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. III > Part 47
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In the early part of the eighteenth century the minds of Friends were much disturbed on the subject of marriages between first cousins, or one person marrying two sisters, or a man marry- ing his wife's first cousin, or justices of the peace undertaking to marry people by virtue of licenses obtained to that end, or mar- riages by members of the sect with others not of that persuasion, or young couples " keeping company " without the consent of their parents. In 1725 and 1731, Chester and Burlington Monthly Meetings sought the advice of Yearly Meeting upon these subjects. Decisions were rendered by the latter against all these points in 1733, 1739, and 1749.
Not only were the boundaries limited in which a man might marry, but courtship itself was difficult, few opportunities being offered for enjoying amusements together. The only recreations were tea-drinking and visits to the weekly, monthly, and yearly meetings. City and country acquaintances interchanged visits at these periods, which increased the opportunities of seeing each other.
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Free Quakers.
Nicholas Waln, p. 507 .- He was quite a distinguished man among Friends, both as a lawyer and a preacher, though rather eccentric. He generally attended at Pine Street Meeting. On one occasion a Friend-R. H., who usually attended the meeting in Keys alley-went to Pine street, and after meeting fell in with Nicholas, and said to him, " Friend Waln, I have come to thy meeting this morning." The old man replied, "I am glad to see thee; it is good for calves to change pasture occasionally." In 1780 he gave an "opinion" on Quakers refusing to pay "Taxes to Carry on War." (See it at length in Archives, viii. 81, and a letter of Pres. Reed to him on the subject, Ib., p. 101; also Col. Recs., xii. 244.)
He lived in Second street below Spruce, west side, and had his office in a one- or two-story building on the street where his house stood, and where a new house was afterward built, and once occupied by the Rev. Dr. Ely. This square is very much changed ; formerly they were large old-fashioned houses of brick; many have been altered into stores and others pulled down. His son erected a fine house at the south-east corner of Seventh and Chestnut, with two small wings to it, which was afterward owned by Dr. Swaim, and on the site are now three granite stores.
FREE QUAKERS.
The Friends, who have always been very conservative, were mainly inclined to the royal cause in the Revolution, partly from their love of ease in their ways, and partly because they were opposed to fighting principles. Some few, particularly of the younger members, sided with the Whigs, and openly expressed their sentiments and advocated resistance. The Tory portion issued " The Ancient Testimony and Principles " in support of " the happy connection " and " subordination to the king," and warned " to guard against joining in any measure for the assert- ing and maintaining our rights and liberties." They issued an- other address as late as Dec. 20, 1776.
Among those who acted boldly with the patriots was Timothy Matlack, who was an Associator and a colonel, a member of the Committee of Safety and of the Supreme Executive Council, and active all through the Revolution; also his son, and Thomas Mifflin, who afterward was major-general, member of Congress, and governor of Pennsylvania.
The Quakers disowned all who differed with them, whether they took part in military or civil affairs of the time which in any way aided the patriot cause. Those who were disowned issued an address declaring they had no new doctrines to teach,
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but only wanted to be freed from ecclesiastical tyranny, to leave every man to think and judge for himself.
The Free Quakers-or, as they were generally called, the "Fighting Quakers"-held monthly meetings and two meetings a week for religious services. They demanded of the older sect a division of the property, the use of one of the meeting-houses and of the burial-ground. Failing in obtaining their rights, they applied to the Legislature. The Assembly laid the petition on the table, but the House appointed a committee to confer with the memorialists.
The Free Quakers formed their Monthly Meeting Feb. 20, 1781, at the house of Samuel Wetherill-who was appointed clerk-in Front street between Arch and Race. He was an eminent preacher, and author of a tract called Apology for the Religious Society called Free Quakers, and another on The Divin- ity of Christ, besides other writings. Of the earliest members we have the names of Isaac Howell, Robert Parrish, James Sloane, White Matlack, Moses Bartram, Dr. Benjamin Lay, and Owen Biddle. They met at each other's houses for religious meetings for some two years, until the purchase of a lot corner of Fifth and Arch streets, on which, with the assistance of citizens, they erected the building now used by the Apprentices' Library, and which the owners rent for a nominal sum on account of the good the library does.
The Assembly in 1786 granted them eight lots for a burial- ground on Fifth street below Locust, west side, which is still enclosed with a brick wall. The bodies of the founders lay there, but others have not been buried there for a long time until permission was granted to bury the soldiers who died at our military hospitals, thus worthily carrying out the principles of the Fighting Quakers. The meeting-house was used until about 1835, the numbers gradually being reduced until but one member would be present every First Day. The property is in the hands of trustees, descendants of the original owners.
