History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 149

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162

USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches > Part 149

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As the head and master-spirit of the school at Birming- ham Meeting-house, Chester Co. (under the auspices of the Concord Monthly Meeting), where he taught for many years, and always applied himself diligently to his arduous duties, he accomplished more in exciting a taste for knowl- edge and in developing young intellects than any teacher who had theretofore labored in that hopeful vineyard. He effectually routed the musty old superstitions, prejudices, and benighted notions of preceding generations, and took great delight in introducing youthful genius to the bright fields of literature and science. His juvenile contempora-

ries who had been committed to his charge, and who subse- quently made any figure in the world, were deeply indebted to the Birmingham schoolmaster for the aid he afforded them in their studies, as well as for the sound doctrines he inculcated. As Philip of Macedon thanked the gods for giving him a son at a time when the boy could profit by the tuition of the Stagirite, so the parents of the Birmingham youths had good reason to be grateful for the privilege of placing their children under the care of John Forsythe. When the noble Quaker institution at Westtown, in this county, was erected (near the close of the last century), the skill and experience of John For- sythe were put in requisition until that hopeful seminary was fairly inaugurated, after which he retired to his com- fortable farm in East Bradford, where he passed a venera- ble old age, until his eighty-seventh year, in superintending agricultural employments, and in manifesting a lively interest in the progress of education among our people. He presided at the first meeting, held in 1811, to promote the establishment of the West Chester Academy, and was one of the generous contributors to that laudable enterprise. No instructor ever labored in this community more faith- fully nor with better effect. None has left a memory more worthy to be kindly cherished.

John Forsythe, born 6, 11, 1754, died 3, 3, 1840, mar- ried 4, 12, 1781, at Birmingham Meeting, Hannah, daugh- ter of John and Hannah Carter, of East Bradford. They settled on her father's farm and had the following children : John, b. 5, 19, 1783, d. 9, 30, 1870 ; James, b. 7, 1, 1785, d. 3, 9, 1851; Hannah, b. 12, 8, 1787, d. 8, 30, 1868, m. Enos Thomas, of Goshen. The sons engaged in the iron business, and built Thorndale Rolling-Mill, but the business was not profitable at that time.

Jane, a sister of the emigrant John, married Richard McCammon and came to this country. They had two children,-Margaret and Jane. The last died in her twenty- first year, and was buried at Birmingham. Margaret was born 5, 13, 1790, and married William Marshall, of Ken- net.

FOULKE .- The writer of the following sketch died in 1741, aged eighty-eight years and five months, and was buried at Gwynedd. His descendants, of various names, are numerous in Chester County :

"I, Edward Foulke, was the son of Foulke Thomas, the son of Evan, the son of Robert, the son of David Lloyd, the son of David, the son of Evan Vaughan, the son of Griffith the son of Madock, the son of Jerworth, the son of Madock the son of Ririd blaidd of the Poole, who was Lord of Penllyn, one of the northern divisions of Wales.

"My mother's name was Lowry, the daughter of Edward the son of David, the son of Ellis, the son of Robert, of the Parish of Llanvor, in Merionethshire.

"I was born on the 13th day of the 5th Month, Anno Domini 1651, and when arrived to mature age, I married Eleanor, the daughter of Hugh, the son of Cadwallader, the son of Rees of the Parrish of Spy- ter, in Derbyshire. Her mother's name was Gwen, the daughter of Ellis, the son of William, the son of Hugh, the son of Thomas, the son of David, the son of Madock, the son of Evan the son of Cott, the son of Evan, the son of Griffith, the son of Madock, the son of Enion, the son of Meredith of Cawvadock ; and was born in the same parish and shire with her husband.

" I had, by my said wife, nine children, to wit : four sons and five daughters ;- whose names were as followeth, viz. : Thomas, Hugh, Cadwallader, and Evan ; Gwen, Grace, Jano, Catherine, and Margaret.

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

" We lived at a place called Coodyfoel; a farm belonging to Roger Price, Esq., of Rhewlass in Merionethshire aforesaid. But in pro- cess of time, I had an inclination to remove thence with my family, to the province of Pennsylvania, and in order thereto we set out on the 3d day of the 2d Month (April) Annoque Domini, 1698, and came in two days to Liverpool where, with divers others who intended to go the voyage, we took shipping the 17th of the same month, on board the ' Robert and Elizabeth ;' and the next day set sail for Ireland, where we arrived and stayed, until the 1st of the 3d Month (May), and thence again sailed for Pennsylvania, and were about eleven weeks at sca, and the soro distemper of the bloody flux broke out in the vessel, of which died five and forty persons in our passage. The distemper was so mortal that two or three corpse were cast over every day while it lasted. But through the favor and mercy of Divine Providence, I with my wife and nine children, escaped that sore mor- tality, and arrived safe at Philadelphia, about the 17th of 5th Month (July) ; where we were kindly received and entertained by our Friends and old acquaintance, until I purchased a tract of about seven hun- dred acres of land about sixteen miles from Philadelphia, on a part of which I settled. And divers others of our company who came over sea together, settled near me about the same time; which was the be- ginning of November, 1698, aforesaid; and the township was named Gwynedd or North Wales.

