History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 138

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

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June

10, 1822.

Park Shee.

Dec.

9, 1823.

David Abrahams.

Dec.

14, 1825.

Barnard Flynn,

Nov.

18, 1835.

Abner Lewis

May

27,1836.

Thomas Sheldon.

Dec.

20,1836.

Thomas Catsin.

Nov.

1, 1838.

Homer Eachus.

.May

11, 1839.

Anthony Baker, April 14, 1840, April 15, 1845, April 10, 10, 1860, April 28, 1865.

James M. Smith.

April 10, 1869, March 24, 1874.

Philip B. Green ..

.. March 24, 1874, March 27, 1879.

Georgo L. Green

March 27, 1879.

Mills and Tanneries .- In the first assessment of the county, made in 1790, there are no manufacturing interests mentioned in Edgmont. In the assessment of 1799, Thomas Johnson appears in possession of a saw-mill, and in the triennial assessment of 1802 the name of George Antricum is given as in possession of a saw-mill. It was located on Crum Creek, near the northeast part of the township, and was probably the Johnson mill, as his name is not in the assessment for 1802. In 1807 there was also at this place a saw-mill, and in 1812 two distilleries were in operation at the same locality. These mills and stills were owned and operated by Antricum until 1825, when the property was bought by Jonathan N. Hatch, who enlarged the grist-mill to forty feet by fifty feet, three stories high, and placed in it ten carding-machines, three hun- dred and sixty throstle-spindles, seven hundred and eighty mule-spindles, and commenced the manufac- ture of cotton yarn. In the next year eleven hundred and fifty pounds of cotton yarn was made per week. Eight tenant-houses and a mansion-house were on the place. This factory was operated by Mr. Hatch suc- cessfully till 1838, when the mill was destroyed by fire.

For several years the building remained as the flames left them, until about 1855, Joseph Shimer fitted up part of the ruins, and commenced the manu- facture of cotton laps. He remained here several years, when he built a mill lower down on the other side of the creek in Newtown, which is still owned by him.

In 1870 the old Hatch mill property was used by Alfred Hatch as a cotton-lap factory, and is still owned by him.

In 1799, Joseph Pennell, grandson of Robert Pen- nell, who settled in the township in 1691, was in pos- session of a tannery a short distance northwest of ·Howellville, which later passed to Thomas Evans, and about 1830 became the property of Israel Howell, a leather merchant of Philadelphia, for whom How- ellville was named. The tannery went out of use many years ago. The property is now owned by Henry Mendenhall.

A few years prior to 1807, George Green built a saw- mill on Green's Run, which was operated by him till about 1820, later by Isaac Green ; the ruins of this mill !

are yet there. In 1817, Robert Green had a fulling- mill on Rocky Run, located on the present estate of Mrs. James Walker. In 1826 it was operated by William Owens & Co., and in 1829-31 was still in use, and continued to be operated until abont 1864, when the mill was burned. The last few years it was occupied by James Campbell for carding and carpet- weaving. In 1870 a cotton-lap factory was at the place, owned by James Gamble.

In 1807, Richard Passmore had a tan-yard below where Green's fulling-mill was afterwards built, which was in disuse in 1811. The property is now owned by Frank Bishop.

About 1815 James Yarnall built a grist- and saw- mill on a branch of Ridley Creek, in the northern part of the township. In 1817-19 it was assessed to his estate. The grist-mill was a stone building, the power furnished by an overshot wheel, which ran two pairs of millstones. In 1829 it was owned by Reuben Yarnall, but subsequently Anthony Baker acquired title to the mill, and his son, Enos Baker, is the present owner of the property.

Schools .- One of the first school-houses in Edgmont of which there is any information was built about 1760 in the eastern part of the township, and near the line of Upper Providence. The house was of stone, the mortar used being a composition of clay and straw. Thomas Hammer was teacher there, and William Howard, the father of Baldwin Howard, was a pupil under him. Hammer also taught in Upper Provi- dence, and in 1799 was a shopkeeper in Edgmont. This old school-house was not in use in 1800. About this time a change was made in the township lines, and the school-house lot in the change was placed in Upper Providence. The house was torn down about 1860.

