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 9
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
us before a Justice of the Peace who was a Tender Man and loth to Meddle if he could have his choice. But such was the time that if the least ten- derness appeared in any of the Magistrates, the Priests and others would soon charge them with not being faithful to Ceasar ; and that would cause them to pass Sentence against their Judgment. The act of Banishment was then in force.1 The first & Second Offence was fines which was to be Di- vided between the King and the Informers ; and in Case the Parties would not pay the fine they [were] Committed to Prison, & there Remain untill Payment. The third offence was Banishment. So when we came before the Justice he shewed us the Danger we were like to run Ourselves into ; but if we would pay the fine and Promise to keep no more Meetings we Should be released ; other wise he could do no less than Commit us to Prison. We then in short put them all out of Doubt that we would neither pay nor Promise any such thing on that Account. Then our names were taken, and a Commitment in one Altogether, to send us all to Prison ; I perceived it then, & do remember that the Justice might be Called a Quaker, [for] his hand did shake till he was Ashamed. When the Com- mitment was Ready, Old John Williams (the Father of Reese & Evan John) Spoke unto Them on this Wise : " Oh Justice, as thou art to expect Mercy when thou Appearest before the Tribunal Seat of God, for his Sake shew Mercy now, & let this Girl go home to her Mother, who is a Cripple in Bed, and now alone. If the House was on fire she could not move herself."
One that was Present did Chide the old Man for Speaking after that Manner. The [justice, however, ] was then walking up & Down in the Hall, and could not Refrain sheding tears. He said, "Let him alone. He speaks in the Anguish of his Soul," and left the Room, being he
1 This was the Act of Parliament of 1661, strongly pleaded against by the Friends, Edward Burrough and Richard Hubberthorn appearing at the bar of the House of Commons, and there presenting their arguments. It passed, however, and the King (Charles II.) signed it in May, 1662. It is notable that among the few in the House of Commons who opposed it, and argued for liberty of conscience, was Edmund Waller, the poet. Two other members, Michael Mallett and Sir John Vaughan, took the same side, and were subsequently "convinced " of the Friends' doctrines, the latter being imprisoned with them, and continued Friendly even when he became Earl of Carberry. The act of 1661 forbade the assembling of five or more Quakers, over 16 years old, under pretence of religious worship, and inflicted fines or imprisonment for the first and second offences, and transportation for the third. A still more severe law was passed in 1664, and while great numbers were imprisoned under them, some were actually banished.
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JOHN HUMPHREY'S NARRATIVE.
Could no longer forbear Weeping. We saw him no more that Night. It was late by that time, & we had long Eight miles to the County gaol. The Constable was loth to send us there, without leaving us go first to our Houses, so he Dismissed [us] upon conditions that he Could find us the next Day at our Houses. Against Saml. Humphreys went to his Home his Wife was in Labour & was Delivered of two Sons before Morning. He called them Joseph & Benjamin.1 The Justice had tidings thereof ; he sent for the Constable, and took up the Commitment, and wished some of us would Appear before him. The Constable came to stop his Man who was going with some of us to the County gaol, & when he came in Sight he Cry'd with a loud Voice, Saying : "Trowch yn ol ! Trowch yn ol ! Fe roes Duy ei law argalon y gwr," -that is to say, "Turn back ; turn back ; God has laid his hand upon the Man's Heart." So my Brother Owen & Samuel Humphreys went to him the Day following, and as they were going to Hall, they met his [the Justice's] Mother in the Court. She gave them an Account that her Son had been in a sad Condition since they had been there. When they went to him he raised his Spirits & told that his Hand should not be upon them, but he would Bind them over to the Next Quarter sessions, and would venture to Release our Brother Saml., tho' he did know what Danger he Should incur. If he Should be put to it, he knew the Law would not bear him out.