"This account was written the 14th of 11th Month, (January) A.D. 1702, by Edward Foulke."

which he purchased, with fifty acres of land, to which he afterwards added twenty-five. Here he remained, farming, until 1860, when he removed to Spring City (then Spring- ville), to engage in the manufacture of stoves, under the firm-name of Smith, Francis & Wells. He was a director of the Phoenixville National Bank for nearly ten years. In 1866 he again embarked in the stove-foundry business at Royer's Ford, under the firm-name of Francis, Buckwalter & Co. In 1869 he was elected chief burgess, and was in- strumental, in 1872, in procuring the charter for a national bank at Spring City, which soon organized with him as its president, which position he has ever since held. He was the means of having the name of the post-office and bor- ough of Springville changed to Spring City. He has served repeatedly as school director, borough treasurer ; a director in the Royer's Ford Bridge Association, and is a member, with his family, of the Reform Church. He is a good business man, safe and careful in his management, and is highly esteemed in the community as a public- spirited citizen of integrity and honor.

Casper & Francis

FRANCIS, CASPER S .- The Francis family, of Swedish descent, was early found in Montgomery County, where lived Thomas Francis. His son Joseph married Susannah Snyder, whose grandfather was an emigrant from Germany. They had six sons and a daughter, of whom Casper S. was the second son and child. He was born in East Pikeland township, Aug. 31, 1811. He worked on the farm until his eighteenth year, and was engaged at millwright and carpenter work until 1836, when (September 20th) he was married to Martha Finkbiner. In the spring of 1837 he moved to the mill formerly belonging to Frederick Yost,

FRAZER, PERSIFOR, son of John Frazer, who came from Scotland, was born near Newtown Square, Aug. 9, 1736. While yet a child his parents removed to Philadel- phia, and when he grew up he was engaged in various active pursuits, as iron-works and mercantile business. He was one of the signers with the Philadelphia merchants of the pledge against the purchase and use of British goods when the difficulties with the mother-country began.

Oct. 2, 1766, he married Mary, daughter of John and Sarah (Worrall) Taylor, a lady remarkable for her intelli- gence, patriotic spirit, and energy of character. She. was

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

553

descended from the Taylors of Chester, early and distin- guished immigrants, one of whom (Dr. John, her grand- father) was a respectable physician, an iron-master, and large landed proprietor, and his uncle (Jacob) a well-known astronomer and almanac-maker in the days of "Poor Richard."

Soon after his marriage Persifor Frazer removed to the farm inherited by Mrs. Frazer, in Thornbury township, where, in addition to agriculture, he became concerned in iron-works on Chester Creek.

In December, 1774, we find him taking part in the po- litical meetings of Chester County to counteract the op- pressive measures of Great Britain.

In January, 1775, he was a delegate to the Provincial Convention. The proceedings were unanimous, and one of the first resolutions adopted was-in opposition to the policy of the mother-country-" to procure a law prohibiting the future importation of Slaves into this Province."

In the beginning of the year 1776 a fourth battalion, or regiment, of Pennsylvania troops was organized, to be commanded by Anthony Wayne, of Chester County, as colonel, Francis Johnston, of Chester County, as lientenant- colonel, and Nicholas Hausecker, of Lancaster County, as major. The regiment consisted of eight companies, with the following-named captains : Persifor Frazer, Thomas Robinson, of Chester County; John Lacey, of Bucks County ; Caleb North, of Chester County ; Thomas Church, of Lancaster County ; Frederick Vernon, James Moore, James Taylor, of Chester County.

These were severally commissioned by the Continental Congress, Jan. 5, 1776.

Capt. Frazer was in his fortieth year when he entered the military service of his country, affording a fair presumption that he had maturely pondered his duties as a patriot.

The campaign of 1776 was passed by the Fourth Regi- ment at or near the fortress of Ticonderoga, on the Cana- dian frontier, during which (viz., September 24th) Capt. Frazer was appointed major, vice Hausecker, promoted.

