USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. I > Part 30
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On July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of American Independence, a civic and military celebration was held at Newtown. The troops were commanded by John Davis, then colonel of the first regiment of Bucks county volunteers. The exercises were held in the Presbyterian church, of which Reverend Mr. Boyd was pastor, and afterward a dinner was given at Hinkel's tavern. The company was quite large, and among those present was the Honorable Samuel D. Ingham. The band of sixteen pieces was led by the late Aden G. Hibbs, a prominent citizen of Ohio and the only survivor of it, at his death a few years ago.
Newtown has made very decided progress in population and otherwise in the past two decades. In 1883, old Newtown hall was rebuilt, improved and vularged, and is much resorted to on public occasions. In 1888 the "Newtown Building and Loan Association" was incorporated, capital $100,000, which has added a number of dwellings to the borough, and the same year the "Newtown Artesian Well Company," with a capital of $30.000, and "Newtown Improve- ment Company," with a capital of $10,000. were incorporated and put in opera- tion. In May, the following year, an "Electric Light and Power Company" was incorporated, with $20,000 capital, and a "Fire Association" in the fall, which was soon equipped with a "Silsby steam fire engine" and a hook and lad- der truck. Newtown made one of its most advanced steps. 1897. by incorporating a "Street Railway Company." and building a trolley road to Langhorne, four miles, and connecting with Bristol. The capital stock is $100.000, and the road was opened in December. The same year a company was organized to build a trolley line to Doylestown, the county seat, fourteen miles, and was completed in 1899. . This will be an important improvement for middle and lower Bucks. In the matter of public schools, Newtown keeps abreast of her sister boroughs. In the summer, 1894, the school building was remodeled by the School Board
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SHARON. RESIDENCE OF JAMES WORTH, NEWTOWN 12330.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
at a cost of $10,600, and, 1897, the old Methodist church was purchased and remodeled for school purposes at a cost of $2,000. The schools are graded and under good control. A new building was erected for the National bank, 1883, at an expense of $14,000. In 1891 the streets of Newtown were macadamized at an outlay of $16,000 and 4 per cent. bonds issued to pay for it.
The hrst temperance society in the county was organized in Friends' meet- ing house, Newtown, September 25, 1828, under the name of the "Bucks County Society for the Promotion of Temperance ;" its object to discourage the use of ardent spirits except for medicine, and the members pledged themselves to abstain from its use. At that day the brandy and whiskey bottle were seen on every side-board, and the first salutation on entering a neighbor's house was, "Come, take something!" To refuse was almost an insult. The following persons signed the constitution and may be considered the pioneers of tem- perance in the county : Aaron Feaster, Jonathan Wynkoop, J. H. Gordon, MI. D., Josepli Flowers, Joseph Brown, M. B. Lincoln, Isaac W. Hicks, Reverend J. I'. Wilson, Doctor Phineas Jenks, John Lapsley, Joseph Briggs, David Tag- gart, Charles Lombart, Thomas Janney, O. P. Ely, Charles Swain, and the Rev- erend R. B. Bellville. The officers chosen were Aaron Feaster, president ; Joseph Briggs, vice-president ; John Lapsley, corresponding secretary ; Doctor J. H. Gordon, recording secretary, and Jonathan Wynkoop, treasurer. The first annual report of the society was made in September, 1829. In January, 1831, the membership of all the societies of the county was three hundred. The parent society was reorganized, 1832, and the same year a general convention ,of all the local societies was held at Doylestown, the Honorable John Fox pre- siding. The interest was kept up for a few years, but then began to decline, the stringent resolutions prohibiting members giving alcoholic drinks to mechanics and others in their employ, being objectionable to many of the men- bers. Women first appeared at the Bucks County Temperance Conventions at Buckingham school house, August 29, 1840, and all the real temperance work of value was done by them after 1850. The last record in the books of the Bucks County Temperance Society was made April 29, 1874. About this time the first temperance newspaper was issued in the county, the Olite Branch, by Franklin P. Sellers, at Doylestown, but its violence injured its usefulness.
The first public meeting held in the county, to take action on the approach- ing quarrel between Great Britain and her colonies, was at Newtown. It was the proper place for such action, as it was the county capital and necessarily the political centre. This was on January 9, 1774, and Gilbert Hicks, Esquire, was chairman. The announced purpose of the meeting was "to consider the injury and distress occasioned by numerous acts of the British Parliament, oppressive to the colonies, in which they are not represented."