The first-born, p. 512 .- " Mary, the daughter of Lyonel and Elizabeth Brittan, born 13th day of the 10th mo., 1680, the first-born of English parents in the county of Bucks, and prob- ably of the State of Pennsylvania." Her parents arrived in June, 1680, and erected a dwelling, and were comfortably settled some time previous to the summer of 1682, when a large number of emigrants arrived, and of course before Penn, who arrived in the autumn, in October (Bucks Co. Records : Carr.)
John Key, p. 512 .- Proud, vol. i. 234, says: "I have seen him myself more than once in the city, to which, about six years before, he walked on foot from Kennet, about thirty miles from the city, in one day."
As my father had seen Proud many a time, he of course had seen a man contemporary with the first-born in Philadelphia.
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The Vineyard, etc.
The Vineyard, p. 519 .- Part of the Vineyard estate of Jon- athan Dickinson was sold, and passed through conveyances by Thomas Lloyd, John Delaval, and others to Richard Hill in 1719, upon which he built a mansion, and the estate of over three hundred acres became known as "Green Hill." It extended from the Wissahickon (or Ridge) road eastward as far north as Poplar lane. He did not live long to enjoy it, as both himself and wife, as well as his son, died, and it came by his will into possession of Lloyd Zachary in 1729.
The Vineyard was so called because it was here that Penn at- tempted his experiment of wine-making. . He sent over Rev. Charles de la Noe, " a French minister, of good name .... and a genius, to a vineyard and a garden." De la Noe only lived one year, having died in 1686. Under Andrew Doz, a Frenchman, the vineyard prospered, though but little wine was made. Upon this ground the village of Francisville, which is now lost in the great city, was built; its bounds can be distinguished by its streets, which run parallel to and at right angles with Ridge road, between Sixteenth and Twentieth streets and Fairmount and Girard avenues.
The Dickinson estate ran along the Schuylkill north of Fair- mount, including in it what was then called "Old Vineyard Hill," afterward "The Hills" under Robert Morris, and again " Lemon Hill " under Henry Pratt. It extended back from the river to King's road, afterward called the Wissahickon road, and now Ridge road, commencing on the latter at Coates street, and running beyond Turner's lane. Of course it took in the ground on which Girard College now stands. The Vineyard House stood upon Coates street and the Ridge road.
Edward Shippen, p. 523 .- There is in vol. xxxv. p. 301 of the Records in the Secretary of State's office, Boston, an order to Ed- ward Shippen (" now intending for Pennsylvania ") to purchase powder at Philadelphia. It is dated March 14, 1690.
Watson is in error in attributing the fine to Edward Shippen ; it was Edward Shippen, Junior. (See Balsh's Shippen Letters and Papers, p. 18, note ; also Minutes Com. Council, 1704-76, p. 63.) ยท
Edward Shippen's patent for land on the southern side of the city was dated October 20, 1701; Cedar street was the northern boundary, and about Fourth street the eastern. It contained 260 acres, bought from the Swansons, who had it by patent from Gov- ernor Lovelace in 1664. It covered a large part of Southwark and Moyamensing.
P. 537 .- Franklin loved to show his humor, as the following account of an accident to himself will show ; he published it in the Gazette in September, 1731 : "Thursday last a certain p-r ('tis not customary to give names at length on these occasions), walking carefully in clean cloaths over some barrels of tar on
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Carpenter's wharff, the head of one of them unluckily gave way and let a leg of him in above his knee. Whether he was on the latter at that time we cannot say, but 'tis certain he caught a Tar- tar. "T'was observed he sprang out again right briskly, verifying the common saying, As nimble as a bee in a tar-barrel. You must know there are several sorts of bees. 'Tis true, he was no honey-bee, nor yet a humble-bee, but a boo-bee he may be allowed to be-namely, B. F .- N. B. We hope the gentleman will ex- cuse this freedom."
Dr. Franklin sat as a judge of the Common Pleas of Phila- delphia in 1749 in the old court-house, Second and Market streets. He withdrew from judicial duties in consequence of " finding that more knowledge of the common law than he pos- sessed " was necessary to enable him to act " with credit" in that capacity. There was a bill of exceptions signed by him, Edward Shippen, Joshua Maddox, and other justices in the case of Wil- liam vs. Till, June term, 1749.
The ancient painting of the royal arms and the letters A. R. (Anna Regina) which formerly hung over the bench in that court-house are in the Historical Society rooms.
