USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Historical sketches : a collection of papers prepared for the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 29
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347
FOURTH AND FIFTH BATTALIONS.
Paid Edward Bartholomew for one blanket, £1, 15s .; paid Isaac Pauling, for services after Tories, June 4, 1777, £3; paid 23 persons for the hire of their blankets, two months in the militia at 5s., October 5, 1777. Cash paid to Thomas Bowers for one gun lost in service, October 15, 1778, £9. Cash paid Captain Hart for warning the militia to march, June 26, No. 86, £3. Captain Mann, ditto, January 6, 1779, £7. Ditto, for provisions received for his company, £7, 12s. Paid Joseph Hart for a blanket lost in service, October 20, 1777, No. 97, £2, 5s. Paid John Fulton for warning the militia to march, January 8, 1779, £1. Paid Joseph Folwel for provisions and for his services warning the militia to march, January 8, 1778, £12, 45. Paid Josiah Hart, ditto, £7, 18s. Paid David Mar- pole, ditto, £18, 1Is., 6d. Bloom & Morgan, ditto, £9, 12s., 6d. Cash paid Jeremiah Valstein for victuals for the militia, £7, 17s., 6d. Paid Mary Weaved, ditto, £2, 12s., 6d. Tobias Sholl, ditto, £7, 13s., 9d. Paid Jacob Marpole, hauling bag- gage, £6, 16s. Paid sundry persons for hauling arms, repair- ing arms, for cartridge paper, making cartridges, collecting arms thrown away at Germantown battle, 14 muskets and one pair of gun straps, £199, 2s., 6d. Archibald Thompson, Esq., sub-lieutenant, on account of fines, £3,088, 12s., IId. Cash, David Rittenhouse, Treasurer, at sundry times in 1778, 1779 and 1780, £36.763, 19S.
The foregoing are only some of the most interesting items in the statement.
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THE THOMPSON FAMILY AND THE JEFFERSON- VILLE INN.
At the intersection of the Egypt with the Ridge turn- pike road, in Norriton township, about a mile from Norristown, there stands an old inn, now known as the Jeffersonville hotel. This was " the house of Hannah Thomson, inn-keeper," men- tioned in the act of Assembly of 1784, creating Montgomery county.
The date-stone erected in the peak of the western wall bears this inscription : A. T., 1765. The initials are those of its builder, Archibald Thompson.
Col. Archibald Thompson's parents and grand-parents were early settlers in this neighborhood. They were in all proba- bility of Scotch-Irish descent.
Col. Archibald Thompson's grandfather, whose name was also Archibald Thompson, on March 23, 1742, purchased of Mary Norris, widow of Isaac Norris, one hundred and twenty-six and one-half acres of land; and on October 23, 1743, of Samuel Norris, son of Isaac Norris, deceased, ninety acres, making a total of two hundred and sixteen and one-half acres. These tracts are contiguous, and are situated in Nor- riton township along the river Schuylkill.
This property is now owned by the estate of William Rittenhouse, the Norristown Land and Improvement Com- pany, and the Riverside Cemetery Company.
Col. Archibald Thompson's grandfather, after his land purchase, immediately set to work to clear a portion of ground of its timber for cultivation, and erect for himself and family a log house .* This house stood nearby a spring-the present
*To this log house later on was erected a stone addition ; and subsequently. early in the present century, the original log house was demolished by the Rit- tenhouse family, and a two-story stone building erected to supersede it. Both of the stone buildings still stand.
3
CREEK
INDIAN
EGYPT
ROAD
JOacres
RIDOE
Lands of Wm. Bull. 1765.
INDIAN CREEK
-
SPRING RUN
LOG MOUSE
Thom.Griffith & Wife to Robt. Thompson. Sept.2.1737 .- 100 acres.
Scm! Norris
to Rebt. Thompson Oct. 2.1743-120acres
HOTEL
₩
Rich: Harrison to Robt. Thompson Oct:51742 .- Tlacres
STONE HOUSE
Lands of Archibald Thompson Jr. 1765.
ROAD.
RIDGE
Lands of Rob! Thompson . 1736-1743. · · Arch !! . 1765 ***
. James & Mark . 1765 ------
Prawn from Old Deeds by W.H. Reed.
THOMPSONS LAND. 1737 - 1765. Scale of Feet. 1375
Norris' Lands.
Oct. 2. 1143
Sam. Norris to Rcb! Thompson
ROAD.
EGYPT ROAD.
John Slater's Land. 1737. Sam! Thompson's Land. 1746.
