USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time > Part 61
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County, which office he held till after the arrival of the Proprietary, and the division of Upland County into the three Counties of Philadelphia, Chester and Bneks. He now removed to the em- bryo City of Brotherly Love, and be- came the first Sheriff of the newly organized County of Philadelphia. Atter some time he removed within our limits again, and kept a tavern at Darby ; at which place and in that oc- cupation he died in 1718, leaving three children, Thomas, John and Margaret. It is not certain that John Test was a Friend, but his wife Elizabeth, who died in Philadelphia in 1689, was in membership with that Society.
THATCHER, RICHARD, with his wife and a family of several children, came from England. They were Quakers at the time of their arrival, which must have been two or three years after the first visit of Penn. His settlement was in Thornbury, adjoining the land of William Brinton the colonist, whose only son William married his daughter Jean. His son Jonathan intermarried with Hannah Dix. There is reason to believe that Richard Thatcher migrated from Uffington in Berkshire, where he had suffered persecution on account of his religion. He died in 1722.
THOMAS, WILLIAM, with his wife, were among the earliest settlers of Radnor, but dying in 1689 without children, he devised his estate to a nephew of the same name, then residing in Wales, on condition that he would come and re- side in this country. The nephew Wil- liam, who was a ma.ried man with a family, complied with the condition imposed by his uncle's will, and settled where he had resided. They were all members of the Society of Friends. The eldest son Thomas, of the nephew William, married Tamar the daughter of Samuel Miles, and his son John, married Mary daughter of Richard Ormes. Both uncle and nephew had suffered religious persecution in Wales.
THOMAS, PETER, was an early settler in Springtown, (Springfield.) In 1686, he married Sarah Steadman of the same place. They were Friends, and appear to have removed to Willistown, where he was still living in unity with that Society in 1722.
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THOMPSON, GEORGE, came a passenger on board of the ship Welcome, in com- pany with the Proprietary, in 1682, and at first settled on rented land in Concord township, but subsequently became the owner of land in that township. George Thompson was not in membership with Friends. In 1683, he was married to Merriam Short, by the Swedish Priest, " contrary to the laws of the province," for which offence all the parties to the marriage were arraigned before the Court.
TREGO, PETER, was probably a resi- dent in some other place in the country, before he made a purchase of fifty acres of land in 1708, in Middletown, for " £14, or good merchantable wheat at market price." His wife's name was Judith, and he had a son Jacob, and a son Peter. Jacob was born in 1687, and in 1710, married Mary the daughter of Edmund Cartledge of Darby, and resided in Merion till 1717, when he removed to Middletown, where he re- sided at the time of his decease in 1720. He left three children, Hannah, John and Rachel.
TUCKER, RICHARD, migrated from Warminster, County of Wilts, England, in 1683, and settled in Darby township west of the Creek. He was in mem- bership with Friends.
USHER, THOMAS, the first Sheriff of Chester County, arrived at Chester at or about the time of the first visit of William Penn to the Province, and probably resided at that place during his official term, one year. Having purchased land adjoining Chichester, (Marcus Hook,) he removed to that place, was commissioned a Justice of the Peace, and assisted in holding the County Courts, and also served a second term as sheriff, and was a member of the Provincial Assembly several years. He was a member of the Society of Friends, but did not take such an active part in meeting affairs as was usual in that day, for men of his standing. He died about the year 1690.
VAN KULIN, JOHN, an early Dutch settler in that part of Ridley known as Amesland. His deposition was read in the celebrated Pennsylvania Witch- trial; his neighborhood being the
scene of the occurrences which gave rise to it. George Van Kulin, doubt- less his son was residing in the same neighborhood in 1722. His descen- dants are numerous, but the name is changed to Culin.