Franklin in 1750 competed for the office of Recorder with Tench Francis, and " notwithstanding the vast superiority of the former's capacity and character, he had but nineteen votes, and the latter had twenty-four."
The Electrical Apparatus, p. 535 .- The formation of the Junto by men fond of science gave a great stimulus to its advancement. In June, 1740, a course of philosophical lectures and experiments were given by Mr. Greenwood in the chamber adjoining the library in the State House, followed in 1744 and 1750 by two other courses by Dr. Spence, a Scotchman. Dr. Spence's lectures excited Franklin's attention to the wonders of electricity, which was increased by actual experiments by him on the arrival of a present of an electrical tube, made to the Library Company by Peter Collinson of London in 1746. In July, 1747, Franklin conveyed to Collinson the results of his observations.
Thomas Hopkinson discovered "the wonderful effect of pointed bodies both in drawing off and throwing off electrical fire." Hop- kinson, Rev. Ebenezer Kinnersley, and Philip Syng were associ- ated with Franklin in his electrical experiments. The beginning of the theory of positive and negative electricity was deduced from these observations. The results of insulation and other things were explained, together with some amusing uses of elec- tricity. Franklin also corresponded with Collinson about the Leyden jar at this time. In 1749, Franklin explained the phe- nomena of thundergusts and aurora borealis upon electrical prin- ciples, and also thought that lightning might be drawn from the clouds by means of sharp-pointed iron rods, in the same manner as electricity could be drawn by points-electricity and lightning
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Descent of the Baches, etc.
being, according to his opinion, the same. This idea suggested the invention of the lightning-rod, and was the means of Frank- lin's subsequently trying the experiment of drawing lightning from the clouds by the use of a kite.
Dr. Franklin, p. 537 .- He died 1790 in his own house, in a court leading south from Market street, between Third and Fourth. The building was torn down many years ago, and the court cut through to Chestnut street and called Franklin place (see invitation to his funeral, Penna. Arch., xii. p. 85). He was buried in Christ Church ground, Arch and Fifth streets. A portion of the wall was removed and railed in by subscription in Sept., 1858, to enable passers-by to see the tombstones of himself and wife.
Descent of the Baches and Duanes from Benjamin Franklin .- William J. Duane married a daughter of Richard Bache the first, whose mother was Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Franklin. The editor of the Aurora was Benjamin F. Bache, a brother of the lady who married William J. Duane. William Duane, who succeeded Benjamin F. Bache as editor of the Aurora, married the widow of Benjamin. By this marriage there were six chil- dren, two of whom are still living. There have been more than one hundred and twenty descendants of Richard and Sarah Bache, of whom about eighty are now living in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, and the District of Columbia. The late Alexander Dallas Bache was one of these. In 1843 he resigned several positions to become president of Girard College, in behalf of which institution he had previously made an extended tour in Europe to examine the system of instruction there. He remained at the head of Girard College until 1853, when he took charge of the United States Coast Survey as superintendent, and this position he held at the time of his death. The college was not opened for the reception of pupils until January 1st, 1848.
Broom-corn was first introduced into this country by Dr. Franklin, who planted a single seed which he obtained by acci- dent, and from it he raised enough of the plants to make brooms for his own family, and was able to give away seeds which were planted in other portions of the country. Most of the broom- corn is now grown in the valley of the Connecticut, and a full field of it when in bloom is said to present a very beautiful ap- pearance. Every year enough of the plants are raised to make more than twenty million of brooms, many of which are exported to England.
The Bradford Family, p. 543 .- " 27th April, 1693. Upon reading the petition of William Bradford, printer, directed to his Excellency, wherein he sets forth that in September last [this minute is not to be found in the Col. Records as printed, and is perhaps lost] his tools and letters were seized by order
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of the late rulers for printing some books of controversy, and are still kept from him, to the great hurt of his family, and prays relief. His Excellency did ask the advice of the board " The several members of Council being well acquainted with the truth of the petitioner's allegations, are of opinion and do advise his Excellency to cause the petitioner's tools and letters to be restored to him.
" Ordered that John White, sheriff of Philadelphia, do restore to William Bradford, printer, his tools and letters, taken from him in September last." (Col. Recs., i. 366, 367.)
Thus Bradford has the honor of being the first man to stand trial in defence of the liberty of the press of this country, and the first to issue proposals for printing the Bible, which he did 14th of 1st month, 1688, " for the printing of a large Bible," price 20s.
