USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Gwynedd > Historical collections relating to Gwynedd, a township of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, settled, 1696, by immigrants from Wales, with some data referring to the adjoining township, of Montgomery, also settled by Welsh > Part 30
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May 10th, 1790.
ABSALOM THOMAS.
A memorandum on the letter says A. T. was the first cousin of Margaret Foulke (dau. of Theophilus, afterward wife of Cadwallader, the surveyor), to whom the letter was addressed. "He was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, and left Richland to seek his future under the celebrated Col. Daniel Boone."
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
born in Massachusetts, removed to New Jersey, bought lands there in 1720, and again removed, before 1735, to the Oley settlement. (His home was in Amity township.) He was probably twice married. He died between February 23, 1735, and June 7, 1736 (these being the dates of making and proving his will), leaving lands in New Jersey to his son John, and to his daughters Hannah, Mary, Ann, and Sarah ; and the home- stead lands in Amity to his sons Mordecai and Thomas. He also made provision for an expected child, and this, without doubt, was Abraham Lincoln (who d. 1806, aged 70), who married Ann Boone.' John, the eldest son,-a half brother only of Abraham, who was by the second wife,-was the direct ancestor of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States. He, John, sold his Jersey land in 1748, and about 1750 removed southward, going ultimately to Rockingham county, Virginia, where he settled. His son Abraham went over into Kentucky in 1782, but was killed there two years later, by the Indians. He and Daniel Boone were no doubt well acquainted. Daniel at least twice (October, 1781, and February, 1788) returned to visit his relations in Berks county, and he would naturally enough have passed through Virginia, and tarried with his neighbors and kinsfolk, the Lincolns of Rockingham county.
Abraham Lincoln, who was killed in 1784, in an Indian fight (in which his son Mordecai, a boy of 14, killed one of the Indians), had three sons : Mordecai, Josiah, and Thomas. The President was the son of the last named.
It will be observed that the removal of Squire Boone and his family to North Carolina, and of the Lincolns to Virginia, was at about the same period-1750. There was, at that time, an extensive emigration to the Southern States from the settle-
1 Ann was the daughter of Mary Foulke ; see page 139.
373
THE BOONES, LINCOLNS, AND HANKS.
ments in Eastern Pennsylvania. It was a very interesting move- ment, and the history of it would be well worth following in detail. With it, besides the Boones and Lincolns, went another family, the Hanks, and these were more closely connected with Gwynedd than either of the others.1 The precise name of the head of the Hank family who thus removed, is uncertain, but Mr. David J. Lincoln, of Birdsboro', Berks county, in a letter to me, September, 1883, thinks it was John, and says : " He lived on the Perkiomen turnpike, six miles east of Reading, in Exeter township, and within half a mile of Mordecai Lincoln, great- great-grandfather of the President. This John Hank, with John and Benjamin Lincoln, moved to Fayette county, and from there Mr. Hank went southward."
As to a removal, first, to Fayette county, I do not know ; but, as has already been noted (p. 208), John Hank was in Rocking- ham county, Va., at least as early as 1787, when his daughter Hannah married Asa Lupton. That this John was the one described by Mr. Lincoln is probable, or he may have been a son of the Berks county man, for the latter was in all probability the same John Hank who was born 1712, the son of the White- marsh yeoman and Sarah Evans, of Gwynedd.2
Thomas Lincoln of Kentucky married, for his first wife, Nancy Hank. The tradition was that her family were from Virginia. She was a tall woman, above middle height, with black hair, little educated, but of marked character, and a mind naturally intelligent and vigorous. Her experience in the rude frontier life was hard. The glimpses we get of her in the biog-
1 John Hanke, of Whitemarsh, m. Sarah Evans, of Gwynedd, dau. of Cad- wallader, the immigrant. See pp. III-154. (She, after his death, m. Thomas Williams ; see p. 118.) It was the daughter of John and Sarah, Jane Hank, who was the wife of John Roberts, of Whitpain, and the mother of 'Squire Job Roberts.
2 See page 154.
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
raphies of her great son are sombre, and probably to her the President owed that underlying element of sad thoughtfulness in his nature, always so apparent, and so in contrast with the hum- orous surface traits that perhaps came from his father. Nancy Hank, I have little doubt, was a descendant of that John who was in Rockingham county, Virginia, in 1787. Her family name was English, but her black hair we may believe she had from the Welsh blood of her ancestress Sarah Evans, of Gwynedd.
XXIII.
St. Peter's Church.
