History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 173

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

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George Pierce, or, as he wrote his name, Pearce, with his wife, Ann, and three children, emigrated from the parish of Winscom, in the county of Somerset, England, in 1684, and in the same year four hundred and ninety acres of land were surveyed to him in Thornbury township. He probably settled on his plantation in 1685, but he did not become identified actively with Chester Meeting until 1686. He was a member of Assembly in 1706, and was part owner in the Concord Mill, the first erected in the neighbor- hood where he lived. He died in 1734, but had re- moved to East Marlborough township, in the present county of Chester, two years prior to his death.

All the remainder of the land in Thornbury lying north of a line beginning at the African Methodist Church and extending due east to the corner of Edg- mont township, near Daniel James' grist-mill, was part of John Beller's fifteen hundred acres, taken up May 14-15, 1685, in right of ten thousand acres pur- chased by Richard Marsh in 1681. On Jan. 15-16, 1724, John Cheyney and Thomas Cheyney acquired ownership to the entire tract, part of which extended into the present Thornbury township, in Chester

County. The two brothers, who were the sons of John Cheyney, the settler, who died in Middletown in 1722, are the ancestors of the Cheyney family of Thornbury, and much of the original land purchased by the first of their name in the township still re- mains in the ownership of their descendants. Thomas Cheyney, or, as history has recorded him, "Squire," was the son of John. He was a justice of the peace, an intelligent farmer, and an active, earnest Whig during the Revolution. He it was who brought to Washington the first undoubted intelligence that the British army, under Cornwallis, had crossed the forks of the Brandywine and outflanked the Americans.1 His remains lie in the family graveyard, a short dis- tance to the north of Cheyney Station.

The inhabitants of the township were doubtless the victims of much spoliation by the English troops during the time the enemy's forces were in that neigh- borhood, yet no account of these ontrages has been preserved so far as the writer is aware. The losses sustained by the residents of Thornbury, while the British army lay encamped near Dilworthtown, from 11th to 16th of September, 1777, were considerable, although doubtless much of the loss inflicted was never presented under the act of Sept. 21, 1782, providing for the filing of claims, which privilege seemed to satisfy the consciences of the men in authority, for no other effort was ever made to pay those claims. The accounts presented from Thornbury were as follows :

€ 8. d.

From George Brinton ..

517 11 5

Sampson Davis

115 18

William Arment ..

42 0

William Louden.

44 Catharina Davia ..

3 6

44 Isaac Davis.

787 18 1

Of the few men from Delaware County, who, not in the regular military or naval service of the United States, volunteered as a soldier during the Mexican war, Thornbury can claim William S. Mendenhall, who enlisted in Capt. Biddle's company. His name appeared among the list of men wounded in that war.

One of the most useful and eminent men of Eastern Pennsylvania was Joseph Hemphill, who was born in Thornbury, Delaware Co., Jan. 7, 1770. He graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1791, and began reading law with Thomas Ross, of West Chester, and was admitted to practice in August, 1793. In 1797 he was elected a member of Assembly from Chester County, and continued to represent the dis- trict until 1800, when he was elected to the Seventh Congress of the United States from the district com- posed of Delaware and Chester Counties. Before the expiration of his term he removed to Philadelphia, where in 1805 he was elected to the Legislature. In 1811 the District Court for the City and County of Philadelphia was established for six years, and, al- though Joseph Hemphill was a Federalist, Governor

1 Ses ante, p. 58.

704

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Snyder appointed him president judge of that court, and when the court was continued, the same Governor recommissioned him. After presiding for eight years he resigned, and was elected to Congress, where he served three terms, until 1831. He was a partner with Tucker, in Philadelphia, in the manufacture of porce- lain, which resulted in a pecuniary loss. He died in Philadelphia, May 29, 1842.