In the spring of 1777 the Fourth Regiment-now in the brigade of Gen. Wayne-began its march towards Penn- sylvania, and after some delay as a corps of observation in New Jersey, the brigade arrived at the camp, near Wil- mington, Del., September 4th. On Brandywine battle-day (Sept. 11, 1777) Gen. Wayne, with his command, was stationed near Chads' Ford until the retreat of the American troops from the principal battle-ground, near Birmingham Meeting-house, when the Americans retired to Chester, and the British halted at Dilworthstown until the 16th.

Four days after the battle Majs. Frazer and Harper, while on a reconnoitring party, were captured by the enemy, and taken to the prison in Philadelphia when that city fell into the hands of the British.

Nov. 12, 1777, Maj. Frazer was commissioned lieuten- ant-colonel of the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, to take rank from Oct. 1, 1776, by resolution of Congress, then sitting at York, Pa.

The rigorous treatment of the American prisoners con- fined in the new jail in Philadelphia rendered it necessary, when practicable, that their families or friends should sup- ply them with provisions and clothing to keep them from

perishing. Mrs. Frazer and others were most exemplary in performing those duties. A pass from Lord Stirling is still preserved by the family, in the following words :

"Permit Mrs. Frazier, Mrs. Harper, and Miss Nancy Frazier to pass to Philadelphia and to return. This pass to continue for eight days after General Howo's Army returns into the City of Phila- delphia. "STIRLING M. G."

" December 27, 1777."

After being some time a prisoner in the new jail, Col. Frazer was nominally allowed to go at large in the city on parole; but the terms of the parole were so rudely violated by the British officers that on March 17, 1778 (St. Patrick's day, while the Irish sentinels were drunk), he made his escape and rejoined the army, gallantly performing his duty in the battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778.

In the autumn of 1778, Col. Frazer having requested permission to retire from the service, his resignation was accepted October 9th in that year, on which occasion the following letter was addressed to him by his old commander, Gen. Wayne :

"FREDERICKSBURG, 13th Octo'r, 1778.

" DEAR SIR, -It is with real concern that I part with a gentleman who has more than shared the dangers and fatigues of war with me; but, as you must have maturely considered the matter previous to your resignation, I can only wish you a safe arrival and a happy sight of your expecting friends.

" At the same time I can't help expressing my regret at the loss of an officer who, in every vicissitude of fortune and upon every occa- sion, has proved himself the friend of his country, the gentleman, and the soldier.

"Adieu, my dear sir, and believe me, with every sentiment of es- teem, yours most affectionately,

"LIEUT .- COL. FRAZER."

" ANTY WAYNE.

In April, 1780, Col. Frazer was appointed commissioner of purchases of army clothing for Chester County, and al- though urged by Gen. Wayne to accept the office, he de- clined it. In the years 1781, 1782, and 1784 he was elected to the Legislature, and in May, 1782, he was appointed 'a brigadier-general of the militia of Pennsylvania.

In 1786 and 1790, Gen. Frazer was appointed register and recorder for Chester County, in which offices he de- parted this life, April 24, 1792, and his remains were in- terred in the burial-ground of Middletown Presbyterian Church, Delaware County.

He was the grandfather of Gen. Persifor F. Smith, U.S.A., of Hon. P. Frazer Smith, Esq., of West Chester, and of Prof. John F. Frazer, of the University of Pennsyl- vania, now deceased.

FRED, JOHN, " late of Ireland, produced a certificate for himselfe & family from the Monthly Meeting of Car- low, bearing date the 25th day of the 12th mo., 1712-13, to the satisfaction of this meeting & Nicholas & Rachel, son & Daughter of John Fred, came clear in relation to marriage." This certificate was presented to Concord Monthly Meeting 5, 13, 1713, at which time Benjamin Fred, son of John, also presented one, dated 11, 21, 1712. The latter returned to Ireland on business in 1713, and remained perhaps a year.

John Fred died in March, 1719-20, and his widow in 1723, in Birmingham, where they had settled.

Benjamin married, 4, 20, 1721, Deborah, daughter of Simon Hadly, of New Castle County, and removed to New

554

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Garden township, where he died in 1752, leaving no chil- dren. His sister Rachel married, 4, 20, 1721, James Mil- ler, son of Gayen and Margaret, of Kennet, and after his death married James Miller, son of James and Catharine.

Nicholas Fred married, about 1720, Ann Need, daugh- ter of Joseph Need, of Darby. He lived in Birmingham, and was interested in a mill there. His widow died at the residence of William Hunt, 2, 7, 1770, and was buried at Concord. The children of Nicholas and Ann, so far as known, were Mary, m. William McCall ; John, m. to Susanna Hope; Joseph ; Sarah, m. 10, 25, 1753, to Wil- liam Hunt; Catharine, m. to - Davis.

