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 5
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1 For an estimate of the importance now assigned to Madoc and his voyages, see Bryant's History of the United States. The various speculations have assigned his landing place, settlements, and descendants to nearly the whole east coast of the American continent from Canada to Patagonia.
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48
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
Primary Tribes of the Nation of the Cymry," the Gwyndydians, the men of Gwynedd and Powys, formed one. Rhun, who was the son of Maelgwn and the first of "Three Fair Princes of the Isle of Britain," reigned over Gwynedd, it is said, from A. D. 560 to A. D. 586. Cadavael, the son of Cynvedw, in Gwynedd, is recorded as one of "the Three Plebeian Princes of the Isle of Britain," and he is handed down in disgrace by another Triad as having inflicted one of the "Three Heinous Hatchet Blows " that caused the death of Iago ap Beli, the Sovereign of Gwynedd.
The poetry of the bards, much of it inspired amongst the hills of northern Wales, and relating to events that had occurred there, makes Gwynedd and those associated with the name re- peatedly a theme. Owain Gwynedd is celebrated by numerous bards. Llywarch, of Powys, singing the bravery of a Powys prince (about A. D. 1160) calls him " Gwynedd's foe." Madoc, the voyager, was a favorite subject : the Prince Llewelyn is re- ferred to in the verse of Llywarch, a bard, as
" The lion i' the breach, ruler of Gwynedd,"
and as the
"Nephew of Madog, whom we more and more Lament that he is gone."
Meredydd ap Rhys (about A. D. 1440) says :-
" Madog the brave, of aspect fair, Owain of Gwynedd's offspring true, Would have no land -man of my soul ! - Nor any wealth except the seas."
Elidir Sais, who wrote in the thirteenth century, and was one of the earliest Welsh composers of religious verse, says :-
" The chieftains of Deheubarth and Gwynedd,1 Pillars of battle, throned have I seen."
1 The rhythm places the accent on the second syllable, as it should be.
49
THE ORIGIN OF THE TOWNSHIP'S NAME.
And Einion ap Madog ap Rhawaid, in a eulogy upon Griffith, the unhappy son 1 of Llewelyn the Great, says :-
" The eagle of Gwynedd, he is not nigh, Though placable, he will no insult bear ; And though a youth, his daring horsemanship Fastening on him the strangers' wondering eyes."
And one more stanza, by an author whose name is not pre- cisely given in the authority here quoted, runs thus :-
" Gwynedd ! for princes gen'rous famed -and songs, By Gruffydd's son 2 unshamed Thou art ; he, hawk untamed, Is praised where'er thy glory is proclaimed."
! His brother Davydd treacherously took him prisoner, and Henry III. kept him in the Tower of London, in attempting to escape from which he was killed.
? The second Llewelyn.
VII. Number of the First Settlers: Growth of Population.
F ROM the first the Gwynedd settlement had a certain dis- tinction. It was talked of and written about. Contempo- rary accounts mention it, and these mentionings are conspicuous in the meagre annals which have been handed down to us. In 1705, Samuel Carpenter, of Philadelphia, offering for sale, in a letter to Jonathan Dickinson, a large tract of land in Bucks county, near the line, describes it as being "about four miles from North Wales."
The reason for this, obviously, was the fact that the settle- ment was strong from the beginning. The arrival of the settlers in a body, their purchase and immediate occupancy of a whole township, made up a notable proceeding. The adjoining town- ships filled up slowly ; families came by ones and twos ; their growth was almost unperceived ; but the Welsh company, com- posed of a dozen families or more, and moving with a concerted and harmonious step, commanded attention.
To estimate with confidence the number who arrived in the first immigration, and who, as the snow fell in November, 1698, were at home in the township, is impossible. Yet I think it cannot have been far from one hundred persons, of all ages. In several families we know very exactly the number of sons and daughters born before 1698, and who therefore must have come with their parents in the immigration. Thus -
51
NUMBER OF THE FIRST SETTLERS.
