USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: From the Discovery of the Delaware to the Present Time (Volume 1 and 2) > Part 15
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ment, which for ten years past they have willingly done, by reason that their dwelling houses are now become too small for that purpose and especially so as they have a nursery of small children." The petition was signed by thirty-three names of persons living at the Forks of Delaware, now Easton, and at Minisink.
8 A boarding school was opened at Nazareth, March 28, 1745, probably the first school of its kind in this county, as Northampton was not then cut off from Bucks.
81/2 Meaning "the best tillable land."
9 Trexlertown.
10 This was a chalybeate spring, and is marked on Scull's map, 1759. It was visited by the Moravians as early as 1746, and its waters were bottled and sent to Philadelphia for invalids. It is on the farm late of Stephen Snyder, and afterward owned by Charles Brodhead, Bethlehem.
II One authority says 1741.
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Delaware, to Isaac Ysselstein's on the Lehigh via Solomon Jennings's, and thence to the Old Bethlehem road, twenty-seven miles and one hundred and eighteen perches.12 A road was laid out from Bethlehem down to Martin's ferry, now Easton, in 1745,13 and about that time, one was opened across the Lehigh hills in a southwest direction from the Crown Inn toward the German settlements of Macungie. The leading roads of the period converged toward Bethlehem, an objective point of civilization. A road was opened early from Craig's settlement, Allen township, to Hunter's in Mount Bethel, and, 1745, one from Irish's mill, via Bethlehem, to Nazareth. In 1743 a road was opened from Bethlehem to Saucon mill. The Old Bethlehem road, via Applebachs- ville, to Philadelphia started from this point, while the New Bethlehem road, called the "King's highway," starting from the same place, ran via Trum- bauersville and North Wales.
As the road from Bethlehem to "Forks of Delaware," now Easton, was the first highway laid out between the Moravian settlement and that river, and both soon to become objective points in the colony, we give the proceedings in full. The Petition presented to the court in session at Newtown at the De- cember term, 1744, was as follows:
"To the Worshipful court of Quarter Sessions for the County of Bucks. "The Petition of David Martin sheweth.
"That your Petitioner being possessed of a Patent under the great seal of the Province of Pennsylvania for keeping a Ferry or Ferryes on the West- ern shore of the River Delaware for such certain bounds as are inserted in the said patent, hath for some years past, settled a Ferry boat at the Forks of Delaware to answer the purposes and Intention of the said patent.
"That the Moravian Brethren, who are settled in the township of Beth- lehem about ten miles from the said ferry are very desirous of having a road from their settlement at Bethlehem laid out to the ferry at the Forks, for the accommodation of such of their Brethren as may land at New York, while the land between their town and the river is unsettled.
"May it therefore please the worshipful court to order a road to be laid out from the Moravian settlement at Bethlehem to the ferry at the Forks of Delaware in such manner as may be most conducive to the benefit and ease of the two Provinces. (Signed) D. Martin."
In accordance with the prayer of the petitioner, the jury appointed to lay out said road, made the following return :
"Whereas the Honble Court, pursuant to the petition of David Martin, were pleased to grant an order dated ye 12th day of December, last, directed to Robert Gregg, Nicholas Best, Thomas Craig, Solomon Jennings, William Caplebury and Hugh Wilson to lay out a road from Bethlehem to David Mar- tin's ferry on the River Delaware at the Forks and to make return thereof.
"There are therefore to certify this Honorable Court that we the under- written agreeable to said order have laid out said road as in the above plan beginning at said ferry and do now make return thereof. Its courses and dis- tances being as follows, viz. : From the bank of the river at ferry W. N. W. 20/2 perches, Wly S. 100 per., W. 44 per .; W. S. W. 8461/2 per .; S. W. by S. 233 per .; West 590 per .; W. S. W. 649 per .; W. 4047/2 per., where it falls into the
12 To this petition were signed the names of Richard and Daniel Brodhead.
13 This road was asked by the Moravians to accommodate their brethren who landed at New York and joined them via Martin's ferry.
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Kings road leading from Bethlehem to Nazareth. Signed by us this 12th day of March, Anno Dom., 1745.
(Signed)
Robert Gregg, Nicholas Best, Soll. Jennings, William Castleberry."
