History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 77

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 77

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).

St. Thomas' Church, Ivy Mills .- The Catholic residents of Aston for many years attended worship in St. Mary's Church, the noted chapel in the man-

304

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

sion of the Willcox family at Ivy Mills, in Concord township, but in time the congregation grew so nu- merous that it became necessary to erect a sanctuary at a more convenient location for those living in Rockdale and its neighborhood. Hence to that end a tract of land was purchased from Nicholas F. Walter on Aug. 26, 1852, the deed being made to the Rt. Rev. J. N. Newman, bishop of the diocese of Philadelphia, which lot was to be held in trust for the congregation of Ivy Mills. On Sunday, Aug. 29, 1852, the corner-stone of the church of "St. Thomas the Apostle" was laid, Rev. Mr. Sourin, of Philadel- phia, conducting the ceremonies. The imposing church edifice was finished in 1856, and on Oct. 20, 1856, Rev. Charles Joseph Maugin was appointed the first pastor. In 1858 he was succeeded by Rev. Nich- olas Walsh, and in the latter part of that year a frame parsonage was erected, at a cost of two thousand four hundred and forty-four dollars. In 1860, Rev. Thomas Kyle was in charge, and in 1862, Rev. Henry Wright. He was succeeded by Rev. John Wall in 1864, and in 1866, Rev. James J. McElroy hecame the pastor of St. Thomas' Church. The latter, in 1868, gave place to Rev. James F. Kelley, and he in turn, in 1870, to Rev. John Cox. In 1872, Rev. Michael Lawlor was its pastor. On Tuesday night, Feb. 4, 1873, the par- sonage was totally destroyed by fire, originating in a defective flue. The contents of the building were saved, and by the utmost exertions the church edifice, which stood in close proximity, was rescued from the flames, which threatened its destruction. The fol- lowing October Rev. John J. Wood was in charge, and during his pastorate a substantial brick parsonage was erected. He was followed, in 1875, hy Rev. An- drew J. Gallagher, and on Oct. 14, 1877, the present pastor, William F. Cook, was installed. The congre- gation now numbers about fourteen hundred persons, and a mission chapel is attached to this church, located near Elam.

Licensed Houses .- The granting of licenses to any resident of Aston does not appear of record until 1762, but as early as August court, 1740, Thomas Vernon, of Aston, presented a petition for leave to keep a house of entertainment, alleging that there is no tavern on either road for twelve or fourteen miles where his house is located, or, as he expressed it, " seated on the Great road side Leading from severall parts of Bradford, Burmingham, Thornbury, West Town and Concord to Chester; allso on the road Leading from Chad's foard to Philadelphia through Providence," but he was unable to move by his rep- resentation the judicial mind in his favor. This de- scription would seem to locate him in the northwestern end of the township.

As stated above, in 1762, James Johnston was licensed to keep a public-house, and I believe that it was located at Village Green. In 1764, William Pen- nell succeeded him in the business, and continued until 1770, when George Pierce in turn followed him.

However, in 1765, James Cole had license, and in 1768, Abraham Aston was shown favor by the court, while Pennell held the license at this house. In 1776, George Pierce's name appeared for the last time. In 1778, James Pennell had the privilege accorded him, and in 1780 Joshua Vaughan was licensed to keep the tavern known as the "Seven Stars," and was so licensed until 1787. In the following year Peter Wade received the court's approval, and James Pen- nell in 1789, when Chester County court ceased to distribute its indulgences in the township.

The "Seven Stars" was kept by Thomas Marshall in 1790, when the new county of Delaware was created, and he continued there until 1793, when Samuel Hewes was granted license, and yearly received the approval of the court until his death, in 1820, when the business was carried on by his widow, Sarah, until 1824. In that year Samuel F. Hughes became the proprietor, to be superseded in that capacity, in 1826, by Jemima Massey, who yearly thereafter, until 1834, was granted license for the old public-house, which, if I am rightly informed, was the headquar- ters of Lord Cornwallis when the British army was encamped for several days near Village Green in the fall of 1777. John Garrett, in 1835, hecame the host of the "Stars." During the agitation of the ten-hour movement, in 1847, John Garrett took active part with the operatives in their organization, and so ob- noxious did he make himself to the opponents of that measure that he deemed it unwise in that year to pe- tition for license; hence J. Lewis Garrett made the application. John Garrett, however, held his posi- tion, and permitted the workingmen to assemble in his hall in public meetings without charge to them for the rooms. In the following year John Garrett petitioned again for the right to keep a public-house at the "Seven Stars," as also in 1849, which was granted to him. In 1850, J. Lewis Garrett made the application, and annually thereafter (excepting in 1856, '57, '58, '59, and 1860, when John Garrett ap- plied, and during 1873-74, the years of local option), his petition being favorably acted on. On March 20,

