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. II > Part 58
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504
Relics and Remembrancers.
PAGE
mons ; Letitia court ; Perspective at Philadelphia ; Penn's treaty ; the Treaty tree; a female figure drawn in colours by Major André ; a pictorial invitation card of General Howe, to the Meschianza; R. Morris' great house. Generally rough sketches, made before it was determined to make accurate drawings.
240 .- The first almanac of Philadelphia, (a sheet) 1687.
246 .- An engraved picture of six public buildings.
247 to 252, are specimens of old colonial paper.
264 .- First ground plot plans of the city, in 1793-4, by Davis.
273 .- Ancient caricature and poetry, "to wash the blackamoor white." Some city gentlemen are drawn.
do .- A caricature of Friends and the Indians.
277 .- Portraits of Bishop Allen and Benjamin Lay.
278 .- The Association battery.
279 .- Dock creek and Drawbridge scene.
280 .- Pegg's run, and scenery in skating there .*
282 .- Letitia house in the court.
do .- Cherry garden house.
283 .- An ancient house at the north-west corner of Front and Race streets.
do .- The place called Barbadoes lot, where the Baptists and Pres- byterians first held worship, corner of Chestnut and Second streets.
284 .-- The portrait of an oddity, known universally by the name of " M. O. Mike, H. A. Harry Hanse, Michael Weaders," and called also, " I see thee first," with some remarks on his character.
In my Manuscript Annals, in the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania, are the following, to wit :
PAGE
272 .- A specimen sheet of modern bank notes.
276 .- Specimens of colonial and continental money.
277 .- A sheet almanac of Philadelphia, 1687.
do .- Specimen of the writing of Count Zinzendorf, 1734. 278 .--- Slips of ancient silk dresses.
279. - An original drawing, by Kosciusko, of Miss Pollock.
296 .- Picture and description of Fitch's steamboat.
296 .- Gray's ferry bridge, and General Washington's passage there do .- Cape Henlopen Light house, and description.
342 .- A slip of silk, home-made, which gained the premium in 1770, and was made into a wedding dress for Mrs. C. Ro- berts, in 1774.
* The picture, as a skating scene, is more to the ideas in my mind, than the one given m this work. There were difficulties in forming the picture of " things before," which the present artist could not overcome.
505
List of Unpublished Papers.
PAGE
347 .- A picture of the New market, in Southwark, as drawn in 1787.
350 .- A caricature print of the revolution ; of " Liberty triumphant, or the downfal of oppression."
358 .- Likenesses of James Pemberton and Nicholas Waln, in the costume of ancient Friends.
360 .- Association battery, and windmill near.
361 .- Governor Palmer's house at Treaty tree.
do .- The place of the Barbadoes lot where the Baptists and Pres byterians first worshipped.
362 .- The Swedes' church.
do .- The Slate Roof house of William Penn.
363 .- Shippen's great house.
364 .- Alms house of Friends.
365 .- Old London Coffee house.
do .- Old Court house, built in 1707.
366 .- Fairmount and Schuylkill, in 1789. do .- Bush hill, in 1788.
367 .- Slate house, residence of William Penn.
368 .- Davis' ground plot plan of Philadelphia, 1793-4.
370 .- The same, in continuation.
371 .- Holme's ground plot of Philadelphia, 1682, with explanatory remarks.
374 .- A map of Pennsylvania, in 1787, curious for preserving Indian names of places, and of former frontier forts.
376 .- George Heap's map of 1754, of the environs of Philadelphia, curious as showing primitive owners and localities.
378 .- Old stone prison, at the corner of Third and High streets.
379 .- Swedes' house of Sven Sener, and the first Swedes' church of logs, of 1669.
460 .- Triumphal arches for La Fayette, and silk badge, as worn al his visit.
LIST OF UNPUBLISHED PAPERS.