When the Quarter-Sessions came the Constable Brought [them] there, according to his orders. There was six Justices on the Bench, & the Sheriff. Some of them were Men of a Thousand Pounds a Year, & the least two Hundred, - most of them in the Prime of their time. When we came before them, they began to deride, mock & Scoff, and in a Scoffing Manner asking if we did know the Ffyold Gatholig &c., -that is, Catholic faith, &c. Others in a Rage said if we were not Quakers they would make us Quake, -make us their Laughing Stocks, -flinging our hats about. Our friend Evan Ellis said to them that they took more Delight to sit on the Seat of Scorners than on the seat of Justice and Judgment. Then they tendered the Oath to us, which we Refused, then they fined us and upon Default of Payment they Committed us to the gaol. It being late and a long way to the County Prison, we were shut up that Night in a Close Room. When it was Night, by the Light of the Moon the whole Bench, with one Accord, Both Sheriff and Justices, save one, came before
1 This was the nephew to whom John Humphrey left his own estate in Merion. He d. 1738, aged 76 years.
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
the door, where we were put in, to make Merry over us & over the witness of God in themselves. Drinking the King's Health, they Commanded the Gaoler to open upon us, & sent in their Parasite to force us to drink the King's health. We, lying upon the Ground like Dead bodies, did not mind what they said. They had Liquor which they called Aqua Vita. They offered us some of it, & in Mocking Manner called it the water of Life ; [saying] it would flow out of our Bellies if we would drink of it. We Still lay Quiet, answering not a Word. Then they sent the fiddler to Play and sing over us and so Continued Tormenting us almost all night, pouring drink in our faces and committed an Indecency hardly fit to be mentioned. We never moved all this while, for all they could do. When it was Day light all was Quiet in Town. I took my Pen & half a Sheet of Paper & wrote what the Lord put in my mind, who I am Satisfied directed my pen to give them a Citation to appear before the Tribunal Seat of God Almighty to Answer not only for their Injury done to us but for Crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh, and putting of him to open shame. [I] further said that I wished that which they sent to us in a Scoffing Manner calling it aqua Vita might not Prove to be Aqua Mortis to them, &c. This Paper was sent among them that Day & we were sent to the County Gaol.
It may be observed that some of them were never seen on the Bench again, & it was not two Years & a half before the six were in their graves, to Wit, five Justices and the high-Sheriff.
When we came to the Gaol the gaoler after his usual manner Pro- vided Meat & Drink, & laid it upon the Table And told us he would use us as Gentlemen if we would pay, and if not he would use us Otherwise. We Answered we could not Live at that Rate long & would make no bargain with him, he swearing as he used to do that he would Famish us then, and [he] Endeavored to do so as much as he could. However we strove with [it] and lay on the floor until the Assize. Then the Gaol was to be removed to Bala. I, being lame, was Obliged to Travel a-foot for 12 Miles. (If I had brought a Horse he would have Arrested him for the fees.) When the Assize came, we Presented our Petition to the Judge, and the Second day of the Assize, at Night, as we were going to bed we had it deliver'd to him & he read it and Delivered it again to the Messenger and Directed that it should be presented to him the Next day, as soon as he sat on the Bench, which he did Accordingly, at his first Entrance. Then he Read it very serious and Solidly to himself, and
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JOHN HUMPHREY'S NARRATIVE.
