USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Downingtown > History of Downingtown, Chester County, Pa > Part 4
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aforesaid I now give and bequeath to Samuel Bond the sum of fifty pounds to be paid by my Executors within five years next after my Decease, And having by many donations advanced my Daughter Sarah Baldwin (Deceased) the former wife of Joshua Baldwin as also the said Joshua Baldwin I now give & Bequeath to my granddaughter Sarah Baldwin fifty pounds to be paid within five years after my Decease by my Executors hereafter named, Also I give and bequeath unto Mary the Daughter of Thomas Alcott late of East Caln deceased the sum of twenty pounds when she shall arrive at the age of twenty one years and not otherwise, MOREOVER I bequeath to the use of Andrew Knox ten Acres of cleared land, Land to'be taken off of the Far- thermost end of north west field being part of the said land before devised tinto my son Joseph Downing including the wood land in the north west corner thereof adjoining the said ten Acres the two head lines whereof are to extend from my son Joseph Downing line castwardly to where the fence now stands which said quantity of land be it more or less shall be for the use of the said Andrew Knox during his natural life if he continue in the same place he now dwells Otherwise the above grant shall cease terminate & be void. And as many poor people have formerly purchased of me & were be- come debtors my intent and meaning is that I do hereby forgive the said poor people all the books debts that may stand. in my book against them at the time of my deccase, and I do hereby frankly acquit and discharge them from paying the same And I do hereby Declare that whatsoever I have herein before given or Devised unto my loving wife Jane Downing is and shall be taken to be in lieu. Recompence & satisfaction of & for all her Dower or thirds in all my lands tenements Hereditaments & of whatsoever else she may any way claim or demand of in or out of my estate both real & personal And further it is my will that all legacies left by me in the within writing shall be paid by my two sons Richard Downing & Joseph Downing equally. except the twenty pounds left to Mary Alcott which Legacy my son Joseph Downing shall pay exclusive of Richard, and where any sum is mentioned it is under- stood to be in lawful money of Pennsylvania, And lastly it is my will that all the residue and remainder of my estate of what kind or nature soever or wheresoever the same is or may be found I give and Devise to my said son Richard Downing, And I do hereby constitute and appoint my two sons Richard Downing & Joseph Downing my Executors of this my last will and testament hereby Revoking and making void all former wills & testaments by me heretofore made and do declare this only to be my last will and testa- ment.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month (called September in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and sixty nine 1769 (seal) signed sealed published and declared by the above named Thomas Downing for and as his last will and testament in the presence of us, Rob't Valentine Joshua Way Isaac Jacobs Thomas Pimm.
The Downings and the Hunts and the Parkes and the Menden- halls and the Baldwins, the Hoopes' and the Bonds began to grow up together. They formed a community, interested in each other, and interesting to the world at large. George Aston had located some property interests across the Welsh Line of Whiteland, and led a Company of men in to the service of King George in the French and Indian War. Roger Hunt was actively scouring the country to secure wagons and horses and men to equip them for transpor- tation purposes in the same war. The Society of Friends was disowning members who were bearing arms in this conflict, and all
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the while the Milltown Mills were serving the business purposes of the neighborhood, and that neighborhood extended miles to the Northward, and to the Westward and to the Southward. The people of Lancaster County were very anxious to have a road for the public use. Seven Commissioners from Lancaster County and seven Com- missioners from Chester County laid out the Great Road from Philadelphia to Lancaster. Its entire lengthi was dotted with public houses for public entertainment. There were two of them within the area of Downingtown. "The Ship" was the first established, and next the "King In Arms." Then came the war of the Revolu- tion. The policy of the Society of Friends was that of peaceful neutrality. The County Commissioners of Chester County met at "The Ship" in 1778 for the transaction of business. In England, from whence the Friends had emigrated, Committees on Sufferings had been established in consequence of the extensive persecutions to which they had been subjected in that country. During the Revolutionary Period, like committees in America were busily engaged. The Friends were plundered by both parties in the conflict, and the regiment of Colonel Stewart, of the Pennsylvania Line, was quartered all one winter in what is now the limits of Downingtown. These were the times that tried men's souls. The British Army was advancing northward from Turkey Point on the shores of the Chesa- peake, marching to the capture of Philadelphia, which was then the most considerable city of the colonies. General Washington had resolved to contest their approach along the line of the Brandywine. The ammunition and the artillery supplies of the American forces were located in Warwick Township, Chester County, north of Down- ingtown. Peter DeHaven was the officer in charge, and he wrote the following letter to the Vice President of the Executive Council : French Creek, Sept. 10, 1777.