Roads .- That part of the road from Thornbury to Middletown which extends from Westtown road through Thornton to the western end of the town- ship, at Brinton's farms, is said to have been laid out by the grand jury over an old Indian trail. At the court held in the latter part of the year 1687, "The Inhabitants of the Township of Thornbury Peti- tioned for a Highway to ye River Delaware, Ordered that ye Grand Inquest doe lay out a Convenient Highway, & y' George Pearce be assisting." At the court on "ye 5th of yt 1st month, 1688/9," the grand jury had performed that duty, for on that it appears that "Wee of ye Grand Inquest for ye County of Chester have laid out ye Road from Thornbury to Middletown, Beginning att a Spanish Oake vpon Thomas Bradford's lands, near Thomas Evinson's, along ye lyne of marked trees, through Edward Beason's Land; thence along ye lyne of markt trees through John Simcock's Land to a marked Walenutt standing by Chester Creeke; thence Crossing ye Creeke along Edward Blacke's Land, along ye lyne of marked trees, through Joshua Hasting's land, along Crossing ye head of Caleb Pusie's land ; thence through David Ogden's land to Middletown road, ending att a marked white Oake standing by ye Road side."

Although the grand jury so accurately returned the highway which they had agreed upon, it appears not to have been immediately opened to public use and travel, for, on the 9th of Tenth month, 1691, to the justices was presented "a petetion of Inhabitants in & about Thornbury for a cart way to Chester, Or- dered the clerk to send an order to ye Grand Inquest to Lay out a convenient Road for ye Town of Thorn- bury to Chester." This order was obeyed, and early in 1692 the grand jury report the following as their "return of a road to Thornbury :"

" Beginning at a marked tree by Edward Carter's, which was marked by a former Grand Jury, and so along a line of marked trees to John Baldwin's fence, and then by John's consent over a corner thereof through a corner of his field, and so along to a black oak, being a corner of John Nield's land, and from thence down to John Nield's field, and by his con- sent over a corner thereof, and so through the creek and up the hill by Gilbert Williams' Barn."

Perhaps this return was so plain to the understand- ing of the justices that no further difficulty was en- countered in laying out the highway. At all events, the good people of Thornbury got the road they so much craved.

The tax rate of Thornbury in 1715, then including the original township, was :

£ s. d.

£ 8. d.

Henry Nayle ....

036

Richd Evenson ..

0 30

John Willis ..

0 10

John Pile ..

0 3 10

George Pearce ...

0 6 41 Richard Arnold 0 1 6

Isaac Taylor.

0 14 0

John Stringer. 0 0 9

William Brinton

Jonathan Thatcher.

0 4

fremen.

Joho Davis.

0 8 11

Peter Hatton, for hie land

Johu Yearsley ..

0 4

Richd Arnold, JunT, 0 4

Thomas Everson.

Jacob Bener. 0 4

Richard Woodward ...

0 4 10

John Bener ..

0 4

Wm Pile, land in Kennet ..

0 Neho Rogers.

0 4

Joseph Brinton.

Nehemiah Ogden. 0 4 0

Joseph Baker.

Thomas Masser

0 4 9

The list of the taxables in the township in 1799 is as follows :

George Brinton, Daniel Broomall, John and Joseph Brinton (miller), Thomas Brinton, Joseph Baker, Nehemiah Baker, John Cargrove, Mary Cheyney, Edith Cheyney, Samuel Cheyney, Jesse Cheyney, Joseph Chey- Dey, Curtia Cheyney, John Cheyney, Eleanor Davie, Joseph Eveson, John Edwards (justice of the peace), Mary W. Frazer, Abel Green, Wills Hemphill, Ann Hemphill, Thomas Hall (wheelwright), Abner Hoopes (saddler), Thonies Hickman, Joshna Hoopes, Ezra Hoopee, Jobn James, John Harvey, Lewis & Hemphill (forge and appartenances), Lewia & Yarnall, Josiah Lewie (storekeeper), Joseph Moore (store- keeper), John Marshall (wheelwright), Richard Mercer, Henry Myers (grist- and saw-mill), Caleb Pyle (woolcomber), Levi Pyle (weaver), Stephen Pyle, Thomas Candes, Richard Parker, Jacob Parker, John Peirce, Sr., Caleb Peirce, Joseph Peirce, Esther Hughes, Robert Pen- nell, John Reed, Hugh Reed, Thomas Scott, Abraham Sharplese, Wil- liam Thatcher, Daniel Thompson, Daniel Trimble, Sarah Thompson, Joseph Woodward, William Williamson, Abraham Williamson, Wil- liam Yarnall.

