USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: From the Discovery of the Delaware to the Present Time (Volume 1 and 2) > Part 40
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"I have twice been granted interviews by Alfred Moore, grandson of Richard, and learn from him that Richard Moore, while not ready to unite with the early Abolitionists in their revolutionary motto, 'No Union with slave- holders,' still felt prompted, by kind sympathy, to help on their way the escap- ing fugitives. His home soon became known to the Friends further south as a place where all fugitives forwarded would receive kindly care and needed assistance in continued flight. Although slaveholders rarely proceeded so far as this in pursuit of their slaves, they occasionally did so, and, more than once. the master presented himself at the front door of Richard Moore, a few minutes after the object of his search, being warned of his approach, had escaped by a back door to a safe place of concealment in the rear. From a record he kept, the number of fugitive slaves he assisted to escape, down to the Civil war, was about six hundred."
One of the slaves, who reached the Quakertown station about the time of the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, 1850, had escaped from Abraham Shriner, Pipe creek, Maryland. At home he was known as "Bill Budd," but now assumed that of "Henry Franklin." He was employed as Richard Moore's carter several years, and, in this capacity, was enabled to assist on their way to Canada several fugitives. He was employed carting coal from the Lehigh
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to. Quakertown, and, when there were fugitives to be sent forward, he would load his wagon with them in the evening, cover them with straw, take them up to the next station during the night, and return with a load of coal next day. It is thought one of the fugitives who then escaped was Parker, the principal hero of the Christiana tragedy. Franklin afterward became janitor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, where he died.
The most noted fugitive that came into Bucks county, via the "Under- ground Railroad," was "Big Ben," so called from his great size. This was about 1833. He was the slave of William Anderson, near Little York, Maryland, and known as Benjamin Jones. He and four others, fearing they would be sold and sent to the southern market, started north, and, after many risks and hardships, succeeded in reaching Buckingham, where they found employment. Big Ben worked for Jonathan Fell, Thomas Bye, William Stavely and others for about eleven years. One day, while chopping in the woods near Forestville, William Anderson, his former master with four others, came suddenly upon him. Mis fellow laborers fled leaving him to fight the battle for freedom alone. He defended himself desperately with his axe, at one time having all his assailants on the ground, but was finally overpowered and carried off without the formality of a hearing. He was so badly injured he was unsalable, much to the chagrin of the master. At a meeting held at Forestville, May 26, 1844, whereof George Chapman was chairman, and R. H. Donatt, secretary, $700, the price asked for Big Ben, was raised, the money paid over, and the former fugitive returned to his Buckingham home. He never recovered from the injury received at his capture. He worked for a time, after his return, in Buckingham and Solebury ; then married a woman named Sarah Johnson, of Norristown, and with her, spent the remainder of his days in comfort at the Bucks County Alms House and died there. He was said to be six feet six inches and one-half tall, and his feet were enormously large.
John S. Brown, former editor and proprietor of the Bucks county In- telligencer, unconsciously became a conductor on the "Underground Railroad," soon after he was out of his apprenticeship, and had charge of the train from Doylestown to Plumstead. Being in town one day, he was told by Kirk J. Price, his brother-in-law, who kept the Green Tree tavern, to "keep a sharp lookout as he passed a cornfield out the Academy lane, as a passenger would present herself whom he was to take to the house of Charles and Martha Smith, Plumstead, ask no questions and leave her to their care." Mr. Brown had not gone far when he saw a woman looking cautiously out from the corn rows; he stopped, took her in and conveyed her to her destination. Thence she was doubt- less forwarded to the Quakertown distributing station, and so on to safety.
The home of Isaac Warner, near Hatboro, was a station on the "Under- ground Railroad," where passengers stopped off, would hire out for a time and then be forwarded to the Quakertown station. Here Richard Moore saw they were properly cared for. About 1835, one Joe Smith, who had worked for Mr. Warner two years, went to Byberry and engaged with a Mr. Walton ; married there and had two children. In the spring of 1837-38, hearing his old master was after him, he was forwarded to the Quakertown station and his wife and children sent to Mr. Warner's home, but later to Quakertown. Rich- ard Moore had them put into a wagon, covered with straw and started off. The driver was directed not to stop on the way for fear of detection and to take a bucket to water the horses from the streams. If asked where he was going he was instructed to say "to Richard Moore's pottery," as the straw in
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the wagon, it would be supposed, was for packing the pottery on his return. The trip was safely made and the man and his family reached a place of safety.