Among the public buildings recently erected in Newtown is "The Paxson Memorial Home," built in 1899, by the Honorable Edward M. Paxson. as a memorial to his parents, and opened in the spring of 1900. It is intended as a home for aged Friends of both sexes, and is provided with every appliance that contributes to comfort and convenience. The style of architecture-colonial --- presents a handsome appearance, and is finished throughout in the best manner. The outer walls are built of Newtown brown stone. It is not a charitable insti- tution in any sense. The society has raised an endowment for its partial sur- port, but those having the means will be allowed to rent rooms and pay board.
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PAXSON MEMORIAL HOME. NEWTOWN.
It will accommodate about fifty guests and the requisite help. The following inscription is engraven on a bronze tablet in the hall :
"This building was erected in 1899, In memory of Thomas and Ann Johnson Paxson, By their son, Edward M. Paxson."
"Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."
We have mentioned, in a previous chapter, that Washington recrossed the Delaware the next day after his victory at Trenton, and took quarters at New- town, with his army, and remaining there until the 29th of December, when he recrossed into New Jersey. Among the officers with Washington at Newtown, btit did not recross the Delaware into New Jersey, remaining at Newtown, was Colonel William Palfrey, paymaster-general of the Continental army. On the 5th of January. 1777, Colonel Palfrey wrote the following letter"" to Henry Jack- son,"' to be opened by Benjamin Hickbourn, the letter being carried by Cap- tain Goodrich :
Dear Sir :-- Colonel Tudor" acquainted me that he had received a letter from you and other Gentlemen of Boston, requesting that we would furnish von, from time to time, with intelligence from our Army. You may be assured we will do this with the greatest pleasure, and as often as we can find a proper conveyance.
"You have doubtless before this time had the particulars of the action at Trenton, in which we took about 1.000 Hessians Prisoners, Seven Standards, Six brass Cannon, 1,200 Stand of Arms, 12 Drums and several wagons with
23 The letter is in possession of the Bucks County Historical Society, and was found in a house in Virginia by a general officer of the Union army. It is undoubtedly genuine.
24 Henry Jackson was a Colonel in the Continental service and made a Brigadier- General near the close.
25 Colonel Tudor. of Massachusetts, was Judge Advocate of the Continental army.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Baggage. This glorious Affair was effected with the loss of but 6 or 7 men on our Side. The next Day the General and the Ariny returned to this side the Delaware, where he remained two or three days. On the 29th he passed the Delaware again and joined General Cadwallader, who in the meantime had entered Trenton with the Brigade under his Command.
"The time for which the oldl Army had enlisted being near expired, the General prevailed with them to stay Six Weeks longer for a Bounty of ten dol- lars pr. Man, which they almost all accepted. On the 2d instant at noon advice was brought that a large Body of the Enemy were advancing from Princeton to attack us, according in the Afternoon they appear'd, when General Washing- ton quitted the Town and formed on the Heights near it. The British Troops attempted to enter it by passing over a bridge, when they were so gall'd by a heavy fire from our Cannon and Musquetry that (they) were twice repulsed, with very great slaughter. They however entered the Town. In the Night General Washington made one of the grandest Maneuvers that ever was heard of. He ordered his Men to kindle up large Fires that would burn all Night, and then march'd off in the most Secret manner towards Princetown; at & in the Morning at a place called Stony Brook about two miles this side of Princeton he met with two Regiments, the 17th and 55th, who were on their March to reinforce the British Troops at Trenton. These he immediately engaged and cut them all to pieces, the 17th especially. I have seen a Prisoner belonging to that regiment who was taken since the Action, and informs me that he does not think five of the whole Regiment escaped. In this Action it is said the General took five pieces of Cannon, a number of Prisoners and twenty Baggage Wagons. Our Army then went to Princetown where the 40th Regi- ment remained and pass'd through there in the forenoon, but we have as vet received no certain intelligence respecting the 40th, tho' it is reported they were all made Prisoners. That part of the British Army which was at Trenton quitted it and marched to Princetown where they arrived about five hours after General Washington had marched away, so that we imagine he intends to touch at them when he returns.
"Upon the whole our People behaved most nobly, and gave the Enemy convincing proofs that we are able and willing to fight them in their own way. In the action at the Bridge a Virginia Regiment marched up within 40 yards of the Front, and having some Rifleman posted on the Flanks made terrible Slaughter.
"We are in expectation every moment of receiving further intelligence, which I shall Communicate to you by the very first opportunity. I beg you will let me hear from you by every opportunity. My love to Ned and family and compliments to all friends. I am most Sincerely, Yours,
(Signed).
WILLIAM PALFREY.
