USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. I > Part 3
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16 Gilbert Cope wrote the author as follows, touching his reference to Mattiniconk: "There appears to be some confusion respecting the island of Matiniconk, and whether Burlington Island was known by that name I have not examined, but your note, pp. 32, 33 (first edition). refers to Tinicun island (as since called) in Delaware county. Pennsyl- vania. I have by me the old court record of 1683, giving an account of the suit of Arnoldus De La Grange to recover possession from Otto Earnest Cock, who purchased from Lady Normgard Prince ( Printz), who had sold it to the father of De La Grange, but the money not being all paid, she recovered it in a suit against Andrew Carr and wife (widow of De La Grange). The plaintiff, showing he was under age and in Holland at the time of the last mentioned suit, obtained a verdict in his favor. Israel Taylor, son of Christopher. subsequert owner of the island. styles himself, in his will, "of Multini- cunk Island, Cchiurgeon."
CHAPTER II.
ENGLISH IMMIGRANTS CONTINUE TO ARRIVE.
1679 TO 1681.
English settlers arrive .- Samuel Bliss,-Danker and Sluyter .- Lionel Britton .- Samuel Clift .- William Warner .- Arrival of English ships direct .- William Dungan .- Liquor sold without license .- William Biles .- Settlement of east bank of Delaware .- Fort Nassau .- Division of New Jersey .- London and Yorkshire companies .- Settle- ment of Burlington .- Chygoe's island .- Arrival of the Shields .- Benjamin Duffield - Thomas Budd .- Mahlen Stacy .- His account of the country .- William Trent .- Professor Kalm's account of Trenton .- Early milis.
The west bank of the Delaware grew more into favor and notice, and immi- grants came to it. There were several grants of land by Sir Edmund Andros in 1679, among which were 200 acres to Thomas Fairman in Bensalem, below Neshaminy, and 300 to William Clark on the same stream. In the summer of 1679 and spring of 1080, several English settler- took up land on the river bank, just below the falls : John Ackerman and son. 300 acres : Thomas Seb-ley, 105: Robert Scoley, 200: Gilbert Wheeler, a fruiterer of London, who arrived with wife, children and servants, in the Jacob and Mary. September 12th, 205. includ- ing an island in the river: William Biles. 300. from Dorchester, in County Dorest.1 arrived June 12, with wife, seven children and two servants, and died, 1710. He was a man of talent and influence, and a leader. Governor Evans stied him for slander for saying of him. "He is but a boy; he is not fit to be our Governor: we'll kick him out; we'll kick him out," and recovered E300 dam- ages, but failed to collect them, although he caught Biles in Philadelphia, and imprisoned him a month. The Governor said of him. "Ile very much in- fluences that debauched county of Bucks, in which there is now scarce any one man of worth leit:" Samuel Syele, possibly Sickel of the present generation, 218; Richard Ridgeway, 218, from Welford in the county of Bucks, who ar- rived in the Delaware April 27. 1640, with his wife and two children, and Robert lucas, 145 acres, a farmer of Deverall. Loughbridge, county of Wilts. who came with his wife and eight children, in September, INo. John Wood. "i Averelit, county of York, farmer, the only known English settler in this county, in 1678, arrived in the Shield, with five children, and took up 478 acres opposite the falls. These tracts generally joined each other and ran back from
- Probably a misspelling.
16
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
the river .? At this date Samuel 'Bliss was the owner of a considerable tract in the angle formed by Mill creek and the Delaware, and covering the site of Bristol. There was a settler near the mouth of Scott's creek, in Falls-prob- ably a squatter-and West Kickels was near the mouth of Scull's creek, north side. In the fall of to;y. a little real estate changed hands in Bucks county, James Sanderling and Lawrence Cock conveying a few acres, in Bensalem, to Walter, John and James Forest, and Henry Hastings conveyed "Hastings' Hope" to the same parties. The Forests probably became residents of the county about this time, coming from near Upland.