VAN LEER, DR. BERNHARD, was the son of John George, and Mary Von Löhr, who were the ancestors of the Vanleer family in Pennsylvania, and who with their family migrated to that Province from Germany in 1697. The subject of this notice was born at or near Isenberg, in the Electorate of Hesse, and was but eleven years of age when he arrived in this country. The family upon their arrival set- tled in Marple township ; at first on the farm now owned by Felix Velotte, but subsequently on that owned by the heirs of Garrett Williamson. Bernhard or Bernhardus, as he was then called, re- mained a few years with his father and then returned to Germany for the purpose of studying medicine in his native country. It is said that he was accompanied by a neighboring youth, named John Worrell, who had the same object in view. Yonng Van Leer remained in his native country seven years, and not only studied medicine but also the classics and French. Some time after his return to this country, and shortly after he commenced the practice of his profession, he was united in marriage with Mary Branson the daughter of a wealthy merchant of Philadelphia. The Doctor then resided on the latter of the above mentioned farms, where he continued to reside during the remainder of his long life. After giving birth to five children, (two ofwhom, Branson and Benjamin became physicians,) his wife died. His second wife was much younger than himself. By her he had nine children, one of whom was the late Bernard Van Leer.
The practice of Dr. Van Leer, was chiefly conducted in his office. It is said that in the diagnosis of disease he relied very much upon the appearance of some of the secretions that were brought to him for inspection. His remedies for the most part were from the vegetable kingdom and generally of the mildest kind.
Dr. Van Leer was a man of great physical vigor. In his one hundreth year , he rode on horseback from Marple to
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his Chester valley farm, a distance of thirty miles, in one day. In his one hun- dred and second year, he was cruelly mal-treated by burglars who entered his house, because he refused to dis- close his hidden treasure. He did not fully recover from the injuries then re- ceived. He died on the 26th of January, 1790, aged one hundred and four years. The father of Dr. Van Leer died in 1748, when he left a second wife named Rebecca. For a more full notice of Dr. Van Leer, written by Dr. Charles Mor- ton, see " The Medical Reporter," No. vii.
VERNON, THOMAS, from " Stanthorne," County Palatine, of Chester, England, arrived a little before or with the Pro- prietary, in 1682. He served as a juror at the first Court held for the County of Chester. He, with his brother, Ran- dal Vernon, settled on adjoining tracts of land in Nether Providence, and for some time occupied but one dwelling, at which the monthly meetings of the Society of Friends in early times were frequently held. He was an exemplary member of the Society, and a good citizen. Died, 1698. Thomas had not entirely escaped religious persecution in England.
VERNON, RANDAL, from "Sandyway," Cheshire, England, no doubt immi- grated to the Province with his brothers, Thomas and Robert, and located his land in Nether Providence between the tracts located by them. Besides being an active and influential member of the Society of Friends, he was fre- quently entrusted with public business. In 1687 he served as a member of the Provincial Assembly. He died in 1725 at the advanced age of eighty-five years, having survived his wife, Sarah, six years.
VERNON, ROBERT, came from Stoaks, in Cheshire, England. He was a mem- ber of the Society of Friends, but did not take such an active part in meet- ing affairs as Thomas and Randal, though the monthly meetings were sometimes held at his house. The time of his death is not known; but he was alive in 1710, and that year conveyed his brick messuage and 330 acres of land, where he resided, to his son Jacob. His wife, Elinor, who came with him
from England and survived him, died in 1720.
VERNON, JOB, Captain in the Revolu- tionary Army, was born in Lower Pro- vidence, about the year 1750. He entered the army at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, and served faithfully and without intermission until its termination and the disband- ing of the army. His name appears in the lists, printed by order of Congress, of officers who served to the end of the war, and thereby acquired the right to half-pay and bounty lands, and also as one of the founders of the Society of Cincinnati. He was commissioned Ensign in Capt. Thomas Church's com- pany of Col. Anthony Wayne's Penn- sylvania Battalion, January 5th, 1776, and was promoted to be Lieutenant in Capt. Thomas Robinson's company of the same battalion, October 1st, 1776. In 1779 and 1780 he was paymaster of the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, which was then commanded by Col. Francis Johnston, and in which he also held the commission of Captain This regi- ment was attached to the Army of the North, and seems to have participated in all its services up to the storming of Stony Point. Captain Vernon died in Concord township about the year 1810. From fragments of his accounts and other documents in the possession of a relative, he seems to have been an inti- mate acquaintance and favorite of General Wayne, and a very brave and judicious officer.
VERNON, FREDERICK, Major in the Re- volutionary Army, a cousin of the pre- ceding officer, was also born in Lower Providence; but nothing of his per- sonal history nor any account of his military services is known to be pre- served. His name appears on the lists above referred to as one who served faithfully to the end of the war, and he was also one of the founders of the Society of Cincinnati. He was Major in the First Pennsylvania Regiment of Infantry.