1862, while J. Lewis Garrett was standing in the bar of the hotel, a bullet, shattering a window-glass, struck him on the neck, under the right jaw, passed through the larynx, and lodged in the left side of the neck, just beneath the skin, inflicting a dangerous wound. Some boys were shooting at a mark in a field near by. This bullet, before it struck Mr. Gar- rett, had passed through a two-inch pine board and the side of a carriage. At the old tavern is a copy of the first edition of "Purdon's Digest," on the fly- leaf of which is engrossed, in the handwriting of James McMullen, an old school-teacher :

"The property of the inhabitants of the towoship of Aston. Not to ba taken from the Seven Stars Tavero while the elections are held there.

" March 31, 1820."

In 1862, James Schofield received license for an

305

BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

eating-house at Rockdale, and in 1864 full license for the "Mountain House." Schofield dying in 1865, his widow, Hannah, made the application that year, which was favorably considered, to be the next re- jected. In 1870, William Carson obtained license for the Mountain House, but failed in 1871 to receive the approval of the court. In 1875, Carson again was authorized to keep a public inn at the "Mountain House," a privilege which annually thereafter has been extended to him.

Associations and Secret Societies .- The People's Literary Association, which was incorporated by the court of Delaware County, Aug. 25, 1870, had erected a commodions building, in the second story of which is a large hall used for entertainments, lectures, and public meetings. The ground on which the building is located, containing half an acre, was given by John P. Crozer, on May 24, 1860, under certain conditions, to the association. The corner-stone of the building was laid July 4, 1860, but nothing was done to com- plete the hall. The gift from Mr. Crozer was to be- come operative when three-fourths of the estimated cost of erecting a suitable edifice for the purposes contemplated in the charter of the association had been collected. The association, having failed at the time of the latter's death to carry out this provision, this lot, under his will, was devised to Samuel A. Crozer for life, with remainder to his grandson, John P. Crozer, Jr. An application being made to court to have the executors of the will convey the land to the association, under the terms of the original gift, the Crozer family willingly acquiesced in the applica- tion, and on June 21, 1871, the court ordered the ex- ecutors to " make a binding deed to the People's Lit- erary Association of Rockdale." The organization is now in a flourishing condition. A provision in the charter declares,-

"Should the association at any time terminate its existence by giving up its charter, or in any other way that may be determined upon for that purpose, all the property of the association, in whatever form, must revert to the public school fund of the townships of Middletown and Aston, to be divided equally be- tween them."

In the fall of the year 1872 the members of the Rockdale Base-Ball Club formed the Rockdale Cor- net Band, which was incorporated by the court of Delaware County, Feb. 26, 1874. The organization purchased a lot of ground in the village, on which, in the spring of 1882, was erected a handsome building, twenty-five by thirty-five. The band is under the leadership of George Blair, and the members are all residents of the immediate neighborhood.

There are several secret societies in Aston, the eldest in time being Benevolent Lodge, No. 40, Inde- pendent Order of Odd-Fellows. The lodge was char- tered Sept. 2, 1831. On July 4, 1848, its hall, at Vil- lage Green, was dedicated. The procession of the order on that occasion, up to that time, was the 20

largest ever had in the county, being nearly a mile in length, the officers of the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment being present. The lodge has now one hundred and forty-two members. Noble Grand, James C. Megraw, and Samuel K. Crozer, Secretary.

The next society in age is the Rockdale Lodge, No. 50, American Protestant Association, which was organ- ized Feb. 28, 1854, and has now forty-five members. Samuel Hopkins is the present Worshipful Master.

On Feb. 22, 1869, Energy Lodge, No. 9, Junior American Protestant Association, was chartered, and has sixty-five members. Smith Yarnall is Worship- ful Master, and James A. Bates, Secretary.

July 22, 1869, Lenni Tribe, No. 86, Independent Order of Red Men, was chartered, and has now eighty- five members. William Frame is Sachem,' and Charles R. Yarnall, Chief of Records.