What is now known as the Central District was also known as Big Edgmont. At this place a stone school-house was erected in the early part of 1749, and in 1809 a new stone house was built upon its site, which remained in use until the present house was erected, in 1870. Isaac Wood was the first teacher in the second school-house, and Baldwin Howard attended school there. Among later teachers were John Mc- Mullen, John Kinsie, Hezekiah Burns, Caleb Hoopes, Jehn Broomhall, Joseph Plankinton, William Vogdes, James Sill, Jr., and Samuel L. Smedley. During the term of Mr. Sill the school-house erected in 1809 was transferred to the directors of the public schools. Joseph Plankinton, in 1824, went to Philadelphia, where he has filled the position of county commis- sioner, school director, treasurer, and alderman in that city, where he is now residing, aged eighty-five years. William Vogdes is also in Philadelphia, and prominent in the political movements of that city. After the house passed to the school directors in 1835 or 1836, Samuel Lewis was the first teacher, and was succeeded by Pierson Pike, Levi Baker, James M. Smith, and others.

557

EDGMONT TOWNSHIP.

On the 21st of September, 1841, the school directors purchased a lot of land of Isaac Yarnall in the south- west part of the township. A stone house was erected upon it, which was used for eight or ten years and then abandoned. The house is still standing, the prop- erty being sold several years ago to Jacob Smedley.

The stone house in the Western District known as No. 1 was built in 1867, the land on which it stands having formerly belonged to George Eppright. It is still standing, and used for school purposes.

The Southern District, No. 3. On the 28th of Au- gust, 1843, the directors bought a plot of ground of George Bishop and erected a stone school-house, which was used until 1875, when a lot was purchased of Jesse Green and Isaac Sharpless, about three hun- dred yards from the old house, on which was erected the present stone house.

EDGMONT CENTRAL SEMINARY. [Erected 1809, torn down 1870.]

On the 18th of March, 1825, Homer Eachus, Wil- liam Baker, and James Sill were elected by the people of the township as trustees of schools. In 1834, after the school law was passed, Dr. James Aitkin and Homer Eachus were appointed inspectors of the pub- lic schools by the court of Delaware County, until directors were elected. In 1835 $293.55 was received by the township from the treasurer, it being the amount of county and State appropriations.

The list of school directors here given, from 1840, are from the records of Media, and are as accurate as can be obtained from that source :

1840, Thomas B. Russell, Maurice James ; 1842, Homer Eachus, John Yarnall; 1843, John H. Tayler, Iliramı Green, Jesae Green ; 1844, James Sill, Abraham Baker ; 1845, Baldwin Howard, Reuben Yar- nall; 1846, Maurice Jonea, Joshua Smith ; 1847, Renben Yarnall, Emlin Stackhouse; 1848, Jamies Aitkin, Baldwin Howard; 1849, Joshua Smith, Hiram Green ; 1850, Isaac Yarnall, William Sill ; 1851, Maurice James, Jamea Aitkin ; 1852, Thomas Baker, John H. Tayler; 1853, George Ebright, Isaac Yarnall; 1854, Maurice James, ,

Themas J. Baker; 1855, George G. Baker, Thomas Baker, Isaac Green ; 1856, Abram H. Regester, Joseph Mendenhall, Joshua Smith ; 1857, Isaac Thatcher, Maurice James ; 1858, Edward Bakar, Themas J. Sharpless ; 1859, Rewhen Johnson, David Regester : 1860, Manrice James, Henry Mendenhall ; 1861, Thomas J. Sill, James M. Smith ; 1862, Reuben Johnson, David Regester; 1863, Robert J. Sill, Robert F. Davia; 1864, Jease Yarnall, Lewis J. Baker; 1865, James M. Smith, William Manley ; 1866, Robert F. Davia, Edward D. Baker ; 1867, Jesse Yarnall; 1868, William S. Baker, James Sill; 1869, R. F. Davis, E. D. Baker; 1870, Jesse Yarnall, James M. Smith ; 1871, Hatten Baldwin, Ames H. Baldwin; 1872, William H. Miller, Thomas Mendenhall; 1873, Enes L. Baker, F. F. Green; 1874, no report ; 1875, Jessa Yarnall, Robert F. Davis; 1876, Joseph B. Tayler, Ed- ward D. Baker ; 1877, Passmore Howard, C. M. Taylor; 1878, Jesse Yarnall, Robert F. Davis ; 1879. Frank Yarnall, Mrs. Emma Tayler ; 1880, Pasamore Howard, Elizabeth G. Green; 1881, Edmund D. Baker, J. F. Bishop; 1882, G. Frank Yarnall, Manrica Jamea; 1883, Penneck E. Sharpless, Abram Hunter; 1884, Frank Bishop, Abram Hunter.