Inmates .- Ezekiel Johnson (shoemaker), Jobb Harvey (weaver), John Johnson (tailor), David Eshin, Edward Churchman, John Cheyney (tailor), John Woodward, Joseph James (blacksmith), James Bailey (blacksmith), George Fox (tailor), Jonathan Lewsley, John Bail (farge- man), James Hannum (carpenter), Robert Logan, James Hickman, Esther Hughes, Thomas Condes.

Single Freemen .- John Smith (shoemaker), William Thatcher, Jr., Jacob Pyle (shoemaker), Isaac Pyle (weaver), James Pyle (weaver), John Lindsay (blacksmith), George Stanley (wheelwright), Samuel Cheyney (saddler), Joseph Cheyney, Aaron Holms (tailor).

The following persons have served as justices of the peace for Thornbury township :

Caleb Peirce. .Aug.

30, 1791.

John Edwards

Jan.

24, 1797.

Joseph Brinton. .May

20, 1800.

Matthias Kerlin

.July

4,1808.

Thomas Pierce.

Feb.

5, 1814.

James Bratton.

.Feb.

3, 1820.

Joseph Fux

Dec.

4, 1823,

John Matteon ..

Dec.

13, 1823.

Joseph Bowen.

.Nov.

10, 1824.

Joseph Trimble .. .. April 21, 1827.

Robert Frame.

.Jan.

15, 1829.

Robert Hall

Feb.

8, 1831.

William Mendenhall

Dec.

6, 1836.

Charles Baldwin.

April 14, 1840.

Hill Brinton

April 14, 1840.

Charles Baldwin ..

.April 15, 1845,

Hill Brinton.

April 14, 1846.

Charles Baldwin

.April

9, 1850.

Hill Brinton ...

... April 15, 1851.

Charles Baldwin. .April 10, 1855, April 10, 1860.

Thomas McFadden ... April 26, 1864, April 16, 1869.

Thomas P. Hazard .. ..... March 24, 1874, March 27, 1879.

Wayside Church .- This handsome stone sanctuary was erected by an association whose membership is composed of persons associated with different Prot- estant religions sects. The society was organized in 1871, with the avowed purpose of erecting a church edifice which should be free to all Protestants to hold service in. The lot was donated by William H.

Jacob Vernor

7 9

Philip Taylor .. 0 3

in Kennet.

705

THORNBURY TOWNSHIP.

Erwin, and the Gothic church, which is thirty by H. B. Mauger, W. C. Johnson, J. W. Watson, E. W. forty-five feet, erected, at a cost of four thousand ' Townsend, J. Magee, W. B. Chalfant, R. H. Sadler, C. M. Boswell, C. E. Adamson, N. W. Clark, and the present pastor, W. C. Graeff.

dollars. On May 3, 1874, the church was dedicated, the Rev. Dr. Speer, of Philadelphia, of the Episcopal Church, preaching the sermon on that occasion. Dr. Speer was assisted in the ceremonies hy the Rev. George W. Gaul, of the Methodist Church; Rev. Abel C. Thomas, of the Universalist Church ; Rev. Mr. Lynn, of the Presbyterian Church; Rev. Dr. Worrell, of the Baptist Church; and Darlington Hoopes, a public Friend. The church is under con- trol of a committee appointed by the society, and a regular Sunday-school is maintained there, having at the present time sixty pupils. Mrs. W. A. Cheyney is superintendent.

An able writer, in mentioning the Wayside Church, says,-

" A beautiful little structure built at Cheyney Station, on the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, well deserves notice. It is called the Wayside Church, and is independent of all other organizations. It was erected by members of various religious sects, aided by many at- tached to no denomination, and it is open to all professors of religion, the services being varied to suit the views of the particular officiating individual, who may he some one invited by the congregation, or some well-meaning clergyman or other person who may feel it his duty for the time to occupy the pulpit. In the absence of such person, servicee much resembling the Episcopal are read by one of the members desig- nated for the occasion. The congregation numbers about two hundred.