Among the Indians in the Forks of Delaware, none were more noted than Teedyuscung, a Delaware chieftain, son of old Captain Jolin Harris, born near Trenton, New Jersey, about 1700. His father was likewise a noted chief, and he had several brothers, all high-spirited men. The increasing
DELAWARE INDIAN FAMILY.
whites drove them and others across the Delaware into the Forks about 1730, and wandering over that uninhabited region they reached their kinsmen, the Munceys, across the Blue mountains. Teedyuscung was baptised at Gnaden- hutten, March 12, 1750, and lived among the brethren until 1754, when he joined his wild brothers, and took up the hatchet. Peace was made with the Delaware king by the treaties at Easton, 1746 and 1757. He is described as a tall, portly, man, proud of his position as chief of the Delawares, a great talker, and a lover of whiskey. It is said that on one occasion Anthony Benezet found him on a Monday morning sitting on a curbstone in Philadelphia, with his feet in the gutter, and very drunk. Anthony said, "Why, Teedyuscung, I thought you were a good Moravian?" The savage replied, "Ugh! chief no Moravian now : chief joined Quaker meeting yesterday."
Moses Tatemy was only second to Teedyuscung in influence among the Delawares. He was likewise born on the Delaware in New Jersey, some
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fifteen miles below Easton, but, in his youth, moved up into the Forks. His was a peaceful influence, the name signifying "peaceable man." He enjoyed the fullest confidence of the Proprietaries and preserved peace with the Indians from 1742 to 1755. when his influence was eclipsed by Teedyuscung. He lived on three hundred acres, given him for his services near Stockertown, above Easton. His wife was a white woman. William Tatemy, a son of Moses, was shot by a boy, at Bethlehem, 1757 and buried near the site of the Crown Inn.
The earliest settlement in that part of Bucks county now included in Carbon, was on the north side of Mahoning creek near Lehighton, where the Moravians established a home for the Mohegan Indians, 1746. Here they built a pleasant village called Gnadenhutten, or Tents of Grace, where each Indian family had a house to live in and a piece of ground to till. The congre- gation numbered five hundred persons, and in 1749, a new church was built for them, the corner-stone being laid by Bishop De Watteville. In 1754 the settlement was changed to the north side of the Lehigh, and called New Gnadenhutten, where Weisport stands. It was attacked by the French In- dians, November 24, 1755, eleven of the inhabitants killed and the town burnt. The first public road in the county was that from Bethlehem to Mahoning1+ creek, granted, 1747.
Northampton county was cut off from Bucks in 1752.15 The petition was signed by the "inhabitants of the upper end of Bucks," and set forth that their distance from the county seat was often a denial of justice, and they often chose to lose their rights rather than prosecute them under the circumstances. It was presented to the Legislature by William Craig, May II, 1751, but was not considered until the following session, when, after a debate of seven days, it passed and was signed by Governor Hamilton, March 11, 1752. The act provides that Easton, on "Lehietan," in the forks of the river Delaware, shall be the county seat, and named Thomas Craig. Hugh Wilson, John Jones, Thomas Armstrong and James Martin trustees to purchase land and erect a court house and jail, the land and buildings not to cost more than £300. The boundary lines were to be run by John Chapman, John Watson, Jr., and Sam- uel Foulke within six months. Thomas Craig, who had been active in having the new county erected, was paid £30 out of the county treasury to cover his expenses in procuring the passage of the act. The first sheriff of the new county was William Craig, son of James Craig, an original settler.
The first county court was held at Easton, at the house of Jacob Bach- man, June 16, 1752, before Thomas Craig, Timothy Horsfield, Hugh Wilson, James Martin and William Craig, "justices of the Lord, the King." The first election in the new county was held at the court house, October 1, 1752, when James Burnside, the Quaker candidate for the Assembly, was elected by several hundred majority. He was a Moravian who lived near Bethlehem, came from Ireland, 1742, and had been a missionary at several stations throughout the new county. . The election was conducted with much bitter- ness. The erection of the new county involved a question of political import-
14 A corruption from Mahoink. signifies where there is a lick-at the lick-so called because deer came there to lick the saline or saltish earth.
15 Several townships were organized in Northampton, within two years after it was cut off from Bucks; Lynn, by order of court, June 19, 1753, on petition of October, 1752, Weisenburg March 20, 1753. and Whitehall at June sessions, 1752, the surveyors' report being returned to March term, 1753. Whitehall was subsequently cut in two.
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ance, for the division of Bucks would give additional strength to the Pro- prietary party, and the Friends assented to it with reluctance.
