History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 125

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania > Part 125

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

- THOMAS GESTE.

I. RICHARD GESTE of Handsworth, son and heir of JOHN GESTE, d. 1541.

I LAURENCE GESTE of Row Heath.

III. JOHN GESTE of Ilandsworth, son and heir of Richard, d. 1601.

WILLIAM, to whom THOMAS BLOUNT and GEO. TOKEY, Esqrs., by their deed dated 5th June, 1557, granted Owley Grange and the Gar- rison, in Halesowen, Co. Wooster, for 1000 years, which, hy deed dated 30th Jan., 1700, were assigned hy NICHOLAS GEAST, in this pedigree after-named, as personal representative of tbo said WIL- LIAM, to une Josh Row, which deed is now extant. Buried at Halesowen, 20th Sept., 1589,

EDMUND GESTE, b. 1513, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, 1537-38; appointed to defend the Protestant Faith at Westminster, 31st March, 1558 ; Archdeacon of Canterbury, 1559; Bishop of Rocbee- ter, 1559-60; Bishop Almoner of Salisbury, 1571; d. 1576-77; huried in Salisbury Cathedral, near Bishops Wivill and Jewell, to the Dean and Chapter of which Cathedral he bequeathed hie valuable library.

IV. RICHARD GESTE, 800 and heir of JOHN of Handsworth, d. 1652.

ELIZABETH, daughter of ROOER COOPER PIDDOCKE of Wyndeon Green, Co. Warwick; m. Feb. 4, 1595-96.

HENRY GESTE, or GEST, youngest son of JOHN of Hands- worth ; will proved 1629.

DOROTHEA, daughter of CATHARINE SMALL- woon of Quey Slade.

ISABELLA, h. Fel. 1571; d. May 20, 1574.

buried at Hands- worth, 17th Oct., 1573.

JOHN, d. Nav. 1600.

- V. WILLIAM, b. 1610; d. 1662-63.

- THOMAS, h. 1616.

I HENRY, b. 1622.

1 ELIZADETU.

AONES.

V. JOHN, son and heir __ JOAN, daughter of RIOHARD, hap. of JOHN COURT of Studley, Co. Warwick, 1627, d. 1660. 8th Jan., 1601; lived at Hope- wood; buried at Kingsnorton, 1649; died seized of lands at Handsworth.

THOMAS ASHFORD, May, 1616.

ELIZABETH m. ABRM. ERRINGTON, May, 1625.

Oct., MARTHA, b. June, 1604. JANE, b. 1606.

1 I. RICHARD GEAST, son and heir of JOBN, d. 1692,

MARY, daughter of WILLIAM SPENSER, Sr., of Handsworth, gent., m. 1663.

V1. DOROTHEY, b. 1654; d. 1654- 55.

- WILLIAM, h. 1655- 56; d. 1659.

1 HENRY, h. 1658, - MARY. This conple, June 11, 1686, with young 9011 HENRY, arrived at Ches- ter, Pa., in ship " Dela- ware."

JOHN.

WILLIAM.

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

JUDITH,

MARIA m.

JOSEPH GEST.

REBEKAH GEST.

VII. NICHOLAS GEABT, SON and heir of RICHARD, per- sonal representative of the above - named WM., buried at Handeworth, 13th March, 1720-21.

PHOEBE (supposed) DawNING, relative of Sir GEORGE DOWNING of East Hatley, Co. Cambridge, Knight Templar Charles II.

MARY HUMPHREY WYRLEY of Hands. worth, Esq., 21st Sept., 1710, at Hands- worth, ob. sp.

VIII, RICHARD GEAST, 800 and heir of NICHOLAS of Handsworth, gent., d. 23d Sept., 1736, and there buried 26th Sept.

JANE, 2d, daughter of WM. DUGDALE of Blyth Hall, Esq., b. 21st Nov., bap. at Shustoke 20th Dec., 1688; m. there 19th April, 1722; d. April, 1772; buried at Handsworth.

HENRY, M. A., of = MARY, dangh'r Christ Ch., of LUKYN of Canter- bury. Oxford, Rec- tor of Seaton, Co. Rutland; d., no issue, 1749-50.

PHOEBE m. JOHN LOWE of Charle- mont.