THESE comprise such as have been purposely excluded fron. publication in my printed Annals. They are, first, remarkable auto- graphs preserved as subjects for inspection by the curious. Secondly, they are papers not expedient to be printed entire, although suf- ficiently useful to be preserved ; and sometimes already occa- sionally extracted in part, under some of the divisions of the printed Annals.
VOL. II .- 30 43
506
List of Unpublished Papers.
In my Manuscript Annals in the Philadelphia Library, to wit : PAGE
219 .- Joseph Sansom's description of Philadelphia, in 1803, in print.
245 .- A MS. petition and names, praying the king for defence, in 1743.
do .- Autograph of Count Zinzendorf, 1742 .- Of his daughter Benigna, 1742 .- Of Asheton, clerk of court, 1727 .- Of Joseph Wilcox, Mayor, 1706 .- Of James Logan, secretary, 1702 .- Of William Trent, 1706 .- Of William Penn .- Of Hannah Penn, 1712 .- Of John Penn, in 1825.
253 .- Form of a letter, by which inquiries were usually made of aged persons, having thirty-six queries.
do .- Autograph of Mary Smith-her description, in four pages of MS., of the primitive settlement of Burlington, to which she was an eye-witness.
In my Manuscript Annals in the Historical Society of Penn sylvania, to wit :
PAGE
190 .- Some ancient religious scandal on Friends, by the Keithians.
252 .- Autograph of Robert Fairman, of 1715, descriptive of his estate at the Treaty tree .- Singular writing.
380. - Penn's letter, of 1683, descriptive of Philadelphia then.
284 .- Robert Turner's letter, of 1685, to William Penn, descriptive of Philadelphia then.
286 .- Letter of P. S. Duponceau, Esq., descriptive of the office of secretary of foreign affairs.
290 .- Letter of John Penn of Stoke Pogis, 1825.
294 .- Autograph letter of Joseph, once King of Spain, first king ever dwelling among us.
298 .- Autograph of Dr. Fothergill on Philadelphia topics.
300 .- Do. of Rev. George Whitfield, 1754.
304 .- Do. of Rev. John Wesley, 1772.
306 .- Do. of Du Simitiere, the annalist.
310 .- Do. first writ for the first assembly, 1682.
312 .- Do. of the Honourable Charles Thomson, being his historical sketch of the leading incidents in the congress of 1774-5.
314 .- Autograph Minute by Patrick Robinson, in a rare kind of writing, of 1693, of the proceeding of the council concern- ing a trespass on Schuylkill.
316 .- Autograph Minute of council, of 1698, concerning duties and ports of entry.
818 .- Autograph letter of William Penn, 1687, respecting his cot tage in Philadelphia.
507
List of Unpublished Papers.
PAGE
322 .- Correspondence of James Logan, proving him to have been the author of Cicero's Cato, &c., a thing imputed to Dr. Franklin.
326 .- Primitive court records concerning Germantown-an extract. 328-Original account of the cost in detail of the materials and workmanship of the first court house, in 1707-8-cost £616 332 .-- Autograph letter of Isaac Norris, of 1704.
334 .- Do. and rare old family letter of 1693, by Samuel Flower, showing causes of emigration here to avoid woes- and signs and wonders in woful Europe.
340 .-- Original roll of female patriots, of 1780, of Lower Dublin, with their subscriptions and names to aid the sufferers in the war.
344 .- Autograph of Dr. Franklin, in 1784, to C. T., secretary of congress, announcing the peace, and his gratification and advice on the same.
346 .- Autograph of Robert Proud, our historian, concerning his birth, age, and personal history.
352 .- Prosper Martin's description of his rare spring at Pegg's run, and his diagram to show the supposed former passage there of the river Schuylkill.
354 .- Autograph letter of the late Joseph Sansom, Esq., of 1820. giving several facts concerning Philadelphia.
381 .- A letter showing the form of inquiries addressed to the aged, by which the facts in this book were attempted to be elicited. 393 to 430 .- Reminiscences and diaries of events and incidents at Philadelphia, at the time of the war of Independence, and of the acts of the British army there.
