History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 112

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150

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In the record of Chichester Meeting we find that a

Richd Mosely."

Francia Ronth. Benja Reynolda.

" Harry Reynolda.

451

UPPER CHICHESTER TOWNSHIP.

. subscription was taken among Friends at the Quar- terly Meeting held in Fourth month, 1687, to "en- able a poor man to build a house." This practical charity was so noticeably the rule in the society that William Moraley, in 1752, records :

" The Quakers have a Custom of raising Money at their several Mest- ings, as I observ'd before, with which they do many Charitable Offices to the Poor and Indigent. I have myself experienced the Effects of thelr Benevolence. If any Person, though a Stranger continues to do well, by preserving a good Character, and they have a good Opinion of them, they will enquire into his Circumstances, and if it appears he is Distressed in his Business for Want of Stock, or necessary Implements to carry on his Trade, they will set him up out of this Money, without demanding any Security either by Bond or Promissory Note; and if he repays them, will relieve other Persons in the like Circumstances. If be never repays them, they will never give him any Trouble."

The want of a proper meeting-house for the society soon made itself felt, and hence we learn that an effort was being made to erect a building for that pur- pose. The minutes state :

" At a monthly meeting held at Chichester the 11th of Eleventh month, 1688, it was proposed and agreed to build a meeting-house upon a parcel of land granted by James Brown, as by deed may further appear, and some time afterward it was agreed by Friends to fence in a burial-ground upon the said land joining to the meeting-house. The subscriptions thereunto are as follows, viz. :

£ 8. d.

" James Brown

3 2 0

John Kingsman,

2 5 0

John Harding

3 6

Thomas Withers.

0 16 6

Edward Bezer ..

Joseph Bushell

I 8

Jacob Chandler

2 10

Philip Roman.

I 15

Francis Harrison

I 12 0

William Hughes

Susanna Beezer ..

0 6

Nathaniel Lamplugh

William Brown.

0 16 0

John Ayres.

1 0

Francia Chadsey

1 10 0

Robert Pyla.

8 0

John Beales ..

0 10 0

William Clowd, Sr.

Elizabeth Lockley

0 10

Edward Carter ..

Widow Johnson ..

Edward Walter

0 6 0

Nicholas Pyla.

0 10 0

Roger Smith

0 5 0

William Clayton, Jr ..

Total.

36 4 0"

The deed from John Brown, dated fourth day of Tenth month, 1688, in consideration of one shilling and sixpence, conveyed the two acres heretofore men- tioned to William Clayton, Sr., Philip Roman, Robert Pyle, Jacob Chandler, Joseph Bushell, and John Kingsman, in behalf of and for " the only use of the people of God called Quakers. ... Provided always and at all times, that if any one or more of the above said purchasers, or any one or more than shall be law- fully chosen to succeed hereafter, shall fall from the belief of the Truth as held forth by the people of God called Quakers, as aforesaid, either in a profane and scandalons life, or in doctrines, and continue therein, it shall and may be lawful in such case, for the afore- said people of the town and county aforesaid, by their

order and consent in their monthly meeting, always and at all times to remove and put out any such one or more of the said purchasers, or any other that shall succeed. And always and at all times hereafter to nominate and chose and put in one or more in his or their room, as they shall see fit."

It is presumed that the meeting-house was erected shortly after these proceedings were had, but the exact date is not recorded. In the ground surrounding the building many generations of Friends belonging to Chichester Meeting have been buried, but the testi- mony of the society in early times being opposed to the erection of tombstones, the resting-place of many of the first settlers in that quiet graveyard cannot now be designated with any degree of certainty. On Dec. 4, 1768, the old meeting-house was totally destroyed by an accidental fire. The following year the present meeting-house was erected, and tradition records that the greater part of the fund raised for that purpose was contributed by Richard Dutton, and Friends, in recognition of his generous aid, caused a stone bear- ing, in rude figures, the date "1769" and the initials "R. D.," the latter divided by a small star, to be built into the gable of the house.

While Cornwallis' command lay at Aston, from the 13th to the night of the 15th of September, 1777, British foraging-parties went ont from Village Green in all directions, and one of these marauding expedi- tions halted at the meeting-house, and in mere wan- tonness shot repeatedly at the closed doors, the marks of the bullet-holes being readily seeu in the front door to this day. Nehemiah Broomall, for many years sex- ton of the meeting-house, used to relate how the Brit- ish army, on its way from the Brandywine to Philadel- phia, encamped near the old meeting-house, and on that occasion the soldiers were permitted to discharge their muskets at the doors as a pastime. The British army never moved in that direction ; the closest the division under Cornwallis approached Chichester meeting-house was about two and a half miles away, as that commander marched down the Concord road towards Chester. In the last half-century the attend- ance on religions worship in the venerable meeting- house has been growing less and less ; still, it is said Jonathan Larkin often would be the only person who would attend regularly Fifth-day meeting, and the hour allotted to worship would be passed by the one person present in silent communion with his God.