WADE, ROBERT, with his wife, Lydia, were among the very earliest of the English settlers that located them- selves within our limits, as they were, with scarcely a doubt, the first Quakers who fixed their permanent abode with-
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in the bounds of Pennsylvania. When the celebrated preacher, William Ed- mondson, visited Upland in 1675, he found Robert Wade residing there, and held a meeting at his house. It is almost certain that Robert and his wife came as passengers on the ship Griffith from London, the same year and in company with John Fenwick, the pio- neer settler of West Jersey, as he had purchased land from Fenwick in Eng- land, and Samuel and Edward Wade are known to have come out with him. The residence of Robert Wade, known as the Essex House, was on the west side of Chester Creek and a little south of the post road. It has been shown elsewhere that it was upon the same premises that had been granted to Mrs. Pappegoya, the daughter of Governor Printz, and shortly before occupied by her under the name of Printzdorp. May not the Essex House, the first Quaker residence and the first Quaker meet- ing-house in Pennsylvania, have been the mansion of the daughter of its first Governor? The conclusion is almost irresistible.
As a Quaker, Robert Wade was very attentive to meeting affairs for a time. The earliest monthly meetings of which there is any record were held at his house; but towards the close of his life, though he retained his member- ship, the records do not show his ac- tive participation in meeting business. He was a justice of the first Court for Upland County under the proprietary government, and was continued in that capacity for Chester County several years after it had been organized. He was also a member of the Assembly for several years at the commencement of Penn's government, as he had been of Governor Markham's Council before the arrival of the Proprietary. He died about the year 1698, his wife surviving him till 1701. They died childless.
WEAVER, ANTHONY, was an early set- tler on Chester Creek, at a place called Northly. In 1686 being in want of a wife, and it being rather difficult to find one in his vicinity at that time who was not a Quaker, he selected one of that persuasion, Ann Richard, the daughter of a near neighbor, with whom he proceeded to the meeting and made the usual preliminary proposal. The meeting duly considered the matter,
and although Anthony "owned him- self to be none of us," yet, being will- ing to submit to the order of Friends, they were allowed to proceed.
WHARTON, WALTER, was a man of considerable note on the Delaware river, under the government of the Duke of York. In 1671 Governor Love- lace conferred on him the appointment of Surveyor General "on the west side of the Delaware ;" an office for which he had not been properly educated. But, it may be supposed there were none better in the settlement, for he was again reinstated in his office after the government passed a second time into the hands of the English; while at the same time he held a commission as one of the Justices of New Castle County, in which County he seems to have resided till about the year 1677, when he became the tenant of a dwell- ing-house in Upland, in consequence, it may be supposed, of a prosecution instituted against him at New Castle, by certain clergymen and others, "for marrying himselfe, or for being married contrary to ye knowne lawes of Eng- land, and also of the lawes of this Pro- vince." The matter was regarded by his brother justices of New Castle as presenting too grave a question for their determination, and consequently they referred it to the Governor. Be- fore the close of the following year (1678), death relieved his persecutors, the Court and his Excellency, from further trouble in the premises. Ilis marriage may have been after the man- ner of the Quakers. The Court at New- castle allowed fifty gilders out of his es- tate to pay the Dutch clergyman of that place for preaching his funeral sermon !
WHARTON, ROBERT, came from Cum- berland County, Wales, in 1697, and was unmarried. His certificate was from Pardsday Monthly Meeting, which commended him as "a man of sober life," and one who had walked orderly as became the blessed Truth. At first he settled in Merion, but in 1701 he married Rachel, the daughter of Thos. Ellis, of Haverford, who was possessed of a large landed estate, when he re- moved to that township. Rachel died a few years after their marriage; after which, in 1707, he entered into a ma- trimonial engagement with Jane Hent,
Philadia August y 6 1714.
By Order from the Commits " This is to Define thee to Survey and Lay out unto Magnus Tako three_ hundred acres of Land near William Marthe & nathan Dix their Settlements about the Branches of Ochorarie and make Returns theroof into my Office
To Sauc Taylor Surveyor of the County of Cheffer
Jacob Taylor
Magnus has a mind to Settle minradially before a Survey can Bemade for & Suppofot by Directi ous from theo and
they Leave: which is
Wholly left to the
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and had proceeded so far as, in the language of Friends, to " pass meeting" with her. But some difference having arisen between them, they came before the meeting and mutually released each other. This was the second time that this lady had "passed meeting" and recanted.