handed it to the Pathonater to be Read Publicly ; so he began to read, until [when] he came to our Terms of Thee & Thou, he Smiled and Stuttered. The Judge bade him Read on, as he did, after which we were Commanded to be brought to Court. Twelve of the Sheriff's Men came with their holberts to Guard us to the Court. Way was made for us to Stand at the Barr. The Judge asked us why we did not go to Church to worship God and Divine Service. We Replyed that the time was come that they that worshiped God according to His will must worship Him in Spirit & in Truth, and wheresoever two or three are met together in His Name, He Promiseth to be in the midst of them. Several Questions were asked by several in Court, some in Earnest & some in Jest, but we answered them not. Then the Sheriff's Men guard'd us to the gaol again, after they tendered us the Oath, and we Refused. There was a little Paper of George Fox's-sent by Shropshire Friends to us, [upon] hearing that we suffered on the Account. of Swearing. The contents thereof was this : "The Cry of the World is 'Swear and kiss the book,' and the Book saith, 'Kiss the Son,' & the Son saith ' Swear not at all.'" We did not know how to get it Published, it being so pertinent to the time & purpose, [but] we offered one six-pence to nail it on the Court-House door. He concluded he would do it, But his Heart failed him, and he returned it again saying he did not know but they would count it Treason to Publish anything that was against the law. I put it in my Pocket to wait another Opportunity. The Day following the Sheriff and his Train Came to the Gaol and took from amongst us Old John Williams, the Father of Reese John, a short Man with grey hairs and long Beard about Seventy Years of Age. He alone was taken to the Court. The Judge asked if he would Pay the fines. He Answer'd in his own Language that he wronged no Man, he was a poor husbandman, Endeavoring to keep his conscience void of offence towards God & Man, earning his Bread with the sweat of his brow, paying Duties and Customs to whom it was due. Then he was Commanded to be put in a loft at the other End of the Hall, where he was a straight object before the Judge's face, which, as many supposed, Affected his Heart with Pitty to the poor, Innocent, Old Man, for the Judge could not turn his Eyes from him all the while. Then his son, Reese John, was fetched from us to Court ; and as they were leading him along they told him that his father had taken the Oath, and promis'd to pay the fine. Howbeit he was so steadfast in his Mind that they Could not move him, altho' he knew not what was become of his
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
Father. The Court Demanded the fine from him, & tendered the oath & he Refused ; then he was turned to his Father. The Next was Hugh Price, whom they endeavored to persuade to do as they said the others had done, but to no effect. And when they saw that nothing would prevail, they came in great Rage and fury for us all & brought us to the Barr. The deputy Sheriff's son had [had] some Quarrel, & my brother [had] taken [part in it] some former time. He was Pricking us with Pins in the Court. We made our Complaint thereof to the Bench ; then one of the Lawyers said whosoever abuseth a prisoner at the Barr, the Law was to cut off his Right arm. When to Excuse himself he said he was searching for Treacherous Papers ; with that he thrust his hand in my pocket, and found that little paper which we could not get any way to Divulge. When he had got it he Proclaimed it to the Court thinking he had got something that would take me by the throat. One of the Lawyers read it and gave it to his Companion, saying " Let it go, my Lord ; it will harm no body." So it went to the Judge's hand, & he read it & said nothing to it.
I perceived this to be the Lord's doings, to Cause this Angry fellow to do that service for us, Which we could not have any to do for money, and we were then released from our fines and Imprisonments.
The Gaoler cry'd out Could he keep men in his custody and have nothing for our meat & drink & lodging. The cryer cried out, "Free Men." One of the Justices that Committed us said he would have us here again, ere long, but the Judge said, " Let them go now." The Judge sent to us to know [how] it was between us and the Gaoler. We made it appear that we did not partake of anything that might Be called his, but his cruelty, and that we did pay, to the utmost -only to the floor which we lay and Trod upon.
JOHN HUMPHREY.
[A Short Relation Omitted in its proper place is here inserted.]
About the year 1663 the Magistrates of Montgomery Recommended to the Magistrates of Merioneth some vain Sorry fellow that had spent his Estate, urging them to Employ him to suppress the Fanaticks, as they Called them, and Issued forth warrants to bring in all that did not go to the Steeple House ; & many was taken in this Net, which they spread, but other Dissenting Professors that had but little Possession in the Truth, [and] Could not stand the Stock - Agreed with the Man to give him some
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JOHN HUMPHREY'S NARRATIVE.