Upper Chichester Meeting .- In the fall of 1829, after the division in the society, those Friends be- longing to Chichester Meeting who adhered to the teachings of Elias Hicks retained ownership of the old meeting-honse, while those known as Orthodox, in connection with Friends of Concord, determined to erect a new place of worship in Upper Chichester, near the residence of Salkeld Larkin. A lot was do- nated for that purpose on the Marcus Hook and Con- cord road, and Joseph Talbot, Thomas Griffith, Isaac Morgan, George Martin, Nathan Larkin, Salkeld

William Clayton, Sr.

000

452

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Larkin, Joseph Pennell, Isaac Hughes, and Hester Hughes were organized in accordance with the rules of the society to act as a preparative meeting. On the lot given for the purpose a stone meeting-house, thirty- two by forty feet, was erected in 1831. In the same year a school was organized, and for two years John Reeves taught the pupils in the meeting-house. In 1834 a stone school-house twenty-five by thirty feet was built, and was under charge of the Monthly Meet- ing. Joseph Bennett and his daughter, Louisa Ben- nett, were teachers, as were also John Cardwell and Thomas Speakman. After the public-school law was adopted, and until the directors erected a school- house, the building just mentioned was rented and used for school purposes. During the lifetime of Salkeld Larkin he was the head of the meeting, and at his death, April, 1870, aged ninety years, Nathan Pennell succeeded, to be followed in turn by Caleb Eyre. In 1883, Upper Chichester Meeting was "laid down," and Friends in that section united with Con- cord Meeting.

Schools .- In 1793 the society of Friends estab- lished a school in Upper Chichester, which was main- tained and continued under the auspices of that re- ligious organization until the public-school system was accepted and introduced in the township, when its further continuance was unnecessary. Besides the school under the supervision of Friends, previous_to 1825, was a subscription school kept in a brick house erected for that purpose on the site of the present No. 1 public-school building, a short distance north of Chichester Cross-road, McCaysville, and Chiches- ter, for the cluster of buildings-wheelwright- and blacksmith-shops, and a few dwelling-houses-at the intersection of the Chichester and Concord road have been known by all three of these names. On Dec. 31, 1819, a meeting of the citizens of Delaware County was held in this school-house to form a society for the suppression of vice and immorality. Thomas Ryer- son was appointed chairman, and John Kerlin secre- tary. George Martin, Jr., Dr. R. M. Huston, Thomas Ryerson, Joseph Walker, Jr., Thomas Dutton, and James Brattock were appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws, which they were instructed to report at a meeting to be called at a future time to be deter- mined. As they seem never to have reported, and as the names are all those of Upper and Lower Chiches- ter residents, the other sections of Delaware County appear to have taken no interest in the movement. Hence the projectors of the society failed to effect an organization. After the adoption of the school law of 1836 the building was placed in charge of the school directors, and was continued to be used until 1867, when the old structure was taken down, and the present two-story brick building erected. The lower story was built by the school directors, at a cost of two thousand five hundred dollars, and the second story was erected and completed at a like cost by the voluntary contributions of the citizens of the town-

ship, who were desirous of providing a room for Sun- . day-schools, and where public meetings could be held. After the question of continuing the public schools in the township had been decided in the affirmative by a popular vote, in 1837, on January 4th of the follow- ing year John Talbot was appointed teacher at the brick school-house, near Chichester Cross-roads, but he seemed totally unable to control the pupils, and on February 15th the school was discontinued until the directors could obtain the services of a more effi- cient teacher. After a few weeks Joseph Henderson was employed for the remainder of the term, and the school was opened. The children attended, but no complaint appears of record of the new pedagogue's inability to command obedience from the scholars.