Edward Foulke expressly speaks of his wife and nine chil- dren, as being on the Robert and Elizabeth, and arriving safely.
Thomas Evans' family included his wife and at least eight sons and daughters, who all appear to have been born in Wales.
To Robert Evans are assigned, besides his wife, seven sons and daughters, all probably born in Wales.
Cadwallader Evans and his wife had one son and one daughter, both born in Wales.
To Owen Evans and his wife are assigned six children, born in Wales. (Two others, making up the eight named in our Genealogy of the family, were born in Gwynedd.)
William John's will (1712) names his wife and six children, and all of the six were probably born in Wales.
John Humphrey's will (1736) names one son, and three daughters, all of them married, and some of them having chil- dren (to whom he leaves legacies). The comparison of dates, etc., inclines me to the belief that all his children were born before 1698, and therefore were among the immigrants.
John Hugh's family was small ; his son Ellis, who was mar- ried in 1713, must have been born before 1698, and his daughter Gainor, married in 1723, may have been,- there is some reason for thinking that she was.
Hugh Griffith's son Evan was married in 1705; his son Griffith (called Griffith Hugh) was married in 1718. The former certainly, the latter probably, may be counted as among the immigrants.
As to the other families I do not attempt anything. The Pughs (ap Hughs) included several men, but the time of their arrival may not have been before 1699. Robert John was mar- ried in 1706, and probably had no family when he came into the township. Of Evan Robert's and Ellis David's families I have no data to present.
52
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
Summing up, however, what has been stated above, we have these figures :
Edward Foulke's family, II persons.
Thomas Evans' family, IO persons.
Robert Evans' family, 9 persons.
Cadwallader Evans' family, 4 persons.
Owen Evans' family, 8 persons.
William John's family, . 8 persons.
John Humphrey's family, . 6 persons.
John Hugh's family (say) . 5 persons.
Hugh Griffith's family (say) 5 persons.
Total, . 66
To this, if we add thirty-four to cover all the others, includ- ing servants,- of whom I have no account,- ample allowance will no doubt be made. The number who came into Gwynedd the first year was probably under rather than over one hundred.
A petition presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions, in Philadelphia, in June, 1704 (asking for a road via Whitemarsh), and headed, "Petition of the Inhabitants of North Wales, in Philadelphia County," recites that "there are in said township above thirty families already settled." (I am inclined to think that those over the line, in what is now Montgomery, were included. I doubt whether Montgomery was then organized.)
In 1741, Gwynedd contained 93 taxables,1 and Montgomery township 54. Gwynedd was then one of the largest in taxable population in Philadelphia county ; it was exceeded only by six others in what is now Montgomery county, as follows : Salford, 174; Providence, 146; Moreland, 125; Manatawny, III Lower Merion, 101 ; Upper Hanover, 97. Salford, it must be
1 See Watson's Annals, Vol. II., p. 403.
53
NUMBER OF THE FIRST SETTLERS.
noted, then included both the present townships of that name,- Upper and Lower; and Providence included Upper and Lower Providence. In the same year (1741, as above), all the town- ships adjoining and near to Gwynedd had a less number of taxa- bles. Their numbers were as follows: Horsham, 80; Perkio- men and Skippack, 73 ; Plymouth, 46; Towamencin, 55; Whit- pain, 56; Worcester, 70; Upper Dublin, 77 ; Whitemarsh, 89.
In the table below I give figures from the censuses since 1800, as far as I have been able conveniently to obtain them. Of the census of 1830, I am able to give, however, some special details.1 Under 5 years there were 228; between 60 and 70 years, 52 ; between 70 and 80 years, 30; between 80 and 90 years, 10; between 90 and 100 years, I. Montgomery town- ship had 911 population, 472 male, 439 female ; 4 of the total colored. In the two townships collectively there were 7 aliens, not naturalized, none blind, none deaf and dumb.