"The place owee its origin to the efforts of certain liberal-minded people in the neighborhood, whose design appears to be to bring mem- bers of the several religious bodies more in contact with one another, that they may learn how insignificant are the differences of opinion which have filled Christendom with persecution and bloodshed. The result is teaching on a small scale the lesson that most religious disputes are purely dialectic. The sects being isolated, learn to attach peculiar and technical meanings to certain much-used words, and therefore, to some extent, really talk each a different language from the other with- out knowing it. The movement at Cheyney appears to be in the direc- tion of the progress of the age. Within the last half-century there is manifestly a growing tendency among the various religious denomina- tions to co-operate with one another in benevolent and humanitarian enterprises, and 'to view the peculiarities of one another in & more charitable light, and there is a decreasing disposition on the part of each to claim the exclusive right of regulating the relations existing between man and his Maker. Delaware County has ite full share of the whole- some progress in this direction." 1

Stony Bank Methodist Church .- This church or- ganization was originally included in the township of Aston, until the act of July 30, 1842, made the change in the township lines which annexed Stony Bank meeting-house to Thornbury. The church was organized in 1810, by Israel Pyle, Benjamin Baldwin, and others, the first meetings being held in the Stony Bank school-house until the meeting-house was erected, in 1812. The stone church then built was used until 1870, when the new edifice was erected, the corner- stone being laid on July 28th of that year. The building was completed the following spring, and dedicated May 27, 1871. The membership of Stony Bank Church is about twenty-five persons at the present time. Since 1856 the pastors have been Revs. H. G. King, J. Z. Cooper, H. H. Bodine, H. Houston,

Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church .- The class from which the church was organized was formed about 1845, and on March 26, 1846, Albon Pyle conveyed a lot at Thornton- to Israel Pyle and others as trustees, to be used for the erection of a church building as well as a burial-ground. A meet- ing-house was built soon after the lot was donated for that purpose. For many years the church was under the charge of Chester Circuit, being dependent for religious exercises on the circuit preachers who served also Mount Hope and Stony Bank Churches. On Nov. 26, 1860, Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated by the court of Delaware County. In 1871 the building, which began to show the marks of age, was repaired at a cost of eight hundred and twenty-two dollars. The church was reopened on Sunday, Nov. 19, 1871, and during the day and even- ing the following clergymen preached : Revs. Hughes, Wallace, Alcorn, and Watson. Contributions to the gross amount of five hundred dollars were made.

African Methodist Episcopal Church .- Several years ago a number of colored Methodists organized a class in Thornbury, and shortly afterwards pur- chased the old frame school-house on the Westtown road, formerly used by Nathan Hunt. The building was moved about half a mile farther to the north, on the same road, in close proximity to the residence of James Sullivan, and was fitted up as a church. The congregation have no regular pastor, but are de- pendent on the circuit preachers.

Schools .- The first school established in the town- ship was doubtless at the location now known as the Western District school-house, which is situated near the Chester County line on the road leading from Concord to Dilworthtown. The deed for the lot is in the possession of Charles Cheyney, one of the school directors. The indenture, dated March 25, 1715, is made by William Pyle to George Pierce, John Willis, Henry Nayle, Edward Bennett, Thomas Eavenson, Richard Woodward, Philip Taylor, Jacob Vernon, Joseph Brinton, John Yearsley, Richard Eavenson, and John Pyle, of Thornbury, and William Brinton, of Birmingham, conveying a lot of ground in trust for the purpose of maintaining a school there. The deed also conveys the right to a foot-path, three feet in width, leading to a spring not far distant on the land of William Pyle. This deed has never been recorded, but has remained in the possession of the trustees, and subsequently of the school directors, the latter acting as trustees since the acceptance of the school law by the township, for one hundred and sixty-nine years. The date when a school-house was erected on this lot cannot be definitely ascertained, but the probabilities are that such a structure was built soon after the deed was executed, for the pur-