Northampton county took from Bucks between five and six thousand of her white population, sparsely scattered over a large extent of country. Down to the time of the division the following townships, which fell within the new county, had already been organized, namely: Smithfield, organized in 1742, with a population of 500; Upper Milford, 1742, 700; Upper Saucon, 1743, 650; Lower Saucon, 1743, 700; Macungie, 1743, 650; Bethlehem, 1746, 600; Allen, 1748, 300; Williams, 1750, 200. Mount Bethel had already been organized, but the date is not known. In that district of country called "Forks of Dela- ware" were a population of several hundred not included in any township. There was a white population of about eight hundred in what is the upper part of Lehigh county, mostly Germans, and in some townships there was hardly an English inhabitant. In Allen and Mount Bethel there were six hundred Scotch-Irish, and some three hundred Hollanders in Smithfield, descendants of the early settlers at the Minisink. This was the only township north of the Blue mountains, and all beyond was an unbroken wilderness, known as "Towamenseng," a country without inhabitants. On Evans' map, 1749, this region is called "Saint Anthony's wilderness," so named by Count Zinzendorf.16 Northampton county named after Northamptonshire, England, originally em- braced all the territory in the counties of Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Susquehan- nah, Wyoming, Luzerne, Carbon, Lehigh, and a portion of Schuylkill and Northumberland. It was sub-divided as follows: Northumberland, 1772; Luzerne, 1786; Susquehannah, 1810; Schuylkill, 1811; Lehigh, 1812; Pike, 1814; Monroe, 1836; Wyoming, 1842; and Carbon, 1843. The original Bucks county was almost an empire in extent, and her sub-divisions form several wealthy, populous and powerful local commonwealth.
16 On the quarter sessions docket, Northampton, 1754, is an entry of the organiza- tion of Plainfield, Lehigh and Forks townships and boundaries given.
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CHAPTER IX.
HAYCOCK.
1763. 1
Formed of "odds and ends."-Why organized .- John Anderson .- The McCartys .-- William Bryan .- The Lautenschlagers .- Henry Keller .- The Lampens .- Baptist con- gregation .- Stokes family .- Joseph Dennis .- George Emig .- Jacob Allem .- First movement for township .- Names of petitioners .- Petition from Lower Saucon and Springfield. - Township organized. - Petitioners. - Boundaries. - First constable. - Bryan graveyard .- Methodist church .- The Applebachs .- German and Irish Catholics. -Saint John's church .- Thomas Garden .- Catholics in 1757 .- John Dean .- Early baptisms and deaths .- Father Stommel and new church .- Convent .- Reverend Samuel Stahr .- Stony garden .- Michael Hartman .- Haycock mountain .- Bridge over Tohickon .- Roads .- Applebachsville .- General Paul Applebach .- Population.
Haycock was formed of territory that may be called the "odds and ends," left after all the surrounding townships had been organized. The organization of Richland, Rockhill, Bedminster, Tinicum, Nockamixon and Springfield left a large tract of country lying between them and containing considerable popu- lation without local government. The difficulty in keeping the roads in repair and collecting taxes, appears to have been the leading motive in the organiza- tion of both Springfield and Haycock. The Old Bethlehem road ran four miles through the former township and five through the latter, and in the absence of township organization there was no local authority to keep them in repair.
We know less of the early settlers of Haycock than of the adjoining town- ships. In 1737, Surveyor-General Parsons laid out a tract of three hundred acres on Haycock run to John Anderson, but the location is not known. The five hundred-acre tract, which Thomas and Patrick McCarty purchased of the Penns when they settled in Nockamixon, in 1748, lay partly on the Haycock side of the creek and partly in Tinicum. The 3d of March, 1738, John, Thomas and Richard Penn conveyed and confirmed to Silas McCarty two hundred and fifteen acres, half a mile west of Applebachsville, the latter giving one acre to William Bryan and others on which to build a Baptist church and for a burying-ground. After his death his son, Carrel McCarty,1 to whom the
I Another account of the McCartys says that Thomas and Patrick, two brothers from Ireland, settled early in the township, the former purchasing two hundred and six acres from the Proprietaries and the latter two hundred and three, adjoining tracts on both sides of Haycock Run. Four or five of the McCarty boys served in the Continental
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whole tract descended, confirmed this one acre, August 20, 1759, to William Bryan and Isaac Evans, in trust, for the use of the Baptist congregation af New Britain, upon which they erected a log meeting-house, which was allowed to fall down many years ago. The late Rev. Joseph Mathias occa- sionally preached in it. At the death of William Bryan, his son William was left a trustee in conjunction with Isaac Evans. The substantial stone wall around the burying ground was built by the Bryan family many years ago.
