History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time, Part 58

Author: Smith, George, 1804-1882; Delaware county institute of science, Media, Pa
Publication date: 1862
Publisher: Philadelphia, Printed by H. B. Ashmead
Number of Pages: 678


USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time > Part 58


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).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70


that the subject of this notice was a son of William, and emigrated from England with his father, being at that time quite young. Henry resided in Concord, was a member of Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends, and in 1698, was married to Hannah Cook a member of the same Meeting. He appears to have been a man of energy and influence, and in 1717 was a rep- resentative from Chester County in the Provincial Assembly. Their children were Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, William, Hannah, Susanna and Ann. He was living in 1735.


OGDEN, DAVID, came to this country in company with the Proprietary on board of the ship " Welcome" in 1682. He was in membership with Friends, and brought with him to Philadelphia, where he first settled, a certificate from London, dated the 26th of the 11th mo. 1681-2, and signed by several Friends of that city. In 1685, he obtained a certificate from the Meeting at Phila- delphia, in relation to his clearness from marriage engagements, when it is probable he removed within the limits of Delaware County. Early in 1686, he married Martha, the daughter of John Houlston, at which time he re- sided in Chester township, but it is supposed he went to reside on a tract of land in Middletown township shortly afterwards, where he continued to re- side till the time of his decease in 1705. His children were Jonathan, Martha, Sarah, Nehemiah, Samuel, John, Aaron, Hannah and Stephen ; the last born after the death of his father.


ORIAN, WILLIAM, resided in or near Marcus Hook as early as 1676, and held the office of Constable. In 1680, he had removed to Calken Hook, and that year served as a juror under the old Upland Court. His name is Swedish, and as it suddenly disappears from all records, may have suffered a corruption that renders its indentity with any existing Swedish name doubtful.


ORMES, RICHARD, there are strong reasons for believing, came from Frods- ham, in Cheshire, England, to Penn- sylvania, and at first settled in the embryo City of Philadelphia, where he followed the business of shoemaking. In 1686, he married Mary Tydder, an


490


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.


orphan girl who had emigrated from Dolgelly, in Merionethshire, Wales, and resided with her friends in Radnor. Some time after their marriage, the family removed to Radnor, where Richard became an influential member of the Society of Friends. He was a recommended minister, and in 1701, made a religious visit to Maryland. Their children, so far as is known, were Catharine, Mary and Elizabeth. He again removed to Philadelphia, but in 1728, when advanced in years, he returned again to Radnor, where he pro- bably ended his days He appears to have undergone some suffering on ac- count of religion in his native country.


OXLEY, WILLLAM, arrived at Burling- ton, N. J., in 1677, in company with about seventy Jersey settlers, on board of the ship Willing Mind, from London ; was settled in Chester the next year ; was a juror at the first Court under Penn's Government, and served as Supervisor of the Highways, " between Upland Creek and Amersland," before the first arrival of the Proprietary.


Smith, in his History of Pennsylvania, says that a noted Quaker preacher of Barbadoes, named John Oxley, who died in Philadelphia in 1743, aged forty, was born at Chester, and was the first "raised from among the pos- terity of the settlers of the provinces, to bear a public testimony." He was undoubtedly the son of William Oxley. William died in membership with Friends in 1717, and his wife Ann in 1723, both at Philadelphia.


PAINTER, GEORGE, was one of the earliest settlers in Haverford township, was a Friend, and took an active part in meeting affairs. As early as the 9th of the 8th mo. (October) 1684, he was appointed by the meeting in conjunction with William Howell, " to view and set out a burial place at Haverford." The place selected is the old part of the present graveyard attached to Haver- ford Meeting. He died in 1687, leaving his wife Eleanor and two young chil- dren, Daniel and Deborah to survive him, the former being the first child of European parentage, born in Haver- ford. Eleanor and her son Daniel both died in 1689.


PAPEGOYA, JOHN, brought a recom-


mendation from the Queen of Sweden and her council, to Governor Printz, in 1643, and soon afterwards married his energetic daughter, Armgard, at Tini- cum. Upon the return of the Governor in 1648, to his native country, Pape- goya remained in charge of the Colony, as Deputy Governor for about two years. IIe subsequently returned to Sweden, and is lost sight of, while his wife continued here many years after- wards.


PARKE, NATHANIEL, was one of the early English Quaker settlers of Chi- chester. In 1688, he married Elizabeth Cook of Darby.


