USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania > Part 164
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Above the Woodward land Henry Miller, on March 19-20, 1715, acquired title to two hundred and twenty- two acres, on which Blue Hill is located, and it was on this land that he settled, which fact may account for the premises remaining so long in the ownership of his descendants. This plantation, however, was a -part of a large tract of five hundred acres which was surveyed to James Swaffer, Nov. 7, 1684. He came from Newton, Cheshire, England, in that year, and settled on this land, but he subsequently removed to Philadelphia, selling his land in Upper Providence in smaller plantations. On part of this tract, in 1717, the mill in early time known as Providence Mill, and subsequently as Bishop's mill, and at the present as Sycamore Mills, was erected. To the east of a straight line drawn northward to Crum Creek from Providence great road, at the point where the latter highway di- verges to the northwest to Blue Hill, William Salis-
667
UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.
bury, of whom little is known to the writer, took up one hundred acres lying between this imaginary line and Crum Creek. On a resurvey, iu 1702, to Joseph Carter, it was found that one hundred and fifteen acres were included in this tract. The latter came from Cheshire, and settled in Upper Providence in 1698, possibly on this land, to which he acquired title by patent Nov. 16, 1709, although it had been surveyed to him seven years prior to that date. The records of Chester Monthly Meeting under date of Fourth month 28, 1708, set forth that " Providence Meeting informs of Joseph Carter being concerned with one not of our Comunion in relation to marriage, this meeting hav- ing laboured with him to convince him of his error, & advise him to desist." But Carter persisted; on Sixth month 30th of the same year it appears that he " hath actually married to one who doth not any wayes profess the truth with us." Carter by this conduct gained a wife, but lost his membership with Friends. He was living in Upper Providence in 1715.
Immediately south of the Carter estate, beginning at the present property of Samuel Otey, on Providence road, continuing southward along the eastern side of that highway to the northern line of the borough of Media, including the lands within those boundaries to the creek, a tract of seven hundred acres was surveyed to John Calvert First month 25, 1683. John Calvert and Judeth, with their children, emigrated to the province and settled on this tract, for which he re- ceived a patent April 24, 1691. In 1739 this estate, which by a resurvey proved to contain six hundred and eight and a half acres, was patented to John Worrell. If this purchaser was John Worrell, the settler in Middletown, and afterwards a resident of Edgmont, where he died in 1742, aged eighty-four years, he was well advanced in years at the time he bought this tract, and if it was one of his sons, John, who with his twin brother, Peter, was born in 1719, the young man had not attained his majority when the land was purchased. Of the John Worrell who ac- quired the estate the writer has at this time no definite information. The Rose-Tree Inn is located on this land. Immediately south of this tract Robert Rob- inson took up one hundred and fifty acres on rent First month 10, 1683, which property extended from Providence road to the creek. To Thomas Powell, March 21-22, 1681, was surveyed one hundred and eighty acres south of the Robinson land. On this tract Friends' graveyard is located, and it was there that an effort in 1698-99 was made to have Chester Meeting approve a site for the erection of Provi- dence Friends' meeting-house without success. Per- haps it was that refusal which caused Thomas Powell to change his religious conviction, first adhering to George Keith in his opinion, and then became a churchman, for Keith held meetings at his (Powell's) house in 1703, at which time both Keith and Powell were earnest Episcopalians. Directly south of Pow-
ell's land, Randal Croxton, March 21-22, 1681, en- tered one hundred and fifty acres. He came from Chormely, County Palatine of Chester, England, among the early settlers, and located on this land, but on March 14, 1699, he conveyed this plantation to Joseph Taylor. He continued to reside in the township, for he was assessed there in 1715, and in 1734 was still there. 1
The taxables of Upper Providence in 1715 were as follows :
John Edge, Jacob Edge, Henry Miller, Sarah Powell, Thomas Wil- liamson, Joseph Taylor, Peter Taylor, William Sinkler, Zachery Butcher, Joseph Carter, Thomas Jones, Jacob Chandler, Jacob Malin, Joshua Calvert, Daniel Calvert, John Cam, Job Harvey, Randal Malin, Ran- dal Croxson.
Freemen .-- Jacob Norbury, Richard Clayton, Thomas Norbury, John Jones.