Rachel Moore's case was an interesting one, emphasizing the strong love she had for her children, and the cruelty of a system of oppression she was trying to rescue them from. She was a slave woman near Elkton, Maryland, more than fifty years ago. She was manumitted and received her free papers from the Elkton court, but her six children were still slaves. She determined to free them and succeeded. Imagine a mother, unaided, starting with six children for a distant and unknown country, on foot, where she and they could enjoy the blessings of personal liberty. They only traveled by night, resting in concealment during the day ; sometimes meeting friends, who took them in by day and sent them on rejoicing at night. After crossing the Pennsylvania line and striking the "Underground Railroad," their burden of travel was light- ened. They spent two days with the Lewis family, Phoenixville, whence they were sent in a wagon at night to a friend named Paxson, near Norristown. where they spent two weeks. They were now forwarded to William H. John- son's, Buckingham, where homes were found for four of the children in the families of Thomas Paxson, Joseph Fell, Edward Williams and John Black- fan, Rachel, with her eldest and youngest children, going to Jonathan P. Magill's, where they remained several years. The details of this escape were ·obtained from one of the children.
The Christiana tragedy, 1851, an early case under the "Fugitive Slave Law" of 1850, is of interest in this connection because some of the slaves passed through the upper end of our county on their way to the north, via the Quakertown branch of the "Underground Railroad." Three of these were among the principal actors, Park, Pinkney and Johnson. Another passed over much more of our "underground" system. He was brought on a Saturday evening to the house of William Lloyd, by William himself on his return from Philadelphia, by virtue of an agreement made while standing in market. As this was immediately after the Christiana affair, additional precaution had to .be taken. Lloyd started for home later than usual, covering the man complete- ly with straw in the back part of the wagon. He took the slave to a colored family, living in a house near Janney's mill dam in the edge of the wood on the Newtown and Yardleyville turnpike. The following night, Henry M. Twining ·drove the fugitive to Jonathan P. Magill's, Solebury, where he was kept over night, being forwarded the following morning via the "Underground Rail- road" and Richard Moore's station, Quakertown, or possibly by the more easterly route. Word was received later that the slave had reached Canada in safety.
The case of Jane Johnson and her two children, attracted general atten- tion. They were the slaves of John H. Wheeler, North Carolina, United States minister to Nicarauga. He had been to Washington on an official visit and was returning to his post with his family. On their arrival at Philadelphia, July, 1855, Passmore Williamson and William Still persuaded the mother to escape with her children. They were arrested, tried and convicted, the mother being used as a witness, but left the court without molestation. She was first taken, well guarded to George Corson's, Plymouth, Montgomery county, and there put aboard a train on the "Underground Railroad" for Mahlon Linton's station beyond Newtown. Here she changed trains for Canada, whither her children had preceded her. Public feeling was wrought up to a high pitch, and there was danger of a collision in the court room, between the Federal and
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State authorities, but was prevented. In a paper read before the Montgomery County Historical Society, by the late Dr. Hiram Corson, reference was made to several interesting cases of escaped slaves whom he forwarded to Richard Moore and others in Bucks county. The road, with its stations and sub- stations, often took a zigzag direction to elude pursuit, or suit the convenience of the road agents.