Jasper Danker and Peter Sluyter, leading members of the Labidists, of Holland, visited the Delaware in the fall of 1079, going down the river in a boat to New Castle, their horses following them by land on the west bank. At the falls they staid all night with Mahlon Stacy. They describe the houses of the English along the river as built of clapboards nailed on the outside of a frame, but "not usually laid so close together as to prevent you from sticking a finger between them." The best people plastered them with clay. They call the houses built by the Swedes "block houses." but from the way they were con- structed, were only the log cabin found on the frontier at the present day. Some of the more careful people planked the ceiling, and had a glass window. The chimney was in the corner, and the doors low and wide. Our travelers break- fasted with the Friend, at Burlington, whom they denominate "the most worldly of men in all their department and conversation." They went hence in a shallop to Upland, stopping at Takany ( Tacony), a village of Swedes and Fins, where they drank good beer. On Tiniem island they saw a "Quaker prophetess who traveled the country over in order to quake." On their return up the river they stopped over night on Alricks' island, then in charge of Barent, a Dutchman, who had for housekeeper the Indian wife of an English- man of Virginia. One of her children was sick with the small-pox, prevalent on the river this year, and now mentioned for the first time. The Dutchman consented to pilot them next day to the falls for thirty guilders. Landing them from his canoe where Bristol stands, he conducted them by a footpath through the woods and across the maner, striking the river at William Biles's planta- tion, where they rested anl were refreshedl. In the afternoon he rowed them across the river. landing on the state of Bordentown, and thence through the woods to Mahlon Stacy's and an across New Jersey to Manhattan.
Of the arrivals in the Delaware, ruso. several made their homes in Bucks county: among them were Lyonel Britton. Samuel and William Darke and George Brown.' Britten, a Friend and blacksmith, from Aliny. in Bucks. Eng- land, the first to arrive, scathed on 2og deres in the bend of the river at the upper corner of the manor, wiech William I'm patented to him, too4. A daughter died on the way up the river and was buried at Burlington. Another daughter, Mary, born June 13. push, was, w far as is known, the first child of English parents born in Buck- cents, or probably in the state Britton's name is found on the panel of the first grand jury drawn in Bucks county, June IO. 1685. He probably be it this county and removed to Philadelphia, 1088, con-
2 Their names are seen on the augat Darker and Sluyter, Ido.
3 It is possible the final credito, if he was residing about the fall in 1680, and was a justice of the peace.
+ The record of May Boston's farth is in the Register's ofice, Doylestown, in the handwriting of Phine . Put. wtion
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
veying his real estate in Falls to Stephen Beakes, for one thousand dollars. He is noted, in our early annals, as the first convert to Catholicism in the state. Hle assisted in reading public mass in Philadelphia. 1708, and was a church warden the same year. Britton died, 1721, and his widow, 1741.3 Sammel Darke. a calendrer, London, arrived in the ship Content, in October, with two servants. James and Mary Crafts. He married Ann Knight, 4, 7, 1683, who liel 8, 13. 1083, and then married Martha Worrell, 12. 16. 1085. William Darke, probably a brother of Samuel, a grocer from Chiping, County of Chester, was 58 years old and his wife, Alice, 63. He arrived in the Content June, 1680, and his wife, August. 1084. with a son of 17. He settled in the neigh- borhood of Fallsington.
In 1680 Sir Edmund Andros conveyed to Samuel Clift, a Friend living at Burlington, a tract of 202 acres, covering the site of Bristol,512 who probably then. or soon after, became a resident of the county. It was bounded by Mill, then Bliss's, creek, the Delaware and Griffith Jones's land. When the latter came into the county is not known. It was surveyed by Philip Pocock at the purchase ; but again under a warrant in 1683. when it was found to contain 274 acres. Clift could not write his name, but made his mark. thus : On the first of June Richard Noble, surveyor of Upland county, laid out 552 acres to Ephraim Herman and Lawrence Cock, at a place called Hataorockon, "lying on the west side of the Delaware, and on the south side of a creek of the same name." On the 8th of the next March, 25 acres of marsh land were granted to each of these parties, and to one Peter Van Brug, or Van Bray, at "Taorackon." "lying in ye Mill creek, opposite Burlington, and toward ye head thereof." This places the grant about Pigeon swamp and to the north of Bristol. There has been a question as to the location of this grant, placing it below Bristol, probably because the marsh land is on Mill creek. We think there is no doubt the main grant was in Penn's manor, on what is now Scott's creek. There is no creek between Mill creek and the Neshaminy. nor is one laid down on any of the old maps. On Lindstrom, the region afterward Penn's Manor, called "Hackazockan." and "Ilataorockon." or "Taorackon," is only a corruption of the Indian name. The course of the creek Hataorackon, its southwest boundary, is nearly identical with that of Scott's creek. This tract was probably never seated. and the authority of the Duke of York coming to an end soon after. no further mention is made of it. October 28 ( 1680), Erick Cock was appointed an additional constable between the Schuylkill and Neshaminy for one year, and John Cock and Lassa Dalbo overseers and viewers of fences and high- ways.
