here to his peace and comfort and the people's ease and quict. His excellent wife,-and she is beloved by all-by all in its fullest extent,-makes her leaving us heavy, and of real sorrow to her friends,-being of an excellent spirit, it adds lustre to her character. She has carried under and through all with a wonderful evenness, humility, and freedom. Her sweetness and goodness has become her character and is indeed extraordinary : In short, we love her, and she deserves it. Their little son (John) is a lovely babe." [The " conduct" of Mrs. Penn refers " to the unhappy misunder- standing in some and unwarrantable opposition in others."]
William Penn's Second Arrival,-1699 .- James Logan writes, in 1700, to William Penn, jun'r., and says, " The highest terms I could use would hardly give you an idea of the expectation and welcome that thy father received from the most honester party here Friends' love to the Governor was great and sincere. They had long mourned his absence and passionately desired his return. Di- rectly from the wharf the Governor went to his deputy, paid him a short formal visit, and from thence, with a crowd attending, to Meet- ing, it being about 3 o'clock on First-day afternoon, where he spoke to the people, and praying concluded it; from thence to Edward Shippen's, where we lodged for about a month."
Causes of William Penn's Return Home, in 1701 .- William Penn, in writing to James Logan, in July, 1701, says, " I cannot prevail on my wife to stay, and still less with Tishe. I know not what to do. Samuel Carpenter seems to excuse her in it, but to all that speak of it, say, I shall have no need to stay (in England) and a great interest to return. All that I have to dispose of in this world is here for daughter and son, and all the issue which this wife is like to bring me; and having no more gains by government to trust to for bread, I must come (back) to sell, pay debts, and live and lay up for this posterity, as well as that they may see that my inclina- tions run strongly to a country and proprietary life, which then I shall be at liberty to follow, together with her promise 'his wife's) to return whenever I am ready." A little time before the above letter he said, " No man living can defend us or bargain for us better than myself." He calls it also " the necessity of going."
Penn's Design in Founding his Colony .- In 1704-5, Penn thus expresses his noble design to Judge Mompesson, a gentleman then resident here, saying, " I went thither to lay the foundation of a free colony for all mankind, more especially those of my own profession ; not that I would lessen the civil liberties of others because of their persuasion, but screen and defend our own from any infringement on that account. The charter I granted was intended to shelter them against a violent or arbitrary government imposed upon us; but that
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they should turn it against me, that intended their security thereby. has something very unworthy and provoking in it. But as a father does not use to knock his children on the head when they do amiss, Bo I had rather they were corrected without due rigour."
Causes of Penn's Pecuniary Embarrassments .- In the year 1705, he says, " I too mournfully remember how noble a law I had of exports and imports, when I was first in America, that had been worth by this time some thousands a year; which I suspended re- ceiving for a year or two, and that not without a consideration en- gaged by several merchants. But Thomas Lloyd, very unhappily for me, my family, and himself, complimented some selfish spirits with the repeal thereof, without my final consent, which his com- mission required; and that has been the source of all my loads and inabilities to support myself under the troubles that have occurred to me on account of settling and maintaining the colony. I spent upon it £10,000 the first two years. My deputy governors cost me much, -and vast sums I have melted away here in London to hinder much mischief against us, if not to do us much good. I can say that Lord Baltimore's revenue is far transcending what I can hope for, although he never took him one hundredth of my concern."
Penn's Mal-treatment from the Fords .- Philip Ford of London, a merchant, holding the profession of a Friend, had been Penn's steward and general agent there, and proved deeply treacherous to him, by trumping up an enormous account. Penn, in a moment of want and of misplaced confidence, gave him, unknown to all his friends, a deed of sale in absolute form, for all his province of Penn- sylvania, taking thereon from Ford a lease of three years. In pro- cess of time Ford received £17,000 and paid out £16,000 yet claimed a balance of Penn of £10,500 produced by a compound interest account and excessive commissions, &c. Ford died, and his son, stimulated by his mother Bridget, although a bed-ridden woman, and a professed Friend, would come to no compromise, but on the contrary, in the 11 mo. 1707-8, actually arrested William Penn, while at the Friends' Meeting! Penn, to baffle their extortion, by the advice of all his friends, preferred to go to the Fleet prison, where he was sure to negotiate better terms for himself. The case came up before the Lords in Chancery and in Parliament, &c., but nothing was settled till Penn's friends resolved to help him out of his diffi- culties, by making terms with the Fords. They gave about £5000, Penn's friends in London raised by subscriptions £3000, in Bristol £2000 and in Ireland £2000 more, taking securities on his estate to repay themselves. While at the prison, Penn was much visited by Friends, with whom he held Meetings. Isaac Norris, who visited him there, says his lodgings were commodious and comfortable at the Old Baily, and himself well and cheery.