IX. DUGDALE GEAST, bap. at Hands-

worth 23d Dec., 1722; buried there 21st Oct., 1733.

1 RICHARD GEAST, Esq., Barrister at Law, devisee iu posses- sion of his mater- nel uncle, JOHN DUGDALE, Esq .; took the name And arms of Dug- dale, 1799; d. At Blyth Hall 12th March, 1806, in his 82d year.

PENELOPE, daughter and co-heir of FRANCIS STRAT- FORD of Mervale, Co. Warwick, Eeq .; m. 24th June, 1767 ; bur- ied at Sbustoke 25th March, 1819, aged 86 years.

HENRY GEABT ANN, daugh- ter of JOHN and grand- daughter of THOMAS WALFORD

of Binton,

Co. Warwick.

X. RICHARD FRANC18 bap. 9th

DUGHALE STRATFORD - Hon. CHARLOTTE COR- DUGDALE, Esq., uf ZON, daugliter of ÅBSHTON, VI8- Blyth Hall and Mervale, M. P. for Co. Warwick; m. 1799.

PENELOPE m. CBAB. 1. PACKE of Prestwold, Co. Leices- ter.

LAURA ANN DI. WILLIAM DILKE of Maxstoke

August, 1769; d. March, . 1774.

COUNT *CURZON, by DOROTHY, Bis- to RICHARD, Ist Earl Grosvenor; m. 1799,

Castle. Co. Warwick.

Arms .- Quarterly, 1st and 4tb, Arg, cross mo- line qu-in the 1st querter a tortean : 2d and 3d, Arg,, barry of ten arg. und az., over all a lion rampaat qu. Crest. -- A griffin, head and wings endorsed Or. Motto .- l'estis patria pi- grities. Seat -Mervale Hall, near War- Atherstone, wickshire.

XI. WILLIAM STRATFORD DUO- DALE, Esq., of Mervale Hall (only son) ; J.P. and D.L, M. P. for North Warwickshire, 1832-47; b. lat April, 1800; d. 15th Sept., 1871.

HARRIET ELLA, daughter of EDWARD BERKLEY PORTMAN, Esq., of Bryanstone, Dorset, and sister of VISCOUNT PORTMAN; m. March 1,1827.

- XII. WILLIAM STRATFORD DUG- DALE of Mervale Hall, Co. Warwick ; J.P. and D L., M.A. Barrister at Law, High Sheriff, 1878; b. 7th May, 1828.

ALICE FRANCES, youngest daughter of Sir CHAR- LE8 EDWARD TREVE- LYAN, Bart., K C.B .; m. 14th Dec., 1871.

XIII. WILLIAM FRANCIS STRATFORD, b. 20th Oct. 1872.

EDGAR TREVELYAN STRATFORD, b. 22d July, 1876.

VII. HENRY GEST, the son, in 1718, - MARY, daughter of JAMES and SARAH CLEMSON, and took up their permanent residence on 300 acres of land in S. W. corner of Concord township, Chester Co., PH., deeded in fee-tail by MARY's father to HENRY GEST. There HENRY died March 14, 1739. MARY.

VIII. JOHN.

WILLIAM.

1 JAMES. . HENRY.

DAVID.

BENJAMIN.

HANNAII.

JOSEPH GEST, the 6th son, b. about 1722; soon after his father's death settled in Sadsbury township, Lancaster Co., and there lived upou the same tract of laud until his death, April 23, 1815.

DEBORAH, daughter of JOSEPHI RIId ELIZABETH (née MILLER) DICKINSON of Salisbury town- sbip, Lancaster Co., at Friends' Meeting, Sadabury, July 31, 1765. She was born Dec. 3, 1746-47 ; d. 7th Nov., 1825.

IX. ELIZABETH.

MARY. HANNAH, ANN, DANIEL.

MARGARET. HENRY. DEBORAH.

BENJAMIN.