The Stokes family, early settlers in Haycock, can be traced back to Thomas Stokes, son of John, of London, who was born in 1640, married Mary Barnard, came to America about 1680, settled near Burlington, New Jersey, and had several children. The Bucks county Stokeses are descended from John, the eldest son, whose son John and wife, Hannah, born at Storkdale, or Stogdell, came from New Jersey, to Haycock about 1743, and remained until 1750, when they returned. Their son John, the immediate ancestor of our Stokeses, was born in Haycock, married Susan Newton. They were the par- ents of the late Mrs. Susan Bryan, of Doylestown, and the maternal grand- parents of the late Gen. John S. Bryan. The Stokes tract laid out for three hun- dred acres and allowances, was found to contain three hundred and forty-seven acres and forty-two perches, by the survey of Asher Woolman and Samuel Foulke, April 12, 1769. It lay at Applebachville, and comprised the fine farms of the late General Paul Applebach. The old family mansion, more than a century old, is still standing. Mrs. Bryan had two sisters; one married Tim- othy Smith, Doylestown, the other David Roberts, Newtown, and her brother, William Stokes, died at Doylestown. James Bryan, the husband of Susan Stokes, was a plain Friend.ª
Joseph Dennis, the great-grandfather of Wilson Dennis, immigrated to America and settled near Egg Harbor, New Jersey; then to the "adjacents of Springfield," and finally to Haycock about 1740, taking up several tracts of land in this township and Springfield. Being a great hunter he is said to have selected stony land because such soil yielded the most grass in the woods, and was sure to bring plenty of game. Wilson Dennis, the fourth generation, through Joseph, Charles and Josiah, owned and lived on the tract his ancestor bought of the Proprietaries. On March Ist, 1756, one hundred and thirty-six acres were surveyed to Valentine Rohr of the land adjacent to Springfield, upon a branch of the Tohickon called Jo. Toonum's run,3 by virtue of a warrant.
army. Haycock Run was named after the mountain wherein are its head waters, and the name was first applied to the stream in a deed of 1737. The McCarty family still hold considerable of the land.
to
2 The Bryans are of ancient lineage, being descendants of the County of Brienne, who trace their ancestry back to the kings of France, and their house, the old Chateau de Brienne, of France, which, after some revolution, passed out of the family forever. The family name was Loreinne or Laronnie, a name in history, embracing prime ministers, cardinals, et al. After political dissensions, one after another, the sons drifted away, going to England and settling there. dropping the family name of Brienne and calling themselves "Bryan" or "Brian." The coat of arms of the family is said to be woven in the ceiling of some of the rooms at Versailles. Only one ancestor is left, who calls himself Count Laronnie.
3 This is an Indian name; Jo Toonum alias Neepaheilman, was one of the signers to the famous "Walking Purchase" deed. 1737, and probably a resident of Haycock. At one time Martins creek, Northampton county, was also called Tununis, or Toonums creek, no doubt after the same Indian.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
The original purchasers of land on the west side of the Bethlehem road, up to the Springfield line, were, in order, Allem, William Strawn, a Quaker, Valentine Rohr, Andrew Booz, Dutt and Ludwig Nusbecker whose land was on the east side of the road, opposite. Dutt Nusbickel+ was born April 14, 1730, died January 10, 1818, and buried in the Springfield graveyard. His wife died in 1795. They were both members of the Springfield church, where his daugh- ter Elizabeth was baptized August 10, 1760. Besides John Stokes, the original purchaser, immediately around Applebachville were William Strawn, George Emig, the original for Amey, who took up a tract of two hundred and thirty-one acres, eighty perches, confirmed by Thomas and Richard Penn, the 13th of July, 1768, and left the same to his son George, by will, in 1773. Emig, born July 13, 1715, died March 7, 1773, and was buried in the Springfield yard. In 1767 Stephen Acraman bought one hundred and thirty-eight acres of Lydia McCall, widow of George McCall, an early settler northwest of Applebachville.
Jacob Allem, the first of the name in the township, came from Germany about 1750, settled on a tract three-fourths of a mile west of Behring's sawmill, where he followed wheelwrighting. One of his sons, at the age of eighteen, enlisted in the Continental Army. A number of the immigrant's descendants are living in Haycock and neighboring townships, and a few have gone west. Adam Lautenschlager was among the German settlers in Haycock prior to 1750. He and Philip Lautenschlager, probably a brother, were natives of Erbach, Wurtemburg, Germany, and landed at Philadelphia from the ship Albany September 2, 1749. Adam represented Haycock on the "Committee of Safety" for Bucks county during the Revolution.