WILLIAMSON, DANIEL, immigrated to Pennsylvania at an early date, but was not among the earliest colonists. He was in membership with Friends, was unmarried, and probably came from Cheshire, England. In 1685 he mar- ried Mary Smith at Chester Meeting, and settled in Newtown township pro- bably after his marriage. He was a man of considerable influence, fre- quently represented Chester County in the Provincial Assembly, and, in 1727, died while a member of that body. His children were, Robert, Daniel, John, Mary, Thomas, Joseph, Margaret and Abigail. The site of his dwelling is now that of the residence of Mrs. Lydia Thomas. His son John was a noted Quaker preacher.
WILLIAM, HUGH, an early settler in Radnor, intermarried with Susanna Griffith in 1693, and continued to reside in that township. Their children were Elizabeth, Catharine, Job and Susanna. They were Friends, and doubtless both Welsh immigrants. He was the owner in 1711 of the mill now owned by Tryon Lewis, and it may have been erected by him.
WILLIS, JOHN, came from England, and about the year 1700 settled in the west end of Thornbury. He does not appear to have been a Quaker, thoughi he intermarried with Esther, the young- est daughter of William Brinton the elder. He died in 1732, leaving a son John and two daughters, Esther and Ann-also a second wife, Mary.
WITHERS, RALPH, came from Bishop's Canning, in Wiltshire, England, and settled at Upland sometime before the arrival of William Penn For a time he held the office of Deputy Treasurer of the Free Society of Traders, and was afterwards one of the Justices of Chester County, and sat as a Justice with the. Proprietary, at the first Court for that County, over which he presided.
He was also for a short period a mem- ber of the Provincial Council. He had been identified with the Quakers since 1657. In 1660 he suffered imprison- ment on account of his religious prin- ciples, and again in 1678, for having married contrary to the directions of the church liturgy. He was also one of the ministering Friends who issued the epistle from London Yearly Meet- ing in 1675. He died in 1684.
WITHIERS, THOMAS, was a relative of Ralph Withers, and probably migrated from the same place (Wiltshire, Eng- land.) He was in membership with Friends, and in 1692 was married to Elizabeth Collet, according to the usages of that Society. He settled in Chichester as early as 1684, and be- came possessed of considerable lands there and elsewhere. He devised his set- tlement in Chichester to his eldest son Ralph His death occurred in 1720. He was the second sheirff of Chester County.
WOOD, GEORGE, with his wife, Han- nah, and children, came from Bonsall, in the County of Derby, England, their certificate being from " Matloch, Mony- ash and Ashford" Monthly Meeting of Friends. He was a man of considera- ble property, but advanced in years at the time of his arrival in 1682. Seve- ral of his family died in a short time after he came to the country, but he lived till 1705.
WOOD, JOHN, son and heir of the above George Wood, immigrated with his father, and settled in Darby in 1682. In 1687 he married Jane, the daughter of John and Barbara Bevan, of Haverford, by whom he had the fol- lowing children, viz; Ann, George, William, John, Barbara, Aubray and Abraham. His wife, Jane, dying in 1703, he, in 1707, married Rebecca Faucet, the widow of Walter Faucet, (whose maiden name was Fearne) by whom he had two children, Joseph and Hannah. He died in the year 1728, at an advanced age. Through life he manifested an interest in the affairs of the Society of Friends, of which he appears to have been a faith- ful member.
WEBB, ELIZABETH, was eminent as a minister among Friends, and in 1697,
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paid a religious visit to all the Ameri- can Colonies where people of that de- nomination had settled. Being pleased with the country and its prospects, she, with her husband, Richard Webb, emi- grated from Gloucestershire, their for- mer place of residence in England, in 1700 or 1701, and settled on the Bran- dywine, in Birmingham township, just beyond the line that now separates Delaware from Chester County. She was a lady of rare abilities, and by her social intercourse exercised a beneficial influence in her neighborhood. By the death of her husband, in 1719, she was left a widow many years, during which time she managed a large farm with prudence and judgment, and at the same time travelled much in the ministry both in this country and in England. In 1721 she conveyed a lot of ground to the trustees of Birming- ham Friends' Meeting, in which her remains were many years afterwards interred.