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Money, & were Dismissed. None remained Faithful to their Testimony but Friends, and on us he was Resolved to vent his Rage and Cruelty, and locked us up in a Room a Top of the shire hall, and would not as much as allow us a little straw to lay upon. There was a Bundle of Straw in a Window, to stop the wind & rain coming in, which he took away. A Friend said to him, "Thou Canst take out, but thou canst not cause the wind to blow in there." Then we Resolved to suffer, and lie upon the Boards, and the whole Company agreed that one should lay for a Boulster and three lay with their heads upon him, and so all take their turns. Thus we spent several weeks, and He like a severe Master over us, coming to see us Every Day, but after he had spent all he had got from the Dissenting Professors, and could not get any thing from us, he was weary of Friends, and said he would not Trouble himself any farther with us, and so we were Released.
JOHN HUMPHREY.
Some Account of the Sufferings of our Ancient friend John Humphreys in Wales in Old England, taken from an old Manuscript.
After I was Married I went to Lanwyddun in Montgomery-shire. There was no Friends' Meetings there before I came ; only two Cousins of mine frequented Meetings abroad ; but we set up a Meeting, & in a little time a great Concourse of People from the parish about began to come, & our Meetings came to be pretty large. I was several times Apprehended by Warrant and brought to the Assizes in Montgomery but never put to prison but during the Sessions.
There was a Man that lived very near to the place where we kept our Meetings. He was building a house & had many hands from many Parts. Upon our Meeting Day they agreed to come to Disturb our Meetings. So they came to the House after the Meeting was over, & rushed in amongst us, & asked upon what Account so many of us came together. Some of us Asked upon what Account they came amongst us in such a Posture. Upon that one of them steped [up] and took me by the Hair of my Head with the Broad ax in the other hand and Lug'd me towards the door. Some Women throng'd about me and said : "Thou Villain, what dost thou mean ! " By that he Answered : "I mean to take off his head."
The Women wrestled and took the Ax from him. He still held me
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
by the hair. They strove with him until they got his Hands from my head and then cast him out of the door.
As I was going home by the place where they were working, I turned in, thinking to speak with their Master to know whether was it by his Permission they Came, but he not being there the Men came down from the Scaffold and one with a Clift of Wood struck me upon my head untill I was quite dead, Rowling in my Blood. The Woman of the House was an English Woman from London. She cried out with a loud voice and put my head in her apron, & called out for her husband to send away the Wicked Bloody rogue from her House. They abused the friend that was with me also. When my Blood was washed and my wound Dressed I got home. The rumor was spread abroad ; they fled and left the work. The fellow that abused me was never seen again in the country.
In the year 1679 the new Act1 was in force, and many turned to be Informers. Justice Morris came to be an Informer, himself, and Issued out writ, & gave them to the Sheriff, who Distrained upon Charles Loyd, Thos. Loyd, Thos. March, and others, & took what they could find of their Cattle. The sale Friends sought a Replevin, intending to traverse the case to get home the Cattle till the Assize. Charles and Thos. Lloyd sent two Men upon two good Horses to Replevin the Cattle. They went to this Morris & shewed their power. He took them to the cattle which was on the other side of the River by his house in a Meadow. When he had them there he took both Horses from them & sent them away, he being Justice of the peace in both Counties, the other side of the River was in Denbighshire. The two Horses were well worth £20 Sterling.
In a few Days after, as the said Justice was going from one place to another on one of these Horses he Stumbled in the river. He fell off & was Drowned before his own door. His warrant was [then] with the Deputy Sheriff to distrain upon us in Lanwyddun. We expected their coming Every Day, and some [that] were faithless and fearfull did con- trive some shift to sell some, & put the rest under the mark of the Land- lord. The Sheriff's Wife was very Earnest with her husband to make hay while the Sun shined, for it was thought that if more Writs were Issued forth, [these] if not soon serv'd, would be Void, -the term would Expire. Which made her so Eager, together with the Profit She made of so many
1 This was the revival of the old acts, whose operation had for some time been sus- pended by the King.
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JOHN HUMPHREY'S NARRATIVE.