"I forgot to mention our Friend Knox" behaved most nobly, and did him- self and his Country great Honour-he is made a Brigadier General.
"Dr. Edwards? writes from Trenton that General Washington's is slightly wounded, and that Gen'l Mercer is missing. Suppose either killed or made Prisoner. We have certainly taken all their Baggage at Princetown."
26 "Our friend Knox." was the distinguished General Henry Knox, of the Revolution
27 Of Doctor Edwards we find no mention
28 The wounding of Washington evidently refers to the battle of Princeton, where he may have been struck by a spent ball.
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CHAPTER XVI.
WRIGHTSTOWN. 1
1703.
A small township .- John Chapman first settler .- Ralph Smith .- First house erected .- Death of John Chapman .- William Smith .- John Penquite .- Francis Richardson .- James Harrison .- Randall Blackshaw .- The Wilkinsons .- Township organized .- . Townstead .- When divided .- Effort to enlarge township .- Richard Mitchell .-- Set- tiers from New England .- Friends' meeting .- Meeting-house built .- Ann Parsons .- Zebulon Heston .- Louisa Heston Paxson .- Jesse S. Heston .- Thomas Ross .- Im- provements .- Croasdale .- Warner .- Charles Smith .- Burning lime with coal .- Pine- ville, Penn's Park and Wrightstown .- The Anchor .- Population .- Large tree .-- Oldest house in county .- First settlers were encroachers.
Wrightstown, one of the smallest townships in the county, lies wedged in between Buckingham, Upper Makefield, Newtown, Northampton and War- wick, with Neshaminy creek for its southwest boundary. The area is five thousand eight hundred and eighty acres. It is well watered by a number of small streams which intersect it in various directions, the surface rolling and the soil fertile. A ridge of moderate elevation crosses the township and sheds the water in opposite directions, toward the Delaware and Neshaminy. The ground was originally covered with a fine growth of heavy timber, with little midlerbrush, which greatly reduced the labor and trouble of clearing it for cultivation. At first the settlers did little more than girdle the trees, plant the coru and tend it with the hoe. The favorable location, the good quality of the soil, and its casy cultivation had much to do, no doubt, with its early settlement.
Two years and three months after William Penn, and his immediate fol- lowers, landed upon the banks of the Delaware, John Chapman, of the small town of Stannah." in Yorkshire, England. with his wife Jane and children Mara.
I We acknowledge the assistance received from Doctor C. W. Smith's history of Wrightstown township, and from the Chapman MIS. kindly loaned us by Judge Chapman.
: There is neither town, nor parish, by the name of Stannah in England at the preant day. It is thought that this place is identical with the present Stanhope in the valley of the river Wear, in Durham county. The church records of Stanhope show that : Chapmans belonged to that parish before John joined the Friends, and there he was Limited. As the family records give Yorkshire as the last county he resided in before
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Ann and John took up his residence in the woods of Wrightstown, the first white settler north of Newtown. Being a staunch Friend and having suffered numerous persecutions for opinion sake, including loss of property, he resolved to find a new home in the wilds of Pennsylvania. Of the early settlers of Wrightstown, the names of John Chapman, William Smith and Thomas Croas- dale are mentioned in "Bessies' Collections," as having been frequently fined and imprisoned for non-conformity to the established religion, and for attendance on Friends' meeting. Leaving home the 21st of June, 1684, he sailed from Aberdeen, Scotland, and reached Wrightstown sometime toward the close of December. Before leaving England, Mr. Chapman bought a claim for five hundred acres of one Daniel Toaes, which he located in the southern part of the township, extending from the park square to the Newtown line, and upon which the village of Wrightstown and the Friends' niceting-house stand. A portion of this land lay outside of the purchase made by William Markham, 1682, and to which the Indian title had not been extinguished, when John Chapman settled upon it. Until he was able to build a log house himself and family lived in a cave, where twin sons were born February 12, 1685. Game from the woods supplied them with food until crops were grown, and often the Indians, between whom and the Chapmans there was the most cordial friendship, were the only reliance. It is related in the family records, that on one occasion, while riding through the woods, his daughter Mara overtook a frightened buck, chased by a wolf, which held quiet until she secured it with the halter from her horse. The first house erected by him stood on the right- hand side of the road leading from Wrightstown meeting-house to Pennsville. in a field formerly belonging to Charles Thompson, and near a walnut tree by the side of a run. After a hard life in the wilderness John Chapman died about the month of May, 1604. and was buried in the old graveyard near Penn's Park, whither his wife followed him in 1699. She was his second wife, whose maiden name was Jane Saddler, born about 1635, and married to John Chap- man, June 12, 1670, and was the mother of five of his children.ª A stone, erected at his grave, bore the following inscription :
"Behold John Chapman, that christian man, who first began, To settle in this town; From worldly cares and doubtful fears, and Satan's snares, Is here laid down: 1fis soul doth rise, above the skies, in Paradise There to wear a lasting crown."4
The children of John Chapman intermarried with the families of Croas- dale, Wilkinson, Olden. Parsons and Worth, and have a large number of
coming to America. he probably changed his dwelling place after he became a Friend. Durham and Yorkshire are adjoining counties. As Stanhope is in Durham, and not in Yorkshire, the confusion of locality remains.