In 1863, May 20th, the New York Historical Society cele- brated the two hundredth anniversary of his birth ; a new monu- ment was erected in Trinity churchyard, the first having been broken in erecting the new church. John William Wallace of this city delivered the address ; a supper and ball were given, and other imposing ceremonies took place. It appears from an ad- dress before our Historical Society by Hon. Horatio Gates Jones that Bradford was one of the first owners of the first paper-mill (Rittenhouse's) at Roxbury.
Andrew Bradford, p. 546 .- Besides the publishing of the Mercury, Bradford did printing for the public and the author- ities, and as he commanded nearly all the printing of the Prov- ince, it was profitable. In 1725 he published the almanacs of Titan Leeds, John German, and John Hughes. From this time forward he began to meet with greater opposition, Keimer, David Harry, and Franklin & Meredith springing up and establishing themselves as printers and publishers. Before Franklin started for himself, on his return from England he worked for Bradford, his former employer, who sent him to Trenton with a press to print paper-money for New Jersey Province, Bradford having contracted to print it.
Bradford printed in 1729 in his Mercury an essay signed " Brutus or Cassius, or both, appears to reflect upon the King and Government of Great Britain, and to invite the inhabitants of this Province to throw off all subjection to the regular and established powers of Government." It proved to be written by one Campbell, "a parson of dissolute character," who had re- moved from Newcastle county to Long Island. Bradford was arrested for libel, prosecuted, but it does not appear he was ever tried for it, though he printed another article equally bold in the next paper.
Bradford printed Leeds' almanac, the author of which, Frank- lin prophesied, would die at a certain day and hour. He, how-
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John Bartram, etc.
ever, outlived the time by five years, when it was continued for some years by Bradford.
In 1727, Andrew Bradford was a member of Common Council. In 1728 he was appointed postmaster of the city, being the suc- cessor to Henry Flower ; he remained in office nearly four years. He kept the office at his store in Second street below Market, the sign of the Bible; in 1738 he removed to No. 8 South Front street. In December, 1739, he took into partnership his nephew, William-not his son, as Watson states, I. 547-in the publication of the Mercury. He died in 1742, and the partnership continued a year after his death, when his widow, Cornelia, and Isaiah War- ner continued it for a time.
John Bartram, p. 548 .- His life, in connection with that of another botanist, H. Marshall, has been published by Dr. Wil- liam Darlington, late of West Chester, who was himself a most eminent botanist, doing a vast deal of good by elevating the lite- rary tone and reputation of Chester county and by the publica- tion of his botanical works, Flora Cestrica ; or, Botany of Ches- ter County, and his Noxious Weeds and Useful Plants.
John Bartram's house was erected between 1728 and 1731, though it is doubtful if he had the ability of erecting it with his own hands, as stated by Watson. It was built of hewn stone, and the garden was six or seven acres in extent. It adjoined " the lower ferry." Upon the extensive grounds which sur- rounded it plants were first cultivated in America for medicinal purposes. On the west side of the Schuylkill, near to the site of the ancient dwelling, is now erected the Philadelphia, Wilming- ton, and Baltimore bridge. Upon a stone in the wall of the house can yet be seen this inscription : "John and Ann Bartrim, 1731." This house is now the property of Andrew M. Eastwick, who built an elegant mansion upon the grounds. Bartram's independent religious views caused him to be excluded from the Monthly Meeting of Friends at Darby in 1758. He died in 1777, in his seventy-sixth year.
Samuel Keimer, p. 557 .- Keimer in 1728 attempted to extend his business by setting up a lottery of goods and plate, to be held at the fair. The Council on May 16th, hearing of it, sent for him, and ordered that no lottery be kept during the said fair. His business was not profitable; he got a small share of printing to do, and he printed pamphlets, which he sold in his small shop with a variety of other articles, such as stationery, bayberry- wax candles, and fine Liverpool soap. His two best workmen, Franklin and Hugh Meredith, left him one after another, joined in partnership, established another printing-office, and became formidable rivals. They entertained a project of starting a rival paper to Bradford's Mercury, which Keimer, hearing of, endeav- ored to forestall them in, as has been already related in these volumes. He also endeavored to act as agent while publishing
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his paper, and opened an office, called "The Friendly Office, for the sale of all sorts of goods cheaply," acting as factor and adver- tiser of property consigned to him, charging a commission of six- pence on every twenty shillings sold. Keimer's want of business honesty and ability, assisted by articles published in the Mercury by Franklin, Breintnall, and others, brought the paper into ridi- cule, and after publishing it nine months for ninety subscribers, his debts obliged him to sell it for what he could get, and it fell into the hands of Franklin & Meredith for a small sum, who soon made it successful under the title of the Pennsylvania Gazette.