1 History of Delaware County for the Past Century. By Hon. John M. Broomall, pp. 19, 20. (Media, 1876.)

706

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

chase of the lot is evidence that it was the desire of the trustees to have a place where their children might receive educational advantages. From the recollec- tion of the oldest residents in the neighborhood a stone school-house was on the site; the first was burned in 1810, and rebuilt. The lot was transferred to the school directors in 1837, and was used until the second building was destroyed by fire, in December, 1842. On this occasion the fire originated from hot ashes having been put in a barrel standing in a shed adjoining the house. A third stone house was built on the site, and used until 1872, when it was removed, and the present brick building erected. The ancient spring, mentioned in the deed of 1715, was in use hy the pupils until 1880, when other water-supply was obtained much nearer to the school-house.

On Sept. 12, 1839, the school directors purchased a lot of land of Joseph Baker and Reuben Yarnell, on which a stone school-house was built. It was used until 1863, but its inconvenient location was such that the present lot, half a mile to the north, was pur- chased, and the present brick house, known as the Eastern District school-house, erected.

In the present Central District of Thornbury the first school-house was built about 1820. It was located near the present residence of William Pennell. The real estate belonged to Nathan Hunt, who built a small frame building, in which he taught school, On the 27th of August, 1840, the school directors pur- chased eighty square perches of land of William Pen- nell, and the same year purchased two other lots, ad- joining one of which was the old Nathan Hunt lot. At this place the directors built a stone house, which was used until the present brick house was erected on the same lot in 1863.

On March 18, 1825, at the election held in that year, Joseph James, Eli D. Pierce, and Thomas S. Brinton were returned as school trustees. After the enact- ment of the public school law of 1834, Hill Brinton and Dr. John T. Huddleson were appointed by court inspectors of the school in Thornbury until directors were elected. The township, however, did not accept the public school law until 1836. In that year $141.86, the State and county appropriation, was set apart to Thornbury, but was never paid to the township.

The following is a list of the school directors of Thornbury, as appears from the records at Media :

1840, Joseph Baker, Harlan Clayton ; 1842, Thomas Hemphill, Alexan- der Russell ; 1843, Henry W. Brinton, Charles Baldwin, David R Cheyney ; 1844, Curtis Cheyney, Eli Pyle; 1845, John C. Caldwell, Robert B. Roberts; 1846, Joseph Pennell, Reuben H. Smith; 1847, John T. Huddleson, John D. Peirce; 1848, Samuel Palmer, Joseph Baker; 1849, Reuben H. Smith, Eli Pyle; 1850, John Eldridge, Joseph R. Cheyney ; 1851, Joseph E. Brinton, David R. Cheyney ; 1852, John Eldridge, William H. Cheyney : 1853, Eli Baker, Samuel Palmer; 1854, George Thomas, Eli Baker; 1855, John Eldridge, Caleb J. Hoopes ; 1856, James Myers, Bernard Pyle; 1857, David Cheyney, George Thomas; 1858, John D. Reecs, Joseph Newlin ; 1859, Samuel Palmer, Isaac Malin ; 1860, Isaac C. Malin, Eli Baker; 1861, Jamee Newlin, John D. Peirce; 1862, Samuel C. Ogden, Samuel G. Eachus; 1863, Thomas I. Baker, Charles H. Cheyney; 1864, Samuel G. Eachus, Isaac Bunting ; 1866, Thomas N. Hemphill,

Charles Pyle ; 1866, J. M. Hickman, A. P. Temple ; 1867, Samuel G. Eachne, James R. Cheyney ; 1868, J. M. Baker, Garrett Thatcher ; 1869, Charles H. Cheyney, Bennett Temple ; 1870, Joseph R. Chey- ney, Samuel G. Eachue; 1871, John Benuington, George Thatcher; 1872, Charles H. Cheyney, Bennett Temple; 1873, Walter Pyle, Daniel Broomall; 1874, Joseph Hunt, Charles H. Baldwin; 1875, C. H. Cheyney, Bennett Temple; 1876, Walter Pyle, David Jeffries; 1877, Charles H. Baldwin, T. Elwood Pyle; 1878, Charles H. Chey- Dey, Joseph Pratt; 1879, Walter Pyle, David Jeffries; 1880, T. EI- wood Pyle, Dr. J. H. Horner; 1881, Charles H. Cheyney, Mrs. S. F. James; 1882, Walter Pyle, Bennett Temple; 1883, Joseph H. Horner, John Brinton, Jr .; 1884, Charles H. Cheyney, Joseph Pratt.