The taxables in the township in 1799 were as fol- lows :
Thomas Bishop (miller, stone-, griet-, and saw-mill), Ann Bonan, Richard Briggs, Joseph .Bishop, James Black, Joseph Bishop (smith- shop, cartwright), John Culin (carpenter), Hezekiah Camp, Samnel Carr (weaver), Thomas Calvert, Evan Eachus, Benjamin Evana, John Hiuk- son, Patrick Hagerty, Edward Hall, Philip Kirk, John Levis (paper- maker, paper-mill), Seth Levis, Samuel Lindsey, George Miller, Gideon Malin, William Malin, William Madduck (tavern-keeper), Caleb Mar- tin, Joseph Newlin (cooper), Richard Nuzum (blacksmith), James Paist (victualer) William Robinson, Ether Riley, James Smedley, Jacob Siter (grist- and plaster-mill), George Thomas, Nathan Taylor, Peter Taylor, Jonathan Worrell, Peter Worrell, Jesse Williamson, Adam Worrell, Thomas Worrell, John Worrell, Abel Worrell, Jesse Worrell, Josiah Worrell. Owen Worrell, Ezekiel Yarnall (tailor), David Yarnall (cord- wainer), Jacob Dunn, Peter Taylor.
Inmates .- Robert Williamson (blacksmith), Job Pyle (tailor), Thomas Steel (miller at Bishop's mill), William Eldridge, James Malin, Joel Malin, Issac Malin (mason), Isaac Sharpless (paper-maker), Jacob Newhouse (paper-maker), Jacob Mills (paper-maker), Isaac Taylor (tailor), James Neal, James Dizer, Hugh McDale, Robert Miller (blacksmith), Joseph Taylor, Isaac Taylor (carpenter), Thomas Pollin, Joseph Martin (cord- wainer), John Williamson, Benjamin Kirk, William Robeson, Frederick Benninghove, James Hawe.
Single Freemen .- George McQuade, Charles McGlown, Peter Rezer (miller), Thomas Hawes (cordwainer), Israel Taylor (mason), Robert Barge, Samuel Malin (weaver), Abner Malin (weaver), George Martin, Joshua Hardy (tailor), Hugh Mccown, Richard Briggs (mason), Mor- decai Dunn (weaver), John Barr (weaver), Benjamin Kirk, George Kel- ley, Thomas Thomas (miller), John Smithel, John Taylor (gentleman), Owen Worrell, Gideon Malin (gardner), Leonard Webber, John Carr (weaver), James Smedley, James Gorman.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE FOR UPPER PROVIDENCE.
Caleb Peirce ..
Aug. 30, 1791.
Joseph Brinton.
May 20, 1800.
Luke Cassin
March 27, 1809.
John Siter
Sept. 1, 1813.
Robert Green
Feb. 23, 1816.
Nathan Gibson
July
3, 1×21.
June 10, 1822.
Parke Shee ...
Dec.
9, 1823.
Daniel Abrahams.
Dec.
14, 1825.
Barnard Flynn
Nov.
18, 1835.
Abner Lewis.
May
27,1836.
Thomas Sheldon
Dec.
20, 1836.
Thomas Cassin
Nov.
1, 1838.
Homer Eachus.
May
11, 1839.
John Miller ...
April 14, 1840.
Joseph Evans.
April 14, 1840.
John Miller.
April 15, 1845.
Joseph Evans.
April 14, 1846.
Jolın Miller.
.April 9, 1850.
Joseph Evane
.April 15, 1851.
Nathan Shaw
April 10, 1855.
John J. Rowland.
April 10, 1855.
1 Smith's " History of Delaware County," p. 455.
Nov. 26, 1817.
Maskill Ewing
Benjamin Lobb.
.Dec.
4, 1823.
George Brooke.
668
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Schools .- The present Blue Hill school-house is erected on the site of one of the ancient buildings which, during the last century, was set apart as a place for the education of children. When the first house was erected is not known, but certainly in 1777 a school was maintained there. The land on which the school-house stood was the property of George Miller, the elder, who subsequently bequeathed the lot to trustees for school purposes. In the account- book of George Miller, now in the possession of his granddaughter, Sarah L. Miller, of Media, are several entries which show that Mary Massey, daughter of Isaac Massey, boarded at the house of George Miller for the purpose of attending this school. The entries in the account-book are as follows :
" 1777, 10th mo. 12th.