N O other settled place of worship than the Friends' meeting existed in Gwynedd until the Revolution. Those who were Baptists had their membership at Montgomery ; any Epis- copalians there might have been went to St. Thomas's, at White- marsh ; and the Schwenkfelders had their meeting in Towamen- cin. But the body of the German residents of the township, by the time of the Revolution, were of the Palatinate immigration from the upper Rhine, and were either Lutherans or German Reformed. They had within their reach the churches in Whit- pain and Worcester. The German Reformed members went to Boehm's Church, which was founded at least as early as 1740, or to Wentz's Church, in Worcester ; while the Lutheran Church of St. John's, in Whitpain, above Centre Square, dates back of I770. In all of these the Gwynedd people were interested : Michael Henkey (Hænge ?), George Gossinger, Adam Fleck, and Peter Young, of Gwynedd, were of the building committee of St. John's, in 1773, and Abram Danehower was one of the trus- . tees to whom the committee conveyed the property.
About 1772, however, a movement had begun to build a church in Gwynedd, for the joint use of the Lutheran and Ger- man Reformed members. In that year, Philip Heist bought of Abraham Lukens, sen., 51 acres of land, on the northeast- erly side of the turnpike, below North Wales, where the old burying-ground now is. Half an acre of his land he gave for the site of a church, and although he omitted, for some reason,
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
to make a deed, a building was erected on it before 1780. In that year his executors made a deed, dated June 10th, for the ground, reciting that "the same is intended, and is hereby granted to remain for religious purposes : that is to say, for a church of worship already erected thereon for the use of the High Dutch Lutheran and the High Dutch Reformed, or Pres- byterian congregations," etc. It is said that this first building was a small frame edifice. It stood, no doubt, on the same spot where subsequently the large stone church of 1817 (torn down a few years ago, when both congregations had secured new buildings at North Wales), was erected.
To provide even the small house of frame doubtless taxed the resources of both congregations. It is the tradition that the first preachers held services in the open air, on the hillside where Heist's farm lay. This, however, could have been but tempo- rary, for the reasons already stated, that Boehm's and Wentz's, at no great distance, supplied sanctuaries for the Reformed, and St. John's for the Lutherans.
The records of both congregations at St. Peter's are very limited. No early minute books are now discoverable, and it is even impracticable to give the names of the pastors of the Re- formed congregation. For a list of the Lutheran pastors, notes concerning them, and other data, I am indebted to Rev. George Diehl Foust, who is now, 1884,1 in charge. The first pastor of whom we have knowledge (there must have been others earlier) was Rev. Anthony Hecht. He officiated from 1787 until 1792. In a record of the holy communion, administered July 13, 1788, that day is called " the day of consecration," which suggests that for some reason the church must have been used some time before it was consecrated. In a marriage record, made October
1 [1896] Mr. Foust is since deceased.
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ST. PETER'S CHURCH.
15, 1788, the church is spoken of as the " North Wales Congre- gation."
The next pastor was Rev. Jacob Van Buskirk, who began about 1793. He was born at Hackensack, N. J., February 11,
1739. It is said that he came to his death suddenly, August 5, 1800. He was about to start for his church, and was in the act of mounting his horse, when the Master whom he served called him. He lies buried near where stood the altar of the church in which he officiated.'
Next was Rev. Henry Geisenhainer. The length of his pastorate cannot be determined ; but there is a record showing that while here he was married to Ann Maria Sherer by Rev. F. W. Geisenhainer, pastor of New Goshenhoppen church.
Next in the list is Rev. S. P. F. Kramer, and following him is Rev. "Whalebone," which must be Rev. C. F. Wildbahn, D. D., who is buried at Centre Square. After him was Rev. J. H. Rebenach, from 1805 to 1811. (During his pastorate occurred the murder of Henry Weaver,2 at whose burial he offi- ciated, and of which he made a brief record.)
Next appear the names of Revs. David and Solomon Schaef- fer. They lived at Germantown, and must have held service here, though it could have been only temporarily.
The next pastor was Rev. John K. Weiand, from 1812 to 1826. He was the last pastor to officiate in the old frame struc-
1 Mr. Van Buskirk owned the farm at Gwynedd station, recently the estate of Rodolphus Kent now [1896] the property in part of Charles Roth. At his death, he left a wife and ten children. His widow subsequently married Philip Hahn.
2 This was a famous event in the local annals. As he passed along the road, H. W. was shot by some person concealed behind a corn shock in a field beside it. The time was the dusk of evening, October 5, 1805, the place on the State road, just at the turn near the Gwynedd-Montgomery line. The victim was the son of George Weaver, the Montgomery Square hotel-keeper. A man who was believed to have done the deed lived near by and soon after killed himself. Both Henry Weaver and he were buried in the old St. Peter's churchyard.