Lands of Rob! Curry 1765.
-
349
THOMPSON FAMILY AND JEFFERSONVILLE INN.
site of the homestead of the late William Rittenhouse. Here Mr. Thompson resided with his family until his death, which took place September 17, 1746, in his 68th year, his wife, Rebecca, and their children, namely, Robert (eldest), James, Samuel, Archibald, Martha, Moses and John, surviving him.
Archibald Thompson, Sr., in his will provided for the support of his widow, by bequeathing to her a bed well furnished, her chest and all of her clothes, with a portion of her household goods; and for her yearly maintenance twenty bushels of good wheat, and pasture and winter feed for two cows. His real estate he bequeathed to his two younger sons-Moses and John Thompson. The remainder of the children all received a share in the personal estate,-from a family Bible to thirty pounds in money.
Samuel Thompson, a son, died September 22, 1746, aged 35 years. He was unmarried and owned an adjoining farm or plantation of one hundred and thirty-seven acres (this land is now owned by James Auld and others). Samuel, at his death, bequeathed his farm and personal effects to his brothers and sister.
Rebecca Thompson, wife of Archibald Thompson, Sr., died November 17, 1748, aged 63 years. Moses Thompson died November 9, 1748, aged 31 years ; and John Thompson died November 13, 1748. These brothers were unmarried. The death of the mother and two sons so close together leads one to believe that there was prevailing at that time an epi- demic of a fatal nature.
Moses Thompson bequeathed his half interest in the home- stead to his brother John, and John in turn bequeathed the entire real estate to his brother, Archibald Thompson.
Archibald Thompson, Jr., retained possession of the farm until May 21, 1773, when he disposed of it to Henry Ritten- house, of Worcester. The Rittenhouse family are to this day owners of the major part of this plantation. The other part of this farm is now mostly owned by the Norristown Land and Improvement Company.
44
350
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
James Thompson died November 7, 1750, aged 40 years. He died unmarried.
Martha Thompson, the only daughter, married William Bull, June, 1747. At this time Mr. B. was a neighboring land owner and farmer. Martha Bull subsequently resided with her husband on his plantation of nearly two hundred acres, the major portion of which William Bull purchased at public sale in October, 1743. This farm* is now owned by Dr. Chas. Z. Weber, Hannah Weber and others. William Bull was a man of considerable prominence in his time, and at the time of his death, in 1787, was the owner of four slaves. At this time though he was the owner of and resided on what is now known as James Auld's farm and others.
Robert Thompson, eldest son of Archibald Thompson, Sr., was one of the first settlers in this section of the county. He purchased his first farm five years before his father's land pur- chase. Robert secured, all told, at intervals, four tracts of land. The first tract he purchased was on September 2, 1737, of Thomas Griffith and wife, Mary (formerly Mary Norris), comprising one hundred acres of land, subject to an annual quit-rent of " thirty-six bushels of good sound and well-dressed winter wheat"-to be paid regularly on or before November 19th of each year.
On October 2, 1743, Robert Thompson purchased of Samuel Norris one tract of land comprising one hundred and twenty acres, and another tract of ten acres of land ; total, one hundred and thirty acres, paying therefor £163, 135, 6d.
On October 8, 1742, Robert Thompson purchased of Richard Harrison a tract of land, consisting of seventy-seven acres, paying therefor £So.
These tracts of land are all located in Norriton and ad- joined one another, and comprised a combined acreage of over three hundred. Nearly upon the centre of these tracts of land
*This property of William Bull's, previous to 1743, was owned by Samuel Thompson, who borrowed money on the same from the General Loan Office of Philadelphia Thompson defaulted in the payment of interest, then the trustees seized and sold on execution the said plantation at public vendue, and William Bull became the purchaser.
35I
THOMPSON FAMILY AND JEFFERSONVILLE INN.
now stands the " Jeffersonville Inn." The divisions and sub- divisions of this plantation into which time, sales, transfers, etc., have cut it as it is to-day, make it somewhat trouble- some to trace the original lines. The accompanying draught will greatly assist the reader in tracing and locating the origi- nal land marks.
When Robert Thompson made his first purchase in 1737 he had only one adjoining neighbor. This man's name was John Slater, and he was located south of Mr. Thompson, and only a small portion of their lands was contiguous. Slater also secured his land of the Norrises on the leasehold plan ; most of this (Slater's) land is now owned by James Auld, Mr. Edward Hibbs residing upon the farm at present.