Next to Big Ben's, the case of Basil Dorsey was the most exciting in Bucks county. This was in 1837. His master was Thomas E. Sollers, Fred- erick county, Maryland, from whom he escaped three years before and was now living with Robert Purvis,ª Bensalem. His whereabouts was betrayed by a jealous brother-in-law, who had recently visited his victim. He was arrested, taken to Doylestown, and the case heard before Judge John Fox. It had at- tracted great attention from the first, and a large crowd was present at the trial. The case came up the first time in July, the second time in August, on a habeas corpus, asking for his discharge. Robert Purvis took a deep interest in Dorsey, and his attorneys were David Paul Brown, the most distinguished ad- vocate of the Philadelphia bar, and Thomas Ross, a rising lawyer of Doyles- town. Abel M. Griffith appeared for the master. The prisoner was brought into court hand-cuffed, and his young wife and two small children were present. The surroundings made up a dramatic scene. Before the hearing came on, the master had offered to accept one thousand dollars for his slave and the money could easily have been raised, but this Dorsey forbade his friends doing. saying "I am prepared to take my life if the case goes against me, for I will never go back to slavery." The case proceeded, and when partly through, the question of Maryland being a slave state came up and on this the court ruled against the master. Time was asked for, but refused and the case was dis- missed. The friends of Dorsey now hurried him away and the "Underground Railroad" soon carried him to a place of safety. Subsequently one hundred and fifty dollars were paid the master to prevent future trouble. Dorsey passed the remainder of his life in Massachusetts and prospered.
A number of other fugitives escaped through Bucks county by the "Under- derground Railroad." There was a sub-station at Langhorne, which had con- nection with the Jersey lines, via Middletown and Crosswicks to New York. William Bargess, of Millville, Pennsylvania, then secretary of the Bucks Coun- ty Anti-Slavery Society, says that about 1840-45, six fugitives arrived at Lang- horne in the night, who had made their escape by water from Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. The next day Bargess drove them to Trenton and delivered them to B. Rush Plumley, then a well-known merchant, but as the emergency was pressing Bargess continued on to Princeton, whence they were forwarded to New York via the Raritan river steamboat. Dr. J. B.
3 Robert Purvis was born at Charleston, S. C., August 10, 1810, and died at Philadelphia April 14, 1898. His grandmother. a full-blooded Moor, was stolen when young and brought to Charleston in a slave ship. She married a German baron and their daughter, his mother, married William Purvis. also a white man, and whatever trace of African blood may have been in his veins, came through his grandmother. He was brought up in Philadelphia, inherited large wealth fom his father and was an edu- cated, scholarly man. He was an active Abolitionist from the beginning. and was one of the sixty who took part in organizing the American Anti-Slavery Society, at Phila- delphia. December 4, 1833, and was the last to die. He was first president of the "Under- ground Railroad," and a life-long champion of the rights of the black man. He was for several years a resident of Bensalem township, Bucks county ..
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Walter, Solebury, says that about the same period. 1847-48, a party of six fugitives from Queen Anne county, Maryland, arrived in his neighborhood and found homes with the farmers. One of this party, an old man of seventy-five, William Scott, is still alive, living in that neighborhood, where he owns a small house and a six acre lot. No doubt others of the Anti-Slavery hegira were at that time alive, but difficult to reach them. They and the events Dr. Magill so vividly portrayed in his interesting paper, have passed into history, and he is entitled to the thanks of all for rescuing so much of their history from total loss.
Since the above was written the author unearthed another way station of the Bucks county branch of the "Underground Railroad." This was in Wrightstown township, known as the "Pineville Anti-Slavery Society," organized, 1837-38, and auxilliary to the County Society. Charles Magill was secretary, 1838, but we have not been able to get the name of the president. The: following names were signed to the constitution and by-laws :
Ralph Lee, Timothy Atkinson, Jacob Heston, Jr., Wm. H. Johnson, Joseph: Hampton, Jonathan P. Magill, Jos. Janney, Simeon Hampton, Charles Magill, . John Smith, Jesse Doan, Jr., Isaac Simpson, Moses Blackran, Robert Simpson, Benjamin Smith and Jonathan Smith. The society had its tribulations. At: one time it almost dissolved; then re-organized with a membership of seventy- seven, of which eighteen were Smiths, seventeen Atkinsons, and thirteen Tregos. The place of meeting was the "New Prospect school house." The last minute reads : "New Prospect," 5th mo. 20th, 1843. Thomas Trego, secretary."