The inhabitants of this unorganized district petitioned for a township several times before getting it, the first effort being made soon after 1740; but the year is not known. They petitioned a second time December, 1745, when they state that the district contained "twenty dwellers." The signers to this petition were Silas McCarty, Joseph Dennis, Griffith Davis, William Bryan, John Stokes, Abraham Gooding, Dennis Honan, Edward Bleaney, John Deane, John Nicholas, James Sloan, Hendrich Hencke, C. H. Steinbach, Jacob Rohr, Martin Scheiff, George Schuman, Balthass Steuber, Stephen Acraman," and John George Desch. The petition was laid over until the next term of court, but nothing came of it then. Joseph Dennis was appointed overseer of high- ways for this district of country until the inhabitants should apply to have a township regularly laid out. In September, 1745, the inhabitants of Lower Saucon and Springfield petitioned the court, setting forth that they had expected to carry their grain to Philadelphia with greater ease than formerly down the old Bethlehem road, but a stretch of about five miles long, through a district of country between Springfield and Richland, was almost impassable for wagons. They did not ask for a township, but wanted the court to "consider their case."
After the effort to have a new township organized, 1745, had failed, it was almost twenty years before another movement was made in that direction. The.
4 Ludwig Henry Nusbickel was born in Germany, April 14. 1730. and came here in the "Phoenix," landing at Philadelphia. November 22. 1752. He settled on the line of Springfield and Haycock. The original spelling of the family name was Nussburckel.
5 The Acraman family is a good deal scattered. John Acraman was in' Falls as early as 1678; George Ackerman in Springfield, Stephen Acorman in the same township. and a Stephen Ackerman in Haycock, who came from the Palatinate in the ship St. Andrew, landing at Philadelphia October 27, 1738. John Acreman, Falls, was probably an Englishman as he settled there with a colony of Friends. We follow the spelling.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
number of taxables in the district now numbered seventy. There appears to have been three parties trying to have a township established in 1763. In the spring, an outline draft was presented to the court, no doubt preceded by a petition, according to survey by James Melvin, made "May ye 14th, 1763," . on the back of which is the endorsement: "The name of the township shall be Rock Bearry." At the June sessions, probably the same year, Joseph Dennis, on behalf of himself and others, presented a petition asking that the tract of country in question be laid out into a township, to be called by the name of "Mansfield," but nothing came of this. The petition that led to the formation . of the township was presented to the court March 17, 1763, which stated that it is the petition of the "inhabitants of Haycock or adjacents," that the Haycock is as large, and contains as many inhabitants as any township in the county ; that there are seventy taxables in the district, and they ask to be organized into .a township. Of the twenty-eight names attached to the petition, we have been able to decipher the following: George Wills, Aaron Clinker, Peter Diehl, Edmund Bleaney, Matthias Whilenight, David Malsbery, John Doane, Edward Guth, Benjamin McCarty, Fillix Birson, Conrad Guth, Johannes Mill, Willis Borger, Lowder Black, Peter Meyer, William Meyer, George Van Buskirk, Philip Fackenthall, Ludwick Nusbieckel, George Luman, Chrystal Gayman, Isaac Weyerbacker, Chrystal Miller and Andrew Raub. We have preserved the . original spelling as far as practicable. They asked that the township be called "Haycock." The petitioners were requested to produce a draft of the proposed township at the next meeting of the court with the courses and distances. It was presented at the June term, but was not received because inaccurate, and the petitioners were told to employ a surveyor "who understands his business." It was re-surveyed the 17th of August, by Thomas Chapman, and returned and confirmed at the September term ensuing with the following boundaries : "Beginning at a large rock on the north side of Tohickon .creek, in the line between William Bryan's land and Pike's land; thence along .the same north four and one-half degrees, west two hundred and sixty-one perches to a post; thence by Logan's land north four and one-half degrees, . east twenty-nine perches and north four and one-half degrees, west three hun- dred and forty-one perches to a hickory ; thence east four and one-half degrees, · north ninety-nine perches to a gum, and north four and one-half degrees, west three hundred and ninety-five perches to a stone; thence five courses by Rich- land township; thence north sixty-four degrees, east one thousand three hun- dred and thirty-eight perches by Springfield township to a white oak, standing by the side of the Haycock run; thence down the same run by the various courses thereof, one thousand seven hundred and twenty perches to where it . enters Tohicon; thence up the Tohicon by the various courses thereof, three thousand two hundred and eighty-eight perches to the place of beginning." The township was to be called Haycock. The boundaries have not been disturbed, and the area then, as now, was ten thousand three hundred and eighty-seven acres. The first constable returned was Henry Keller," at the September
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