When Robert Thompson made his purchase of land in 1737 this neighborhood was mainly timber or bush land. As the timber was heavy this early pioneer had many hardships to contend with to shape the soil for cultivation. Stumps and bushes were barriers that were only overcome by sturdy labor. Patience and perseverance, with tireless efforts, in time crowned labor with success. As each season brought forth its new crop additional land would be brought under cultivation, and richer and greater rewards would follow.
Early Robert Thompson erected upon his first purchase of land-the leasehold tract-a dwelling. He selected as a site for this, nearby a spring, centrally located-a few rods west of the present. Poth mansion. The house was built of logs, one story high, with one door, one window, and a thatched roof. The one gable end of the house was built of stone, projecting some extent from the main building, and tapering into a large square flue at the top. Beneath the chimney was a huge fire-place. There was but one room on the ground floor, with a ladder stairway leading to the attic above.
Early here Robert Thompson must have lived a life of seclusion, surrounded by naught else but his domesticated stock, and the seclusion and loneliness broken only by an oc- casional visit of a neighbor.
1
352
.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
At this time the Indian and wild beast were no less a companion, and at times were more or less a concern and fear. As the settlers grew more numerous in this neighborhood the fear from these diminished by the extermination of the beast and the retreat of the Indian westward.
As the first several fears of Robert Thompson's loneliness flitted by, a pleasant transition took place about 1740. His home became illumed with the face of a bride. As old Time marked his progress onward the hearthside was brightened with the faces of children. Here sunshine followed shadow. But this sunshine in this dear family was soon followed by shadow. After a short married life Robert Thompson was stricken with death. He died on August 6, 1747, in the for- tieth year of his age. His wife, whose name was Mary, sur- vived him with six small children. The names of the children were Archibald (afterwards Colonel), Mark, James, Martha, Agnes and Rebecca. Archibald, who was the oldest child, was in his seventh year at the time of his father's death.
Robert Thompson died intestate. Letters of administra- tion were granted to his widow, Mary Thompson, and his brother, James Thompson, in August, 1747. Among the enumerated articles in the inventory of the personal estate are horses, cows, steers, sheep, hogs, bees, wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, buckwheat, hay, flax, plows, harrows, and other utensils of husbandry ; wool, woolen yarn, wearing apparel, bed, bed clothes, linens, fulled cloth, servants' time, household furniture, etc. There are no wagons given ; a riding horse is specified.
The above inventory is a clear indication of the character of husbandry in those days. It depicts the mode of life of these early settlers, and shows conclusively their limited means, and that these self-sacrificing people grew and cultivated on their plantation everything to lessen expense of a variety pos- sible to suit their conditions, and further their limited means.
After Robert Thompson's death I am lead to believe that his widow remained at the homestead with her family until her eldest son, Archibald, became of age, which was about 1761, at which time she married Robert Curry, a neighbor.
MARRIED
I .- ARCHIBALD THOMPSON. )
Children,
( Robert Thompson - Mary James Thompson, 1 Samuel Thompson, 1 & All died single.
REBECCA THOMPSON (Wife). )
Archibald Thompson, Moses Thompson, 1 John Thompson, [ Martha Thompson-William Bull.
( (Col.) Archibald Thompson-Hannah Bartholomew. Mark Thompson-Ann
James Thompson-Sarah Falcomer.
-
Martha Thompson-James Sheppard. | Agnes Thompson-Thomas Darrack (Darrah).
1
Rebecca Thompson-William Darrack (Darrah).
-
II .- ROBERT THOMPSON. MARY THOMPSON (Wife). Married Robert Curry.
Children,
---
III .- COL. ARCHIBALD THOMPSON. |Children, HANNAH THOMPSON (Wife).
Sarah Thompson -- Archibald Darrah. Robert Thompson-Died single. Mary Thompson-James Hamill. Joseph Thompson-Elizabeth Mark Thompson- Nancy - Benjamin Thompson-Elizabeth Stroud. ( Archibald Thompson.
353
THOMPSON FAMILY AND JEFFERSONVILLE INN.
Robert Curry's farm of one hundred and eight acres of land adjoined widow Thompson's to the southeast, to which place she then removed with her family. The major portion of the plantation of Robert Curry now belongs to William Gross, who lately purchased the same of F. A. Poth.
Robert Curry was an early emigrant from Ireland, and purchased his farm of Charles Norris, in 1754. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and during the war of Inde- pendence was an active patriot, and filled a number of posi- tions both in civil and military life. On account of the active part Col. Robert Curry took in the revolutionary war he was much despised by the neighboring tories, who were bent, on several occasions, on doing him untold injury.