At this time the deputy-sheriff of Upland county was William Warner, with a jurisdiction to the falls. Ile was probably the ancestor of the large and
5 Lionel Britton was the owner of considerable land in Delaware county, as we barn from the records. Deed Book Of page 160. New Castle County, contains a deed i March 28. 1753: Philip Bready To Mathew Lowber, with the following recital : "William Penn, proprietor. the, to Robert Bett- and John King, 16Nj, about 600 acres"; they in 1704 to Lionel Britton, he with Thomas Rugland, who claimed a right therein, to Pip Kearney and Michael Kearney, "son-in-law of said Lionel Britton," 1718 Philip Kearney, son and heit of Michael, conveyed the same to Absalom Morris, 1746, and Absalom Morris to Philip Bready.
5'. What became of Sammel Bliss's title which covered part of Clift's grant is not Known.
2
IS
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
respectable family of the name in this county. The time of his arrival, and whence he came, are not definitely known. Watson, the annalist," says he was one of the earliest pioneers on the Delaware; that he was a "captain under Cromwell, and was obliged to leave England at his death, 1658; that he came from Blockley, in Worcestershire, and gave this name to the township in which he lived in Philadelphia county." He is known to have been here 1677, and bought 200 acres in Blockley, and, about the same time, he and William Orion bought 1600 acres of the Indians for three hundred and thirty- five guilders. In the explanations to Reed's map of 1774, he is denominated "old Renter," a term applied to those here before Penn bought the Province. He died in 1706. Thomas Warner, late of Wrightstown, said the William War- ner from whom he descended, immigrated with his brother Isaac from Draycott, Blockley, where the ancestral homestead is still in the possession of a Warner. Hazard does not give credit to the arrival of William Warner at the time specified, as he is not mentioned by contemporaneous statements, because of the jealousy of the Dutch and Swedes. He may have left England at the time mentioned, and not come to the Delaware until after it fell into the hands of the English, 1664. After that period there was no occasion "to shield his movements from observation." He was a man of note in his day ; a mem- ber of the first Assembly of Pennsylvania ; justice of the peace ; deputy-sheriff, &c., &c. When he was deputy-sheriff it was the custom of the court to defray the charge for "meat and drink" for the justices, probably their only pay, and to raise the necessary funds Warner was ordered to collect 2s. Od. on every judgment.
The first immigrants, who sailed direct for Pennsylvania, left England in August, 1681, in the ship John and Sarah, Captain Henry Smith ; the Amity, . Captain Richard Dimon, and the Bristol Factor, Captain Robert Drew. The John and Sarah was the first to arrive, and her passengers were called the "first landers" by those who followed them. Among them we find the follow- ing, with their families, who came into Bucks county: Nathaniel Allen, who settled in Bensalem, above the month of the Neshaminy; John Otter, near the head of Newtown creek, where he took up 200 acres, and Edmund Lovett. Falls. In the same ship came several servants of William Penn. The Amity was blown off the coast. and did not land her passengers until the next spring : while the Factor, which arrived opposite Chester, December 11th, was frozen up that night, and her passengers wintered there. All these brought immi- grants for Bucks county, but it is impossible to give their names. The same year arrived Gideon Gambell, from county Wilt -. slater, and William Clark : and. about the same time came Edward Bennett, who took up 321 acres in Northampton township: John Bennett, 30 acres, and William Standard, 274 acres. All of these settlers purchased land of Sir Edmund Andros, at the quit-rent of a bushel of wheat the hundred acres. Their lands were re-sur- veyed and confirmed to them by a general warrant of the Proprietary. June 14, 1683. About this time William Dungan, probably from Rhode Island, and of the family of Reverend Thomas Dungan, the Baptist minister at Cold Spring. settled in Bristol township. His warrant was dated August 4. 1682, nearly
6 Watson says he got his information from "Widow Warner." who died at the age of eighty, 1843, and who claimed to be a descendant of Witham Warner. She lived on the Lancaster turnpike, a mile west of Market street bridge.