Public-Houses .- The story of the public houses of entertainment in Edgmont is brief. In 1762, Isaac Yarnall presented his peti- tion desiring the approval of the court for his keeping a public house of entertain- ment in that township, which was extended to him, and continued annually thereafter until 1765, at which period Mary Yarnall made applica- tion for the privilege for that as well as the following year, 1766. In 1767, John Hoopes obtained license, and contin- ued in the employment of innkeeping until 1771, when John Neal petitioned the court for the favor, stating that the house had been li- censed for many years, and had formerly been kept by Isaac Yarnall. Yearly there- after Neal applied for re- newal of the license until 1776. In 1777, as before stated, the proceedings respecting licenses, as the rec- ords of most of the business of that year before the courts, cannot be found, but in 1778 William Dun- woodey was allowed the privilege, after which all further trace in Chester County, as to license in Edg- mont, ceases.

It was not until 1806 that application for privilege to keep public-house appeared in the record of Dela- ware County, and in that year James Jeffries states to the court that he "hath rented the house which Joseph Griffith hath erected at the intersection of the West Chester and Providence Road, in said township," and desired the judges to recommend him to the Gov- ernor as a proper person to keep a tavern there. The court at the July session approved of his petition. This is the first mention of the noted President Tavern of Edgmont. In 1808, Joseph Robins suc- ceeded Jeffries, and in his petition for the year 1809

558

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

he asks license for the house under that title. The next year Robins gave place to Joseph Griffith, the owner of the house, but in 1811 Jesse Cheyney was granted license for the President. In 1813 Isaac Weaver was landlord of the tavern, which he called' the George Washington, but in 1815 he restored the old name, and in 1816 he was followed by Joseph B. Ramsey, who had formerly kept the Rising Sun Inn, at Howellville. The next year, however, he was superseded by Abel Green, who remained there until 1829, when he gave place to William Sill, and the latter in turn, in 1834, was followed hy Hiram Green, who continued annually to receive the court favor until 1858, when Juliann Green, his widow, was granted license. In 1862, Joseph P. Tucker succeeded to the business, to be followed the next year, 1863, by George Pierce, after which time the President ceased to be kept as a public-house.

In 1813, Nathan Baker petitioned for license to keep public-house on "road from Chester towards Down- ingtown and West Chester, where Edgmont road in- tersects with road leading from Marple through New- town, by John Williamson's, toward Dilworthtown, and there is no tavern on Edgmont road from Chester, but the Black's Horse, and nearest above the General Green, near Goshen meeting-house, Chester County, and besides there is no tavern on said Cross-road. The house is nine and a half miles from Chester, and from West Chester eight and a half miles. There is much travelling at present and particularly by those going and returniug by the stage, which runs steadily between Westtown and Philadelphia." His license was approved and there was established the tavern at Howellville, which was the following year, when Jo- seph B. Ramsey made application at the same loca- tion, known as the Rising Sun Tavern. In 1816, William Sill, who appeared to have been the owner of the property, received license. William Bowen, in 1817; John McMinn, in 1818; and Homer Eachus, who in his petition states, in 1820, that the house is known as the "Old Rising Sun." The latter remained only one year, for in 1821 David Green was land- lord. Jane Hamilton, who was licensed in 1823, was followed, in 1826, by George Thatcher, and in 1828 David Green returned there again. Enos Smedley, of West Chester, several years ago stated that he re- membered Howellville when the land was bought by Israel Howell, from whom the name is derived. " As the Irishman said, it was 'A honey of a place, the king of all places.' First day, or Sunday, as it is commonly called, was a fair day. Young men and boys from the whole neighborhood would collect to drink whiskey, play corner-ball, pitch quoits, jump for distances or for height, and compete in holding a fifty-six weight at arm's-length. You could hear their noise for half a mile. This place was known at that day as the Rising Sun, Delaware County. It had a blacksmith- and wheelwright-shop, store and tavern, the latter two selling whiskey. I heard the person

who kept the store say that he sold one and a half hogsheads of whiskey on an average per month, the price of which was eleven cents per quart, and per gallon, in the jug, forty cents. The poor class, when they sent to the store, would give whiskey the first place on the order, and if any money was left other commodities were to be purchased, but the whiskey must be first. Howellville is now one of the most respectable villages in Delaware County."1 In 1833, John C. Irwin was mine host, and in 1834, George P. Alexander, who remained there in 1836, after which date no license was had for the house until 1856, although in 1839, in an advertisement, “William Robins, at Sign of the Lamb, Howellville," is men- tioned, when William Sill received the right to keep tavern there, and yearly the privilege was continued to him until 1860, when Robert Sill, his son, followed as the host of the Howellville Inn, until 1867, when Edward B. Green assumed control of the house, which is now kept by his widow.