Negroes first appeared as a factor in our county politics, 1837. Their votes were received in a few districts at the October election and it was charged they changed the result. Their right to vote was challenged by the Democrats . and measures immediately taken to test the question. A public meeting was .. held at the Black Bear tavern, Northampton township, October 21, 1837, at. which General John Davis presided and speeches were made by C. E. Wright and S. L. Roberts, Esq. A preamble and resolutions, containing an able pre- sentation of the political status of the negro since the settlement of the Colony, were adopted, and committee appointed to get signers to a memorial to the Legislature, requesting that body to investigate the charge of illegal voting by negroes, and take steps to contest the election in the court of the county. A general county meeting to consider the subject was held at Doylestown, De- cember 6. 1837. The case came before the court of Quarter Sessions December 28th. on petition and complaint to contest the election of Abraham . Fretz, returned elected to the office of county commissioner. Judge Fox was on the bench, and after the question had been ably argued, the court rendered an exhaustive and learned opinion, deciding that negroes had no right to vote in Pennsylvania, and directed the complainant to take the means necessary to . ascertain the truth of the facts alleged. The agitation continued until the meet- ing of the convention of the following year, to amend the State constitution, when the word "white" was inserted in the new constitution by a vote of 77 to 45. This was the supreme law of the Commonwealth until the adoption of the Fifteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States. The most ardent Democrat taking part in this movement little dreamed of the events of 1861-65. when a stroke of the pen, in the hand of an unknown man, would undo all their work by giving the ballot to the negro. The episode of 1861-65 began in rebellion, and ended in revolution.
There was another species of servitude on the Delaware besides negro . slavery, the subjects of it being called "Redemptioners," those who were sold ..
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or sold themselves, for a term of years, to pay their passage. This class of servants was here as early as 1662, when fifty laborers were imported on this condition. Some of them were hired out at from twenty to thirty dollars a year. From this time, down to the arrival of Penn, farm, domestic or mechanical labor was seldom obtained for wages. Redemptioners were brought over by the ship- load, frequently on speculation, and when they landed they were sold at public sale. German and Irish immigrants were introduced in this manner. They were sold for a term of years and until the expense of bringing them over had been repaid, and a record of them was kept in the court of Quarter Sessions. The purchaser had the right of re-sale, and sometimes the poor re- demptioner passed through two or three hands before he became a free man. In 1722 German redemptioners sold at public auction, for fio each, for five years of servitude. At the end of the term each one was to receive a suit of clothes. The Germans sometimes sold their children to the highest bidder. Occasionally the parties sold were convicts or paupers, and thus a bad class of persons was introduced into the Colony. In 1728 Lord Altham came to this country while a lad, and worked out his time as an indentured servant with a farmer on the Lancaster turnpike. His rank was discovered, and he went to England to claim his inheritance, but died before he was put into possession. There was a class of men who dealt in these bondmen, whom they bought in lots of twenty or more, and were driven through the country for sale. The trade was broken up by so many of them running away, but the sale of re- demptioners continued down to the beginning of the nineteenth century. Many of them grew rich, and became respected citizens. The story is told of a young fellow, who managed to be the last of a lot that the "soul-driver" was taking through the country for sale. They stopped over night at Easton, and the redemptioner getting up first the next morning, managed to sell his master to the landlord, pocketed the money, and went away. He cautioned the pur- chaser that as the servant was presumptious at times, and would try to pass himself off for master, he had better keep his eye on him.
It was quite common at that day to steal children of tender years, and ship them to America to sell. Many were landed at Philadelphia and sold to farmers and others. Chambers' Miscellany contains the interesting history of Peter Williamson, one of the unfortunate children, who was abducted from Aberdeen, Scotland, about 1740, and sold at Philadelphia, to one Hugh Wilson, a farmer, for f16, who, dying after he had served five years, left him a legacy of £200. He married the daughter of a wealthy land-owner of Chester county, who gave him a deed for two hundred acres in "Berks county near the Forks of the Delaware," probably in Bucks county. In 1754 his buildings were burned by the Indians, and he was carried into captivity. He made his escape after several years and returned to Chester county to find his wife dead. After this Peter had several adventures, as soldier and otherwise, which were terminated by his return to Scotland. where he died in 1799.