Charles Dickens Lodge, No. 41, Sons of St. George, was chartered March 24, 1879. It has about fifty-five members. John Lee is the present President, and Samuel Harmer, Secretary.

CHAPTER XXX.

BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

THIS municipal district, which was the smallest township in the original county of Chester, is about three miles in length and a mile and a half in breadth at the widest part, the whole area being scarcely five miles square, is mentioned as early as 1683,1 and again at the court held on the Eleventh month 6, 1684, the in- habitants of "Concord, Bethell, and Chichester, were ordered to meet on the third day of the next weeke," at the tavern of Henry Reynolds, in Chichester, and confer as to the maintenance of a poor woman and her child. This township is on the summit between the Delaware and the noted Brandywine Creek. The soil, which is lighter than that nearer the river, and in some places stony, 'is very productive, yielding abundant harvests of wheat and corn. Clay, used for making fire-bricks, and kaolin abound in the western part of the township bordering on Concord. Dr. Smith states that "the name of this township, for anything that is known to the contrary, was imported directly from Palestine. This word is said to signify ' House of God,' Beth being the name of the second Hebrew letter, which is made after the fashion of a Hebrew house. Bethel hamlet had an existence at a very early date, and was probably composed of the first rudely-constructed dwellings of the early emi- grants, who built them near together for safety."2 At the September conrt, 1686, Edward " Beasar" was appointed constable " ffor Bethell Lyberty." In 1683, Edward Bezer and Edward Brown had five hundred

1 Futhey and Cope's " History of Chester County," p. 162.

2 History of Delaware County, p. 382.

306

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

acres surveyed to them in the northeasterly end of the township. On this estate Bethel hamlet, afterwards known as Corner Catch or " Ketch"-the name having, it is said, originated from the fact that so many roads centred there that five corners are the result, and a traveler could easily be confused as to the proper highway he should take,-and at present the village of Chelsea is located. Southeast of this tract, in the same year, Francis Smith had three hundred acres set apart to him by the provincial surveyor. Adjoining Bezer's and Brown's land to the west, on the line of Concord township, was a plot of one hundred and fifty acres which had been surveyed in 1683 for John Gibbons, and south of that tract was an estate of the like size, part of five hundred acres purchased from Penů by Gibbons, which in the year mentioned he transferred to Robert Southey, to whom it was sur- veyed. West of these last-mentioned estates, and di- vided from them by the road leading from Concord to Booth's Corner, was an oddly-shaped tract of two hundred acres, which was patented to Francis Harri- son in 1686. South of the Wilmington road, from Booth's Corner to the circular line of Delaware State, was a tract of a hundred and odd acres, which was part of a large holding of four hundred acres, the greater part in Delaware, which had been surveyed to Isaac Warner in 1683, while on the middle branch of Naaman's Creek, and crossing over the line into Upper Chichester, was a tract of about one hundred acres, being about half the tract of two hundred acres sur- veyed to Robert Cloud in 1685, and by him transferred to William Cloud the year following.

At a court held the third day of the first week, Fourth month, 1686, the grand jury reported that they had laid out the road from Bethel to Chichester (Marcus Hook). The ancient return is exceedingly interesting, and is as follows :

"The Graad Inquest made returne of a Highway from Bethell to Chi- chester of sixty foote broad as followes (viz) Beginning at the Side of Concord towards the River on the street or Highway of Concord first through the land of John Gibhous his House on the Right Side then through the land of Robert Sonthay late Deceased his house on the left Side thence through Robert Piles Land his house on the right hand then through Joseph Bushells land his Honse on the Left hand, thence through ffrancis Smith's land theuce through Thomas Garretts Land, his house on ye Right hand thence through ffrancis Harrison and Jacob Chandlers Land downe the Point to a small branch of Namans creek thence up ye Hill to the first Inclosed of ffrancis Harrisons, the field on ye left hand Then through James Brownes land thence downe to au- other Branch of Naman's Creeke through Walter Martens land up the Point his House on ye right hand thence through Jeremy Colletts land Bearing towards the left hand his house Standing on ye left hand from thence to the landa of Chichester beginning att the head of a small swamp on the left hand thence downe Cross the Kings road or Highway towards ye foote of ye Hill to a lyne tree marked with 5 notches thence downe to yo Rivers Side the line between James Browne and William Clayton Junior. Whereunto wes the Present grand Jury of ye County of Chester have sett our Hands.