WEST, WILLIAM, was a brother of Thomas, who settled in Concord, and also of John, the father of the painter, Benjamin, and doubtless, like them, came from London. He at first settled in Concord township, but had removed to Springfield as early as 1709, when he married Deborah, the daughter of Bartholomew Coppock. In about a year after his marriage, Bartholomew Coppock, his father-in-law, conveyed to him a farm in Springfield, npon which he resided. He was in mem- bership with Friends, and in 1720 died without children.
WEST, THOMAS, emigrated from Lon- don, and purchased a small quantity of land in Concord township in 1712. It has not been ascertained whether he was married before or after his arrival. He was in membership with Friends, and by trade was a cooper. He was brother of John, the father of Benja- min West, the great painter. To him and his wife Mary were born seven children, viz : Thomas, William, Ra- chel, Ellen, Mary, Elizabeth and Jo- seph. He was living in 1736.
WEST, JOHN, the father of Benjamin, the painter, immigrated some time after his brothers, Thomas and William. He was not a Friend, as has been repre-
sented by Galt and others, during the residence of his gifted son in America, and when he became a member of that Society it was near the close of his life. As stated by Mr. Galt, he proba- bly arrived in this country about the year 1714, and that not long afterwards he married Sarah, the daughter of Thomas Pearson, but this marriage was not accomplished according to the good or- der of the Society of Friends. John West probably followed the seas as an occu- pation for some years. In 1722 he was a resident of Upper Providence, and owner of a small tract of land in that township. In 1735 he resided in Ches- ter, probably in the borough. A year or two later we find John West a tax- able in Springfield township, and then it is to be presumed he occupied the farm and dwelling at which his son Benjamin was born; but he did not own this property, and it has not been ascertained that he ever owned land in Chester County, except the small tract in Upper Providence which he first oc- cupied. In a few years after the birth of his son, Benjamin, he removed to Newtown township, and engaged in keeping tavern at Newtown Square, in which township he resided many years, though it is not known how long he continued in the same busi- ness.
Notwithstanding all that has been said by Galt, in his life of Benjamin West, in respect to the strict Quaker- ism of the parents of the great painter, the records of the Society have been searched in vain for any evidence to connect his father with the Society of Friends, till the year 1759. In that year "John West, with the approba- tion of Newtown Meeting," made appli- cation to come under the care of Go- shen Monthly Meeting of Friends. The usual committee was appointed to make inquiry in respect to the appli- cant, who report to the next meeting, " that they understand he is at present indisposed in body." This was in the second month, and it was not till the ninth month that he was admitted into membership with Friends. On the 11th of the 10th month, 1763, he ob- tained a certificate of removal to Phi- ladelphia Monthly Meeting, which he did not produce to that meeting, but "resided chiefly in Maryland or the lower country" till 8th month 10th,
London Newman Street March 4.1809.
Dear Brother
The New. AV. Wells, intending to visit Philadelphia som after his arrival at New York , I would not permit him to go 10 near your place of residence without giving him this letter to curving to you , and making him known to you as a gentleman I have the greates regard for. W. Wills has resided many years in this City - and with his amiable wife is going to reside in Newyork- to which place he is called by a Religious Socity to be their Jeeher of Gospel : if he should make you a visit to upper Darby, you will find him a man greatly endowed with those principles he profess, and of an accomplished mind. His Lady is an English woman - and whether she will accompany him to Philadelphia, I know not; but if she should, and visit your family with her Husband _ W." West and your Daughter, will be much interested by her modesty, and good sence - and I am perneeded will show her every civility in their power .
It is with much concerns , I inform you that my wife health is not so good as I would wish; my sons are well - and my: self in good health - we all are desirous of being remembered to your family - I beg to have my respects presented to all inques ing friends - and I am Dear Brother
yours affectionately Benj- West
Im West 3
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1764, when "he had lately embarked for London." The Philadelphia certi- tificate was at this time returned to Goshen Meeting, and another requested for him to Loudon by his son William, which was prepared by the meeting and forwarded accordingly. It is not known that he ever returned to this country. His wife Sarah was born on the 8th of the 2d month, 1697, in Mar- ple township, and in membership with Friends, which membership she pro- bably retained during her life.
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