Population of Gwynedd by several Censuses.
Year.
Total.
Male.
Female.
White. 897
Colored.
Native. Foreign.
1 800
906
470
427
9
1810
1078
·
·
·
·
1820
I221
648
573
·
·
1830
140I
701
701
1397
5
1840
·
.
·
.
.
·
1850
1571
807
764
1561
IO
1860
1976
1018
958
1965
II
·
1870
250I
2477
24
2349
152
1880
3412
[NOTES .- In the figures for 1800, the numbers by sex are of whites only ; the 9 colored persons must be counted in to make up the total 906.
The figures for 1870 include North Wales borough, 407 (native, 385 ; foreign, 22).
1 See Hazard's Register, Vol. VI., p. 31.
54
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
The figures for 1880 include North Wales Borough, 673 : and 500 of the population of the borough of Lansdale, - an estimate of that portion of the borough's total (798), which was on the Gwynedd side of the town- ship line.
The census for 1790, the first taken by the United States, cannot be given, as an examination of the original records in the Census Office, at Washington (kindly made for me by Mr. Chas. H. Ingram, of the Internal Revenue Bureau), shows that the return of Gwynedd township was not made separately.
Figures for 1810 and 1840 are left blank, because the Census Office has no copy of the printed complete returns for either year ; and it seemed unnecessary to search out and tabulate the original returns.
Details of the native and foreign born were not ascertained in the censuses prior to 1850, and were not published until 1870.]
VIII. The First Settlers' Homes ; Personal Details.
D EEDS were made to the other settlers by William John and Thomas Evan, within a few months after the settle- ment, when it had been decided how much land each should take.1 The plots were marked off, however, upon the suppo-
1 Ten of these deeds are dated 4th mo. (June) 5, 1699, and the others, also, appear to have been then executed ; except Wm. John's conveyance to Thomas Evan, and the latter's conveyance to the former, which are dated 6th mo. (August) 30, of that year.
These deeds show that the township was actually divided up among the settlers. William John and Thomas Evan paid Robert Turner "508 pounds, current money of Pennsylvania," for it ; and in the distribution each colonist was charged at this rate,- 6 pounds 10 shillings for each one hundred acres. Thus, the conveyances from John and Evan were as follows :
Acres.
s.
Robert Jones, .
500
32 IO
Cadwallader ap Evan,
500
32 10
Robert ap Evan,
500
32 10
John Hugh,
500
32 IO
Thomas Evan,
700
Wm. John,
2150
139 15
Owen ap Evan,
400
26
0
Edward Ffoulk, .
400
26
0
John Humphrey,
400
26
0
H. & E. Griffith,
300
19 IO
Hugh David,
220
14 6
Evan Hugh,
100
6 10
Total,
6670
433 II
The list is not quite complete; the other conveyances (which I did not readily find on the records) will make up the 7,820 acres, and 508 pounds. (John Humphrey, above, is assigned 400 acres ; the patent gives him, of first right, 450; also, Wm. John's two tracts, above, make 2,150 acres; but in the two patents he is allowed 1,900 and 150, making 2,050. Perhaps the Evan Robert tract, 100 acres, is included in the 2,150 above.)
56
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
sition that the township contained the area assigned to it in the purchase from Robert Turner, 7,820 acres, whereas its actual area was about fifty per cent greater. Thus William John was presumed to have 1,900 acres in his large tract, but really had 2,866 ; Evan ap Hugh's title was for 700, whereas his plot con- tained 1,068 ; Cadwallader Evan had title for 500, and received 609; Edward Foulke for 400, and received 720; John Humphrey for 450, and received 574; and so on throughout the list. (The patent of Thomas Evan, already cited at length, shows that his purchase was 700 acres, and that his tract con- tained 1,049 acres.)