3 Mara. horn 12th month, 2, 1671 : Ann, horn oth month. 3. 1676; John, born Ith month. 11. 1678. Abraham and Joseph, twins, 12th month. 12, 1685.
4. "B. W.," in an article written to the Doylestown Democrat, says John Chapman and wife had a long stone at the head of their graves and "no statement was ever made that it hore any inscription." Our authority for the verse was the MS. verse loaned us by the late Judge Chapman.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
descendants. The late Doctor Isaac Chapman, of Wrightstown, and Abraham Chapman, of Doylestown, were grandsons of Joseph, one of the twins born in the cave." The descendants of John Chapman have held many places of public trust. We find them in the Assembly, on the bench, at the head of the loan- office, county surveyors, county treasurers, etc., etc." In the early history of the county they did much to mouldl its public affairs. An Chapman, the daughter of John. became a distinguished minister among Friends. She traveled as early as 1706, and made several trips to England. The family added . largely to the real estate originally held in Wrightstown and elsewhere, and about 1720 the Chapmans owned nearly one-half of all the land in the town- ship. In 1734 John Chapman's son John bought one hundred and ninety-five acres on the Philadelphia road adjoining the Penquite tract, which was subse- quently owned by John Thompson, the grandson of the first settler of that name in the township.7
Although John Chapman was the first to penetrate the wilderness of Wrightstown, he was not long the only white inhabitant, for within two years. William Smith, of Yorkshire, came to dispute with him the honors and hard- ships of pioncer life. He bought one hundred acres of Mr. Chapman and after- ward patented several hundred acres adjoining, extending to Newtown and Neshaminy. His dwelling stood near where Charles Reeder lived. He was twice married. first to Mary Croasdale, of Middletown. in 1690, and afterward in 1720, and was the father of fourteen children. He died in 1743. His son William, who married Rebecca Wilson, in 1722. purchased nearly all the original tract of his brothers and considerable in Upper Makefield, and died wealthy, 1780. The land remained in the family down to 1812. The original tract embraces several of the finest farms in that section. He was the ancestor of Josiah B. Smith, of Newtown. John Penquite, who came over. September, 1683, and died, 1719, was the third settler in the township, where he took up three hundred and fourteen acres between the park and Neshaminy. It was originally patented to Phineas Pemberton, in 1692, but secured to Smith, 1701. In 1690 he married Agnes Sharp who probably arrived in 1686, and died in 1719, his wife dying 1758. upward of one hundred years of age. He was a minister among Friends for nearly seventy years. Ilis son John inherited his estate, and at his death, it was divided between his four danghters. Jane mar- ried William Chapman, who built Thompson's mill.
In 1765 Ralph Smith, son of William Smith, the immigrant, with his three sons. William. Aaron and Zopher, went to South Carolina, and settled in the Spartansburg district. He held the office of justice of the peace under King George III, but resigned when hostilities with the colonies broke out, and en- tered the army. He and his young son, Samuel, were arrested and confined in the loathsome prison at Ninety-Six. Ilis son Aaron was killed at the battle of the Cowpens, and Zopher fought at the same battle.
William Smith, eldest son of Ralph, born in Wrightstown, September 21. 1751. became a distinguished man, his military career beginning against the
5 Some remains of them were to be seen as late as 1768.
6 In 18H Seth Chapman. Newtown, was appointed president judge of the Eighth district.
7. Several of the pioneers of Wrightstown, the Chapmans, Warners, and others were buried at the old Friends' Meeting House, west of the present Wrightstown, a one- story building a mile below Penn's Park.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Cherokee Indians, 1775 : when the Revolution broke out he entered the service and remained to the close, reaching the rank of major. He took part in several battles including Guilford Court House, one of the severest in the State, and saved the day at Musgrove Mill by disabling the British commander. He was an uncompromising patriot in the darkest hour in South Carolina, when others were seeking Royal protection. He was equally distinguished in civil life. After the war he was elected county judge, member of Congress, 1797-99, and a mem- ber of the state Senate for twenty years, and he died June 22, 1837, in his eighty- sixth year. Joseph M. Rogers, the historian, says of him: "He was leader of the House, a solid man of some eloquence, and had he remained longer in Con- gress, would have become a leading figure in American politics." Simon C. Draper summed up his eulogy in these words: "Few men served the public longer or more faithfully than Judge Smith."