Sir, We have got sum information that thare is Part of Mr. Hows' armey Within four Miles of Downins Town, & I believe thay intend for our Magazene, and Wee are in a Very Poor Situation for defending it, I should be very glad if your Would send a Proper Gard for this Place. I have Rid threw this Naberhood to Procure Waggons, but Could get but 8 or 10 to Move Sum of the Powder toward Reddin, but to what Place I am a stranger.
I Re your Hum. Serv't, PETER DE HAVEN. directed,
To Mr. George Bryan, Vice President of the Ex. Councyl.
On the same day Peter DeHaven wrote the following letter, which explains the conditions existing in Chester County on the eve of the Battle of Brandywine :
French Creek, Sept. 10, 1777.
.Sir,
I Reced a Letter from Dockter Kanady Requesting me to Let him
,
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have one Hundred Stand of arms at the Yallo Spring, as there was a Subspition of the Towrys Raising, I immediately sent him answer that it is not in My Power to Deliver aney arms or Amunytion Without an order from the Executive Council, I should be glad if you would send me Word if I shall let Him have Aney. I Likewise should be Abledg to you if you give My Son an Order to your Salt Work for one Load of Salt. as Wee Do Stand in Great Need of Sum, I Cant get Aney, and Wee have a great Maney Men to Provide for.
I Remain your Humble Servant.
Peter De Haven.
Directed.
To the Honble Thomas Wharton. Esgr .. Presid't to the Ex's Council for the State of Pennsyl'a.
The Continental Congress, by resolution passed January 15th, 1778. directed, among other things, that two thousand (2000) barrels of flour be delivered for the use of the army at Downings Town in Chester County. Thus at this carly period this town was regarded as one of the principal points of supply and distribution for the patriot forces.
Of course there were defections among the Society of Friends arising out of the questions of peace and war. The several meetings undertook to deal with such offenders, but in many cases the dealing was so gentle that no record remains of any action being taken. These were the days of the Church Militant. It was not the era of the Church Acquiescent. When the Battle of Brandywine took place it was an Irishman from Londonderry, in New Hampshire, who commanded the right wing of the American forces, and it was the son of an Irishman from Chester County who commanded the left wing. In the thick of the fray was Colonel John Hannum. whose father had emigrated from Ireland early in the Century, and who after a long and distinguished service in the Revolutionary Army, returned to the Bradford Hills to engage in a somewhat peaceful contention about the location of the County town of Chester County, and we have it as a matter of record in the summer of 1777 that the Presbyterian Church at Brandywine Manor sent every male member of its organization into the Continental Army, and that the women connected with the Church harvested the crops of that summer. Although Milltown was owned, managed, directed, cher- ished. equipped and established by the members of the Society of Friends, yet in two wars, viz., the French and Indian War and the War of the Revolution a large number of her people engaged in the strife.
The Lancaster Road was laid out and established about the year 1741. It was known as the Provincial Road, and the Philadelphia Road, and the Lancaster Road. Sometimes it was referred to as the "Old Lancaster Road," or the "Great Lancaster Road." As it passed through Milltown it formed the northern boundary of Jona-
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than Parke's land and Thomas Downing's saw mill road. It was a part of the boundary line between Peter and Samuel Hunt. It led from Downing's Tavern, known as the "King In Arms," to the "The Ship," west of the Brandywine. Experience during the winter months developed the need of a bridge over the east branch of the Brandywine, and at the February Terms of the Court in 1774, then held at Chester, the following petition was presented :
"That your Petitioners having frequent occasion to travel the Road lead- ing from Philadelphia to Lancaster, find great inconvenience at times, oc- casioned by the rising of the waters and ice in Brandywine Creek Therefore request you would, in your wonted goodness, order the building of a bridge across the creek at or near where the Provincial Road now goes near Down- ing's Mill, which we humbly apprehend will be of great benefit to the public in general, as well as to the inhabitants in those parts. And your Petitioners will gratefully acknowledge your justice. Signed by
John Malin James Hood
Samuel Conrad
Curtis Lewis
Thomas Meter
John Downing
Jos. Trimple
Robert Lockart David Evans
John Hoopes
Jesse Green
Caleb Wagner
James Guthery
Ludwick Ligit
George Thomas
Obed Lewis
Abiah Parke
Daniel Evans
Jno. Hoopes, Jr.
Lewis Atherton
John Jacobs
Thomas Hannum
Jno. Hannum
Richard Downing
Joseph Downing
Richard Thomas
Robert Valentine
James Sheward
William Trimble, Jr.