These facts were developed by a re-survey, made in pur- suance of a general law, passed by the Provincial Assembly about 1701. There had been a re-survey of all recently patented lands. Penn, in leaving the colony for England, in November, 1701, had particularly urged the matter on the attention of James Logan.1 To perform the work in Gwynedd, David Powell, the Welsh surveyor, who had run the lines in Merion, when that township was taken up, and who had since been an assistant to the Surveyor-General of the province, was assigned. He came over from Merion, and was engaged in Gwynedd at different times during the year 1702.2 (The patent to Thomas Evans shows that a general warrant for the re-surveys was issued by Penn's Commissioners of Property, on September
1 Writing from the ship Dolmahoy, on his way down the Delaware, on November 3d, Penn adds a postscript : " Cause all the provinces and territories to be re-surveyed in the most frugal manner, with the assistance of my brother-in-law, Edward Penington, within the two years prescribed by the law, if possible." Logan replies to this, December 2d : " We intend to set about re-surveys with all expedition," and in a later letter he remarks that the overplus found by the surveyors is much greater than had been expected.
2 David's plots, showing the several tracts, returned by him to the Land Office, are still to be seen in the Department of Internal Affairs, at Harrisburg. They are small, and not elaborate.
57
THE FIRST SETTLERS' HOMES.
29th, 1701, and the date of the patent is March 8th, 1702. Between these dates, of course, David ran the lines. Other records show that the order for the survey of William John's tract was made 7th mo. 29th, 1702, and that he made his return to the "General Surveyor's Office," 10th mo. 2d, ensuing ; in John Humphrey's tract he made return of re- survey, 10th mo. 25th, 1702.)
The re-surveys being completed, the Commissioners issued patents to the holders of the several tracts in the township. These patents confirmed the title acquired through Turner,1 and they also conveyed the overplus land in excess of the amount to which he had a right. The plan of doing this was not illiberal. Each settler was confirmed not only the amount he had bought, but ten per cent. additional, and for the remaining acres a moderate price was charged. Thomas Evans' patent shows that after confirming him 700 acres, he was allowed 70 more, and for the remaining 279 was to pay 61 pounds, 8 shillings, 3 farthings.
1 Robert Turner's deed to John and Evan for the colony should have been described more particularly at page 28 of this volume. He recites that he had received from Penn four warrants : one in 1683, for 1000 acres, another, same year, for 5600, another, in 1684, for 720, and the fourth, same year, for 500, and these were " laid out by ye Surveyor General's order, in one tract," in Philadelphia county, " Beginning at a black oak tree marked for a corner, standing in ye line of Wm. Harman's land, and on ye east side of a small run of water, thence n. e. by the same and the land of Tryall Kolme, 780 p. to a post, then n. w. by the lands of Joseph Fisher and Wm. Stanley, John West and John Day, 1604 p. to a post for a corner ; then s. w. by the land of James Peters, 780 p. to another corner post ; then s. e. by ye township laid out for Richard Whitpaine, Chas. Marshall, Thomas Cox, John Bassley, and others, 1604 p. to the place of beginning ; " "the survey thereof completed on ye 2d day of the 12th mo., 1694, as by return of ye sd warrants in Surveyor General's office, Ist mo. 10th, 1698-99 will appear," etc., etc.
This shows that the surveys of the land were made especially for the purpose of the conveyance to John and Evan. The record also shows that Thomas Fairman made the survey,-though it must have been a very imperfect one, as the township's lines given above are but 1604 perches on the long sides, while Powell's re-survey showed them to be really over 2000. (It seems doubtful whether Fairman really went on the ground, at all.)
58
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
A statement of the amounts in the several tracts, as shown be the re-surveys, may be made as follows :
First Purchase. Area Patented.