" ISAAC MASSEY, Dr. To his daughter Mary's diet and accommodation one year ....... £6 10s. To cash paid Thomas Jacobe (the teacher) for her schooling ..... 158.
" 1778, 10th mo. 12th.
To his daughter Mary's diet and accommodation one year ...... £6 108.
To cash paid for her schooling ... . 2 08.
" 1779, 10th mo. 12th.
To his daughter Mary's diet and accommodation. £6 10s.
To caeh paid Abigail Sharpless for her schooling .. 158."
The late county superintendent, James W. Baker, in his report for 1876, states that Jesse Haines, Martha Cromwell, Thomas Hammer, Samuel Brown, Thomas Megarge, Elizabeth Passmore, John Hammer, and W. Lightfoot were some of the early teachers of this school, and were highly esteemed.
The house which stood on the lot in 1777 was prob- ably a log building. George Miller, hy his will dated Jan. 12, 1794, and probated in 1797, devised to Jacob Minshall one acre and two square perches of land, with all the buildings thereon, in trust for the society of protestants commonly called Quakers, of Chester Monthly Meeting, for " the use of a school to be kept thereon," under the care of Friends. On this lot a stone school-house was built by subscription prior to George Miller's death, which occurred in 1797. School was kept there under the care of the Society of Friends from that date to 1837, when the Blue Hill school- house passed to the school directors of Upper Provi- dence. In 1872 the old building had become so di- lapidated that it was necessary to rebuild it, at a cost of two thousand five hundred dollars, and to meet that expense the court, in June, 1873, authorized the direc- tors to sell the Turner lands, which was done, realizing $1333.15.
James Turner, in 1787, was the owner of a house and lot on Providence road known as Blue Hill. On the 26th day of the First month, 1787, he by will devised this land as follows :
" I give, devise, and bequeath to George Miller, the son of my cousin, George Miller, my house and Lott of ground, eittuate in Upper Provi- dence, afforesaid, commonly called the Blue Hill, . . . to hold to him, his heire aud assigne forever, upon special trust and confidence, never- theless, and to and for tbe uses, Interests, and purposes hereinafter ex- pressed, mentioned, and declared, and none other; (that is to say) for the use of the Society of protestante commonly called Quakers, of and belonging to the Monthly Meeting of Chester, for the erecting of one or
mure school-houses thereon for the teaching and Instructing youth therein, and all necessary conveniences thereto belonging, under and subject to the rules, regulations, and order of the said monthly meeting for the time being forever."
The remainder of his estate was devised to Jacob Minshall for the use of the school.
Jacob Minshall and George Miller, being individ- ual trustees of these two pieces of ground, on Oct. 1, 1799, conveyed to Jacob Minshall, George Miller, Edward Fell, Ambrose Smedley, James Smedley, Isaac Sharpless, John Hill, Jr., and Joseph Pennell, Jr., the lands specified in the wills of James Turner and George Miller, in trust for the Blue Hill school, under care of Chester Monthly Meeting. After the enactment of the school law, and in 1837, " the school building and part of the grounds were suffered to fall into the possession of the school directors of the dis- trict of Upper Providence,"1 who maintained a school there. The residue of the Turner and Miller real es- tate devised for school purposes in 1865 was in pos- session of Isaac Miller as trustee under the wills of James Turner and George Miller. By the act of Feb. 7, 1865, the lands and income were placed under the control of the Court of Common Pleas of Dela- ware County, "for the maintenance of a public school by the school directors, . . . at or near Blue Hill," with power in the court to order the sale or leasing of the real estate in its discretion. Under this authority the court, as before mentioned, in 1873 ordered the sale of the real estate, and the proceeds to be used by the directors in defraying the cost of the erection of the new school building at Blue Hill.
On the 18th of October, 1836, the board of directors purchased a half-acre of land on the Providence great road below the Rose-Tree, and erected a school- house, which was used until 1870. At that date a half-acre was purchased adjoining, and a brick build- ing twenty-seven by forty feet was erected, the old house being removed. It is designated as Sandy Bank, No. 2.