PARKER, RICHARD, with his wife Jane and two children, Jane and Richard, settled in Darby township west of Darby Creek, in 1684. They were from Upper Bolton in the County of Nottingham, England, but brought their certificate from the Friends' Meet- ing of Willowby, in the adjoining County of Lincoln, of which they had been members. His daughter Jane, was the wife of William Smith, who also settled in Darby, and his son Richard, was married to Susanna Tuni- cliffe of Chester Meeting, in 1696. The elder Richard, died in 1728, and his wife Jane, in 1695. A nephew, John Parker, probably accompanied Richard to this country, and also resided at Darby. He was a carpenter by trade, and accumulated a considerable estate. He died in 1716, probably unmarried.


PEARCE, GEORGE, " of the parish of Winscom, in the County of Somerset, (England, ) and Ann Gainer of Thorn- bury, in the County of Gloucester, were married the 1st day of 12 mo. commonly called February, 1679." George with his wife and three young children, emigrated from Bristol, the seaport nearest his residence in 1684, and the same year had a tract of 490 acres of land surveyed to him in what is now Thornbury township. Thornbury being the name of a district of country from which he obtained his wife, and a desire on his part to keep up the old associations most dear to him, proba- bly suggested the name of the town- ship. He arrived at Philadelphia prior to the 4th of the 9th mo. 1684, upon which day he presented two certifi-


491


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.


cates to a Meeting of Friends held " att the Governor's house." One of these certificates was from " the monthly Meeting at Ffrenshay, in the County of Gloucest .r." The other was from " Thornbury Meeting." He may have settled on his new purchase in 1685, but his name first appears as an active member of Chichester Friends' Meeting in 1686 ; shortly after which, meetings were sometimes held at his house. Besides being strict in his attention to his religious duties, he gave a share of his time to civil affairs, and of his means to the improvement of the coun- try. He represented Chester County in the Provincial Assembly in 170G, and was one of a company who erected "the Concord mill," the first mill erected in his neighborhood. His chil- dren were Betty, George, Joshua, Ann, Margaret, Mary, Caleb, Gainer, Hannah and John. Betty intermarried with Vincent Caldwell; Ann with John Gib- bons ; Mary with Joseph, and Hannah with Edward Brinton, both grandsons of the elder, William Brinton ; Joshua with Ann Mereer ; Caleb with Hannah Cloud, and Gainer with Sarah Walter. George Pearce was living in 1712.


PEARSON, THOMAS, frequently called Thomas Person, with his wife Margery, came from England with William Penn when on his first visit to Pennsylvania. If any reliance can be placed on tra- dition, it was upon his suggestion that the name of Upland was changed to Chester. He settled in Marple town- ship on the tract marked " Thomas Perce" on Holme's map. His children were Robert, Thomas, Lawrence, Enoch, John, Alice, Sarah and Benjamin, all born in this country. His daughter Sarah, intermarried with John West, and was the mother of the great painter Benjamin West. His son Robert Pearson, intermarried with Catharine the daugh- ter of James Thomas of Merion. Thomas Pearson the elder was alive in 1706. Besides Pearson, some of his deseen- dants took the name of Parsons, Person and Pierson.


PEARSON, BENJAMIN, with his wife Su- sanna and family, emigrated from the town of Rotherham in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, about the year 1712, and settled in Darby. His wife's maiden name was Burbeck. They were


in membership with Friends at the time of their arrival. Benjamin was a very sedate man, strongly English in his notions, and never became fully reconciled to this country. He never would admit that its products were equal to those of England-turnips only excepted. He died in 1763 aged 81 years, the death of his wife having oc- curred eighteen years earlier. They had been better educated than was usual for immigrants in that day, but Benjamin feeling so little interested in the country never made any exertions to acquire property in it. Their chil- dren were Benjamin, Thomas and Isaac born in England, and John, Joseph, Samuel and Joshua, born in this coun- try. Thomas, the second son, married Hannah the daughter of Samuel, and grand daughter of the immigrant John BInnston, and settled in Darby. From their oldest son John Pearson, who married Anne Bevan all the Darby Pearson families have descended.


PERSON, OR PEARSON, JOHN, was an early settler in Newtown township, and was a brother to Thomas Person or Pearson of Marple, and he also had a brother Edward, probably Edward Pierson of Darby. As Thomas and Edward, both came from Cheshire, Eng- land, it may be inferred that he also migrated from the same place. He be- queathed £10 towards building a meet- ing-house at Newtown, and £6 towards " paling in" a grave yard at Springfield. He died in 1709, without children, and probably unmarried.