The Dutton school-house, at the intersection of the Upper Chichester road with the highway leading from Aston to Marcus Hook, was built many years before the free public-school system was established in the commonwealth, and because of the material employed in the construction of its walls and the abundant use of lime, was also known as the stone or white school- house. The lot and house being located on lands formerly of Richard Dutton, it is very probable that this was the site of the early Friends' school, and that Dutton, who did not die until 1795, had, two or three years before that date, given the lot and contributed to the erection of the building for educational pur- poses. Let that be as it may, after public schools were established in Upper Chichester the Dutton building passed into the control of the directors, and continued to be used for such purposes, an addition, in 1838, having been made to the house. On May 22, 1837, Elizabeth Harvey began teaching at this school, but on December 18th of the same year Jolin Lloyd was the master there. In 1870 the directors purchased additional laud adjoining the school lot from William H. Dutton, the ancient stone house was removed, and the present school-building erected, at a cost of nineteen hundred dollars, the contractors being Mifflin Wright and Benjamin F. Green.

The two schools mentioned had become so crowded that on Dec. 9, 1842, an additional school was opened in a house of Salkeld Larkin, on the Chichester and Concord road, of which Larkin Peonell was the first teacher. This was known as No. 3 school, and con- tinued to be kept in Larkin's house until 1859. On the 26th of May of that year an acre of land was purchased from Enos Thatcher, near Salkeld Larkin's, and a stone house, twenty-four and a half by twenty- nine feet, was erected. This was known as Larkin's school-house. In 1874 the directors discontinued in- struction in this building. The following year school was resumed there, to be discontinued in June, 1876, since which time it has not been used for educational purposes.

After the passage of the act of 1834, under its pro- visions the court appointed Joseph Henderson and William Booth inspectors of the public schools for

453

UPPER CHICHESTER TOWNSHIP.

Upper Chichester. The township, however, did not adopt the law, but under that of 1836 organized public schools. The following is a list of those persons who have discharged the duties of school directors therein :

1837, George Martin, Salkeld Larkin, Abraham Johneon, Jeremiah C. Brown, John B. McCay, William H. Grubb ; 1838, George Martin, William Smith, Jonathan Dutton ; 1839, William Booth, Robert R. Dutton, Andraw Hance, Robert B. Craig ; 1840, Joseph Henderson, Joseph Pennell; 1842, Jonathan Dutton, Andrew Home ; 1843, John Stevenson, George Harvey; 1844, John M. Broomall, Jonathan C. Larkin ; 1845, Jonathan Dutton, George Broomall ; 1846, Harry B. Grubb, Stephen Madgin; 1847, John B. McCay, Jonathan C. Larkin ; 1848, George Broomall, William Grubb; 1849, Robert Mcclintock, Josephi Casey; 1850, Andrew Hance, Jonathan C. Larkin; 1851, Robert M. Brown, Larkin R. Broomall ; 1852, Samuel Wells, Wil- liam H. Grubb; 1853, William Cloud, William H. Grubb; 1854, Wil- liam H. Grubb, Larkin R. Broomall : 1855, Calab E. Thomas, David Boyd ; 1856, Harry B. Grubb, Jeremiah C. Brown ; 1857, William H. Grubb, David Boyd; 1858, John E. Warna, Thomas Roberts; 1859, George Broomall, Jeremiah C. Brown ; 1860, George Broomall, David Boyd; 1861, Jamas Larkin, David N. Larkin ; 1862, Abram Ward, Robert M. Brown ; 1863, Clark W. Hance, James Craig; 1864, James Larkin, Thomas B. Jones ; 1865, Davis O. Barlow, Joseph R. Johnson ; 1866, Clark H. Hance, Lloyd Norris; 1867, James Lar- kin, Nathan Pennell ; 1868, David H. Dalton, Andrew Osborne; 1869, Melchior Ebright, John Todd; 1870, Nathan Pennell, Alvanza W. Jester; 1871, Thomas Harvey, C. W. Hance; 1872, Thomse Harvey, William McCay ; 1873, Joseph Newlin, John B. McCay ; 1874, Samuel Vernon, Mic. D. H. Dutton ; 1875, Clark W. Hance, Pennell Eyre; 1876, James McClintock, Joseph Nawlin ; 1877, Charles W. Todd, William G. McCafferty ; 1878, David Dutton, Johu B. McCay; 1879, Joseph Nawlin, E. B. Jester; 1880, Andrew Os- borne, William G. McCafferty ; 1881, David H. Dutton, John B. Mc- Cay ; 1882, E. B. Jestar, Lewis Fraim; 1883, Lewis Fraim, Andrew Osborne ; 1884, John B. McCay, Sr., William O'Donnell.