Samuel Bond
James Galbrath
William Hannum
Samuel Hermet
Joshua Baldwin
William Beal
The petition was recommended by the Grand Jury and approved by the Court, at the May Term, 1774. John Pimm, who owned a plantation near what is now the village of Thorndale, was Foreman of the Grand Jury.
At a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, held June 2. 1:44, the petition to the Court for a bridge at Downing- town, and the approval of the Grand Jury thereof being present- ed to the Board, a number of Justices, together with the Com- missioners and local Assessors appointed to view the place, agreed to meet on the 10th of that month. On the day named the Commissioners and others met as agreed upon, and the re- sult of their deliberations is thus recorded: "Pursuant to ap- pointment, the Commissioners, together with most of the As- sessors, and a number of Magistrates, met and viewed the place proposed, and agreed there was necessity for a Bridge and pro- posed meeting on June 18, 1774, in order to let the same." It is further recorded that on the 18th day of June, 1774, the Com- missioners, Assessors and Justices met at Richard Cheyney's Public House, and in consequence of the circumstance that the people generally were in favor of a stone bridge, and did not want a wooden bridge agreeably to former proposals, the fur- ther consideration of the matter was postponed until the August
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term of Court. At a meeting of the Board of County Commis- sioners, held in August, 1114, the following appears among the recorded minutes : "The case respecting the Brandywine Bridge, coming under consideration after consultation had with the Jus- tices, it was agreed to build a bridge with stone pillars and cover with plank agreeably to a plan heretofore made, and Samuel Cun- ningham has undertaken the same at the sum of four hundred and forty (440) pounds, and it is proposed to sign an article for that purpose on the first day of October." The minutes show that the agreement was complied with. This, however, was not the first movement in Downingtown for a bridge over the Brandywine. In 1:52 the following petition was presented :
TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND ASSESSORS FOR THE COUNTY OF CHESTER, MET AT CHESTER THE 25TH DAY OF FEB- RUARY, 1752.
The petition of divers inhabitants of the township of East Caln in behalf of themselves and others, come to showeth :
That the passage for travelers upon the Provincial road leading from Philadelphia to Lancaster is often rendered very difficult and dangerous by reason of freshets and other obstacles in the east branch of Brandywine Creek so that people are often detained in their destination to there from los; and the no small trouble and expense of the neighboring inhabitants who are often crowded with travelers so detained. and as the intercourse of travelers on said road yearly increases and business becomes more favorable, we humbly conceive that there is an absolute necessity for a bridge to be erected on the said Creek.
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you would be pleased to take the premises into your serious consideration and use your endeavors with the other branches of power usually concerned in such cases to grant our re- quest ; and your petitioners as in duty bound shall thoroughly acknowledge the same.
Robert Valentine Roger Hunt Samuel Bond
John Jones Thomas Parke Richard Bond
John Stevenson Thomas Pimm John Jenkin
Joshua Baldwin Thomas Daine William Beale
William Roberts Thomas Downing Lewis Padry.
According to Road Docket A, Page 4, in the Clerk's Office at West Chester, there was a road laid out from Conestoga to Whiteland as early as August, 1726, and such road is thus de- scribed :
"East along the line between Joseph Pike and Francis Evits and crossing vacant land 430 perches to a marked black oak standing by a road formerly laid out by Thomas Green's plantation, thence along the said road at right angles crossing vacant land and land of Thomas Parke, George Aston and Thomas Moore 970 perches to a marked white oak on the said Moore's land, thence crossing the land of the said Thomas Moore south 77 degrees, east 18 perches, south 85 degrees, east 31 perches, north 80 degrees, east 34 perches, north 43 degrees, east 144 perches to a white oak, thence crossing the said land north 37 degrees, east 90 perches, north 71 degrees, east 28 perches, east 54 perches, north 85 degrees, east 48 perches, north 70 degrees, east 66 perch- es, thence crossing land late of John Parke north 63 degrees, east 76 perches, east 36 perches, north 82 degrees, 110 perches, north 66 degrees, east 61 perch-
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.es to a white oak standing by Philadelphia road on the land of John Spruce in Whiteland."
There was also a road laid out from George Aston's property to Goshen in May, 1731, as set forth in Road Docket A, Page 28, in the Clerk's Office at West Chester, which is as follows :
"Beginning at a white oak standing near the road on George Aston's land leading from Conestoga to Philadelphia, from thence east 9 degrees, north 92 perches to the Great Road in the division line of Moore and Horn's land on the east side of Brandywine, thence east 300 perches, thence east 6 perches, north 90 perches, thence east 40 perches, thence east 6 degrees, north 180 perches from John Baldwin's land, thence south 40 degrees, east 260 perches, thence 68 degrees north 146 perches, thence east, northeast 100 perches, thence east by north 80 perches, thence east, northeast 200 perches, thence from the corner of William Taylor's field east, southeast 66 perches, north along the division line of Thomas Apleton and John Holland north 78 degrees, east 154 perches, thence from Holland's land north 82 degrees, east IIO perches, into the limestone road from the Valley to Chester."