Joseph Fred was married, 10, 18, 1753, to Sarah, daughter of Joshua Hadly, then of Virginia. He removed to the neighborhood of New Garden, and had the following children : Mary, b. 10, 10, 1754; Ann, b. 11, 18, 1755; Benjamin, b. 11, 13, 1757; Joseph, b. 3, 23, 1759;

born in 1724; be died in 1799, and she in 1757. Their son John married Catharine Grumbacher, from which union was born Jacob Frick. He married Mary Sower, daughter of David, and granddaughter of Christopher Sauer .*

To Jacob and Mary (Sower) Frick were born eight children, of whom three survive. Of these, John Frick was born April 26, 1811, and was the eldest child. He moved with his parents, when two years old, to the farm he now owns, and on which he has ever since resided. Feb. 4, 1836, he married Mira Reinhart, daughter of Daniel Reinhart, to whom were born four children,-one daughter died in infancy; Harriet Emily (deceased), married to Rev. A. J. Rowland, pastor of Tenth Baptist Church, Philadelphia ; Ann Sarah, and Isabella R. Mr. Frick taught school in his younger days; was many years a sur- veyor, and still occasionally does surveying when called upon. Farming has been his general avocation. He is a

John Frick

Joshua, b. 11, 25, 1761 ; Thomas, b. 3, 13, 1763; Nich- olas, b. 8, 9, 1765.

FRICK, JOHN .- The Frick family is of Swiss origin, being among the early German emigrants of the Baptist persuasion who settled along the Schuylkill in Chester and Montgomery Counties. Jacob Frick, September, 1733, came over on the " Pennsylvania," merchantman, of Lon- don, John Stedman, master, from Rotterdam. He, with his brother John, settled one mile east of Pottstown, and later removed to Chester Valley, two miles from Valley Forge, where they lived during the Revolutionary war, near the scene of the Paoli massacre, and on their farm the Brit- ish and Hessians encamped after the battle of Brandywine. Jacob Frick, born 1717, married Elizabeth Urner, who was

member of the German Baptist or Brethren Church. He has frequently served as a school director, and ever taken a deep interest in the progress of the free schools. He is a worthy citizen, and a lineal descendant of a noted ancestry.

# Christopher Sauer was born in 1693, and came to America in the fall of 1724, from Baasphe, in Witgenstein, Germany, and proceeded to Germantown, now part of Philadelphia. He was a man of great note in the printing and publishing business. He published, in 1743, a magnificent quarto edition of the Bible in the German language, and no copy of the Bible in English was printed in America until many years afterwards. He was a great scholar, and the pioneer of his day in the publication of books, almanacs, hymn-books, Bibles, etc. His son, David Sower, born in 1764, was a well-educated man, who was many years in the printing businoss, and published (among other papers) the Norristown Gazette, the issue of which of Dec. 20, 1799, contained an elaborate account of Washington's death.

ELI FREDD.

John Fred, or Fredd, and family came from Ireland and settled in Birmingham town- ship. His son Nicholas was the father of Joseph Fredd, whose son Benjamin was born in 1757, and died April 11, 1838. Sarah, wife of Ben- jamin, died March 2, 1843, aged about ninety-three years. Their children were Susanna, born March 24, 1791, and died Oct. 31, 1832; John, born Nov. 27, 1792, and died May 27, 1872; Isaac, born Nov. 16, 1794; Amos, born Feb. 14, 1797, and died Feb- ruary, 1862 ; Elizabeth, born Sept. 6, 1799, and died May 29, 1844; Eli; Rachel, born July 31, 1804 ; Sarah, born May 6, 1808, married to William P. Robinson, and died Feb. 1, 1877; and George, born Feb. 7, 1811,

K-B

ELI FREDD.

and the only surviving child. Of these, Eli was born Dec. 7, 1801, and married Sarab, daughter of Vincent and Mary F. Wiley, born July 30, 1820. Their children were Benjamin Eli and Sallie (twins), born Feb. 10, 1855. The latter died Sept. 29, 1866; the former married Martha Y., daughter of Joshua and Martha Broomell, of East Fal- lowfield township, and has one child, George Benjamin, born Oct. 3, 1879. Benja- min E. has about two hundred acres of finely located land and two sets of buildings.

Eli Fredd died March 30, 1870, and his wife survives him. He was born in West Marlborough, and was a good farmer, an upright citizen, well esteemed in the commu- nity, and left a fine estate of real and personal property.