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
ture. During his time the need of a new church was felt, for the winds and storms of nearly forty years had seriously affected the frail temple of worship. Rev. Mr. Foust has [1884] the original subscription book for the building of the second church. It is a large volume of sixty pages, and is kept very systemati- cally. The first page, after expressing the object of the subscrip- tion states that the managers will build the new church " as soon as $3,000 are subscribed." It is dated November 8, 1815. The collectors were George Neavil, who collected $1,967 ; Jacob Kneedler, who collected $745.50; Conrad Shimmel, who col- lected $298.50 ; Joseph Knipe, and Philip Lewis. Among the subscribers were Jacob Schwenk, Philip Hurst, Joseph Knipe, John Martin, Adam Fleck, Abraham Dannehower, Jacob, George, Joseph, Adam, Samuel, and Daniel Kneedler, Christian Rex, .Henry Hallman, and many others. When they began to build is not recorded, but on the last page of the subscription book is the following receipt : " Rec'd, May 27th, 1817, of the church wardens the sum of seventy-three dollars, being collected on the day the corner stone was laid. John Hurst." Nor is it known when the work was finished. The church was built of stone, much larger than the first one. It was plastered over, and it is said, was painted yellow ; hence it was soon called the " Yellow Church," and in later day, "the Old Yellow Church." The inte- rior was high, and had a high "goblet " pulpit, of old-fashioned style, in which the preacher perched himself far above the heads of his hearers. It also had galleries on three sides of the building.
The next pastor was Rev. George Heilig. He began October 22, 1826, and continued until 1843, the longest pastorate in the history of the church. During his time an organ was introduced into the church service ; Samuel Kneedler was organist, and
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ST. PETER'S CHURCH.
Abraham Dannehower was leader of the choir. Hitherto the service had been all in the German language, but the necessity of English service was now recognized, and the pastor introduced it. For a time he officiated alternately in each language. Dur- ing this pastorate the Sunday-school was organized, of which some notes are given below. Mr. Heilig went from here to Hamilton, Monroe County, Pa., and died at Catasauqua, in Sep- tember, 1869.
The next pastor was Rev. Jacob Medtart, from 1843 to 1855. He was unable to preach in German, and during his time the sermon in that language was discontinued. The service has been entirely in the English language since that time. Follow- ing Mr. Medtart was Rev. John W. Hassler, who had charge from 1856 to 1862, when he resigned to become chaplain in the army. (He was, in 1884, pastor at New Holland, Pa.) From 1863 to 1867, during the trying times of the war, when political feel- ing ran high, Rev. P. M. Rightmyer officiated. (He now, 1884, lives in Brooklyn, N. Y.) In 1868, Rev. Ezra L. Reed, now [1884] at Lancaster, Pa., succeeded. Mr. Reed was the last preacher in the second church. Half a century had passed since it had been built, and it needed repairs. The Reformed congre- gation had decided to leave it, and to build a church of their own in the town of North Wales, near by. The Lutheran congrega- tion, after due discussion, resolved upon the same course. March I, 1867, subscription books were opened, and a site having been obtained in the borough, the corner stone of the present church was laid June 6, 1868. The work of erection was completed the following year, and on January 1, 1870, the service of dedica- tion was performed, Rev. J. W. Hassler preaching from Psalms cxxvi., 4.
From the beginning, up to this time, St. Peter's Lutheran congregation had been connected with St. John's, at Centre
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
Square, one pastor serving both, but in 1870 this arrangement was dissolved, and each church has now its own pastor. Since 1870, [down to 1884] the pastors at St. Peter's have been : Rev. Lewis G. M. Miller, 1874-75 ; Rev. Wm. H. Myers, 1876-78 ; Rev. Theophilus Heilig, 1878-80; and Rev. George Diehl Foust, who entered upon his pastorate July 1, 1880.
The records, as already mentioned, are imperfect. They show, however, lists of nearly 1,000 infant baptisms, over 100 adult baptisms, and nearly 600 confirmations. The Sunday- school was organized early in the pastorate of Rev. Geo. Heilig, -probably about 1831 or '32. The first superintendent was Noah Snyder ; after him his brother Oliver Snyder. A record book that has been preserved shows the existence of a library for the use of the school, in 1837, and also shows that in July of that year there were 10 teachers and 60 scholars in attend- ance. In June, 1840, John B. Johnson became a member of the church, and shortly after was made superintendent of the Sunday- school. He served in that capacity nearly thirty years, Charles Hallman being his assistant during the last six years. The sessions were held in the afternoon. The first open-air celebra- tion ever held in this neighborhood was given by the Sunday- schools of St. Peter's and St. John's. It took place in a woods which then stood above where the Franklinville school-house now stands, in July, 1841. Many people attended, and there were speeches and singing. The celebrations occurred fre- quently after that. For eight years preceding the preparation of these pages [1884] Abel K. Shearer has been superintendent of the school, and its present membership is about 150.