7 One of Penny's Commissioners.
19
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
two months before Penn's arrival, and the patent July 26, 1684. In the sum- mer or early fall, 1682, the Upland court appointed William "Boyles," William Biles, who lived below Morrisville, surveyor and overseer of highways from the falls to Poquessing creek, the boundary between Bucks and Philadelphia counties. He appears to have been constable at the same time, and informed the court against Gilbert Wheeler, for selling liquor to the Indians without license, and was fined four pounds. This appointment is said to have been the last official act of the court under the Duke of York, and immediately before the territory was turned over to the agents of William Penn.
The history of Bucks county would be incomplete without a notice of the settlement of the east bank of the Delaware, peopled by the same race, and under similar circumstances as the west bank. Their interests were so closely connected in the early days, it is impossible to treat of the one and not the other.
The first colony on the east bank was planted at, or near, Gloucester Point. where fort Nassau was built, about 1623. The fort was destroyed by the Indians, but repaired and again occupied by the Dutch, 1639. In 1643 the Swedes erected fort Elsinborg, four miles below Salem creek. An English colony from New Haven, sixty strong, settled near Salem in 1641, but were driven away by the Swedes and Dutch, and this race made no further attempt to colonize the east bank of the river until New Jersey fell into possession of the Duke of York. It was subsequently conveyed to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, the interest of Berkeley passing into the hands of the assignees of Edward Byllinge. It was divided into East and West New Jersey the following year, by a line drawn across the country from Little Egg Harbor to the mouth of Lehigh river. The first settlers for West New Jersey arrived in the ship Griffith. of London, in 1675. after a long passage, and landed near Salem. Among the passengers were John Fenwick, his two daughters and several servants; Edward Champness, Edward Wade. Samuel Wade, John Smith and wife, Samuel Nicholas. Richard Guy, Richard Noble, who subse- quently settled in this county; Richard Hancock, John Pledger, Hipolite Lefevre. John Matlock, and others with their families.
Among those who purchased land on the river were two companies of Friends, one from London, the other from Yorkshire. In the summer, 1677, these purchasers sent out John Kinsey, John Pemford, Joseph Helmsley, Robert Staey, Benjamin Scott, Richard Guy and Thomas Foulke, joint Com- missioners to satisfy the claims of the Indians. They came in the Kent with 230 immigrants, landing at New Castle, August 16th. The settlers found temporary shelter at Raccoon creek in huts erected by the Swedes ; while the Commissioners proceeded to the site of Burlington, and purchased of the Indians all the land between the Assanpink and Oldman's creek. for a few guns, petticoats, hoes, &c. The Yorkshire Commissioners made choice of the "pper. and the London of the lower. half of the tract. but they joined in settling what is now Burlington, for mutual defense. In laying out the town the main strect. running back from the river, was made the dividing line between the companies, the Yorkshire men being on the east and the Londoners on the west side. But one other street was laid out, that along the river front. and a market house was located in the middle of the main street. The town plot was surveyed by Richard Noble. The head lines of the river lots were orig- inally run. in 1687, when their courses, respectively, were west and northwest. They were again examined and run by John Watson, jr., of this county. Feb- ruaTy 5. 1756, who found the course then west, three degrees northerly, being
20
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
a variation of three degrees in sixty-nine years, or one degree in twenty-three years exactly. To begin the settlement ten lots, of nine acres cach, were laid out on the east side of the main street, and, in October, some of the Kent', passengers came up and settled there. Among the heads of families, whi. came in the Kent, and settled at Burlington, were Thomas Olive, Daniel Wills. William Peachy. William Clayton, John Crips, Thomas Eves, Thomas Hard- ing. Thomas Nositer. Thomas Fairnsworth, Morgan Drewet, William Penton. Henry Jennings, William Hibes, Samuel Lovett, John Woolston, William Woodmancy. Christopher Saunders and Robert Powell. . Among them was a carpenter, named Marshall, who was very useful in building shelter. At first they lived in wigwams and had mainly to rely on the Indians for food, who supplied them with corn and venison. The first house built was a frame. by John Woolston, and Friends' meeting was held under a sail-cloth tent. The town was first called New Beverly, then Bridlington, and afterward changed to its present name. Although this is the accepted history of the names Bur- lington has borne, we doubt its correctness. The original draught, as laid out. - 16-8. bears the name of Burlington, and, on the map of Danker's and Sluyter. 1679. it is called "Borlingtowne." This was a year after it was laid out. an ! the misspelling is not to be wondered at in a foreigner. The Martha, of Hull. arrived October 15. in which came a number of passengers with their families, who settled on the Yorkshire purchase: Thomas Wright, William Goforth, Jolin Lyman, Edward Season, William Black, Richard Dungworth. George Miles, William Wood, Thomas Schooley, Richard Harrison. Thomas Hooten, Samuel Taylor, Marmaduke Horsman, William Oxley, William Ley and Nathaniel Luke. In the same ship came the families of Robert Stacy. Samuel Odds. and Thomas Ellis and John Batts, servants. The Willing Mind arrived in November, several of her passengers settling at Burlington and others at Salem, among the latter being James Nevel. Henry Salter, and George Deacon. The following spring the settlers at Burlington began to eultivate and provide provisions for their own support, and build better habitations. In one of these vessels came John Kinsey, a youth, son of John Kinsey, one of the London Commissioners. His father dying on his arrival, the care of the family devolved on the son, who not only discharged the duty. but reached several positions of distinction : his son became Chief Justice of Pennsylvania.