Westtown and Thornbury School District .- The residents in the northwestern section of Thorn- bury, with those of the southeastern part of West- town, Chester Co., uniting in a petition to the Legislature for the creation of a school district which should include territory lying in the counties of Delaware and Chester, obtained the passage of the act of May 1, 1852, which provided that all lands "lying east of the western lines of the farms now held by Edward Shimer and John Entriken, and the farms and lands now in the occupancy and possession of Benjamin Hickman, Joseph G. Gibbons, Alexander Stephens, Evan E. Green, Joseph Cheyney, and Jesse Russell, situate in the township of Thornbury," and that part of the township of Westtown, in the county of Chester, lying east of the westeru line of the west school farm, were erected into a separate and independent school district. The school-house in this district is located in Westtown township, Chester Co.

Union School District .- In the winter of 1861 the residents of the northwestern section of Thorn- bury, lying east of Westtown and Thornbury school district, together with residents of Edgmont, in Dela- ware County, and Westtown and Willistown, Ches- ter County, petitioned the Legislature for the erection of an independent and separate school district. On April 1, 1861, the act of Assembly was approved, erecting within certain designated boundaries, ex- tending to the Ashbridge road in Edgmont, the "Union School District of Chester, and Delaware Counties." The territory so included was enlarged by act of Assembly of April 9, 1873, by which the farm lands of Eber Eachus, Edward Baker, and Joseph R. Menagh, in Edgmont, were attached to the Union school district. The first directors, consisting of Charles Baldwin, Homer Eachus, Abraham W. Bailey, Edwin Hoopes, Ellwood Smedley, and Charles Tanger, were appointed by court on April 19, 1861, to act until others were elected.

Sarum Forge .- The exact date of the erection of a forge on Chester Creek, at the present Glen Mills, by John Taylor, has not been ascertained. Early in 1750, Parliament enacted a law "to encourage the im- portation of pig- and bar-iron from his Majesty's Col- onies in America, and to prevent the erection of any mill or other engine for slitting or rolling of iron, or any plating forge to work with a tilt-hammer, or any

707

THORNBURY TOWNSHIP.

furnace for making steel in any of the said Colonies," and required the Governors in the American colonies should certify the number, as well as " a particular account" of such business establishments in the terri- tory under their several jurisdictions. In obedience to the act of Parliament, Lieutenant-Governor James Hamilton issued a proclamation on Aug. 16, 1750, commanding the sheriff's of the counties in Pennsyl- vania to make return by the 25th of September fol- lowing of all such establishments " within their sev- eral and respective Counties." In response to this proclamation, John Owen, sheriff of Chester County, made the following return :

" Ta the Honourable Jomes Hamilton, Esqr., Lieutenant-Governor and Com- mander-in-Chief of the Province of Pensilvania and Counties of New- castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware.

" I, John Owen, Shariff of tha County of Chester, in the said Prov- ince, do Certify and maka known, That there is but ona Mill or Engine for Slitting and rolling Iron within the County aforasaid, which ie eitu- ate in Thornbury Township, and was Erected in the Year Ona thousand Seven Hundred and forty-Six, by John Taylor, tha present Proprietor thereof, who, with his Servants and workman, has ever Since, untill the twenty-fourth day of June last, Used and Occupied the Same. And I do hereby further certify that there is not any Plateing fforga to work with a Tilt-Hammer, nor any ffurnace for making of Steal within the aaid County of Chester. In Witness wheraof I have hareunto set my band and Seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred and fifty.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 173

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