The Fords, while he was there, had the presumption to petitior. Queen Anne to put them in possession of Pennsylvania !- Prepos
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terous claim for a debt less than £2000! It was of course disre- garded. Penn, while thus " in durance vite" for a few months, conducted his correspondence, &c., as usual. His mind was still free .- " The oppressor holds the body bound, but knows not what a flight the spirit takes !" Isaac Norris writes of him, that "he seems of a spirit fit to bear and rub through difficulties, and his foundation (in truth) still remains. He verifies the palm in the fable,-" The more he is pressed the more he rises !"*
Penn's Letters .- Penn's letters to James Logan (especially from Pennsbury) are often singular,-they are so intermixed with civil business and domestic affairs, or sometimes with a little religion.t Potts, kettles, candles, or two or three lbs. of coffee-berries, if to be sold in the town! or, proclamations of " nervous force," assemblies, sheriffs, and customs,-all abruptly jumbled together ! In his mani- fold affairs James Logan became his necessary fac-totum. One cannot but be surprised at the large proportion of civil affairs of all kinds which he has to notice. It seems so incompatible with his known diligence and much time consumed in his religious public engagements. He perhaps explains this matter incidentally in some expressions to James Logan, saying, as advice to him, that " Religion, while in its growth, fits and helps us above all other things, even in things of this world, clearing our heads, quickening our spirits, and giving us faith and courage to perform."
Penn's letters are vigorous in thought and sententious in expres- sion :- so much so, that the frequent elliptical form of his sentences makes them quite equivocal to modern ears. Some of them by changing the punctuation could be made now to contradict them selves. He wrote rapidly, and with a ready command of words. His wife Hannah too, wrote very like him in business style. The correspondence, as preserved by Mrs. Logan, between James Logan and William Penn, is very well adapted to display the mind and characters of the writers.
William Penn's illness and death .- Governor Penn's illness began in the summer of 1712, at London. It began in the form of a "lethargic fit," and at six months afterwards he had a second fit at Bristol. Just before the latter he began and left unfinished his last letter to James Logan. It was sent as it was, and is now at Stenton, in almost illegible characters. After this he left Bristol, in- tending to go to London " to settle some affairs, and to get some laws passed for the province, but finding himself unable to bear the fatigue
Isaac Norris says, the Fords offered to sell him the country for £8000 sterling ! Philip Ford the elder, was then dead; his widow Bridget Ford and his son Philip were his Executors. James Logan regretted that his patron had so long kept him a stranger to his embarrassments with this ungrateful and extortionate family.
This necessarily happened from the situation of the infant colony, with every thing to attend to as well as affairs of government. Only take a momentary view of the multitudinous subjects which must have occupied the mind of William Penn at this time, and then you will not wonder that he rapidly passed from one to the other.
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of the journey he just reached Ruscumbe," when he was again seized with his two former indispositions," &c. After this, at times, fond hopes were entertained of his partial recovery ; but they eventu- ally proved but the delusions of fond hope. At intervals, "when a little easy, he had returning thoughts still alive in him of Pennsyl- vania," &c. In the next year (1713) he had " recovered a great degree of health and strength, but not his wonted strength in ex- pression, nor was he able to engage in business as formerly," yet he could sometimes go out to Meeting at Reading, " which he bore very comfortably, and expressed his refreshment and satisfaction in being there ;" indeed, "he frequently expressed his enjoyment in the Lord's goodness to him in his private retirements, and frequently expressed his loving concern for the good of his province," although not so well as to digest and answer particulars in letters relating to business in Pennsylvania.
In 1714, his wife further speaks of his having had two or three little returns of his paralytic disorder, but that "they left him in pretty good health,-not worse in speech than for some months before," and when she " keeps the thoughts of business from him he was very sweet, comfortable, and easy, and cheerfully resigned, and takes delight in his children, his friends, and domestic comforts." His state then, says she, is a kind of translation! The company of his wife became an essential part of his comforts; so much so, that "he is scarce ever easy with or without company, unless she was at his elbow," and if she then took occasion " to write about his affairs in his sight, it so renewed his cares therein, and made him so uneasy and unwell, that she was obliged to write by stealth," &c. Sometimes, "he desired to write on his former business, but his writing being as imperfect as his speech" made his wife interfere to prevent it.
In 1715, he is spoken of as still going to Reading to Meetings, and as walking about his gardens and commons daily. He con- tinued thus for the two succeeding years, " enjoying much serenity of mind [a thing so unusual when in his perplexities and full health !] and continued incomes of the love of God,"-a virtual " translation" to him !
On another occasion (in 1717) she says, "he has all along de- lighted in walking and taking the air, when the weather allows, and when unfit, diverts himself from room to room, which is one reason for retaining so large a house at an inconvenient expense."
In the succeeding year, 1718, this great and good man yielded to his infirmities, and went to join that holy society of "just men made perfect," with which it was his delight while on earth to occupy his thoughts. At the annunciation of his death in Pennsylvania, it pleased the Governor, (Keith) incongruously enough, "to set it
* At this place he remained till he died. Why do none of our travelling Pennsylve nians visit and describe the remains of his mansion !