PEDRICK, ROGER, was a purchaser of land in England from John Fenwick, and probably arrived at Salem, N. J. with that adventurer in 1675, and located his land on Old Man's Creek. In November 1677, we find him a resi- dent and taxable of Marcus Hook, and the records of Chester Monthly Meeting show, that his daughter Rebecca by his wife of the same name was born at Marcus Hook, on the 14th of the 7th month (September) 1678, the earliest well authenticated birth within the limits of Pennsylvania, where both parents were natives of England, that has come under the notice of the author. Their son Thomas was born the 14th of the 2nd month 1681. The subject of this notice was empanneled on the


492


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.


first jury under the Proprietary Gov- ernment. He was a Friend and refused to take an oath before Upland Court in 1678, but he was not an active member of that Society. He came from the vicinity of London where he had suffered persecution for attending the meetings of the Quakers.


PENNICK, JOHN, was an early settler in Bethel. His wife was Frances, the sister of Edward Beazer. He was a man in very moderate circumstances, but lived in unity with Friends. In 1695 he purchased land in Bethel, ad- joining the south line of Concord. His children were Joshua, Edward, Ruth, Lydia, Mary, Rachel, Sarah and Han- nah.


PENNICK, EDWARD and CHRISTOPHER, two brothers, and brothers of the above John Penniek. They resided in Bethel ; and both died in 1732, leaving no chil- dren. The three brothers probably came from Cork, in Ireland, but when they immigrated is not known.


PENNELL, ROBERT, with his wife, Hannah, and family, settled in Middle- town as early as 1686. In 1687 he was appointed constable for that township. His wife died in 1711, aged seventy-one years, while he was still living. Their children, so far as is known, were Hannah, who married John Sharp- less of Ridley; Joseph, who married Alice, daughter of William Garrett of Darby ; Ann, who married Benjamin Mendenhall of Concord, and William, who married Mary, daughter of Thomas and Mary Mercer of Thornbury. They were all Friends in good standing.


PENNELL, JOHN, was in the country as early as 1689; was probably then quite a young man, and resided in the neighborhood of Darby. In 1703 he married Mary Morgan, of Dublin Monthly Meeting, and settled in Con- cord township. But little is known of John, but Mary became eminent as a minister among Friends. She was born in Radnorshire, Wales, and was educated in the Church of England, but at the early age of thirteen years was convinced of the truth of the doc- trines of Quakerism. When sixteen, she emigrated to Pennsylvania and united herself with Friends, and in


1722 became a minister, and subse- quently travelled much in the exercise of her calling. She visited the New England colonies, and on one occasion Great Britain and Ireland.


PENNOCK, JOSEPH, was the son of Christopher Pennock, who, on the au- thority of tradition, was an officer in the military service of William of Orange, emigrated to Cornwall, Eng- land, and subsequently married Mary, the daughter of George Collett of Clon- mel, in the County of Tipperary, Ireland. After residing there and in England for some time, he, prior to the year 1685, removed to Pennsylvania, but being in the service of King William, was in the battle of Boyne in 1690. By trade he was a cardmaker. He died in Phila- delphia in 1701. His children were Nathaniel, who died young, and Joseph, the subject of this notice, who was born at or near Clonmel in 1677. Joseph, in one of his passages to this country, under a Letter of Marque, was captured by a French ship of war and carried to France, where he was re- tained as a prisoner upwards of a year, and suffered many hardships. In 1702 he settled in Philadelphia, and engaged in the mercantile business. In 1705 he was a resident of Springfield town- ship, (perhaps only temporarily so,) and was that year married to Mary, the daughter of Samuel Levis of that township. Joseph was not in member- ship with Friends, but Mary being the daughter of one standing high in that Society, the marriage. was effected at the residence of the bride's father, after the manner of Friends, before two Jus- tices of the Court, and a suitable num- ber of witnesses. In 1714, Joseph, with his family, removed to West Marl- borough, Chester County, and settled on a large tract of land. Here, in 1738, he erected a large mansion, which he called " Primitive Hall," and in which he died in 1771. His wife died in 1748. Their children were Elizabeth, Samuel, William, Mary, Joseph, Nathaniel, Ann, Sarah, Joseph,(2) Hannah, Levis and Susanna.