Thomas Evan,
700
1049
William John,
1900
2866
Evan ap Hugh,
700
1068
Robert John,
500
720
Robert ap Hugh,
200
232
Robert Evan,
500
1034
Cadwallader Evan,
500
609
Owen Evan,
400
538
Edward Foulke,
400
712
Evan ap Hugh (lower tract),
100
IIO
John Humphrey,
450
574
William John (lower tract),
150
322
Robert Evan (lower tract),
200
250
Hugh and Evan Griffith,
300
376
Ellis David.
220
231
Evan Robert,
100
110
John Hugh,
500
648
Total acres,
7820
1,449
The location of the several tracts is shown by the skeleton map of the township given herewith. William John's large tract occupied the upper end, and extended downward to a point below Kneedler's tavern. The road leaving the turnpike at the toll-gate and running south-westward by West Point station, must have been very nearly his lower line.
The lower line of Thomas Evan's tract was very nearly, or exactly, the present Swedes' Ford road. The lower line of Edward Foulke's tract was along the present road from Spring- House to Penllyn, and the eastern corner of his property was almost precisely at the former place. John Humphrey's tract joined him, therefore, at or close by the Spring-House, and
[Whitpain Township]
Richard Whitpaine Y Ca's Land
William John. 2866 acres
.
Evan ap Hugh 1068 acres
Robert John 720 acres
Robert ap Hugh. 232 ac.
Thomas ap Evan 1049 acres
Robert up Evan
1034 acres
Cativalader ap Evan 609 acres
Owen ap Erun - 538 acres
wong
110 acres
Edward Toulke
John Humphrey 574 acres
712 acres
Robert Evan (Pryttera) 250 acres
William John (Lower Track).
322
ac.
Evan Robert
David
thon and Evan Griffith 376 acres
John Hugh - 648 acres
Thor. Siddonl, Laved [upper Dull in Town ship]
[ Hat field Town ship]
/ " Line of " Marked Trees"
[ Towamensing Township] Enfilt Jones' Land James Peters' Land
[Worcester Township] "Whitpaines Journship
[ montgomery
J'own ship]
[Horsham Journaling) Joseph Fisher's Land
59
THE FIRST SETTLERS' HOMES.
John's north corner, on the township line (Welsh road), must have been on the top of the hill, above John Stong's old smith- shop, just about the point where is the corner-stone of Gwynedd, Horsham, and Montgomery townships. From this point extended south-westward across the township the lower line of Owen Evans, and it must have crossed the turnpike near the bridge over the Treweryn. Robert Evan's main tract, bounded on the upper side by the Swedes' Ford road, must have extended, down the turnpike, to about where the road to Gwynedd station now crosses, just above Ellen H. Evans's. Robert's line adjoining his brother Cadwallader's land passed a short distance north-east of the meeting-house. Going up the turnpike, from the Swedes' Ford road crossing, Thomas Evan's tract must have extended nearly to the top of the hill, about where the old St. Peter's burying-ground now is ; and Robert John, adjoining above, took in most of the site of North Wales borough. Above him, and extending to William John's line, near Kneedler's, was Evan ap Hugh's tract.
Where the settlers lived is in part definitely known, and in part surmised. The residences of the four Evans brothers fall in the former category. There is preserved by their descendants a genealogical sketch of the family, several copies of which have come to my notice during my searches for the facts contained in this volume. This genealogical sketch, it is stated on one of the copies, was compiled from materials furnished in October, 1797, by John Evans, Sen. (son of John; grandson of Cadwal- lader), and his sister Elizabeth. John was then 67 years old, and his sister 71. The data were taken down by Cadwallader Evans, of Philadelphia (son of Rowland), and a memorandum on the copy now in the possession of Jonathan Evans, of Germantown, says that "some additions [have been] made since by Charles Evans, but no alterations."
6c
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
.
On this old document, the statement is made of the resi- dences of the four brothers. It is as follows : -
" Thomas Evans lived where - Heist now keeps tavern by the run, half a mile above the meeting-house.
" Robert Evans lived where George Roberts now lives, half a mile west of George Maris's late residence.