Prior to 1872 a school was maintained in a house belonging to Samuel Bancroft, near the "Burnt Mills" (Manchester Mills), and in that year the pres- ent lot was purchased of Andrew Pallas, an English- man, who went to England, and is supposed to have been lost at sea. The money had not been paid, and it was in the hands of the directors for several years before his heirs made the proper application for it. The brick house thereon, twenty-seven by forty feet, was erected in 1872, and is known as District No. 1.
In 1825, at the election in this year Thomas Cassin, Isaac Smedley, and George Miller, Jr., were chosen "School Trustees for Upper Providence." It will be noticed that Isaac Smedley and George Miller were trustees of the Blue Hill school, the only school known to have been in the township at that time. In 1834, after the enactment of the school law of that
1 Act of Feb. 7, 1865 : Bliss' " Digest of Delaware County," p. 16.
669
UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.
year, the court appointed George Miller, Jr., Ezekiel Norman, Jr., inspectors of the public schools until directors should be elected. In 1835 the amount of money received by Upper Providence from State and county appropriation for school purposes was $138.57.
The following is a list of school directors as obtained from the records of Media :
1840, Isaac Haldeman, John R. Lewis ; 1842, Joseph Evans, Enoch Dow- ell; 1843, Levis Miller, Malin Bishop, Isaac Cochran; 1844, Wil- liam P. Wilson, Thomas C. Palmer ; 1845, Abel Lodge, Luke Cassin ; 1846, Levis Miller, Edward Davis; 1847, Pratt Bishop, John R. Lewis; 1848, Daniel James, George G. Fell; 1849, John Kirk, John Eves; 1850, William T. Pierce, Pratt Bishop; 1851, Joho Evee, Franklin Johnson ; 1852, John Henderson, Thomas Reece; 1853, R. H. Smith, William Coffman; 1854, Caleb Hoopes, Jr., Oliver E. Strickland; 1855, Thomas Reece, James R. Cummins; 1856, Charles Wheeler, Perry C. Pike ; 1857, William Coffman, Perry C. Pike, Caleb Hoopes; 1858, Pratt Bishop, John Kirk ; 1859, John I. Row- land, Hugh L. Tyler; 1860, Wesley Thomas, John J. Rowland; 1861, Pratt Bishop, R. C. Fairlamb ; 1862, Levi G. James, John Fields ; 1863, Joseph N. Duon, I. Morgan Baker; 1864, Pratt Bishop, Ed- ward Carey, Nathan Evans ; 1865, R. C. Fairlamb, Levi C. James ; 1866, Caleb Hoopes, Edward Carey ; 1867, Nathan Evens, Thomas Bishop; 1868, Joseph N. Dunn, Pratt Bishop ; 1869, John Ottey, Edmund E. Worrall; 1870, Pearson Fike, Caspar Rudolph; 1871, Abram Leee, Pratt Bishop; 1872, William Durell, George Velott ; 1873, no report ; 1874, H. B. Fussell, George M. Tyler; 1875, Samuel Ottey, William Sheldon ; 1876, John Ottey, George B. Adams, Lind- ley Smedley ; 1877, Abram Lees, Lindley Smedley ; 1878, Isaac S. Pike, Samuel Ottey ; 1879, Benjamin Rogers, George M. Tyler ; 1880, Lewis Kirk, Charles Moore ; 1881, D. Reece Hawkins, Samuel Ottey ; 1882, C. F. Lewis, Benjamin Rogers; 1883, J. E. Tyler, Lewis Kirk ; 1884, Samuel Ottey, D. R. Hawkine.