Only a few details can be furnished concerning the Reformed congregation that used the two old churches jointly with the Lutherans. As has been stated, the arrangement subsisted from
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ST. PETER'S CHURCH.
the beginning until the new churches were built, about 1869-70, in North Wales borough, and during the hundred years it appears to have been satisfactory to both congregations. Each occupied the church in turn, and neither disturbed the other.
One of the pastors of the Reformed congregation was Rev. John George Wack, who is still well remembered by the older people. He was a picturesque figure, a man of marked char- acter and a practical Christian. For many years he was pastor of Boehm's and Wentz's churches, and from 1834 to 1845 he preached regularly at St. Peter's. He had a farm and mill in Whitpain, and labored diligently with his own hands for the support of his family, besides preaching for at least three differ- ent congregations during most of his life. He was a classical scholar, wrote easily in Latin, was familiar, of course, with Ger- man, as well as English, was very found of music, and built an organ with his own hands. " In personal appearance he was of medium size, and erect ; in habits orderly, frugal, and laborious. His character for childlike simplicity and unsuspecting confi- dence was remarkable." In 1802 he took charge of both Wentz's and Boehm's ; in 1806 he extended his care also to the distant church at Hilltown, Bucks county. These charges he retained until 1828, when he surrendered Hilltown ; in 1834 he gave up Boehm's, and began to minister at St. Peter's, as already mentioned ; in 1845, after forty-three years' ministry at Wentz's, he closed his active service, though he preached occasionally to the Gwynedd congregation, later.1
1 This incident, related to me on the best authority, concerns good Parson Wack, and another most excellent and courageous man,-Dr. Antrim Foulke. Late in the summer-about August and September-of 1829, a bad fever prevailed through Gwyn- edd and adjoining townships. It was perhaps typhoid, was very fatal, worst along the streams, marked by ague, etc. Near Wack's mill was a family, "very bad off," and all down with it. The dread of fever was great, and nurses could not be had. Mr. Wack, however, helped them devotedly, and Dr. Foulke gave them his constant medi-
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
Mr. Wack was the son of Rev. Casper and Barbara Wack, of Bucks county. He died in 1856, aged eighty, and is buried at Boehm's. During his long pastorate he is said to have mar- ried seven hundred and twenty-four couples, preached five thou- sand times, baptised a thousand infants, and confirmed an equal number of catechumens. His son, Rev. Charles P. Wack, is a distinguished minister of the Reformed church ; his daughter Abigail married Philip S. Gerhard ; his daughter Amanda mar- ried Rev. Alfred B. Shenkle.
cal care. One day the two men stood beside the bed of a girl, one of the family, who was desperately ill. She had no nurse, and needed instant attention, if her life was to be saved. " Well, George," said Dr. Foulke, "if thee will help me, we will move her, and change her bed clothing, and her own clothing. It is simply a question of life or death." Father Wack did not hesitate ; he was too simple and brave a Christian for that ; the two men, alone, performed the unpleasant duty, and the sick girl, thus helped, afterward recovered. But Dr. Foulke went home with " the fever on him," and said at once that he was marked for sickness. He lay for six weeks, much of the time critically ill. His arm began to mortify, but before it had progressed, he noted the symptom himself, and saw that his case was at a desperate turn. Sending Tom Wolf, his faithful black man, to the woods for sassafras roots, he had them made into an enor- mnous poultice, and instantly applied. The flesh of the arm sloughed off, but, thanks to a very strong constitution and the care of his wife,-a skillful nurse, and one of the most devoted of wives,-he regained his health.
XXIV.
Social Conditions Among the Early Settlers.