Cows that her Husband brought her. But on the Day he intended to come to distrain our Goods he was Taken with a sore fitt in the Morning, & his Man with all speed sent to Thomas Loyd which was about three miles off, to get something for him, but Doctor Loyd was not at home to go with the Man, nor to give him anything. In a little while after the Man returned, the Sheriff Died in his Chair. Had Thos. Loyd been at home & had given him something, Perhaps Some might have Conjectured some ill thoughts of him. However he had the Warrant in his pocket When he Died Intending that morning before the fitt took him to Execute it upon us. The Night before my Wife was Milking the Cows, Saying to us : "I do not know whether I may ever have them to milk again, or no." The first news that I heard was of his Burial. I did Suppose the hand of God was in it working our Deliverance, Therefore I set it down amongst my Memorials.
There was a young man in the Neighborhood about Twenty years of Age living with his Father & Mother. As I was agoing before him in the lane, & he a-coming after me with somebody with him, as he came he did go hobbling on one side Crying repeatedly after me : " Quaker ! Quaker ! Quaker !" I took little notice of him then. But a Few Days after he was Grievously taken with a sore Distemper in his Limbs, so that he Cry'd out with pain and grief. I had never spoken a word to him nor any Body Else, to the best of my Remembrance, of his mocking me, Until his Mother came to my house, with tears, desiring me to forgive him & to pray to God on his behalf. I was seriously Concerned on his Account, and made many a Journey to Visit him in his Sickness. His lower parts was quite benumbed a long time before his Death. He died Sensible, & I believe in peace with God.
XII.
Early Monthly Meeting Records of Marriages : Other Lists of Marriages and Deaths.
A BSTRACTS of the marriage records of Haverford 1 Month- ly Meeting (to which the Gwynedd Friends, until 1714, belonged), and of those of Gwynedd Monthly Meeting, are amongst the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania, in Philadelphia. From these I have copied a list, relat- ing to Gwynedd and Montgomery, which follows below. In presenting it, however, I desire to say that while it has been copied with care, and is probably accurate, it is at best but the copy of a copy of the original records, and that these have themselves become, by the passage of time, difficult to decipher, in many instances. Those who may wish to be absolutely cer- tain as to dates, etc., should of course consult the original ; otherwise, for ordinary purposes, the list here given will doubt- less serve.
List from Haverford Records.
Thomas Siddon, of Dublin township, Philadelphia co., batchelor, to Lowry Evans, of North Wales, spinster, at North Wales meeting place, 5th mo. 28, 1701. [Witnesses : Samuel Siddon, Robert, Thomas, Cadwallader, Elizabeth, Jane, Ann, and Mary Evans, and 28 others.]
Hugh Roberts, of Gwynedd, batchelor, and Ann Thomas, of Upper Merion, spinster, at Merion m. h., 7th mo. 30, 1703.
1 This is also called Radnor Monthly Meeting. The name at the period of these records was Haverford.
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LIST OF MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
Alexander Edwards, Jun., of Gwynedd, and Gwen Foulke, of the same township, at Gwynedd m. h., 10th mo. 6, 1703.
William Lewis, of Newtown, Chester co., and Gwen Jones, of Gwynedd, at Gwynedd m. h., 8th mo. 27, 1704. [Witnesses : Lewis, Evan, Samuel, Seaborn, and Evan Lewis, William, John, Jane, Margaret, and Gainor Jones, and 43 others. ]
Francis Dawes, of Gwynedd, and Margaret Griffith, of Philadelphia, at Gwynedd m. h., 9th mo. 27, 1704.
David Jones, of Gwynedd, and Lowry Robert, of the same place, at Gwynedd m. h., 9th mo. 24, 1704. [Witnesses : Griffith, Robert, Margaret and Jane Jones ; John, Ellis, William, Evan Cadwallader, Morris, Nicholas, Rowland, and Jane Roberts, and 20 others.]
Evan Griffith, of Gwynedd, and Bridget Jones, of Radnor, in the Welsh Tract, at Radnor m. h., 3d mo. 3, 1705. [Witnesses : Hugh (his father), David, Edward, Catharine, and Ellin Griffith, Griffith and William John, and 48 others.]