Mills on Ridley Creek-Upper Bank or Man- chester Mill .- In the year 1764, James Wilcox was assessed in Upper Providence township on a dwelling and fifty acres of land. This real estate was located on Ridley Creek, where are now the ruins of the Man- chester Mill. In 1766, James Wilcox was assessed, in addition to the foregoing property, on a paper- mill. This mill remained in his ownership until his death, when it passed to his son, Mark Wilcox, and the latter sold it to John Lungren, April 20, 1785. Lungren operated the paper-mill for five years, when (Dec. 30, 1795) he conveyed it to William Levis, of Philadelphia. The deed to Levis included the mill, and one hundred and seventy acres of ground. In 1799, John Levis, a son of William, had control of the mill, and continued the business there until the paper- mill was changed to a cotton-factory, in 1818, and rented to Wagstaff & Englehorn, who conducted the business successfully. In 1821, John P. Crozer states, "Only one cotton-factory in Delaware County, that of Wagstaff & Englehorn, continued running, and now appeared to be making money. But Wagstaff was a practical cotton-spinner from England, and had a con- sequent advantage."1 In 1823 the firm had dissolved, and Hugh Wagstaff was operating the factory ; for the Post-Boy, on Nov. 11, 1823, contained the following local item :
"QUICK WORK .- Miee Calderwood, of Mr. Wagstaff'e Factory, near this Borough, recently wove 551 yards of 100 shirting in the short space of 72 hours. Can any of the 'ruby-lip'd, rosy-cheek'd lasses' of Chester County beat that ?"
On Jan. 28, 1825, the factory and twenty-six acres of land were sold to James Ronaldson. The pur- chaser gave the mill in charge of James Siddall, and at that time the building contained ten carding- engines of thirty inches, two drawing-frames of three heads each, two roving-frames, one speeder of twenty and one of ten spindles, six hundred throstle-spindles, six hundred and seventy-two mule-spindles, one warper and dresser, and fourteen power-looms. On July 18, 1829, James Ronaldson sold the mill property to John Bancroft, who had been in charge of the fac- tory since 1827. The latter operated the mill until 1842, when it was sold to William T. Crook, then of New York. The purchaser conducted the factory until 1857, when the property was sold to Samuel Bancroft, the present owner, who operated the mill until Oct. 9, 1872, when it was destroyed by fire, and is now a ruin.
Robinett's Grist-Mill and Camm's Stocking- Works .- Allen Robinett, who took up two hundred and forty-five acres of land, March 22, 1681, on Rid- ley Creek, just above the Concord road, settled on the tract prior to 1683, as is established by the following quaint letter, written by Robinett and his wife, to a friend, probably a member of the Pemberton family, who then resided in Bucks County, among whose papers the letter was found :
" Priscilla, and loveing friend: After mine and my wife's kinde love Remembered unto thee, thie is to desire thee to yous me well about thy stele mill; I mean to leat me have it as chepe as thou caost afford it and to trust me untell my corn comes of the Ground, and we dout not but then we shall euone Raie mony aod pay thee forit. it will do us a kindnes hecaus we are so fear from the mill, and if thou wilt let ue have it, send word, and the lowist price, to our verry loveing friend Liddy waid; and so we Rest thy loveing frende.
"ALLEN ROBINETT AND MARGARET. " this 14th day of the 3d month, 1683."
The mill here mentioned was doubtless a hand mill, but in a few years later a mill had been built on Rob- inett's land, for in a deed bearing date Seventh month (September) 29, 1687, recorded in Philadelphia, Allen Robinett, of Upper Providence, conveyed to Richard Crosby, of Middletown, "a water-mill" in Upper Providence, with about two acres of land, on the southwest side of Ridley Creek, and " a little Bottom on the northeast side."
At that time John and Richard Crosby were opera- ting a grist. mill and saw-mill a short distance lower down the stream, to which they derived title in 1705.
The Robinett mill does not appear in any assess- ment now on file in Chester County, and it must, therefore, have gone out of use prior to 1766. It is probable that Crosby bought that mill intending to discontinue it, because of its proximity to his own mill.
The tract on which this old mill stood, with the ex- ception of the mill-site, passed to Charles Booth on Feb. 29, 1704. The latter died, and his widow, Elizabeth, on Aug. 29, 1716, conveyed to John Camm, of Upper Providence, stocking-weaver, the messuage
1 Life of John P. Crozer, p. 52.
670
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
and one hundred acres of land, he paying seventy- five pounds therefor. This John Camm, whose name appears on the list of taxables in the county in 1715, was the first stocking-weaver in the American colo- nies who had emigrated from Great Britain, so far as known. He was an Irish Friend, who came from Cork in 1708, settling at first in Philadelphia and sub- sequently removed to Chester County. He was cer- tainly in Upper Providence in 1716, where he followed his calling as a stocking-weaver, as the following ad- vertisement in the American Weekly Mercury of Dec. 10, 1732, fully attests :
" Whereas Matthew Burne, of Chester County, served John Camm two years (that ie, ten or twelve months at stocking weaving and othe> work), during which time John Camm's stockings bore many reflections, and now the said Matthew Burne goes about selling stockinge in John Camm's name as though they were his own make, which is falee and not true.