JOSEPH GEST I. REDEKAH MOORE at Sadsbury Friends' Meeting, April 14, 1813. JOSEPHI, b. 4th March, 1776; d. Feb. 23, 1863. RE- BEKAH, h. Aug. 15, 1791; d. Feb. 24, 1869. They removed to Cincinnati in 1818, and there buried in Spring Grove Cemetery,

JOHN GEST I. ANN BARNARD at London Grovo Friends' Meeting, Dec. 16, 1819. JOHN, b. May 17, 1783; d. Dec. 15, 1865. ANN, b. Sept. 26, 1792; d. Dec, 14, 1883. They resided in Philadelphia fromi 1810 to 1845. Are buried at Sedsbury.

X. CLARISSA, ERASMUS, JOSEPH JOUIN. All of whom are living, 1884, of whom only JOSEPH JOHN GEST married, his wife being SUSANNAIL BAILEY of Clinton Co, Ohio. They reside at " Wintrebourne," a suburb of Cincinnati on the Kentucky side. Thoir children living:

1 X. MARY ANN, living at ChristianR. JOSEPH died, left n daughter MARY, JOHN B. GEST, liviog in Philadelphia. DEDORAH m. LEVI POWNELL; R widow. ELIZABETH m. DAVID T. JONES; a widow. JACOD T., deceased, unmarried. JOHN BARNARD GEST DI. ELIZABETH A. PURVES; residence, Phila- delpbia. Their children, all living :

XI. 1st, JOSEPH HENRY GEBT. 2d, CLIFPOND H. GEST. 3d, GCYON MOORE GEST. 4tle, REBEKAH GEBT. 5th, KARL GEST.

X1. 1st, ALEXANDER P. GEST. 2d, LEYDIA GEST. 3d, JOHN MARSHALL GEST. 4th, WILLIAM PURVES GEST

NOTE -WILLIAM FRANCIS STRATFORD DUODALE, b. 1872, thirteenth English generation, nearly corresponds with JOSEPH IIENRY GEST, b, 1862, eleventh American generation. In other words, two less generations west of the Atlantic cover correspondiag period of time to the enst, and indicate, at least so far as this family is concerned, greatest langevity in the United States.

503

CONCORD TOWNSHIP.

ANCESTORS OF

MARY CLEMSON, wife of HENRY GEST; DEBORAH DICKINSON, wife of JOSEPH GEST, Sr .; } REBEKAH MOORE, wife of JOSEPH GEST; ANN BARNARD, wife of JOHN GEST; and ISAAC HAINES, husband of HANNAH, sister of JOSEPH and JOHN GEST,

CAPT. STARR, of the Perliament Army, after the war, settled in Ireland.

BENJAMIN and MARY CANBY re- sided at Thorn, Yorkshire, England, 1668.

THOMAS CANBY arrived at Phila- delphia, Jnly, 1684 ; settled in Bucks Co., m. SARAH JERVIS, Oct. 2, 1693.

JAMES Rnd SARAH CLEMSON, 1 family of means at Chiches- ter, 1699, Chester Co.

MATHEW and JANE DICKINSON of Cumberland Co., England, had son, DANIEL DICKINSON, who maintained 10,000 sheep, was K.B.C. He settled his son, DANIEL DICKINSON, near Edenderry, 1relaod, in 1696. This Daniel's son went to America, 1725.

GUYON MILLER and wife, MAR- CARET (HENDERBON), left Co. Armagh, Ireland, 170% Set- tled in Kennet township.

ANDREW MOORE and wife, MAR- DARET, danghter of GUVON and MARGARET MILLER, with son, JAMES, came (1723) to Sadsbury, Lancaster Co.

JEREMIAH STARR and REBECCA (JACKSON) m. Nov. 10, 1716. Settled in London Grove, Chester Co., 1717.

THOMAS CANBY, b. Aug. 12, 1702.

BENJAMIN CANBY (b. June 29, 1728) m. MARTRA WHITSON, Oct. 5, 1752.

JAMES MOORE (b. Aug. 8, 1761), Miller, Farmer, and Physician, m. 2d JANE CANBY (b. Jan. 4, 1772) of Bucks Co. JAMES d. April 3, 1832, and JANE Sept. 21, 1839. Their children,-BENJAMIN, REBEKAH, JAMEN C., ANN, SARAH, JANE, CANBY, LEWIS, JOHN B., ELLIS P., and HENRY.