431 to 434 .- Revolutionary soldiers-a tale of truth.
435 to 438 .- Incidents of the war and its calamities to a family- best known to the author.
447 .- Autograph signatures of the first members of "the Penn Association for commemorating the landing,"-and facts concerning the origin of that society.
461 .- Autograph letter of General La Fayette of 1824, respecting his public visit to Philadelphia, addressed to Joseph Watson, Esq., city mayor.
459 to 474, contains an extended and graphic description of the public visit of La Fayette to Philadelphia, and many facts to be preserved for some future day.
486 .- A printed account of Dr. Franklin's relatives at Nantucket. 490 to 496 .- Printed biographical notices by Samuel Preston, Esq., of several memorable persons of Bucks county, in the olden time-such as John Watson, surveyor, Jacob Taylor, mathematician and astronomer, William Satterthwaite, poet and scholar, James Pellar, a genius, Dr. Thomas Watson, a learned and benevolent man, D. Ingham, Nathan Preston,
508
List of Unpublished Papers.
much concerned in Indian affairs, &c. Many local inci- dents are described, and the particulars of the " Indian walk" are given.
501 .- A singular nomenclature of rare names of Philadelphia.
507 .- The Pennsylvania Journal of 1758, containing a warning to Friends of 1758, by the Watchman, and Penn's letter of the 27th of 4th mo., 1710, admonitory.
do .-- A specimen of Humphrey's tory Gazette in Philadelphia, 1777. 508 .- Philadelphian demonstrations in 1795, for the Grand canal of New York; being a detail of the facts given by John Thompson, Esq., of his experiment and success in bring- ing a small schooner from Niagara to Philadelphia.
511 .- A poetic description of the Delaware river and contiguous country.
516 .- Reminiscences by Mrs. H.
536 to 539 .- Some scrapiana of facts of our general history.
544 to 575 .- Several MS. letters from Samuel Preston, Esq., gene- rally descriptive of historical events, and persons in Bucks county,-say of Thomas Jenks, Thomas Penn, and Lady Jenks, of the Indian walk-of E. Marshall, and his discovery of silver-of Richard Smith, botanist, and traveller among the Indians, -- of the noted Indian, Isaac Still, and his tribe in Bucks county, and of Frederick Post, the interpreter.
576 to 580 .- A detail of facts concerning Godfrey's invention of the quadrant,-in print.
Here I would mention, as a closing and general remark, that several communications made to me by aged persons, of all they knew or remembered, have been used by me under various distribu- tions, but the whole together of what they said, which may here- after interest their immediate friends, may be found in my MS. Annals in the Philadelphia Library-such are those from J. P Norris, T. Matlack, John Brown, Sarah Shoemaker, Davenport Merrot, Owen Jones, Isaac Parrish, William West, Samuel Richards, Samuel Coates, Thomas Bradford, A. J. Morris. Those by Lang Syne, pages 520 to 530, and by Samuel Preston, are to be found in my MS. Annals in the Historical Society,-also there, Penn's letters to James Harrison, his agent from 1681 to '87, page 164 to 171 ; the Loganian MSS. at Stenton, pages 222 to 260; Secretary R. Pe- ters' letters to Penns, page 266 to 269; extracts of the minutes of the Association of 1756 for preserving peace with the Indians, pages 180 to 183.
CONCLUSION.
We come now to our conclusion ; not that we have fully said all which could have been written from what we possessed, but that we have given so much as we considered of sufficient importance to Interest the mass of readers.
509
List of Unpublished Papers.
What Philadelphia and Pennsylvania may hereafter become, we shall leave to other chroniclers to notice. Some two or three ages hence, when all of us shall have passed away, and when "new men and manners reign," they may have an equal opportunity to display their own times in contrast with the present. To such a work, they will receive readier helps than we possessed. They will find abundance of public journals, but too scandalously minute, wherein daily incidents of every kind are amply disclosed ;- some to our credit, and some sufficiently repulsive to our moral sense. They will have, too, abundance of pictorial representations of dress, fashions, equipages, houses, edifices, public works, public men, and picturesque views of scenes and places,-such as never existed to aid us, in our researches into the past.