The English settlers who arrived with Penn generally brought with them farm and domestic servants, indentured to serve four years, and to receive fifty acres of land at their discharge. Some served a less period, and occasionally one received a money consideration in addition to land, or a suit of clothes, or both. The descendants of some of these indentured servants are among the most highly respected people in the county. Female servants received less consideration, and did not serve so long. The white servants imported into the Province were favorites of the law. Their names, wages, and time of servitude were duly recorded, and at its expiration they were allowed to take
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up land on easy terms. They were well-cared for, could not be sold out of the Province, nor could man and wife be parted.
Apprenticeship in the early days of the county was a much more serious business than now. The articles of indenture were drawn with all the care of a conveyance of real estate, and the corresponding obligations of the master and apprentice were specifically set forth. An indenture of this stamp, dated June 21, 1753, by which Robert Cammeron, Robinson township, Lancaster county, bound himself to Garret Vansant, Warminster, for the term of three years, "to learn the art, trade and mystery of a blacksmith," fell into our hands. It provides that the apprentice "his said master faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep, his lawful commands everywhere readily obey." He was not to damage his master's goods, nor see them damaged by others, nor waste nor unlawfully lend them, could not play at cards or other games, could neither buy nor sell with his own or his master's goods without his master's consent, could not visit ale-houses or taverns, nor absent himself from his master's service without his consent, day or night. The apprentice was to have eight months schooling, and, when out of his time, his master was to give him "all the iron work belonging to a pair of bellows suitable to his trade, one sledge and three hand-hammers, three pairs of tongs, and two suits of clothing, one whereof shall be new."
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CHAPTER XXIII.
NEWSPAPERS AND THEIR EDITORS.
Without newspapers one hundred and twenty years .- The Farmers' Weekly Gazette .-- Agricultural Magazine .- The Aurora .- Bucks County Bee .- Asher Miner .- Penn- sylvania Correspondent .- Poetic advertisement .-- Monthly Magazine .- Prospectus for Olive Branch .- The Star of Freedom .- Simon Siegfried .- William T. Rogers, et al .- Mr. Miner retires and his successors .- Edmund Morris .- Bucks County Intelligencer. -John S. Brown .- Prizer and Darlington .- The Paschalls, et al .- Farmer's Gazette and Bucks County Register .- William B. Coale .- Lines to his sweetheart .- Doyles- town Democrat .- Lewis Deffebach .- Bucks County Messenger .- Democrat and Mes- senger united .- Simon Cameron .- John S. Byran .- Samuel J. Paxson .- Change of owner .- Bucks County Express .- Manasseh H. Snyder .- Political Examiner .- . Jackson Courier .- Der Morgenstern .- Public Advocate .- Newtown Journal .- Olive Branch .- Independent Democrat .- Newspapers in Bristol .- Newtown Enterprise, et al .- Democrat and Intelligencer half a century ago .- Increase in newspapers.
Bucks county had been settled one hundred and twenty years before a newspaper was printed in it. In that time neither types nor printing press were brought within its present or original limits, and journalism had no history in the county. At the present day a newspaper is one of the first appliances of civilization called for by the settlers of a new country, and it precedes the school-house and the church.
The first newspaper published in the county was The Farmers' Weekly Gazette, issued from the "Centre house, Doylestown," by Isaac Ralston, July 25, 1800, and printed on a medium sheet. In his address the editor assures the public "that nothing of a personal nature, nor which will, in the least, affect the religious tenets of any one, or tend to corrupt a single moral obligation, shall ever be allowed" in his paper. At its head it floated the since hackneyed motto: "Open to all parties, but influenced by none." Friday was the original publication day, afterward changed to Tuesday. How long this paper was published is not known. We have seen a few numbers of it, the latest, number 27, volume I, bearing date January 29, 1801, but it was probably published some time longer. The earliest issue, that came under our notice, number 7 was September 5, 1800, had one entire page filled with the proceedings of the Irish Parliament, and the other three pages, with the exception of eight ad- vertisements, are occupied with intelligence from distant parts of the country, but not a line of local news. We learn from this number that the "Bucks county Whigs" were to hold their "general meeting" at Addis's tavern, now
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