Joseph Pennock was a man of ability, publie spirit and indomitable energy. He represented the County of Chester twelve years in the Provincial Assem- bly, being first elected to that office in 1716. At first, his Marlborough resi-


e


493


BIOGRAPIIICAL NOTICES.


dence was in a wilderness, the con- stant resort of Indians. His doors were, however, never fastened against these children of the forest, and food was always left for those who might choose to enter his kitchen at night; and it was no uncommon thing to find seve- ral Indians stretched on the floor be- fore the kitchen fire in the morning. Such kindness produced its natural result; the Indians guarded his pro- perty in every practicable way, and when any of his cattle or horses would stray, they were sure to return them.


PHILIP, PHILIP, was one of the early Welsh Quaker settlers of Radnor. He died in 1697 leaving two daughters, Mary and Jane. Mary intermarried with David Morris of Marple, and Jane with Thomas Parry of Philadelphia County. In 1701, his widow, Phebe, intermarried with Richard Moore.


PIERSON, EDWARD, from Ponnallfee, in Cheshirc, England, settled in Darby township in 1687. By trade he was a mason, and probably followed that business. He was a member of the Society of Friends, but was not so strict a member as was usual in his day. There are reasons for believing that he was a brother of Thomas Pearson, who accompanied William Penn, and who was instrumental in changing the name of Upland to Chester, though his name is spelled differently. Ile had a son Lawrence, and probably one named Thomas and another Abel. It is said he removed to Bucks County.


POWELL, ROWLAND, first presents him- sents himself to our notice at Haver- ford, where he is a candidate for matri- mony with Maud Richard, before the Friends' Meeting of that place, in 1695. They were both recently from Wales, and having neglected to bring the usual certificate with them, they were obliged to call upon their friends who had known them in their native country, to testify to their " clearness," after which the marriage was allowed to proceed. He was a preacher, and probably had visited the country before. His wife died in 1708, and he probably removed. Their children were Elizabeth, Gobitha, Gemima, Dorothy, Rowland and Mary.


POWELL, EVAN AP WILLIAM, with his


wife Gwen, and his sons David and Philip Evans, came to America about 1684, and settled in Radnor. He was from Glamorganshire in South Wales, and was in membership with Friends.


POWELL, THOMAS, emigrated from the "Lordship of Rudheith in the County Palatine of Chester," England, and ar- rived at Chester, then Upland, on the 14th of the 6th mo. (August) 1682, in company with John Sharpless, and a short time before the arrival of the Proprietor. George Keith, who held meetings in his house in 1703, says that he and his wife had been Quakers, but had joined the Church, "with divers others of his neighbors." He died in 1714 at an advanced age. He had three sons, John, Joseph and Thomas. By his will he gave four adjoining lots in Chester, " lying in James street, over against the church," for the use of the church. The new church of St James was probably erected on these lots. His son Thomas, who cmigrated with his father, and died a very short time before him, bequeathed £5 " towards building a house for the minister of Chester * * * * to be payd when they build a house for the minister on those lotts given for that purpose."


POWELL, DAVID, was one of the Deputy Surveyors under Thomas Holme. Being a Welshman, he was generally employed in making surveys within the limits of the Welsh Tract. He was an early immigrant, as his com- mission bears date 8th mo. 1683. It is not certainly known, whether he was married or not at the time of his arrival, but in 1707 he was married to Mary Haverd a widow of Merion, at which time he resided in Philadelphia. He owned several tracts of land in Radnor, and it is supposed that he re- moved to that township, as in 1722 a taxable of that name resided there. In 1727, "our ancient Friend, David Powell," obtained a certificate to re- move to Gwynedd, but it is not entirely certain that the certificate was for him, as there were others of the same name.


PRICE, DAVID, with his wife Joan and six children, came from Brecknockshire in Wales, in 1690, and settled in Rad- nor. He was a Friend, and meetings were held at his nouse.


494


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.


PRINTZ, JEUFFRO ARMGARD, the daughter of Governor Printz, accom- panied her father to America, resided with him on Tinicum Island, and there became the wife of John Papegoya in 1644. Though sometimes called by the name of her husband, she was best known by her maiden name. All that is known in respect to this energetic lady, has been very fully detailed in the narrative, and will not be repeated here. She resided at "Printz-dorp" up to nearly the time it was occupied by Robert Wade, when she probably returned to her native country. It is not known that she had any children, and this fact renders her long continued solitary residence on the Delaware the more remarkable.


PRITCHET, EDWARD, from Almel, in the County of Hereford, England, " Glover," settled in Ridley township, prior to 1684. He was in membership with Friends, but took no great interest in the affairs of the Society. In 1705, his son Philip intermarried with Sarah, daughter of William Smith of Darby, and the same year, William the son of John Smith of Darby, intermarried with his daughter Elizabeth. He was living in 1699.