Robert Evan, of Gwynedd, yeoman, and Sarah Evans, of Merion, at Merion m. h., 4th mo. 4, 1705. [Witnesses : Thomas, Cadwal- lader, Robert, Owen, Hugh, Evan, John, Jane, Ellin, Mary, Jane, Sarah, Gwen, and Margaret Evans; Cadwallader and Jane Morgan, and 71 others.]
Richard Jones, of Meirion, and Jane Evan, of Gwynedd, in the Welsh Tract, at Gwynedd m. h., 4th mo. 6, 1705. [Witnesses : Evan, John, Gainor, and Sarah Jones ; Thomas, Anne, Lowry, Robert, Hugh, Evan, and Owen Evans, and 72 others.]
John Davies, of Gwynedd, and Mary James, of Radnor, at Radnor meet- ing place, 5th mo. 4, 1705.
Robert Humphrey, of Gwynedd, yeoman, and Margaret Evans, of Radnor, spinster, at Radnor m. h., 9th mo. 1, 1705.
Robert Ellis, of Meirion, and Margaret Jones, of Gwynedd, at Gwynedd m. h., 9th mo. 3, 1705. [Witnesses : Rowland, Rowland, Jr., Catharine, and Elizabeth Ellis ; William, John, Thomas, Jane, and Richard Jones, and 67 others. ]
Hugh Evan, of Gwynedd, and Catharine Morgan, dau. of Cadwallader, of Meirion, at Merion meeting place, 8th mo. 4, 1706. [Witnesses : Thomas, Robert, Evan, Owen, Robert, Owen, Cadwallader, and John Evans ; Cadwallader and Jane Morgan, and 68 others.]
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GWYNEDD.
Evan Griffith, second son of Griffith John, of Merion, and Jane Jones, step-daughter of John Humphrey, of Gwynedd, at Gwynedd meet- ing place, 3d mo. 29, 1707. [Witnesses : Griffith and William John, Hugh Griffith, and 51 others.]
Robert John, of Gwynedd, and Gaynor Lloyd, of Merion, widow, at Merion m. h., 4th mo. 3, 1706. [Witnesses : William and Griffith John ; Thomas, Robert, Eliza, and Hannah Lloyd, and 59 others.]
Ellis Pugh, Jr., of Plymouth, eldest son of Ellis Pugh, of Merion, and Mary Evan, eldest daughter of Owen Evan, of Gwynedd, at a pub- lic meeting, 3d mo. 3, 1708.
Rowland Hugh, of Gwynedd, yeoman, and Catharine Humphrey, of Merion, at Merion m. h., 8th mo. 8, 1708. [Witnesses : Ellin and Jane Hugh ; John, Robert, and Gainor Humphrey, and 62 others. ] George Lewis, of Gwynedd, batchelor, and Jane Roberts, of the same tp., at Gwynedd m. h., 9th mo. 3, 1708. [Witnesses : Thos. and Richard Lewis ; John, Ellis, Wm., and Evan Roberts, and 43 others. ]
William Roberts, of Gwynedd, batchelor, and Anne Jones, of the same tp., at Gwynedd m., 12th mo. 4, 1708-9. [Witnesses : Ellis Roberts, and 57 others].
David Llewellyn, of Haverford, widower, and Margaret Ellis, of Gwyn- edd, widow, at Gwynedd m., 8th mo. 10, 1709. [Witnesses : Morris and Mary Llewellyn, Rowland Ellis, William and Jane John, and 55 others.]
Edward Parry, eldest son of Thomas, of Huntinton township,1 Philadelphia co., yeoman, and Jane Evan, second daughter of Robert, of the same place, spinster, at Gwynedd m., 8th mo. 6, 1710. [Wit- nesses, Thomas, and Thomas Parry, Jr. ; Robert, Thomas, and Hugh Evans, and 52 others. ]
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