Settlers of Edgmont .- Among the earliest pur- chasers of land from the proprietary were Joseph Baker, John Worrall, Philip Yarnall, Robert Pennell, Joseph Pennell, Ephraim Jackson, David Register, John Houlston, Samuel Bishop, and in 1722 appear the names of Jonathan Hunter, Samuel Lewis, Jo- seph Pratt, Henry Howard, James Sill, Jacob Taylor, and others, whose names still survive in their descend- ants in the limits of the township.

The descendants of Joseph Baker and Mary, his wife, are very numerous throughout Delaware and Chester Counties. He represented Delaware County in the Provincial Assembly, and died in 1716. His son, John, born in Edgmont the 11th of Tenth month, 1686, inherited all his land in the township. When Dr. Ash's map was published, in 1848, Abel, Thomas, and William Baker were land-owners, as well as Ed- ward, George, Abel, and Anthony, sons of Edward Baker.

John Baker, a brother of Joseph, died in Philadel- phia in 1685, and left four daughters,-Rebecca, Mary, Dorothy, and Sarah. In 1684, Roger Jackson, Mary, Hannah, and Sarah Baker appear as purchasers from William Penn in Edgmont. Mary married William Coebourn, Hannah to Francis Yarnall, and Sarah to Charles Whitacre.

Phillip Yarnall, with his brother, Francis, came from Cloynes, in Worcestershire, England. They first settled in Springfield township, adjoining George Maris' land, about a mile from Springfield Friends' meeting-house, on the road to Clifton. This land was conveyed to Francis, Oct. 17, 1683, and for several years they were members of Darby Monthly Meeting of Friends. Francis married Hannah Baker, of Edg- mont, and purchased five hundred and ten acres of land adjoining Edgmont line, in Willistown township, extending from Crum Creek westward nearly two

1 " Fifty Years Ago," Delaware County American, Nov. 6, 1878.

559

EDGMONT TOWNSHIP.

miles, a large portion of which is still held by his de- scendants. He was a member of the Provincial As- sembly, and died in Willistown in 1731. His son, Mordecai, was a noted preacher among Friends, and removed to Philadelphia. Peter, a grandson, horn Second month 17, 1754, studied medicine, entered the army, and afterwards sailed as surgeon's mate on the privateer "Delaware" during the Revolution. He subsequently renounced warfare, and became a noted Quaker preacher.

Lieut. John Jolliff Yarnall, who served with Com- modore Perry in the battle of Lake Erie, was a de- scendant of Francis. The Legislatures of Pennsyl- vania and Virginia each voted him a sword for bravery. He was commander of the privateer " Epervier," lost at sea with all on board in 1815.

Professor Mordecai Yarnall was also a descendant. He was an astronomer connected with the National Observatory at Washington, and died there Feb. 27, 1869, in his sixty-second year.

Philip Yarnall married Dorothy Baker, Second month 20, 1694, and purchased four hundred and eighty acres in Edgmont, extending from the Middle- town line to the road running westward from the present village of Howellville, and erected his house at the place now owned by William H. Miller, an eighth of a mile west of the Temperance Hall. He died in 1734, and his wife in 1743.

They had ten children,-John, born First month 5, 1695, died Seventh month 4, 1749, at Wilmington, married Abigail, daughter of John Williamson, of Newtown; Philip, born Ninth month 29, 1696, mar- ried Mary Hoopes ; Job, born First month 28, 1698, married Rebecca -, and died in Ridley in 1740; Sarah, born Eighth month 25, 1700, married Evan Ellis; Benjamin, born Eighth month 20, 1702; Thomas, born Sixth month 10, 1705, married Martha Hammans; Nathan, born Twelfth month 27, 1707, died First month 10, 1780, married three times, to Rachel Jackson, Hannah Mendenhall, and Jane Beazer ; Samuel, born Second month 10, 1710, married Sarah Vernon; Rebecca, born Sixth month 6, 1712, married William Jones, of Plymouth; and Mary, born Eighth month 23, 1718, married Samuel Milner, of North Wales.