David Coningham, p. 555 .- This should be David H. Conyng- ham, who was father of Redmond Conyngham, who married a daughter of Judge Yeates, and lived and died near Mount Joy (or Paradise), Lancaster county. He was a member of the Leg- islature, and wrote a good deal on the history of the State, of which he furnished many articles for Hazard's Register of Penn- sylvania.
The Claypole Family, p. 558 .- Watson must have made a mistake. John, the son of James Claypoole, came out with Thomas Holmes, surveyor, in the Amity in April, 1682, and James Claypoole himself was in England when Penn was sup- posed by J. C. to be " halfway to" Pennsylvania-viz. Oct. 1, 1682. (See extracts from J. C.'s letter-book in Annals Penna., pp. 557, 595.) He was the first treasurer, as well as a partner in the Free Traders' Company. (Annals Penna., pp. 580, 595.)
French Neutrals, p. 559 .- See an interesting address respecting them delivered before the Pennsylvania Historical Society by William B. Reed, March 24, 1856, and printed in the U. S. Ga- zette about that time.
Robert Proud, p. 564 .- See his biography in memoirs of His- torical Society. Also his likeness, chair, and cane in the Society rooms. The likeness of him is pretty good; it was executed many years after his death, partly from a sketch in profile and partly from recollections of those who had seen him, as my father had done many a time, as Proud lived at 38 North Fifth street, between Market and Arch streets, within a square of my grand- father's residence, in Arch below Fifth street.
CHARLES. THOMSON.
Charles Thomson, p. 571 .- He was very intimate with my grandfather, Ebenezer Hazard, who was postmaster-general of the United States at the time Thomson was secretary of Congress, particularly during his translation of the New Testament. This work was in four volumes, octavo, and was printed and published by the two in partnership, which my grandfather was induced to enter into from his intimacy with the translator and having re- vised and corrected the MSS. Mr. Thomson at the time lived in the country, in Merion township, at his place called Harriton, a
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Charles Thomson.
few miles from the city. As his translation progressed and chap- ters of it were ready, he would send them in to my grandfather for revision and suggestions. These my ancestor would make and return the MSS., and then would follow Mr. Thomson's ac- ceptance of the alterations or his discussion about their merit ; but I find in most cases he adopted them with thanks. I have a quantity of these letters which Mr. Thomson wrote. These MSS. and letters were conveyed in a tin box by a special mes- senger on horseback. The publication did not prove a profitable one, and my grandfather bought the edition, and it was stored in his garret for years, and after his death sold for waste paper to Dr. Earle, a bookseller at the corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets ; so that nearly the whole edition was destroyed save the copies that were sold and subscribed for. This accounts for the extreme rarity and value of the book. My father very often saw him at his father's, where he always stopped when he came to the city. He describes his appearance as that of a tall, slender, ven- erable, aged man. A sketch of his life by Rev. Charles West Thomson was published in the memoirs of the Pennsylvania His- torical Society.
Charles Thomson, " The Man of Truth."-Charles Thomson took the minutes as secretary for Teedyuscung, the famous Del- aware chief, at a conference held with Governor William Denney of Pennsylvania, attended by his Council, in March, 1758. The circumstances from which the appointment arose occurred at a treaty held at Easton previous to this time, probably in 1756, and were thus related in after years by the venerable secretary himself: He had gone to attend the treaty with a number of the distinguished inhabitants of Philadelphia of that day, not only because he was in ill health and thought the journey would be beneficial to him-in which he was not disappointed-but likewise on account of the Indians and the interest which he took in their affairs. His ingenuity had led him to the invention of a new method of short-hand writing, and during the treaty he took down the transactions of its business and the speeches of the chiefs. Upon the reading of the report made by the secretary of the gov- ernor and Council, at one passage of it Teedyuscung arose, and, contradicting the statement which had been read, requested "to know what that young man's paper said," alluding to Charles Thomson, whom he had observed to be thus occupied. He was then desired to read his notes for the Indian's satisfaction ; which he did, and they received the complete approbation of his audi- tors and the chief's confirmation that such had been his words, and " the young man's paper had spoken the truth." No further objection occurred, and the natives soon after held a council among themselves and adopted him into one of their tribes, giving him, according to their custom, a new name, which sig- nified, in the language of the Lenni Lenape, "the Man of
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