James Annesley, Earl of Anglesey .- Of all notable cases which have been presented to judicial tribunals for adjudication it is doubtful whether any can be found in the records of civilized nations which presents more romantic incidents than those set forth in the trial of fact between James Annesley "'s. the Earl of Anglesey, in the Irish Exchequer Court, in 1743. The circumstances of this cause have not been overlooked by the novelist, and on them Smollett founded "Roderick Random," Sir Walter Scott "Guy Mannering," and, in more recent times, Charles Reade "The Wandering Heir." The case is reported in Howell's "State Trials," Burk's " Celebrated Trials connected with the Aristocracy," and in other authoritative works. It has been alleged that the incidents in the case, so far as this territory is concerned, are disproved, because the records of Chester County are silent as to James Annesley's im- prisonment in the jail at Chester or the trial of the fugitives with whom he was captured. 'The objection, however, is untenable. The crime was one punish- able with death, and the county courts were prohib- ited from trying such issues, hence no mention of the case would appear on the records of our county, such entry being made only on the docket of the Supreme Provincial Court, and the minutes of that tribunal have not been preserved (so far as known), excepting in a book, covering about ten years prior to 1728, of trials held in Chester County by the supreme judges. The volume is in the office of the prothonotary of ;

Delaware County, at Media. Annesley, for a period of his term of service as a redemptioner, was a resi- dent of Chichester, hence we present a brief account of his extraordinary adventures as found in a recent publication : 1

" Arthur Annealey, Viscount Valencia, who founded the families both of Anglesea and Altham, was one of the stanchest adharents of Charles II., and had n considerable hand in bringing about his restoration to the throne. Immediately after that event his efforts were rewarded by an English peerage, hie title being Baron Annesley, of Newport-Pagoel, in the County of Buckingham, and Earl of Anglesea. Beaides this honour he obtained the more substantial gift of large tracte of land in Ireland. The first peer had five sons. James Annesley, the eldest son, having married the daughter of the Earl of Rutland, sud having been consti- tuted heir of all his father'a English real property and a great part of his Irish eatates, the old earl became desirous of establishing a second noble family in the sister kingdom, and succeeded in procuring the ele- vation of his second son, Altham, to the Irish paaraga as Baron Altham of Altham, with remainder, on failure of male issue, to Richard, his third eon.

" Altham, Lord Altham, died without issue, and the title and estates accordingly davolved upon Richard, who, dying in 1701, left two sons, named respectively Arthur and Richard. The new peer, in 1706, espoused Mary Sheffield, A natural daughter of the Duke of Bucking- han, against the wishes of his relatives. He lived with his wife in Eng- land for two or three years, but was at laat obliged to flee to Ireland from his creditors, leaving Lady Altham behind lum in the care of his mother and sisters. These ladies, who evidently hated her, set about ruining her reputation, and soon induced her weak and dissipated hus- band to sue for a divorce, but, as proof was not forthcoming, tha case was dismiasad. Thereupon his lordahip showed a disposition to become reconciled to his wife, and she accordingly went over to Dublin in Octo- ber, 1713, and through the good offices of a friend a reconciliation wee effected, and the reunited couple, after & temporary residence in Dublin, went to live at Lord Altham'a country-seat of Dunmain, in the County of Wexford. Here, in April or May, 1715, Lady Altham bore & son, which was given to a peasant woman, named Joan Landy, to nurse. At first the young heir was suckled by this woman ut the mansion, and afterwards at the cabin of her father, less than a mile from Dunmain. In order to make this residence a little more suitable for the child it was considerably improved externally and internally, and & coach-road was constructed between it and Dunmain House, ao that Lady Altham might be nbla frequently to visit her son.

" Soon after the birth of the child Lord Altham's dissipation and his debts increased, and he proposed to the Duke of Buckingham that be should aettla a jointure un Lady Altham, and for this purpose the pair visited Dublin. The effort was unsuccessful, as the estate was found to be covered by prior securities; and Lord Altham, in H fury, ordered his wife back to Duumain, while he remained behind in the Irish capital. On his return his spite against her seemed to have revived, and not only did he insult her in his drunken debauches, Imt contrived an abominable plot to damage har raputation. Some time iu February, 1717, a lontich fellow named Palliser, who was intimate at the house, was called up to Lady Altham'e apartment, on the pretence that che wished to speak with him. Lord Altham and his servants immediately followed ; my lord stormed and swore, and dragged the supposed seducer into the dining-room, when he cut off part of one of his ears, and immediately afterwards kicked him out of the house. A separation ensued, and on the same day Lady Altham went to live at New Ross.

" Before leaving her own home she had begged liard to be allowed to take her child with her, but was steruly rafused, and at the same time the servants were instructad not to carry him near her. The boy there- fore remained at Dunmain under the care of a dry- nurse, but, notwith- etanding his father's injunctiona, was frequently taken to his mother by some of the domestics, who pitied hie forloro condition. When he came to an age to go to school, he was aant to several well-known seminaries, and was attended by a servant both on his way to them and from them; ' wne clothed in scarlet, with a laced hat and feather,' and was universally recognized as the legitimate con and heir of Lord Altham.