" JOSEPH RICHARDS, foreman,

"Tho: Worth

" Joseph Bushell

" Jnº Gibbons

"Michael] Blunstone

" Tho. Coleborne

" Randall Vernon

"Joseph Baker

"John Bartrome

"Edward Beasar

" Wm Brainton

" Walter Marten

"Saull Levie."

The action of the grand jury seemed to have met the approval of the public, for at the court on the "3d day of 1st week of ye 7 mo. 1686 The Inhabitance of Bethell and Concord Presented a Paper to the Court Signifying their good liking of the Road lately laid out by the Grand Jury to Chichester."

From this report, following the road from the Con- cord line to that of Upper Chichester, we can form an idea of the location of the early settlers' houses in the western end of the township at that date. We learn that John Gibbons' dwelling was on the right side of the road, and that Robert Southey had died, but his late dwelling stood on the left-hand side of the high- way, near a little feeder of Green's Creek ; that Robert Pyle had his house on the right side of the road, and above the present highway leading from Booth's Corner to Chelsea. (At the dwelling of Robert Pyle and Edward Bezer, the monthly assemblings of Chi- chester Friends' Meeting were frequently held.) Joseph Bushel at that time owned a tract of one hun- dred and forty acres south of Robert Pyle's planta- tion, and his dwelling stood on the right side of the road. At this time Thomas Garrett had taken up on rent two hundred acres of land, now part of the farms of Charles M. Cheyney and William Goodey, and had built a house thereon to the right of the road as a person moved in a southerly course. Thus it seems at that date there were five settlements made along the road thus laid out, which crossed the town- ship in a northwesterly direction.

Notwithstanding the unusual demonstration of pleasure by which the people of Bethel and Concord expressed their satisfaction with the road, they cer- tainly did not improve their opportunities, for at the court held 3d day, 1st week, First month, 1688, it ap- pears that "Wee of ye Grand Inquest doe psent ye Townships of Bethell and Chichester for neglecting ye clearing of a Road in ye respective Libertyes be- tween Concord and Chester," and further, that " Wee alsoe psent ye Road lying between ye Townships of Bethell and Chichester for not being Cleared and made passable." This presentment was due to the fact that a change had been made in the course of the road, for on the 3d day of 1st week, Tenth month, 1688, the grand jury altered the line of the highway decided on in 1686, as follows :

"Beginning at Concord street end and so along ye Road formerly laid out to a marked White Oake below Walter Martens by a lyne of marked trees on ye South West Side of ye Old Road to a marked great White oake from thence along ye road formerly laid out to Delaware by or near James Brown's House."

Although the change in the highway to Marcus Hook was made in the township of Upper Chiches- ter, doubtless to please Walter Martin, it aroused such public opposition in the townships bordering on the circular line between New Castle and Chester County that, at the June court, 1689, "The Inhabit- ances of Concord, Bethell and Chichester Petitioned

307

BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

against ye Highway lately laid out from Concord and Bethell to ye River for that between Walter Martens and Jeremy Colletts the way is not soe good and Passable as the former Road. Ordered that the for- mer way be there Continued."

John Gibbons, who settled on the tract of one hun- dred and fifty acres in Bethel, lying south of the boundary line of Concord township, in 1683, was the founder of one of the largest and most respectable fami- lies of the old county of Chester. He was a man of superior education to that of most of his neighbors, and as his wife had had similar advantages in England, the couple were regarded as leaders of thought in this section of Chester County. He was one of the jnry on the trial of Margaret Mattson for witchcraft, al- ready mentioned, and the family tradition asserts that he it was who framed the compromise verdict which prevented a disagreement of the jury, and secured her from the ordeal of a second trial. Notwithstand- ing the high repute in which John and Margery Gib- bons were held by the early settlers, the adherence which they gave to George Keith's religious teaching caused them to be disowned by Friends. In 1700 the Bethel homestead was conveyed to John Gibbons by his parents. The latter was equally as ontspoken in his views as his parents, and as his mother was in no- wise chary in giving expression to her convictions, her son was often compelled to advocate and defend her opinions. In 1702 he was disowned for accepting his mother's views, as well as at the close of meeting standing up and declaring that John Lea was no gos- pel minister. Among his other transgressions which induced the society to disown him was because he " declined to take off his hat in time of prayer." The stubborn offender died in 1706, his mother subsequent to that year ; and John Gibbons, the elder, lived on the Bethel plantation until his death, about 1721.