William Smith was the father of fourteen children, and four of his sons became prominent in State politics; Colonel Isaac was a state senator for many years : Dr. William, a physician, was a state senator and member of the House of Representatives ; Major Elihu served eight terms in the Legislature, and Dr. Eber Smith, an eminent physician, was also a member of the Legislature. An- other son, Eliphas, who removed to Alabama with his family, was a captain in the Mexican war, and upon his return, was appointed judge of the Circuit Court. Daniel Smith, the boy imprisoned at Ninety Six, served in the war of 1812: David Smith, the brother of Ralph, subsequently settled in South Carolina, but removed with his family to Indiana, and his descendants are living at Indian- apolis and Terre Haute.
In 1684 five hundred and nineteen acres, patented to Franeis Richardson. were laid off for him in the east corner of the township, but he never settled upon it. Richardson owned twelve hundred acres in all, some of which is said to have been in the southwest corner of the township on the line of Newtown, and some, or all, of it was conveyed to Thomas Stackhouse in 1707. In a few years it fell into the hands of other persons, John Routlige getting one hundred and seventy, and Launcelot Gibson one hundred and seventeen acres. Two hundred acres were patented to Joseph Ambler, in the northeast part of the township in 1687, which descended to his son and then fell into the hands of strangers. Some years ago the Laceys owned part of this tract. The same year two hundred acres, adjoining Ambler, were patented to Charles Briggham, which, at his death. descended to his two daughters, Mary, who married Nicholas Williams, and Sarah, to Thomas Worthington : Amos Warner subse- quently owned part of this tract. Briggham's tract had a tannery on it. in 1748, but there is no trace of it now. William Penn granted one thousand acres to John and William Tanner, 1681, who sold the grant to Benjamin Clark, Lon- don, 1683, and. three years afterward four hundred and ninety-two acres were laid out to his son Benjamin, of New Jersey, on the northeast side of the town- ship, extending from the Briggham tract to the New Hope road, which con- tained five hundred and seventy-five acres by Cutler's re-survey. Clark did not settle in the township, and. in 1728, the land was sold to Abraham Chapman for £350. Some years ago it was owned by John Eastburn, Joseph Warner and Timothy Atkinson.
James Harrison located one thousand acres in Wrightstown by virtue of a patent from William Penn, dated the sith month. 1682, but he never became a settler. He sold two hundred acres to James Radcliff, a noted public Friend who removed to Wrightstown, 168%, but the remainder, at his death, descended
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
to his daughter Phoebe, wife of Phineas Pemberton. By 1718 it had all come into the possession of her son Israel by descent and purchase. At different titdes he sold three hundred and seven acres to John Wilkinson, two hundred and ninety to William Trotter, and the rest to Abraham Vickers, in 1726. This tract lay on the southwest side of the township, running from the park to the Neshaminy, then down to the mouth of Randall's creek and from Randall Blackshaw's to Radcliff's tract. Ilarrison must have owned other lands in Wrightstown, for Henry Baker, Makefield. bought four hundred acres of him before 1701. This lay in the northwest part of the township; prob- ably Harrison had never seated it, for it was patented to Baker's son Henry, who sold it to Robert Shaw in 1707, for foo. Subsequent survey made the quantity four hundred and ninety-four acres. Shaw sold it to several per- sons before 1723. It does not appear that Shaw received a park dividend in 1,19, although he then owned one hundred and twenty-one acres. Randall Blackshaw, an original purchaser, took up two hundred in the west corner of the township, which. 1713. was owned by Peter Johnson, who came in 1697, and at his death, 1723, it descended to his son John. Garret Vansant came into the township in 1690, and settled on a tract in the northwest corner. He sold two hundred acres to Thomas Coleman in his life time, and, at his death, sub- sequent to 1719. the remainder was inherited by his sons, Cornelius and Garret. The Vansant family lies buried in the old graveyard on the Benjamin Law farm." Richard Lumley and Robert Stucksbury came about 1695. In 1709. one hundred and fifty acres were surveyed to Stucksbury, which afterward passed to the possession of Thomas Atkinson.
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