Robert Curry died November 9, 1794, aged 60 years. Mary Curry, his wife, died April 9, 1804, aged 97 years. Mrs. Curry and her two husbands are buried side by side in the old Norriton burrying ground, one tablet with three inscrip- tions cut upon it marking the three graves. By the second marriage of Mary Thompson (widow of Robert Thompson) with Robert Curry there was no issue. She, Mary Curry, was her husband's senior by twenty-seven years.
Robert Curry was a man who highly respected and duti- fully cared for his step-children, and after his death remem- bered them all considerately in his will.
As the children of Robert Thompson grew to manhood and womanhood they all married. Mark Thompson, whose wife's name was Ann, settled in Sussex county, N. J., at store keeping. James Thompson married Sarah Falconer, February 15, 1768, and settled in Chester county. Martha Thompson married James Sheppard and settled in Plymouth, Montgomery county, Pa. Agnes Thompson married Thomas Darrock and settled in Bucks county, Pa. Rebecca Thompson married William Darrock, February 12, 1760, and settled in Bucks county, Pa.
The Thompsons were all educated people-that is, they could read and write. They were all able to subscribe their names to documents in a plain and legible manner, with the
354
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
exception of Mary Thompson, widow of Robert, who invari- ably made her mark. As there were no public schools in this neighborhood in those days the probabilities are that these children were taught the rudiments of education at home by those of the family capable of doing so.
In December, 1762, Archibald Thompson, son of Robert Thompson, deceased, petitioned the Orphans' Court, of Phila- delphia (which he was entitled to do by law of the province, he being twenty-one years of age), praying for an inquest to value his father's estate of three hundred acres of land, situate in Norriton township, with the improvements thereon, and at such valuation to have the same adjudged to him. One hun- dred and ninety-seven acres of this land Robert Thompson, de- ceased, possessed in fee, and one hundred acres he possessed as a leasehold estate. Archibald Thompson agreed to pay therefor six hundred and twenty pounds and eleven shillings and assume the leasehold rental.
On March 23, 1763, Archibald Thompson sold the one hundred acres of the leasehold estate, and also the southwest- ward part of the tract of one hundred and twenty acres (the land that Robert Thompson purchased of Samuel Norris), making a total of one hundred and eighty and one-half acres, to Archibald Thompson (uncle) and William Bull (uncle), guardians, in trust for Archibald Thompson's brothers, James and Mark Thompson, who were at this time minors, Archi- bald Thompson reserving for himself (about) one hundred and thirty acres.
James and Mark Thompson retained possession of their property until July 10, 1772, when they sold the same to Abraham Bayer (alias Baer).
At this time it is believed a house stood on the land re- served by Archibald Thompson (known as the Harrison tract), at the corner of what is (now) the Ridge and Whitehall road. Who built this house I am unable to learn. The oldest in- habitants in the neighborhood say, when they were small children it was considered a very old house, and that they re- member it being said that it was early occupied by the Thomp-
355
١
THOMPSON FAMILY AND JEFFERSONVILLE INN.
sons. This house may have been built by Richard Harrison or his tenants previous to 1742, the time that Robert Thomp- son purchased the same of Richard Harrison.
Mr. Charles H. Shaw now owns the land. Several years ago he had occasion to demolish this old dwelling to make room for a more modern building. This old structure was a small, low, two-story building, with one room on each floor. The walls were built of stone, the lumber in its construction of oak, and all of the hardware, such as nails, hinges, locks, bolts, etc., was hand or forge made. The walls inside were plastered, and cut straw was used in the mortar; and after the plastering was removed the walls bore the appearance of the building having been occupied many years before it was plastered at all.
Archibald Thompson selected the western intersection of the Egypt with the Ridge roads as the building site for his proposed inn. These roads, early in the history of this section of the country (or at the time, 1765), were leading thorough- fares, and were much used by the settlers and the travelling public.
In 1737 the "Egypt road" was known as the "road leading from New Providence to the Norriton mills ;* after- wards "Perquimony road," and still later the Egypt road. The Ridge road is also a very old thoroughfare-it was early, say 1733, or before, known as the " great road leading to Nor- riton mills "; later, "Lower Perquimony road "; " Manatawny road," and still later " Ridge road," etc.
This tavern site, in 1765, comparatively speaking, was isolated. The building was erected in the woods, and at this time in a sparsely-settled neighborhood. But regardless of all this, the future proved the importance of the location of the inn for its intended purpose.