Samuel Lightfoot's notes of the survey "due west" · from Philadelphia for fixing the Maryland boundary in 1738 states that they passed twenty feet from Thomas Yarnall's house (now the home of Caleb Yarnall), twelve perches south from Philip Yarnall's house, and fifty perches south of John Yarnall's (now James Thorp's). This gives the residences of three of the sons at that date.

John and Abigail Yarnall had six children,-Mary, born 1722, died 1792, married three times,-to Thomas Pennell, John Lea, and James Preston,-and was the mother of Dr. Jonas Preston, founder of Preston Re- treat, Philadelphia. Thomas, born 1724, died 1759, married Margaret, and lived in Thornbury. Ann, born

1729, died 1797, married John Thomson, and was the grandmother of John Edgar Thomson, the engi- neer and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Isaac, horn 1732, died 1765, married Mary Bennett; his grandson, Isaac Yarnall, was commis- sioner of Delaware County ; another grandson, Reu- ben Yarnall, born Fifth month 18, 1800, is now living in Philadelphia; on the 8th of April, 1884, he, with his wife, Rachel, daughter of Davis Garrett, cele- brated the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding. Abigail Yarnall, born 1733, died 1803, married Jesse Garrett. Hannah Yarnall, born 1741, died 1818, married Thomas Garrett, of Willistown.

The children of Philip and Mary were Grace, Philip, David, Abraham, Jane, Elizabeth, Esther, Dorothy, and Mary.

The children of Thomas and Martha were Marga- ret, William (the ancestor of Thomas Yarnall, a min- ister among Friends), Job, Caleb (ancestor of Owen Yarnall, the present county commissioner), Joseph, Hannah, and Sarah.

The children of Nathan and Rachel Yarnall were Ephraim, born 1733; Nathan, born 1736; Benjamin, born 1738, who moved to Cecil County, Md .; John, born 1739; Edith, born 1743, married Joshua Sharp- less; Joel, born 1745; Samuel, born 1748; Eli, born 1753, died 1812, a noted Quaker preacher; Joshua, born 1755; Ellis, born 1757, who removed to Phila- delphia in 1774, became a prominent merchant, leav- ing many descendants, among them Rev. Thomas C. Yarnall, of the Episcopal Church in West Philadel- phia; and Robert, born 1761.

In 1696, Ephraim Jackson purchased one hundred and twenty acres of the southern portion of Philip Yarnall's land. He was born in 1658, and came from England in 1687, and in 1695 married Rachel, daugh- ter of Nicholas Newlin, of Concord, and died in 1732. He was a good penman, kept the Friends' records, and wrote many deeds and marriage certificates and other records, which are still in existence. Their children were John, born 1697; Joseph, born 1699, married, first, Hannah Pennell, second, Susana Mil- ler, and settled in Londongrove; Nathaniel, born 1701; Josiah, born 1702; Samuel, born 1704, married Ann, daughter of Robert Johnson, and moved to Lancaster County; Ephraim, born 1706, married Mary Register; Mary, born 1708, married Benjamin Johnson; and Rachel, born 1710, married Nathan Yarnall.

Robert Pennell purchased two hundred and fifty acres in 1691, and two hundred and sixty-four acres in 1705, on the north of Philip Yarnall, extending from Howellville to the Willistown line. He came from Boulderton, in Nottinghamshire, England, having obtained a certificate from Friends at Ffulbeck the third day of the Fifth month, 1684, together with Thomas Garrett, Hugh Rodnell, Henry Pennell, and Richard Parker, with their wives and children, in- tending to transfer themselves beyond the seas into

560

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

East Jersey in America. Robert and his wife, Han- nah, settled in Middletown as early as 1686. Their children were Hannah, born Seventh month 23, 1673, died Tenth month 31, 1731, married John Sharpless ; Joseph, born Tenth month 12, 1674, died Ninth month 30, 1756, married, Twelfth month 25, 1701, Alice, daughter of William Garrett, of Darby ; James, born Ninth month 11, 1676; Jane, born Fifth month 13, 1678, married Samuel Garrett; William, born Eighth month 11, 1681, died 1757, married, Eighth month 26, 1710, Mary, daughter of Thomas Mercer, of Westtown ; and Ann, married, Second month 17, 1689, to Benjamin Mendenhall. Robert Pennell died in 1728, and Hannah, his wife, Twelfth month 4, 1711, aged seventy-one years. William Pennell settled in Middletown, and Joseph in Edgmont. The children of Joseph and Alice were Hannah, born Eleventh month 4, 1702, married, Eighth month 18, 1722, to Joseph, son of Ephraim Jackson; Robert, born Sixth month 2, 1704, died First month 9, 1726; Jo- seph, born Sixth month 3, 1706, died 1728; Alice, born Eighth month 2, 1709, died Seventh month 13, 1748; Anne, born Eighth month 2, 1711, died First month 25, 1802, married Cadwallader Evans ; Jane ; and Mary, born 1717, died Tenth month 31, 1807, married Moses Meredith, of Plymouth, born Ninth month 30, 1714. He was the son of Meredith Mere- dith, born Third month 6, 1675.