There was also a road from Uwchlan Friends' Meeting House to Thomas Downing's mill, at Milltown, laid out in Au- gust, 1:34, as shown by Road Dockct A, Page 46, in the Clerk's Office at West Chester, which is described as follows:
"Beginning in the road near Uwchlan Meeting House and thence by sev- eral courses and distances to the road leading down the Valley Hill into the Great Road and that leads from Conestoga to Philadelphia by Thomas Moore's mill 180 perclies."
August 31, 1:36, as shown by Road Docket A, Page 5?, in the Clerk's Office at West Chester, there was a road laid out be- ginning at the County line, near John Minchall's, thence by vari- ous courses and distances into the Provincial Road, near George Aston's property.
In 1142. as shown by Road Docket A, Page 81. in the Clerk's Office at West Chester, there was also laid out a road beginning in the road leading from Uwchlan Friends' Meeting House to Thomas Downing's mill, on David Jenkin's land, thence to the road leading from Brandywine to Chester, on John Ingram's land.
In 1952, as shown by Road Papers, Vol 6, page 48, in the Clerk's Office at West Chester, there was a report showing the laying out of a part of the little Conestoga Road, leading from Springton Manor to the Township of East Caln, to the Provincial Road, near the mill of Thomas Downing, beginning at the Pro- vincial Road that runs from Paxtang toward Philadelphia, and a little within the line of said Manor : thence by various courses and distances to the lowland in the Great Valley : thence along the road supposed to be confirmed already, as far as the mill of Roger Hunt; thence by various courses and distances near to Roger Hunt's mill ; thence by various courses and distances to the Provincial Road, near the mill of Thomas Downing, also the following road leading from Uwchlan Friends' Meeting House to Thomas Downing's mill :
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"Beginning at a Hickory tree in the line of Uwchlan Township, thence south 40 degrees, west 36 perches, south 25 degrees, west 28 perches, south 521/2 degrees, west 70 perches, south 44 degrees, west. 18 perches, south 20 de- grees, west 14 perches, south passing by John Downing's house 50 perches, south by west and along said Downing's lane 134 perches to the aforesaid Provincial Road."
The Thomas Downing mill, at the junction of the Brandy- wine Creek and the Lancaster Turnpike, subsequently became the property of S. Austin Bicking, and the Roger Hunt mill was afterwards known as the Ringwalt mill, and is now owned by John T. Pollock. It is very evident that the people of the neighborhood of Downingtown, living there in the first half of the eighteenth (18th) century, were much concerned about high- ways and bridges. It would seem that there were two (2) sepa- rate bridges across the Brandywine within the limits of the pres- ent Borough of Downingtown. At what time they were each constructed, and by whom they were constructed, and of what material they were constructed have formed the basis of several discussions. It is not the purpose of the writer to attempt to decide these matters. He submits some of the papers, which are a part of the records of the County of Chester, and perhaps may aid in reaching a conclusion upon this point. It is also evident that Downingtown, in the first half of the eighteenth (18th ) cen- tury was the industrial centre of Chester County, and its busi- ness activities were very great. As early as 1103 the principal inhabitants of the "Welsh tract" sought to have a road from Powell's ferry, on the Schuylkill, to the principal part of Goshen township, and thence continued in a direct course to "ve upper settlements on Brandywine." The first turnpike in America was built through Chester County. It was the "Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road Company," and was chartered April 9, 1292. It was completed in 1294, and was open to public travel the following year, and at once became a leading thor- oughfare between Philadelphia and Lancaster. The travel and transportation of merchandise upon it for many years was enormous. It was lined with houses for public entertainment. These taverns in some parts of its course through Chester County averaged one for every mile. At night the yards of these taverns would be filled with teams, the horses standing on each side of the tongue, on which a trough had been placed. The teamsters carried their beds with them, and at nights spread them on the barroom floors or in rooms appropriated for that purpose. Some of these public houses were known as stage taverns, and others as wagon taverns. The stage taverns were generally more com- modious than the wagon taverns. As a rule, these taverns were well kept and were owned by the landlords who conducted them With the advent of the "iron horse" public travel passed from
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the turnpike to the railroad, and a mournful poet of that period inspired these lines :
"May the devil catch the man, Who invented the plan
That ruined us poor wagoners And every other man."