V.OBRASELMANA

RESIDENCE OF BENJAMIN E. FREDD, EAST FALLOWFIELD.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

555

FULTON, JAMES, JR., was born in East Fallowfield, Chester Co., 4th mo. 8th, 1813. His parents, James and Ann Fulton (of Sadsbury and Kennet respectively), were the first to make their home in what subsequently became the village of Ercildoun, which name it received chiefly through the instrumentality of the son.

Even in youth the son was distinguished by an inborn sense of right, which, combined with a kind and loving disposition, restrained him from indulging in the rough games and wild pranks peculiar to boyhood. His opportu- nities for obtaining a scholastic education were very meagre, yet he became a remarkably well-educated man. His love of truth and justice were great, and in efforts to vindicate the right he was untiring. He became the peacemaker of his neighborhood.

While in his minority he identified himself with the friends of total abstinence from intoxicants, and also from tobacco, and thenceforward upheld these testimonies both by pre- cept and example. At the age of fifteen he became a zeal- ous Whig, and took an active part in the campaign of 1828. He was never satisfied to assist any one to a position of trust in the meeting, the county, the State, or the nation who had not given evidence in the past, or a pledge for the future, of a determination to serve the highest interests of mankind.

There was no form of wrong-doing, however shielded by place or power, that did not receive from him indignant protest. The slave fleeing from Southern bondage found in him a ready helper, as the records of the Underground Railway abundantly testify.

He was the leader in organizing the East Fallowfield Anti-Slavery Society. The first meetings were held in Taylor's school-house, near Newlin's mills, in the summer of 1835. The society dates from 8th mo. 29th of that year. It numbered thirty-four members, and held its meetings quarterly.

In the winter of 1835 he wrote a series of articles for the West Chester Register in opposition to the coloniza- tion scheme, feeling that it was not an adequate or even an auxiliary remedy for the evils of slavery.

In the winter of 1836-37 he was engaged in lecturing and securing subscriptions to the anti-slavery publications in southern Chester, Lancaster, and York Counties. In most cases he was granted respectful hearing.

On the 18th of 12th mo., 1837, he addressed a letter to Henry Clay, suggested by the inquiry, made by the latter in the Senate of Northern members, whether the continued excitement and multitude of petitions did not grow out of the manner in which Congress had treated the petitioners. In this he wrote that "by far the greater body of them have acted from a deep, abiding, thoroughly-fixed and immovably-grounded religious conviction of the sinfulness of slavery, of the constitutional power of Congress over it in the District of Columbia, the Territory of Florida, and over the inter-State slave-trade, and no power on earth can check them in the discharge of their duty in this matter, nor will the petitioning cease, nor will the ' excite- ment' abate until the cause is removed."

He continued to lecture and write against slavery and intemperance through the succeeding years of his life.

During the winter of 1839 he held many meetings in Lan- caster and York Counties. At Soudersburg, notwithstand- ing the sheriff threw around him the protection of the law, it was not sufficient to enable him to proceed ; the meeting was broken up in great confusion, the mob threatening violence to himself and his friends. One who was present writes : " Never in all our knowledge of James Fulton, Jr., did his loving amiability shine out more conspicuously than in his behavior before these vulgar mobs."

He was subjected to many indignities while pleading the cause of the oppressed, even near his own home. He was insulted, maltreated, pelted with eggs, and on one occasion he and George H. Earle, of Philadelphia, were driven from an adjacent village by the mob with clubs and stones.

Although prior to 1844 he had been opposed to the formation of an anti-slavery political party, after that date he labored in its interests.

In the winter of 1844 an anti-slavery meeting, held in the Friends' meeting-house at Ercildoun, was broken up by a mob. Its further use for such meetings was refused. Being also denied access to the school-houses, the friends of freedom, although poor in means, conceived the plan of putting up a free hall. This was warmly seconded by the liberal-minded of various opinions, and resulted in the erection of the " People's Hall," whose use and benefits were untrammeled with conditions of sect, party, clan, or clime.

The rioters were arrested and tried (February term, 1845), and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and put the costs upon the prosecution, notwithstanding Judge Bell's charge to the contrary.

James Fulton was indifferent to no duty of philanthropy, negligent of no obligation arising out of ordinary relations of life, and was as diligent in labor as he was fervent in spirit. Though born and educated in a secluded condition, and courting and enjoying retirement, his thoughts and aspirations bounded to the remotest verge of his country. Bred to the occupation of the farmer, he ever turned the furrow of thought as his plowshare was turning the furrow of the field. His life was one unbroken toil of both body and mind. He was one of the most active and efficient of those who have made Chester County famous for its re- form spirit throughout the nation. He died Aug. 24, 1850.

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History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 149

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162