"Towards the end of 1722, Lord Altham-who hnd by this time picked up a miatress named Miss Gregory-removed to Dublin, and sent for

1 Celebrated Claimants. London, 1873.

454

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

hie soo to join him. He seemed very fond of the boy, and the woman Gregory for a time pretended to share in this affection, until she con- ceived the idea of supplanting him. She easily persnaded her weak- minded lover to go through the form of marriage with her, under the pretence that his wife was dead, took the title of Lady Altham, and fancied that come of her own possible brood might succeed to the title, for the estates were by this time wellnigh gone. With this purpose in her mind she need her influence against the boy, and at last got him turned out of the house and sent to a poor school ; but it is, at least, so far creditable to his father to say, that he did not quite forget him, that he gave instructions that he should be well treated, and that he some- times went to see him.

"Lord Altham's creditors, as has heen stated, were very clamorous, and his brother Richard was practically a beggar : they were both sadly iu want of money, and only one way remained to procure it. If the boy were out of the way considerable eume might be raised by hie lordship by the sale of reversions, in conjunction with the remainder-oian in tail, who would in that case have been Lord Altham's needy brother Richard. Consequently the real heir was removed to the lionse of one Kavanagh, where he was kept for several months closely confined, and in the mean time it was industriously given out that he was dead. The boy, however, found means to escape from his confinement, and, prowl- ing up and down the streets, made the acquaintance of the idle hoys of Dublin. Any odd work which came in this way he readily performed, and although he was a butt for the gamins and au object of pity to the townspeople, few thought of denying his identity or disputing his legiti- macy. Far from being unknown, he became a conspicuous character in Dublin ; and although from his roaming proclivities it was impossi- ble to do much to help him, the citizens in the neighborhood of the col- lege were kindly disposed towards him, supplied him with food and A little money, and vented their abuse in unmeasured terms against his father.

"In 1727, Lord Altham died in such poverty that it is recorded that he was buried at the public expense. After his death his brother Richard seized all his papers, and usurped the title. The real heir then seems to have been stirred out of his slavish life, and declaimed loudly against this usurpation of his rights, but his complaints were nnavail- ing, and, although they provoked a certain clamor, did little to restore him to his houore. However, they reached his uncle, who resolved to put him out of the way. The first attempt to seize him proved a failure, although personally superintended by the nucle himself; Imt yonng Annesley was so frightened by it that he concealed himself from public observation, and thus gave grounds for a rumor, which was industriously circulated, that he was dead. Notwithstanding his caution, however, he WAS seized in March, 1727, and conveyed on board a ship bound for New- castle, in America, and ou his arrival there was sold as a slave to a planter named Drummond.

"The story of his American adventures was originally published in the Gentleman's Magazine, and has since been rehearsed by modern writers. It seems that Drummond, who was a tyrannical fellow, set his Dew slave to fell timber, and, finding his strength unequal to the work, punished him severely. The unacenstomed toil and the brutality of his master told upon his health, and he began to sink under his misfortunes, when he found a comforter io an old female slave, who had herself been kidnapped, and who, being a person of some education, not only endeav- ored to console him, but also to instruct him. She sometimes wrote short pieces of instructive history on bite of paper, and these she left with him in the field. In order to read them he often neglected his work, and, as a consequence, incurred Drummond's increased displeas- nre and aggravated his own position. llis old friend died after four years, and after her death he resolved to run away. He was then sev- enteen years of age and strong and nimble, and, having armed himself with a hedging-bill, he set ont. For three days he wandered in the woods until he came to a river, and espied a town on' ite banke. Al- though faint from want of food, he was afraid to venture into it until nightfall, and lay down under a tree to await the course of events. At dusk he perceived two horsemen approaching, the one having a woman behind him on a pillion, while the other bore a well-filled portmanteau. Just as they reached his hiding-place, the former, who was evidently the second man's master, said to the lady that the place where they were Was an excellent one for taking some refreshment ; and bread and meat and wine having been produced from the saddle-bags, the three sat down on the ground to enjoy their repast. Annesley, who was famished, ap- proached closer and closer, until he was discovered by the servant, who, oxclaiming to his master that they were hetrayed, rushed at the new- comer with his drawn eword. Annesley, however, succeeded in con- viucing them of his innocence, and they not only supplied him with

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 112

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150