We advertise the reader, that this work having been written out and concluded in July, 1842, as signified at the preface, it is to be considered that all references to any given past time, as " so many years ago," are all to be regarded as referring backward from the year 1842, and not from the date of the imprint, on the present or future title pages.
FINIS
APPENDIX.
HAVING on hand sundry facts further illustrative of our early his tory, and sundry articles of places, in which we, of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, are sufficiently interested as occasional visiters, or lookers on, tending to describe things as they were, and from which they are now yearly changing, we herein connect them as an ap- pendix to this work, viz. :
Landing day of William Penn, at New Castle.
On the 27th day of October, 1682, arrived before ye towne of New Castle, in Delawar, from England, Wm. Penn, Esq., proprie- tary of Pennsylvania, who produced twoo certain deeds of feofment from ye illustrious James, Duke of Yorke and Albany, etc. : for this towne of New Castle, and twelve myles about itt, and also for ye two lower counties, ye Whorekills and St. Jones'; wch sd deed bore date 24 August, 1682, and pursuant to the true intent, purpose and meaning of his Royll highnesse in ye same deed, hee, ye sd William Penn, received possession of ye towne of New Castle, ye 28th of October, 1682.
The testimony of Richard Townsend-a public Friend-delivered about the year 1727.
In the year 1682, several ships being provided for Pennsylva- nia, I found a concern on my mind to embark with them, with my wife and child. I went aboard the Welcome, in company with my worthy friend, William Penn, whose good conversation was very advantageous to all the company. His singular care was manifested in contributing to the necessities of many who were sick on board, of small pox, of whom as many as thirty died. [What a loss !] After a prosperous passage of two months, having had in that time many good meetings on board, we arrived there.
At our arrival, we found it a wilderness ; the chief inhabitants were Indians, and some Swedes, who received us in a friendly manner, and though there was a great number of us, the good hand of Providence was seen in a particular manner; in that provisions were found for us by the Swedes and Indians, at very reasonable rates, as well as brought from divers other parts, that were inhabited before.
Our first concern was to keep up and maintain our religious wor- ship, and in order thereunto, we had several meetings in the houses of the inhabitants ; and one boarded meeting-house was set up, [the
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512
Appendix.
place of the bank meeting,] where the city was to be, near Dela. ware, and where we had very comfortable meetings ; and after our meetings were over, we assisted each other in building little houses for our shelter-[meaning such as the caves and cabins. ]
After some time, I set up a mill on Chester creek, which I brought ready framed, from London, which served for grinding corn, and sawing of boards; and was of great use to us. Besides, I, with John Tittery, made a net, and caught great quantities of fish, which supplied ourselves and many others ; so that although three thousand persons came in the first year, we had no lack. We could buy a deer for two shillings, and a large turkey for one shilling, and In- dian corn for 2s. 6d. per bushel. The Indians were to us very civil and loving.
As soon as Germantown was laid out, I settled my tract of land, which was about a mile from thence, where I set up a barn and a corn mill, which was very useful to the country round. But there being few houses, people generally brought their corn upon their backs, many miles. I remember, one man had a bull so gentle, that he used to bring the corn on his back.
In this location, separated from any provision market, we found flesh meat very scarce, and on one occasion we were supplied by a very particular providence, to wit: As I was in my meadow, mowing grass, a young deer came and looked on me while I con- tinued mowing. Finding him to continue looking on, I laid down my scythe and went towards him, when he went off a little way- I returned again to the mowing, and the deer again to its observation. So that I several times left my work to go towards him, and he as often gently retreated. At last when going towards him, and he not regarding his steps, whilst keeping his eye on me, he struck forcibly against the trunk of a tree, and stunned himself so much as to fall, when I sprang upon him and fettered his legs. From thence I car- ried him home to my house, a quarter of a mile, where he was killed, to the great benefit of my family. I could relate several other acts of providence, of this kind.