The "every other man" was supposed to refer to the inn- keepers along the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike.
Immense Conestoga wagons, with their white-covered tops, sometimes styled the sails of commerce, ceased to be seen along the pike. One by one these innkeepers passed out of existence. At the time of the opening of the turnpike for public travel there were three (3) noted taverns within the limits of Downingtown, "The Ship," "The Half-Way House" and the "King in Arms." concerning whose landlords and concerning whose management I have already discoursed. At the end of the eighteenth (18th) century, when Downingtown had been a habitation for almost one hundred (100) years, its industries had not increased. Its resident population was less than two hundred (200) persons. The County of Chester had been divided in 1787, and efforts were made to place the new county seat at Downingtown. Colonel John Hannum, the most distinguished citizen and public- spirited character of the region, was anxious that the new county town should be either at Downingtown or at the junction of the Valley Creek with the Brandywine, at a point some two (2) miles south of Downingtown. Few, if any, of the residents of Down- ingtown were favorable to the location of the county town at that point. Tradition says that it was the peaceful quiet of a Friend- ly community that resented the proposition. There is no record of any public action upon the subject, but, considering the atti- tude of the influential forces of the neighborhood, it is not sur- prising that West Chester had to begin operations in the vicinity of a tavern, viz .. "The Turk's Head."
Stage lines were numerous upon the Lancaster Pike. Daily there could be seen the long, smooth stretch of pike through the village, transportation facilities of every description, and within two miles there was great liberty of choice as to where the noon- day meal could be eaten. Droves of cattle came down from the west along the turnpike, and Downingtown was a very important locality in the business transactions of Chester County. Robert Coleman was one of the wealthiest citizens of Eastern Pennsyl- vania. He was an extensive owner of iron mines at Cornwall, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, and with the Grubb family shared the enterprise of the mining and manufacture of iron. His two daughters were distinguished in the society life of Lan- caster, and James Buchanan, then a brilliant member of the
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Lancaster Bar, paid assiduous attention to Miss Anna Coleman, and his interest and affections were reciprocated by the object of his devotion. At that time Mr. Buchanan's professional en- gagements frequently called him to adjoining counties; and he had an appointment to call at Miss Anna Coleman's residence on a certain evening in December, 1819. He did not reach Lan- caster by stage from Lebanon, where he had been engaged in an argument before the Court, until evening. As he alighted from the conveyance Miss Auld, a charming and vivacious young lady of Lancaster, insisted upon Mr. Buchanan accompanying her home and taking tea with them. So charmed was Mr. Bu- chanan with the wit of his hostess that he not only drank tea at the house, but spent the evening there, having utterly forgot- ten his appointment with Miss Coleman. When he failed to appear she was very much disappointed, and the next morning . departed on a visit to some relatives in the city of Philadelphia. Mr. Buchanan was very much chagrined about his forgetfulness, and wrote her several letters in an apologetic strain, but to none of which an answer was returned. Finally he did receive a very short note from Miss Coleman asking him to call upon her at the home of her aunt, in the city of Philadelphia. He procured a horse and gig and started upon his drive to Philadelphia. He stopped at the "Half-Way House," in Downingtown, for dinner. As he came from the hotel to resume his journey a funeral cor- tege appeared in sight, moving toward Lancaster. Inquiry de- veloped the fact that it brought the remains of Miss Anna Cole- man. What were the circumstances surrounding her death were not disclosed to Mr. Buchanan. He immediately returned to Lancaster and addressed a note to Mr. Robert Coleman, asking the privilege of viewing the body and attending the funeral. That note was returned to him, unopened, and after Mr. Bu- chanan's death it was found among his papers. The parents of Miss Coleman had been bitterly opposed to any marriage with Mr. Buchanan. He possessed great ambition, extraordinary talent, occupying a high position at the bar, but his wealth was very slender. At the same time that he was paying his court to Miss Anna Coleman, Doctor Muhlenberg was paying attention to her sister, and the doctor was received by Miss Coleman's parents with as scant favor as Mr. Buchanan. Both these suitors lived to achieve great distinction, and their names will outlast all material wealth of the family which repulsed them. Mr. Buchanan never married. All the letters bearing upon his love affair with Miss Coleman were ordered by him to be burned immediately upon his death, and Mr. Curtis, his literary executor, carried out his instructions in that particular. The letter writ- ten by Mr. Buchanan to Mr. Robert Coleman, which was re-
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