Burlington was built upon an island now joined to the main-land, and. two centuries ago, Fore the name of Chygoe." How early it was settled by Europeans we cannet tell, but, before they, three Dutchmen, Cornelius Jorri- sen. Julian Marcels and Jan Claessen had purchased all or part of it, and built a house of two on it. They sold to Peter Jegou, who owned 1700 acres in all. In a note, appended to the permit. Governor Lovelace gave to Jegou, 1668. it is stated certain butchimen settled there long before the country fell into the hands of the English. Jegou bought part of his land of the Indians. He gave the name to the island. " hygge" being only a corruption of his own. and not that a i an Indian chuei as stated by some authorities. In all our research no name approaching it has been found. In logo Jegou was driven from his land by Indians and remaine I away several years. When the Friends settled at Burlington, two of them. Thomas Wright and Godfrey Hancock, entered upon Jegon's land an I occupied it. They refused to vacate when notified, and suit brought in the Upland Court; it was tried December, to79, with a verdict
e Ind in. T.Schich packi. senifying the oldest planted groun ! The Delawares and then First seulement sa ir wat was on this island.
21
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
jor Jegou". He sold out to Thomas Bowman, Bowman to Edward Hunloke, Burlington, and Hunloke to John Joosten and John Hammell. The latter sale was confirmed by the town council of Burlington. In November, 1678, Jegou was a deputy from the Delaware river portion of New Jersey to the Assembly a: Elizabethtown.
The point of land made by Assiscunk creek and the Delaware on the Bur- ington side, was called Leasy's point, at the period of which we write. It was a noted place on the Delaware. In 1668, Governor Carteret granted permission : Peter Jegon to take up land here on condition that he would settle and erect a house of entertainment for travelers. This he agreed to do, and at the point he opened the first tavern on the river, a famous hostelry in its day. When Governor Lovelace visited the Delaware, 1672, it will be remembered that Captain Garland was sent forward to Jegou's house to make arrangements for his accommodation, and persons were appointed to meet him there. The Governor crossed the river at this point. George Fox, who visited the Dela- ware the same year, likewise crossed at Leasy's point into Pennsylva- nia and thence continued on to the lower settlements. The house was subse- quently called "Point house." to which Governor Burnet opened one of his vistas from Burlington island. There is some evidence in favor of Leasy Point being on the east side of the creek, but the weight of testimony places it on the west. Here the land is firm down to the water's edge, while on the east side there is a marsh which prevents access to the point. Some antiquarians have fallen into error by locating it on the west side of the Delaware. in the neigh- borhood of Bristol, but there is not a particle of evidence to sustain it.
The favorable accounts written home by the first settlers in West Jersey stimulated immigration and soon there was an accession to the population. The Shield, of Hull, Captain Towes, arrived November 10. 1678, the first English vessel that ascended as high as Burlington. A fresh gale brought her up the river, and during the night she was blown in to shore where she made fast to a tree. It came on cold, and the next morning the passengers walked ashore on the ice. As the Shield passed the place where Philadelphia stands, the passengers remarked what a fine place for a town. Among them were Mahlon Stacy,912 his wife, seven daughters, several servants, his cousin Thomas Reve !. and William Emley."" with his wife, two children. and four servants. The passengers by the Shield. and other ships, that followed the same year, settled at Burlington, Salem, and other points on the river, a few finding their way into Bucks county. Among those who came with the West Jersey settlers, in Hi-8, was Benjamin Duffield, the ancestor of the Pennsylvania family of that mame. By the end of 1678 it is estimated that William Penn had been the
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