JOSEPH GEST (b. March 4, 1776, nt Sadsbnry) m. April 14, 1813, REBEKAH MOORE (b. July 15, 1791), at Sadsbury Monthly Meeting. In which township, Lancaster Co., they resided nutil 1817, when they removed, with their danghter, CLARISSA (a child), to Cincinnati, Ohio, their after-home, JOSEPH d. Feb. 23, 1863 ; REBERAH, Feb. 24, 1869; buried in Spring Grove Cemetery. Thsir surviving children (1884), CLARISSA, EBASMUS, JOSEPH JOHN, reside in Cincinnati, O.

JOHN HAINES (son of RICHARD) was settled, 1683, in a cave, where now is Lumberton, New Jersey; m. Oct. 10, 1684, ESTHER BOSTON.

ADIAH TAYLOR of Didcot, Berk- shire Co., England.

WILLIAM PASSMORE of Ruscomb Parish, Berks Co., England, m Jan. 6, 1654, MARGERY BALL.

GEORGE STRODE of Millbrook, Southampton, England; pur- chased of Penn, 1682, 500 acres, Concord township.

ELIZABETH, daughter of EVAN PROTHERO of Wales, m. Nov. 4, 1694, MOROAN JAMES. She d. 1737.

IBAAO HAINES m. CATHERINE DAVID, 1714. In 1717 settled on 254 acres N. E. side West Chester, Chester Co.

RICHARD BARNARD, h. 1611; d. 1698; from Sheffield, Eng- land, 1682, to Middletown, Chester Co. First wife, DE- BORAH ; second, FaANOES.

ABIAH TAYLOR m. DEBORAH, daughter of JOHN GEARING, at Farrington Meeting, Feb. 18, 1894. Moved from Bork- shire, England, and settled on the Brandywine, 1702. He d. 1747.

JOHN PASSMOHE m. MARY, daugh- ter of HUMPHRY BUXCEY, in England, Nov. 3, 1701. Set- tled in Kennet, 1714, after in West Moreland township. He d. sbont 1746.

JOHN STRODE m. MAGDALENE JAMES of Newtown, Chester (now Delaware) Co., Pennsylvania.

IBAAO HAINES, Ja. (b. Aug. 10, 1718) m. MARY Cox, Aug. 5, 1744.

RICHARD BARNARD m. Dec. 7, 1715, ANN TAYLOR, b. 1695. He was b. Chester Co., 1684; d. 1767. Land in Hill Town,

GEORGE PASSMORE m. MARGARET STRODE. Sept. 10, 1742. Both b. in West Marlborough, Chester Co .; he Feb. 23, 1719; she

JEREMIAH BARNARD m. Jnne 6, 1787, st London Grove Meeting, MARY PASSMORE, b. Dec. 18, 1753, in West Marlborough, Chester Co., and there d. Jan. 13, 1830. JEREMIAH Was b. in same township, Jan. 1, 1717; d. Aug. 28, 1799. To their marriage certificate both signed " BERNARD."

JOHN GEST m. ANN BARNARD, at London Grave Monthly Meeting, Dec. 15, 1819. ANN, b. West Marlborough, Chester Co., Sept. 26, 1792; d. in Christiana township, Lancaster Co, Dec. 14, 1883. JOHN GEST, b, Sadsbnry township, Lancaster Co., May 17, 1783, and there d. Dec. 15, 1865. This family resided in Philadelphia from 1810 to 1845, after at Sadsbury. Their surviving children (1884),-MARY ANN, resides at Christiana, Lancaster Co., Pa. ; JOHN BARNARD GEST, Bt Philadelphia ; DEBORAH, widow of LEVI POWNELL, in Sadsbury township, Lancaster Co .; ELIZABETH, widow of DAVID T. JONES, at Christiana, Pa .; JOSEPH und JACOB T., both deceased. JOSEPH left one daughter, MARY L., living in N. J., unmarried.

504

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

JAMES MOORE (b. 1716) m. Feb. 16, 1741, ANN STARR (b. Nov. 1. 1717), at New Garden Monthly Meeting; by whom he had children,- ANDREW, JEREMIAH, JOHN, JAMES, REBEKAH, and ANN.

MARY CLEMSON m. 1716, HENRY GEST, settled on 300 acres of land in S. W. corner Concord township, Chester Co.