" Owen Evans lived where his grandson Thomas Evans now lives, by the Great Road, one mile below the meeting-house.
" Cadwallader lived where his grandson John Evans lately lived and died, and where his son Cadwallader now lives, near the meeting-house."
The localities here mentioned are all easily identified. Thomas's house, where Heist kept tavern ninety years ago, is on the turnpike just above Evans' Run, - the house occupied within my recollection by George Wagner, John Preston, Silas H. Land, William Rowland, and others, and now owned by James D. Cardell. Robert's house was that now owned by Silas White, lately William J. Linnard's place, and long before his ownership belonging to George Roberts. (The present house, though antiquated enough, I do not suppose was Robert Evan's, or any part of it; more likely it was built by Amos Roberts.) Owen Evan's place was that now occupied by Ellen H. Evans ; his house probably stood between her present house and the turnpike, where there used to be marks of an old well and of a building.
(It may be remarked, here, that the Ellen H. Evans farm has come down to herself and children directly through the inheritance of her husband, Cadwallader, from his ancestor, Owen, and has never been out of the family. I know of no other such instance in the township. No single acre of land in Gwynedd, I believe, except this, is now owned by any direct descendant of an original settler, with a family title directly down.)
61
THE FIRST SETTLERS' HOMES.
Cadwallader's house, of course, was that which he and his descendants held for over a hundred years, which then passed (after a short ownership by Charles Willing Hare) into the possession of Evan Jones, and now belongs (1896) to the Hollingsworth estate. The mansion house - not the other and smaller dwelling - stands on the site where Cadwallader lived.
It was at Thomas Evan's house, according to the tradition preserved by his son Hugh, that William Penn stayed over- night when he visited Gwynedd. The story of this visit was first printed by Watson,1 in his Annals, and he had it from Susan Nancarro, the granddaughter of Hugh Evans.
His account is this :
" Mrs. Nancarro had often seen and conversed with her grandfather, Hugh Evans, who lived to be ninety years of age. When he was a boy of twelve he remembered that William Penn, with his daughter Letitia, and a servant (in the year 1699 or 1700), came out on horseback to visit his father, Thomas Evans. Their house was then superior in that it was of barked logs, a refinement surpassing the common rank. The same place is now E. Jones's, near the Gwynedd meeting-house. At that house William Penn ascended steps on the outside to go to his chamber ; and the boy of twelve, being anxious to see all he could of so distin- guished a man, went up afterwards to peep through the apertures at him ; and there he well remembered to have seen him on his knees praying, and giving thanks to God for such peaceful and excellent shelter in the wilderness. * *
* * I heard Mrs. D. L.3 say that she had also heard the same fact from Hugh Evans.
" There was at this time a great preparation among the Indians near there for some public festival. Letitia Penn, then a lively young girl, greatly desired to be present, but her father would not give his consent,
1 See Watson's Annals, Vol. II., p. 79. It has been copied from Watson into Day's Historical Collections of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere.
2 This error we must ascribe to Watson, or possibly to Mrs. Nancarro ; Hugh Evans, of course, would have known that the Evan Jones place was his uncle Cadwallader's, and not where his father lived.
3 Deborah Logan, no doubt.
62
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
though she entreated much. The same informant says she ran out cha- grined, and seeming to wish for something to dissipate her regret, snatched up a flail near some grain, at which she began to labour playfully, when she inadvertently brought the unwieldy instrument severely about her head and shoulders ; and was thus quickly constrained to retreat into the house, with quite a new concern upon her mind. This fact made a last- ing impression upon the memory of the lad aforesaid, who then was a witness."
The time of this visit Watson fixes as above, in 1699 'or 1700. That it was in 1699 is possible, but very improbable, for it was not until the Ist of December, the former year, that Penn reached this country (on his second visit), and came ashore at Chester. The excursion to Gwynedd doubtless occurred in 1700 or 1701.
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