PRYTHERETH, or PROTHERAH EVAN, migrated from Narbeth in Pembroke- shire, Wales, where he had suffered as a Quaker by fine and imprisonment. He was one of the early Welsh settlers of Radnor township. He had daugh- ters, but no sons. The name soon dis- appears from our record.


PUGH, ELLIS, with his wife Sina, came from Brithdu near Dolgelly, Merionethshire, Wales, and at first set- tled in Radnor in 1686, but it is uncer- tain whether he ever owned any land in that township. He was an emi- nent Quaker preacher in " the ancient British tongue," [Welsh. ] In the language of his certificate he was, " an honest, innocent, self denying man yt aims more at eternity than temporary and worldly perishing things." In 1706-7, he paid a religious visit to his native country. How long he resided in Radnor is not known, but it is cer- tain he had fixed his residence within the verge of Gwynedd Monthly Meeting many years before his death. He was


born in 1656, his father having died before he was born, and his mother three days afterwards. He died in 1718, aged sixty-two years, leaving several children.


His death was preceded by a pro- tracted illness, during which time he wrote a work in Welsh entitled. “ A Salutation to the Britains, to call them from the many things, to the one thing needful &c.," which was published in that language by Haverford and Gwy- nedd Meetings, after his death. This work was subsequently published in English, translated by Rowland Ellis, and revised by David Lloyd.


PUGH, WILLIAM, with his wife Cath- arine and daughter Ann, came from Tyddyn y garreg, in Wales, and settled within the verge of Haverford Monthly Meeting of which he was a member. He died in 1708, and as he only names collaterals in his will, it is supposed his wife and daughter had died before him.


PUSEY, JOHN, a resident of London, and by occupation a dyer, located a large tract of land in Middletown, but I am not certain that he came to this country. He was a relative of Caleb Pusey, and it is probable that his family migrated to this country and settled in Marlborough.


PUSEY, CALEB, with his wife, Ann, and daughter of the same name, emi- grated in 1682. By trade he was a lastmaker. Perhaps no one among the early immigrants to Pennsylvania was better qualified to contend with the difficulties incident to the first settle- ment of a new country than Caleb Pusey. His place of residence within the limits of this County was at " the Chester Mills." In the establishment of these mills, and in the conducting of them many years afterwards, he was the active partner and master spirit. It re- quired more than ordinary energy to contend with the repeated misfortunes attendant on the first erection of this early improvement. Mill after mill was swept away by the flood, but the in- domitable energy of Pusey was not overcome, and at length his efforts were crowned with success. But his whole time was not occupied with his pri- vate concerns. Much was devoted to


495


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.


civil affairs and to his religious duties. We find him "taking his turn" as a township officer and serving as a juror; in laying out roads and negotiating with the Indians; in performing the duties of sheriff and acting as a justice of the county court; as a member of the Provincial Assembly, and at length of the Executive Council. To religious matters he was equally attentive. His name constantly appears in the minutes of the Society of Friends among those who were most active in settling dif- ficulties and in promoting deeds of benevolence. He frequently appeared in the ministry, and sometimes employ- ed his pen in the defence of the doc- trines of his sect. His reply to one Daniel Leeds was liberally subscribed for by the meetings. He was a firm man and of the strictest integrity, and though an intimate friend of the cele- brated George Keith, when that gen- tleman chose to attack, what was re- garded by Caleb Pusey as true Quaker doctrine, he did not hesitate to sustain the testimony that was pronounced against him. It was from Caleb Pusey, that Smith, the early historian of Penn- sylvania, obtained much of the material from which his work was composed.


His daughter, Ann, died within a few months after her arrival, but her loss was supplied by another daughter, born in 1686, who was also named Ann. They had one other daughter, Lydia, but no sons. He removed to Marlborough, Chester County, where he was again married. He died in 1726, at the house of his son-in-law, John Smith, iu the 76th year of his age.


PYLE, ROBERT, of Horton, in the parish of Bishops Canning, Wiltshire, England, malster, was married to Ann, the daughter of William Globy, of Hil- perton, in the same county, yeoman, the 16th of the 9th mo., (November,) 1681. The exact time of the migration of this young couple to America is not known, but we find them settled in Bethel as early as 1684. They were both in membership with Friends, but Robert was by no means a nominal member. Early gatherings of the Chichester Meeting were sometimes held at his house, and in 1706 he was one of a committee to establish a meeting at Nottingham. In civil affairs also he




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.