JOSEPH DICKINSON I. ELIZABETH MILLEN, Aug. 25, 1732, at Chester and New Castle Monthly Meeting. Settled in Piqua Valley, Salis- bury township, Lancaster Co. JOSEPH Jeft the home in Ireland, given him by his father, came to Chester Co., 1725.

JOSEPH GEST (b. about 1724) m. DEBORAH DICKINSON (b, Twelfth month 3, 1746), at Sadsbury Monthly Meeting, Seventh month 31, 1765, end resided upon the 200-acre tract previously acquired by JOSEPH in that township, Lancaster Co. JOSEPH d. April 23, 1815; DEBORAH Nov. 7, 1825. They had eleven children, of whom MARY, ANN, DAVID d. young; HENRY, DEBORAH's twin-brother, also died young ; DEBORAH d. in Sadsbury, First month 13, 1872, aged 92 years; never married. ELIZABETH m. JOHN MOORE; HANNAH m. ISAAC HAINES; JOSEPH m. REBEKAH MOODE; MARGARET m. JOHN WILLIAMS; JOHN m. ANN BARNARD; BENJAMIN m. MARY CANBY.

JAMES MOORE and family resided in Co. Antram, Ireland.

JOHN and MARY STARR of Cort- hill, Cavan, after of Meath Co., Ireland.

JACOB CLEMSON, Acrelius men- tions 88 one of the early Swedes on the Delaware.

ISAAC HAINES (b. m. LYDIA DAYIS, 1772. )

IBAAO HAINES m. HANNAH GEST, Tenth month 27, 1790. IBAAO d. Second month 11, 1840; HANNAH d. Eighth month 9, 1847.

505

DARBY TOWNSHIP.

CHAPTER XL.

DARBY TOWNSHIP.

IN alluding to the name of the municipal district which in early times included Upper and Lower Darby as one township, Dr. Smith says, "Perhaps the opinion is universal that our ancestors, who came from the county of Derby, in England, corrupted the spelling of the name in their former place of resi- dence when they, in kind remembrance, adopted it for their home in America. The corruption, if it be one, was effected in England before our ancestors migrated to America. In the ' New World of Words,' published in 1671, Darby and Darbyshire are given, but not Derby or Derbyshire; and in the certificates brought over by early Friends, it is almost uniformly spelled with a instead of e. The author of the work referred to makes the name of the English town a contraction of the word Derwentty, 'because it standeth on the river Derwent.' This would make the proper spelling of the name Derby; but it is clear that our ancestors brought the name with them as it was generally written when they migrated to America, and so it has remained, notwithstanding some fastidious persons have made efforts from time to time to change it." 1

Darby was settled almost immediately after the coming of Penn, and in 1683 was recognized as one of the localities where a permanent lodgment had been made, but, despite that fact, the population must have been sparse for more than a quarter of a century, for Mrs. Ann Davis, who was born at Darby-she was the daughter of John Bethel, the miller-informed Dr. William Martin, in 1790, "that she was born in the place where Darby now is, and remembered play- ing with the Indian children in the neighboring wig- wams."2 In 1684 Darby Friends' Meeting had been established, the members meeting at the dwelling of John Blunston, which was located nearly in front of the present meeting-house, and near the mill-race which was "digged" through Blunston's meadow. In the same year the first official record of Darby occurs in the list of collectors " to gather the assess- ment for the building of the court-house." Thomas Worth and Joshua Fearne were appointed to those offices for Darby, and Mons Stacker and William Cobb " for Amosland & Calcoone Hook." The latter was recognized as a distinct municipal district until 1686, when Calcoone Hook was made a part of Darby township, and Amosland was annexed to Ridley.