It is said that as early as 1760 it required between eight and nine thousand wagons alone to carry the produce from
*The " Norriton mills " referred to above were situated on Stony run (creek) , and erected early in the eighteenth century. This mill was much patronized by the early settlers in this community-to which to take their cereals to have them ground into flour grists, etc.
356
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
the rural districts into the city of Philadelphia .* The outlying districts of Philadelphia were at this time rapidly becom- ing populated with settlers. The travellers on their way to prospective settlements, the inhabitants on their journey to the county seat on business or pleasure, the teams transporting goods and produce to and from the inland settlements-these and many other motives led to travel, for which the innkeepers in those days were expected to furnish provender and a place for rest. The public house of Archibald Thompson early be- came noted for its hospitality ; as this tavern provided full and plenty for all comers, it soon received a large share of patron- · age from the travelling public.
'The following description of this property is copied from an old sale-bill, printed in 1805. As there had been but few changes in the buildings of this property since Archibald Thomp- son's time, I think this description timely here. "The build- ings are a large and commodious two-story stone house, with four rooms on the first floor and six on the second (a large attic above), with a double piazza in front and a kitchen with a single piazza back; a barn, hay stable, and sheds sufficient to accom- modate one hundred horses ; a milk-house over a spring of water convenient to said buildings," etc.
Nearly all the said buildings are still standing. The dwelling to-day is the same as it was erected originally with the exception of the removal within of the large, old-style fire places, and a few other minor changes. Externally the appearance of the building lately has been improved by its present owner, except in its general contour, which is as it always was. The original sheds now form Jefferson Hall ; the barn is part of the store property ; and the spring spoken of is located on Jackson W. Miller's land, and the building erected over the same has since gone to decay from age.
Archibald Thompson secured his innkeeper's license from the Court of Philadelphia early in the year 1766. In con- junction with the innkeeping business he farmed his plantation,
.
*History of Montgomery county.
357
THOMPSON FAMILY AND JEFFERSONVILLE INN.
as the inventory of his estate in 1779 clearly proves; and this pursuit of husbandry he conducted rather extensively, as the inventory of his estate at his death speaks of thirty acres of wheat and rye in the ground.
June 4, 1766, Archibald Thompson was married to Han- nah Bartholomew, a worthy companion and a great help mate, which subsequent time and condition proved. The trials and discomforts this couple passed through together with their family of small children during the revolutionary period were many and at times distressing.
Scarcely a decade of married life passed over this family when the Revolutionary war broke forth. We early find Archibald Thompson enlisted in the American cause. He was a firm patriot, and he sacrificed business, pleasure and health for the freedom and independence of his country.
After the passage of the stamp act by England, March 22, 1765, the Amercan people rose up in stern antagonism to the same. The American Congress made its last appeal in 1775 to England to repeal the same before resorting to arms. The Assembly unanimously approved the action of Congress. A committee of correspondence was appointed June 18, 1774, for the city and county of Philadelphia with instructions to take the sense of the people in reference to the appointment of dele- gates to a general Congress. In May, 1775, this committee of correspondence was still in authority, but their power being questionable they recommended that at the next general election a new committee should be regularly chosen-one of sixty-seven members for the city-one of forty-two members for the county ; and Archibald Thompson was one of the number chosen for the said county.
In January, 1777, at the battle of Princeton whole com- panies of militia deserted, which led to the abandonment of the old associated troops within this state as unreliable. Then followed further reorganization of the militia, and we early find Archibald Thompson in the military field enrolled as captain of troops in " Flying Camp."
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358
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
As the militia in this state in the past had proved itself so ineffective, Assembly in the spring of 1777 passed a militia bill to do away with the Associators. By said law the counties and cities were divided into districts, each to contain not less than six hundred and forty, nor more than six hundred and eighty men fit for military duty. There were lieutenants and sub-licutenants for each district; Philadelphia county being divided into eight parts or battalions, each dis- trict electing its own colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, cap- tain and subalterns. The lieutenant enlisted the people, col- lected the fines, and executed the details of the law. The companies were divided into classes by lot, provision being made to call out the classes as wanted.
Under this law the officers appointed for Philadelphia county were: William Coates, lieutenant; Jacob Engle, Samuel Dewees, George Smith, Archibald Thompson and Wil- liam Antes sub-lieutenants.
Agreeably to the directions of said law the lieutenants and sub-lieutenants were to attend the election in the several districts for field officers. Lieutenant Archibald Thompson was one of the officers who served in this capacity ; who filed their return of said election with the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, April 22, 1777.
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