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Jums cms
WILLIAM PENN. PAX QUERITUR BELLO .- Page 111.
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forth according to a military performance!" But his wife more appropriately solemnizes it in a feeling letter to James Logan, saying, " the full satisfaction I have in that loss, is the great and unspeakable gain of him, who was dearer to me than life itself. The loss itself has brought upon me a vast load of care, toil of mind, and sorrow."
So closed the eventful life of the christian and the sage !-
" With equal goodness, sound integrity A firm, unshaken, uncorrupted soul Amid a sliding age, and burning strong, Not vainly blazing, for his country's weal !"
William Penn's Portrait .- The original and true likeness of William Penn, or the best and only one existing as such among us, is a bust in the Loganian library, which was first taken by Sylvanus Bevan, acknowledged by the best judges to be a very capable and extraordinary hand in that line, to whom, in his young years, Wil- liam Penn was a familiar acquaintance, friend and patron.
A note of Robert Proud* says, " The likeness is a real and true one, as I have been informed, not only by himself, (S. B.) but also by other old men in England, of the first character in the Society of Friends, who knew him in their youth."
In the Evening Post of 1778, it is asserted that Du Simitiere, the miniature and crayon painter, offers the only likeness extant of the great Founder, drawn by him from a bust in alto relievo, and en- graved in London. Who has a copy?
Since then, however, there has been sent out as a present to the Historical Society, by the Penn family in England, an original por- trait in oil, done from life, and in armour, when Wm. Penn seems to have been a half grown lad. It is finely executed-presents a beautiful face, with full flowing ringlets of hair, and makes us won- der at the contrast of characters in the same person. as seen in our common portraits of him in his wig and Quaker garb. Still they are sufficiently alike in features to show that his portraits, of both kind, have been faithfully done to nature. The sharp pointed nose is equally visible in both.
Grenville Penn has lately written a life of his ancestor Admiral Penn, and in it he gives a likeness of our Wm. Penn, as above spoken of, said to have been done for him when he was 22 years of age, when he appeared in the world as a young cavalier; and when he was in fact "an officer under the Duke of Ormond, in Ireland, and most active in quelling the rebellion there." But very few, who have been accustomed to contemplate the character of Penn, have been aware that he was once a young militaire! His abandonment of that profession, was what so deeply chagrined and frustrated the purposes of his belligerent father !
* In the year 1750, Robert Proud dwelt with Sylvanus Bevan in London ; of course he had there good opportunities to hear of the likeness. The portrait given in this work is copied from the bust.
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The statue of Penn in the Pennsylvania Hospital must be re garded as a very accurate representation. It was executed in whole or in part, by Bacon, the best statuary of his day. It was cast origi- nally for Lord le Despensor, and laid aside by his successor Sir John Dashwood. It was afterwards purchased by John Penn, who about forty years since, made it a present to the Hospital in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Hannah Penn .- This lady was not less extraordinary for her endowments of mind as a woman, than was her husband's among men. She was a true wife, in that she was " an help-mete" for such a man as Penn. During her husband's long illness, and for some time after his death, she conducted the correspondence with the colony in her own proper hand; and with such ability of style as to be so far the representative of her husband, that her letters might readily be read as his own.
While she modestly speaks of herself as a " poor helpless woman having her hands overfull of family affairs and troubles," we find her " stepping up to London for the relief of the colony, and there conferring with men of competent judgments to enable her the better to make choice of a new Governor ; for she would have gladly consented to the present Governor's continuance had his conduct been answerable to his trust."
In short, her numerous letters in the Logan collection manifest a mind strangely competent to write with much good sense and fitness of style on every branch of the colonial government to which her hus- band's attention (if well) would have been required. Such a modest, unassuming, and diffident female, conducting such a national con- cern in. the midst of her proper household avocations, with such complete but unpretending ability, is probably without a parallel. Let good wives read them, that they may instruct themselves and teach their daughters to emulate her usefulness in like cases of family be- reavements or extremities.
" From the force of bright example bold, Rival her worth, and be what they behold !"
Let husbands too, from her example, learn that good wives can often profitably assist them in their common concerns if duly in- trusted with the charge !
Mrs. Logan well remembers to have seen in her youth a portrait of Hannah Penn at the mansion of James Hamilton, at Bush-hill. Where is it now ?
William Penn, jun'r .- As this son was regarded in the colony as the probable heir of the founder, he being the only son by the first wife, it will afford additional interest to glean such notices of his character, as may serve to exhibit the habits of his mind and the causes which prevented his being looked to as a future acceptable Governor. I noticed the following intimations respecting him in the correspondence between the father and James Logan, &c.
In 1701, William Penn intending to send him out to the colony
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thus describes him saying, " He has witt, pretends much to honour, has kept the top company, is over-generous by half, and yet sharp enough to get to spend. Handle him with love and wisdom He is conquered that way." He was named also as to bring with him two or three couple of hounds; some of them for the chase of wolves.
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