O F the social conditions existing amongst the Welsh settlers some idea will have been formed by the reader from the chapters already given. Rev. Joseph Mathias, for many years the Baptist pastor at Hilltown, in a large manuscript volume which he left behind him, has some details on this subject.1 The drink of the settlers, he says, was at first principally water. After a while, New England rum was used, and after the orchards grew to perfection and bore fruit, cider and whiskey2 became plenty. Their bread was made of wheat or rye meal, ground and bolted. Besides bread, the wheat flour was cooked in various ways. Some made " dumplings " in pots with meat and vegetables, and often apples were used in this way,-i. c., " in dumplings." Flour was made into puddings, mixed with eggs and milk, etc., "and boiled in bags, sometimes in the same pot with meat, and some- times alone." Beef suet was used to enrich the puddings, and they were eaten with " plenty of dip." Batter cakes were made of flour, eggs, and milk, baked in a frying pan with lard, and skill- fully turned by tossing. Sometimes these were used for dessert, with sugar sprinkled on them. Usually the settlers had plenty
1 Rev. Joseph Mathias was himself of Welsh descent, and very familiar with all the traditions respecting the early settlers. He was born at Hilltown, 1778, and died 1851, at his home near where Chalfont now is. He was called to the ministry in 1804, and preached till his death.
2 He means, no doubt, spirits distilled from apple juice,-i. e., apple brandy ; this was very commonly called apple whiskey.
·
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
of meat,-beef, pork, and poultry, chiefly,-sometimes mutton. " But few depended on wild meat or fowls, though occasionally they took time to hunt and procure some."
In clearing new land, further says Mr. Mathias, the small trees were grubbed up by a party of neighbors who joined and made a " frolic." The large trees were girdled, and when they fell, the logs were divided in convenient lengths by fires kindled along them at proper distances. They had small horses, who wore collars of straw. The harness was principally of tow cloth, ropes, and raw hide. " There were no wagons, carts, or wheeled carriages." " No people have ever been more united in interest, the labor on the land being mostly performed by companies, by way of exchange, many hands making light work of heavy jobs." Much labor was done by the women : picking, carding, and spin- ning of wool, swingling, hatcheling, and spinning of flax. There were " frolics " to pull flax, gather grain, etc. In the harvest field sometimes the workers were bitten by rattlesnakes. “I recollect hearing that my grandmother was bitten while in the field. There being no remedy at hand, one of her companions sucked out the poison with his mouth, throwing off the saliva ; and she speedily recovered."
We may study with interest, in this connection, the inven- tory of the household goods of William John, of Gwynedd, who died in 1712, in the early years of the settlement. He was, judging by the large tract which he bought,-nearly three times the size of any other,-a rich man according to the circum- stances of the times. The inventory in the house includes the following articles :
I Rugg, 4 new blanketts, 7 new blanketts and one old Double coverlid, 2 ditto, I ditto, 2 single ditto, 3 ditto, I double ditto, 3 tow double coverlids, 7 cushin cases, I side of curtains, 7 pairs sheets, 5 table cloths,
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EARLY SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
10 napkins, 4 bolster cases and 2 pillow cases, 8 chairs, 2 tables, 2 Dutch wheels, and 2 other spinning wheels, 6 lbs. of hatcheled flax, 6 of flaxen yarn, 37 of course tow yarn, 4 of woolen yarn, 28 of wool, 40 yards of linen, 2 buck-skins (appraised at 7s. 6d) ; 55 lbs. of hemp, chafing dish, brass pans, wooden ware, pewter, 3 meal sives, earthen ware.
Alexander Edwards, sen., who died in Montgomery in the same year (1712), left in his will " one-half of my pewter," to be equally divided between his daughter Martha and the children of his daughter Margaret, and in another clause he provided :
I give my biggest Iron pot to my daughter Martha's eldest daughter, and I give my least Iron pot to my daughter Bridget's eldest daughter.
Robert John, who died in Gwynedd, in 1732, from the in- ventory of his personal estate was probably the wealthiest citizen of the township. The list shows several articles indicating re- finement and even some degree of luxury. Included in it are the following, valued as stated :
£ s. d.
6 Cane chairs, . 4. 0.0 2 Small walnut tables, . 2. 10 . 0 Window curtains, . . . 0 . 3 . 0 5 doz. glass bottles,1 . . 0 . 15 . 0 Chyney ware, and glasses on mantel piece 0.16.0
3 Brass candlesticks, .0. 9.0
I Desk on a frame, .3. 0.0
6 Leather Chairs, 1 .16.0 4 Arm chairs, 1. 6.0
I Warming pan and I looking glass, 1.10.0
Money scales and 0 6.0 weights and little box,
2 Great spinning wheels, o . 12 . 0
2 Little wheels, . 0. 15 . 0
£ s. d. 14 Flag bottom chairs, . 1 . 1 . 0 6 Candlesticks,
2 flesh forks, S 0.15.0 Smoothing-box and heater, .0. 5.0 Pewters, 3.16.0
4 Brass pans, . 4. 7.0 2 pairs scales and weights o . 12 . 0
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