Calcon or Calkoen's Hook comprised all the ter- ritory between Cobb's Creek on the east, and the Mokormpates Kill or Muckinipattas Creek on the west, and derives its name from the Swedish word Kalkon, " a turkey," Walda Kalkoen, "wild turkeys,"

having " very much abound in that vicinity."3 Later the territory known by that name became restricted to that part lying south of the Philadelphia, Wil- mington and Baltimore Railroad, while its eastern boundary was Morhorhootink, as shown in the atlas of the early grants in Delaware County. The his- torical map of Pennsylvania terms the stream Tena- kong Kolen, and Acrelius says that "Nyecks Kihl" was the Indian name of Darby Creek, which it will be difficult to convince the public ought to be ac- cepted as a term known to the Indian tongue, even on the authority of the usually accurate historian of New Sweden. On June 18, 1668, Governor Lovelace issued a patent to Israel Helme, Hendrick Jacobson, Ole Kock, and Jan Minsterman for that " portion of land on West side of Delaware River within the Mill Kill upon the Hook commonly called Calcoone Hook, reaching from the said mill kill to that which is called by the Indians Mokornippates, including all the lands between the said two Kills as also the valley or meadow ground thereunto belonging, containing by estimation as it lies along the river (creek) side about an English mile, and there being also in the said Mill Kill, a certain little Island near unto and over against the said land known by the name of 'bay Island,' as the said land was granted Ang. 4th 1663 to Ericke Nichels, Moorty Poulson, Andreas Johnson & Henry Jacobson, the three former of whom after- wards parted with their rights thereto."+ The ter- ritory mentioned in the patent included almost all the land in the township south of the Queen's Highway, and west of a line drawn due south from the toll-gate on that road. On this tract the real estate of the Sharon Land Association, incorporated hy act of Assembly March 4, 1871, is located. The Calcoon Hook road, which enters the Queen's Highway at the toll-gate, is first alluded to at the court held Oct. 3, 1691, when complaint was made to court " concerning a way to ye landing at Calcon Hooks, ye inhabitants there being at difference about it. To end ye discourd the Cort ordered ye Grand Inquest to lay out a road & make return of ye same at next court." At the sub- sequent sessions the following report was submitted to the justices, approved, and was the route on which the road was afterwards opened to public use and travel :

"Grand Jury return road in Darhy township to Landing place at Cal- con Hook. The sd road to begin at a corner etone near to an ash tree by ye creek side at ye bottome of Morton Mortonson orchard, then on a straight line four perches to another corner stone being at the lower corner of sd Morton's orchard, then continning the ad straight line eleven perches and four feet to a corner stone nenr ye upper end of ed orchard which gd stone standith on ye outermost straight line mentioned in Monnce Petteraons deed from Andrew Swanson Bone. Then continuing a line at thirty-two feet distance, the end of ed Morton'e honse being hnilt before ye sd road was agreed upon, standing about six foot in ye gd road, excepted from said Mounce Pettersone fence to the end. Still con- tinning ye sd Line through ye woods to a tree with notches by ye road agreed on among themselves to Darby, thence along ye severall corses of

1 History of Delaware Conuty, p. 384.

2 Martin's " History of Chester," p. 251.

3 Record of Upland Court, p. 197.

4 Smith's " History of Delaware County," p. 520.

506

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ye gd road to ye Kings road at ye Easteromost corner of Thomas ffoxes, from thence turning Northeasterly at thirty two feet distance, from the aforesaid line back again on ye several corses, still continuing thirty two feet distance ye gd Morton's House End extend as aforesaid to the cross way near ye gd Morton's house then upon a strait line across ye gd way to a corner stone standing io ye corner of ye Mounce (Pettersons) house fence being also ye corner of ye cross roads, from thence down in a straight line down past and so forth to another corner stone standing by ye gd Mouncy's house fence-side making here the road thirty two foot from aforesaid stone at the lower corner of the sd Morton's orchard then along by ad Morton's corner of ye gd Morwin's form, from which sd stone to ye first mentioned stone it is eix perches and two foot broad."