Being now in the eighty-fourth year of my age, and the forty- sixth of my residence in this country, I can do no less than return praises to the Almighty for the great increase and abundance which I have witnessed. My spirit is engaged to supplicate the continu- ance thereof ; and as the parents have been blessed, may the same mercies continue on their offspring, to the end of time.
RICHARD TOWNSEND.
The Declaration of the German Friends of Germantown, against Slavery, in 1688.
While the Annals are in the progress of publication, there has been found, for the first time, among the papers of the Philadelphia vearly meeting, of 1688, the original MS. declaration ; being the
513
Appendix.
same addressed to the monthly meeting of Friends, then held at the house of Richard Worrell, in Dublin township. It is in itself a curiosity, and as such is here published. So intelligible a paper, written by Germans, then only four or five years in our country, is something remarkable in itself, viz. :
This is to the monthly meeting held at Richard Worrell's :
These are the reasons why we are against the traffic of men's body, as followeth : Is there any that would be done or handled at this manner? viz. : to be sold or made a slave for all the time of his life ? How fearful and faint-hearted are many at sea, when they see a strange vessel, being afraid it should be a Turk, and they should be taken, and sold for slaves in Turkey .* Now what is this better done, than Turks do? Yea, rather it is worse for them, which say they are Christians; for we hear that the most part of such negers are brought hither against their will and consent, and that many of them are stolen. Now though they are black,; we cannot conceive there is more liberty to have them slaves, as [than] it is to have other white ones. There is a saying, that we shall do to all men like as we will be done [to] ourselves; making no difference of what generation, descent, or colour they are. And those who steal or rob men, and those who purchase them, are they not all alike ? Here is liberty of conscience, which is right and reasonable ; here ought to be likewise liberty of the body, except of evil-doers, which is another case. But to bring men hither, or to rob, [steal] and sell them against their will, we stand against. In Europe, there are many oppressed for conscience sake; and here there are those oppressed which are of a black colour. And we who know that men must not commit adultery-some do commit adultery in others, separating wives from their husbands, and giving them to others: and some sell the children of these poor creatures to other men. Ah! do consider well this thing, you who do it, if you would be done in this manner-and if it is done according to Christianity ! You surpass Holland and Germany in this thing. 'I'his makes an ill report in all those countries of Europe, where they hear of [it,] that the Quakers do here handel men as they handel there the cattle. And for that reason some have no mind or inclination to come hither. And who shall maintain this your cause, or plead for it? Truly, we cannot do so, except you shall inform us better hereof, viz. : that Christians have liberty to practise these things. Pray, what thing In the world can be done worse towards us, than if men should rob or steal us away, and sell us for slaves to strange countries ; separating husbands from their wives and children. Being now this not done in the manner we would be done at, [by] ; therefore, we con-
* 'The very apprehension before expressed by F. D. Pastorius, of himself, while at sea, in his communication to Governor Lloyd's daughters .- Vide the article Pastorius, in vol. i. page 518 of this work.
t A colour not familiar to them, at home, as Germans. VOL. II .- 3 P
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tradict [oppose], and are against this traffic of men's body. And we who profess that it is not lawful to steal, must, likewise, avoid to purchase such things as are stolen, but rather help to stop this robbing and stealing, if possible. And such men ought to be delivered out of the hands of the robbers, and set free as in Europe. Then is Penn- sylvania to have a good report, instead it hath now a bad one, for this sake, in other countries. Especially whereas the Europeans are desirous to know in what manner the Quakers do rule in their pro- vince; and most of them do look upon us with an envious eye But if this is done well, what shall we say is done evil ?
If once these slaves (which they say are so wicked and stubborn men,) should join themselves-fight for their freedom, and handel their masters and mistresses, as they did handel them before; will these masters and mistresses take the sword at hand and war against these poor slaves, like, as we are able to believe, some will not refuse to do ? Or, have these poor negers not as much right to fight for their freedom, as you have to keep them slaves ?