" JOHN CAMM."
Malin's Grist-Mill .- The tract of land through which the Edgmont and Springfield road passes, on the west side of Ridley, and bordering on that stream, . was originally surveyed to Randal Malin. At an early period, Malin,-probahly Jacob,-the son of Randal Malin, who settled on this land and died there early in the last century, built a dam across the creek on land now owned by Dr. Jacks and the estate of James Smedley, from which the race ran along the creek down to the lower portion of the Malin tract. About two hundred yards below the present residence of Stephen Malin, a lineal descendant of the settler, a stone house and a grist-mill were built. The mill- race is yet intact, and the foundation of the old house is still to be seen. William Malin, a grandson of the settler, it is said, in 1785, built a portion of the present residence. In 1770 David Malin & Co. were assessed on a saw-mill, after which date the name does not appear in connection with mills on the assessment-rolls.
Sycamore Mills .- On June 24, 1690, Samuel Car- penter, Robert Turner, and John Goodson, commis- sioners of property, issued a patent for five hundred acres of land to James Swaffer, which, beginning & short distance south of Blue Hill, included all the territory between Ridley and Crum Creeks, and ex- tending to the northern boundary of the township. A tract of twenty acres, included in this patent to Swaffer, lying on Ridley Creek, on June 14, 1696, passed to the ownership of John Edge, Sr. The latter, by will, May 5, 1711, devised to his son, John, this plot and three hundred and sixty acres, lying on the opposite side of the creek, in Edgmont, which land he had purchased from Philip Yarnall. In 1717, John Edge, Jr., Jacob Edge, and Henry Miller formed a copartnership for the purpose of erecting a "water corn-mill" and carrying on a milling business on the twenty-acre tract. The following year the mill, to which they gave the name Providence Mills, was built, and, still standing, is known as the "old part" of the present Sycamore Mills. It was a stone struc-
ture, thirty by thirty-two feet, two stories in height. Prior to building this mill the company purchased two and three-quarter acres in Edgmont for the race and dam privileges, each of the partners contributing £5 2s. 8d. towards the cost of the land. On Dec. 17, 1719, Henry Miller purchased the third interest, owned by John Edge, in these mills, which two-third interest Henry Miller by his will, Dec. 17, 1719, devised to his son, George. The latter, on Dec. 10, 1740, con- veyed a one-third interest in the mill property to Roger Pugh, and he, on Fifth month 8, 1746, to Law- rence Cox. "Between May 5, 1746, and April 25, 1752, while Lawrence Cox was the owner of Miller's share [it was Miller's half-interest Cox had] the saw-mill was erected, doubtless in 1747, or thirty years after the grist-mill, for in the latter part of that year he leased it, excepting one-tenth part, for a term of fourteen years, and at the rate of two pounds annu- ally, to Thomas and John Minshall, of Middletown, both of them at the same time coming in for a fifth share each in the grist-mill. They sent their flour to Barbadoes in 1746, and to Jamaica by the brig 'Dolphin' in 1748, in charge of their brother, Moses, who was a sea-captain, and received sugar in part in return. Lawrence Cox was then also part owner of the mills. Thomas Yarnall and John Cox were like- wise in partnership with the Minshalls in the saw-mill business. There was a curious arrangement made that 'when the grist-mill wanted water from the dam, and there was not enough for both, the saw-mill was to stand idle,' an excellent contrivance to promote a feud. Cox seemed to have had unlimited faith in tenants, for in the same year, 1746, that he obtained partial possession of the property he leased one-third of his share to William Hammans for twenty-one years, at an annual rent of twelve pounds. . . . In 1757 all the possessions went to his son, George." 1
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