On the Mokormpates Kill, and just above the northern line of the Calcoon Hook patent, was a tract of two hundred and fifty acres, known iu early times as " Boon's Forest," which was laid out to Andres Swason Boon April 13, 1680. From this sturdy Swedish settler a greater man descended, or at least he has secured more of the world's attention, than did his ancestor in Delaware County,-Daniel Boone, the pioneer of Kentucky. On the Boon tract the Knowles Presbyterian Church is located. To the east of Boon's land, extending to Darby Creek, was a tract of two hundred and fifty, entered to Surveyor- General Thomas Holme, Dec. 10, 1683, and July 1, 1688. John Blunston, as the agent of Holme, ac- knowledged a deed in open court conveying this es- tate to Joseph Wood. The property not only reached to Darby Creek, but a strip extended along the north line of Boon's land to the Muckinipattus Creek, as the stream forming the western boundary of Darby township is now called, and on that part of the estate Horntown is located. Above this tract, extending from creek to creek, was "Good Intent," a plantation of two hundred acres, which was surveyed to Edward Gibbs July 12, 1683. Immediately north of this estate was a tract of three hundred acres, taken up by Thomas Brassey, March 15-16, 1681, who never resided thereon, but sold the property to John Bar- tram Aug. 30, 1685. On this plantation John Bar- tram, the earliest American botanist, was born, May 23, 1699. His early attention was first directed to bo- tanical studies by one of those accidents which seem to shape the destinies of all great men. When a mere lad, he was plowing on the Darby farm, and uprooted a daisy. Despite everything the modest little flower kept intruding itself on his consideration, until after several days he hired a man to plow while he rode to Philadelphia to procure a treatise on botany and a Latin grammar. He, fortunately for himself and the world, had inherited a farm from a bachelor uncle, which gave him the means to marry early, and pur- chase the land on which he afterwards established the noted " Botanic Gardens." On this estate he built with his own hands a stone house, and on one of the stones in the gable was the inscription,-" John * Ann Bartram, 1831," with a star between their first names, as was then the custom, to indicate man and wife. Here he pursued his studious habits, his repu- tation spreading abroad until correspondence was so- licited by the leading botanists of the Old World,-

Linnæus, Dr. Fothergill, and others, -while in the colonies, all scientific men in the same line of study sought his favor, advice, and opinions. Dr. Franklin was his earnest friend, and constantly urged Bartram to authorship. His fame had so extended that in 1765 George III. appointed him botanist to the king. He died Sept. 22, 1777, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.

Above the Bartram farm a tract of three hundred acres, reaching to the Upper Darby line, which was taken up by William, John, and Thomas Smith, Aug. 30, 1685, to each of whom a plot of one hun- dred acres was allotted. John Smith came from Harly, County of Leicester, England, and resided on the estate uutil 1714. It is presumed that William and Thomas were of the same family, but the exact relationship is not known. That part of the Thomas and John Smith tract lying to the east of the Spring- field road and west of Darby Creek became the prop- erty of John Ash. His heirs resided at the old home- stead until their deaths. In the spring of 1862, within six weeks, Hannah, aged seventy-six years, James, seventy-four, Sarah, seventy-eight, and Alice Ash, aged eighty years, died. They were all unmarried, and had lived there all their lives. "Their habits were those of the world before the flood, retiring to their beds at five o'clock in the afternoon, having no furniture iu their house but what had been purchased prior to the Revolution, and some of them, it was said, and perhaps correctly, never having visited that den of iniquities, the city of Philadelphia." On the east of Darby Creek, at the Upper Darby line, on Sept. 10, 1682, was surveyed to Thomas Worth two hundred and fifty acres, which he had purchased prior to leaving England. He was a man of superior education for that day, and was a member of the Provincial As- sembly in 1697. He lived to an advanced age, dying in 1731. Below Worth's plantation, John Blunston, on Aug. 10, 1682, acquired three hundred and fifty acres of land, and he is said to have given the name of Darby to the settlement, in remembrance of his old home in England. The fact that the mill-race was cut through his land, and after John Bethel pur- chased the Darby mills, the right to use this mill-race was conveyed by Blunston, seems to indicate that he was the first person who operated the mills there. The tract of two hundred and twenty-two acres bounded on the east by Cobb's Creek, and to the west by Church Lane, was taken up by Samuel Bradshaw Aug. 10, 1682, the date of the early surveys to Penn's adher- ents, many of whom, it is said, accompanied the pro- prietary in the "Welcome," and located in the neigh- borhood of Darby. He emigrated from Oxton, County Nottingham, and the estate passed to Thomas Bradshaw, March 5, 1697/8, who, it is thought, was a brother of Samuel. To the south of Bradshaw's and partly of John Blunston's tracts was a plot of fifty acres, bounded on the east by Cobb's Creek, and on the west by Blunston's Run, which was surveyed, Nov.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 125

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