The Pennell homestead stood a short distance north- west of Howellville, at the place now owned by Henry Mendenhall. Robert Pennell willed the northern part of his farm to his grandson, Joseph, and thereon erected a house, portions of which are now standing and oc- cupied by Emlen Stackhouse. One of the windows has the small leaden lights of Queen Anne's time. Joseph died, aged twenty-one, before the house was completed.

The children of Mary and Moses Meredith were Sa- rah, married Joseph Pennell, of Concord ; John, born Eleventh month 17, 1748, married Hannah Harrison ; Joseph, who died at an advanced age unmarried ; and Alice, who married David Harry. Joseph Meredith, born Tenth month 11, 1785, a son of John, inherited the north part of the tract, from whom it descended to Catharine, the wife of Emlen Stackhouse, and Alice, wife of Charles Stackhouse, who, with their children, are the present possessors. Joseph's wife was Sarah, daughter of Joseph Pennell, of Concord.

The children of Ann and Cadwalader Evans were Pennell, born 1731; Hannah, born 1733, married Rowland Parry; Alice, born 1735, married D. Jona- than Morris; Robert, born 1738, married Jane Cox ; Joseph, born 1747; Sarah ; Mary, born 1750; Jane, born 1752; Catharine, born 1754.

Thomas Evans owned the tannery at the old home- stead. It afterwards passed into the hands of Israel Howell, a leather merchant of Philadelphia, who gave the name of Howellville to the old Rising Sun, and built the elegant residence, owned afterwards by Dr.

Casper Wistar Pennock, who resided there until his death.

Samuel Lewis, a grandson of Ralph Lewis, of Rad- nor, purchased two hundred acres of David Register in 1720, adjoining Joseph Pennell's land. His son, Josiah Lewis, inherited it, and William Lewis, his son, was born there in 1751, who in after-life became the leader of the Philadelphia bar. In his seven- teenth year he went to Chester with a load of hay, and while gratifying his curiosity by a visit to the court-room, was so much fascinated by the oratory there displayed that he at once resolved to study law, although his previous education was of the most lim- ited character. He repaired to Philadelphia and en- gaged as an office-boy, and began the study of his profession with Nicholas Waln, then a young man of excellent attainments and of fine forensic talents, but, unhappily, affected by habits of dissipation and senti- ments of unbelief. It was when he was in Mr. Waln's office that a remarkable incident occurred which formed the turning-point in his life. Mr. Waln, who was a Quaker, but who had himself for many years thrown off Friend's dress, was passing one day by the Pine Street meeting-house; the door was open, and, sauntering in, he was attracted by the voice of a preacher on the women's side. Suddenly his sight became obscure; a series of spectres, as he afterwards firmly believed, each bearing to him a portentous message, flitted before him ; and, yielding to the awful vision, he sank upon his knees, interrupting the speaker by a prayer of terrific earnestness. This was succeeded by a trance, in which consciousness was destroyed, and from which he awoke only to renounce all worldly connections whatever. This was in 1773, just about the period of Mr. Lewis' admission to the bar, and, aided by the business which, on his master's retirement, slipped into his hands, the young lawyer soon found himself with a respectable run of clients ; Mr. Joseph Reed, afterwards president of the Coun- cil, and Mr. Wilcock, afterwards, for a long time, re- corder of Philadelphia, together with Mr. Galloway, then the provincial leader, being his chief competi- tors. When the Declaration of Independence upset the courts, Mr. Lewis took the new test, not yielding, however, any overt patriotism. To vindicate the Quaker loyalists was no small nervous effort on the part of the man whose own patriotism had been equivocal. The effort, however, he made, and made with calmness, courage, and power; and, in the trials of Chapmau, Roberts, and Carlisle, he displayed, in full vigor, his eminent powers of reasoning and cour- age of temper. Perhaps to this may be attributed his unparalleled influence with the Quaker community.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 138

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