Now consider well this thing, if it is good or bad. And in case you find it to be good to handel these blacks in that manner, we desire and require you hereby lovingly, that you may inform us herein, which at this time never was done, viz., that Christians have such a liberty to do so. To this end we shall be satisfied on this point, and satisfy likewise our good friends and acquaintances in our native country, to whom it is a terror, or fearful thing, that men should be handelled so in Pennsylvania.
This is from our meeting at Germantown, held ye 18th of the 2d month, 1688, to be delivered to the monthly meeting at Richard Worrell's.
GARRET HENDERICH, DERICK OP DE GRAEFF, FRANCIS DANIEL PASTORIUS, ABRAM OP DE GRAEFF.
At our monthly meeting, at Dublin, ye 30th 2d mo., 1688, we having inspected ye matter, above mentioned, and considered of it, we find it so weighty that we think it not expedient for us to med- dle with it here, but do rather commit it to ye consideration of ye quarterly meeting ; ye tenor of it being related to ye truth.
On behalf of ye monthly meeting,
Jo. HART.
This, above mentioned, was read in our quarterly meeting, at Phi- delphia, the 4th of ye 4th mo., '88, and was from thence recom- mended to the yearly meeting, and the above said Derick, and the other two mentioned therein, to present the same to ye above said meeting, it being a thing of too great a weight for this meeting to determine.
Signed by order of ye meeting.
ANTHONY MORRIS.
515
Appendix.
Mason and Diron's Line.
This is a locality, marking a boundary line between Pennsylvania Maryland and Virginia, much referred to in modern times, by politi- cal disputants, and but little understood by the mass of the people.
It refers to a line of division between those states, run and settled as such, by Mason and Dixon, two English surveyors who run and determined it in the year 1761. Previous to that time, it was a subject of frequent controversy, and hard feelings for many years, between William Penn and Lord Baltimore and their several suc- cessors, from the time of the grant of Pennsylvania to William Penn, in 1680.
The king of England made his grant of Pennsylvania to William Penn in 1680, beginning at the 40th degree of north latitude up to the 42d degree-bounded by the Delaware on the east, and to extend westward five degrees of longitude. On the south a previous grant had been made to Lord Baltimore, in 1632, including all of the 40th degree, as far west as the meridian of the " first fountain" of the River Potomac, which made the five degrees of west longitude to extend beyond the meridian of the Potomac. William Penn con- ceded the width of a degree to Lord Baltimore, as the older grantee, but claimed that portion west of his meridian, down to the comple- tion of the 39th degree of latitude, five degrees long, and from thence in a line parallel with the River Delaware, in all its mean- ders, to the 42d parallel of latitude.
Virginia, meanwhile, claimed, that the western boundary of Penn- sylvania should be a parallel of five degrees west of the River Dela- ware, where the 42d parallel cut that stream. This involved, as the great subject of controversy, the right to Fort Pitt, which had been garrisoned by Virginia, as its own domain, in 1752. Their ensign and his command of forty men were there captured by the French, and then they in turn were made prisoners by General Forbes, act- ing for the British government, in 1758. It was afterwards evacu- ated and stood defenceless, until the year 1773; when John Co- nally, acting under Lord Dunmore, as the governor of Virginia, took possession. Conally was arrested as a trespasser, by Arthur St. Clair, (afterwards a general,) then a justice of the peace for West- moreland county. Lord Dunmore, the governor, then contended that Pittsburg was fifty miles within the colony of Virginia, to which the Ohio country was supposed to belong. On the other hand, the governor of Pennsylvania proved, by surveys, that it was six miles within the five degrees of longitude from the River Dela- ware, due east from the fort. Conally, who had given his bond to the court, being released on bail, returned to the court at its sitting, on 5th April, 1774; but, to their surprise, brought with him 150 armed men, and actually broke up the court! Troops were there- upon raised, and mutual arrests, and releases by force, ensued for &
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