At the house of Robert Pyle, hereinbefore men- tioned, the Friends of Concord. Bethel, Chichester, and Birmingham frequently held their Monthly Meet- ing, and it was there, on the 12th of the First month (March), 1688, that the first movement in the county by the society of Friends designed to prevent the sale of liquors to the Indians was made. Chester Meeting does not appear to have acted as promptly, for it was not until " ye 2d of ye 5 month (July), 1688," at the meeting held at the house of Walter Faucits, that a similar entry is found on its minutes. The record of the proceedings of this meeting at Pyle's dwelling, so far as it relates to the sale of strong drink to the Indians, is interesting, and as the testimony was signed by those Friends who were present, the names of many of the first settlers in the southwest- ern section of Delaware County were attached thereto. It read :

"From our Yearly Meeting held at Philadelphia the 7th of the 7th month, 1687, it being recommended to ne by the Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia, the great evil and had effect that hath appeared by selling Indians Rum and other etrong Liquors, and a paper being by them pre- sented, which was read amongst ue, relating thereto, which upon due

consideration wee approved of, and in concurrence therewith we give forth thie Following Testimony, being deeply sensible and heartly grieved with a business of this nature, which is too frequently ap and dowo amonget ne, Especially in that as some go under the profession of Truth, whom it was expected should have been better exemplee, whom we fear are not wholly clear of it, and therefore we give forth this as our Testimony. As our sense that the practice of selling Rum and other strong Liquore to the Indiane directly or indirectly, or exchanging rum or other strong liquore for any goode or merchandise with them, considering the abuse they make of it, is a thing contrary to the Lord aod a great grief aod burtheo to his people, and a great reflection and dishonor to the truth, so far as any professing it are concerned; aod for the more effective preventing of this evil practice we advise as aforesaid that our testimony may be entered in every monthly meeting book, Bod every Friend belonging to their monthly meeting to enbecribe the eame. "Signed in the behalf of the meeting

" ANTHONY MORRIS"

" Wee the members of this monthly meeting having united wth the above Testimony do subscribe our names to it as followeth :

" William Clayton, Sr. Thomas King

" Nicholas Newlin George Pierce

" John Kingsman William Brinton

" Edward Bezer Joho Harding

" Hugh Durburrow Robert Pyle

" Jamee Browo

Jacob Chaodler

" Nathaniel Lamplugh

William Cloud, Sr.,

" Joseph Bushall

Philip Romao."

"John Bennett

The list of taxables of Bethel township for 1693 shows that the following persons had settled there or, in the case of two persons on the list, owned real estate on which they did not reside :

John Gibbons.

Ralph Pile.

John Bnshell

Nicholas Pile.

Edward Beazer

Robert Eyre.

Thomas Garrett.

Edward Beazer for John Howard ..

Robert Eyre for Thomas Copper.

2 13 10

In the next quarter of a century the number of settlers had donbled, for the taxables of Bethel in 1715 are thus given : Robert Pyle, John Grist, Rob- ert Booth, Edward Beazer, John Cannady, Benjamin Monlder, Joseph Pyle, John Hickman, Edward Dut- ton, Edward Pennock, William Griffith, John Hop- ton, John Gibbons, Thomas Durnell.

In 1759, when Gen. John Forbes made demand on Chester and the other connties in the province for teams to be used in transporting the baggage of the army about to march under his command to the site of Fort Du Quesne, Edward Whitaker paid "a bonnty" of ten pounds "in behalf of the township" of Bethel, John Cooper was credited with a wagon entered in the service, and John Wilson with the cartage of oats and flour from Carlisle to Loudon.1

A short distance below the Concord line, on part of the old Gibbons tract, is the estate of Albin Baldwin, deceased (at one time county treasurer). The old honse still standing on this property, on the right side of the Bethel and Chichester road, is one of the ear- liest brick buildings in that section of the county. As is usual, tradition tells us the bricks were imported

1 Futhey and Cope's " History of Chester County," p. 55.

308

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

from Europe, which it is proper to state is one of those deeply-seated and widely-diffused popular errors the historian encounters in all old settlements in the Middle and Eastern States. The fact is that the clay was dug and the bricks burned near where the house stands, a general custom in the last century. The original structure was a story and a half in height, the bricks being laid in headers and stretchers, in the style known as "Flemish bond," the black-glazed ends of the headers alternating with the red stretchiers laid lengthwise for the purpose of ornamentation, as was frequent in early days. The old building has been raised in height and added to in recent years.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 77

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