USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County : to which is prefixed a brief sketch of the early history of Pennsylvania > Part 19
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List of those licensed, May 5th, 1730, and rate of license.
Jacob Bear, 40 shillings; Francis Jones, 10 s. ; James Patterson, 40 s .; James Cook, 20 .; Andrew Cornish,
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40 s .; Erasmus Bachman, 20 s .; Martin Harnist, 20 s .; John Harris, 40 s .; John Postlewhait, 60 s .; Christian Stoneman, 50 s .; Edward Dougherty, 30 s .; John Steel, 25 s .; Christopher Franciscus, 20 s .; John Miller, 20 s .; Samuel Bethel, 40 s .; John David, 30 s .; George Stuart, 20 s .; Thomas Armstrong, 20 s .; Jacob Funk, 30 s .; William White, 10 s .; Thomas Baldwin, 30 s .; Peter Allen, 40 s .; Edward Cartledge, 30 s .; Jones Daven- port, 30 s .; Henry Baily, 20 s .; William Dunlap, 20 s .; William Clark, 20 s .; Henry Snevely, 20 s .; Michael Mire, 20 s .; John Wilkins, 20 s .; Lazarus Lowry, 20 s .; Michael Shank, 20 s .; Casper Laughman, 40 s .; George Haynes, 30 s .; Isaac Miranda, 20 s .; John Hen- dricks, 20 s.
At a court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at LANCASTER, the third day of November, in the fourth year of his Majesty's Reign, Anno, 1730, before John Wright, Thomas Edwards, Tobias Hendricks, Andrew Cornish, Andrew Galbraith and Caleb Pearce, Esqrs., Justices of our Lord, the King, the peace of our said Lord, the King in the county aforesaid, &c.
The court being opened, the sheriff, to wit: John. Galbraith returns the writ of Venire Facias to him directed with the panel thereunto annexed, and the following persons were sworn and affirmed on the Grand Inquest.
Edward Smout, Jr., James Patterson, John Kile, Randel Chambers, Hatwell Varnon, Ephraim Moore, Richard Hough, George Stites, Christian Vanlere, Daniel Cookson, John Jones, John Musgrove, Jr., James Galt, James Whitehill, Thomas Johnston, William Wil- kins, William Richardson.
Robert Barber, late sheriff of the said county, re- turned to this court by indenture under the hands and
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seals of six free-holders of the said county, Gabriel Davis, John Caldwell, Joshua Low, Emanuel Carpenter, Walter Denny and Thomas Wilkins, for assessors, and John Davis commissioned for the ensuing year.
We have introduced a brief notice of one whose name is intimately associated with the history of Lancaster county, and the early history of the United States.
CONRAD WEISER, an active, enterprising man, con- spicuous in the annals of this county from its organiza- tion till 1760, was born in Germany, 1696. At the age of 13, in 1709, he left his Vaterland, accompanied by his father and seven brothers and sisters, with three or four thousand other Germans, they went to England ;* thence they sailed for New York, where they arrived, the 13th June, 1710. In the fall of the same year, the father of the subject of this notice, and hundreds of German families, were transferred at Queen Anne's expense to Livingston District, where many of them remained till 1713; that year about one hundred and fifty families moved to Schoharie to occupy lands pre- sented to Queen Anne by a Mohawk chief, for the . benefit of these Germans. While residing here, Conrad Weiser's father, in 1714, became acquainted with Quag- nant, a chief of Maqua or Mohawk nation. Quagnant proposed to the father to take Conrad with him into his country, and to teach him the language spoken by his nation; the father consented, and Conrad accom- panied the chief to his house in the autumn of 1714 .- Here his sufferings, according to Weiser's own journal, were almost intolerable. He was exposed to the in- clemencies of a severe winter, "pinched by hunger and frost," menaced with death by the inebriated Indians; to escape which, he had often to ffee and conceal himself
*See page 182-184.
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till reason was restored, and "a second sober thought,'' restrained their threats. Having spent eight months among them, and acquired the principal part of the Mohawk language, he returned to the German colony, where, as interpreter, he acquired a competent knowledge of the language, in a very short time.
Owing to a defect in the titles to their lands which involved them in difficulties, this German colony was dispersed; some remained at Schoharie, among these was Weiser, the interpreter, others left, in search of a new home; these wended their course in a south-wes- terly direction till they struck Susquehanna, where they made canoes, freighted these with their families and goods; floated down the river to the mouth of Swatara creek, thence they worked their way up till they reached a fertile spot in Tulpehocken, where they settled amidst the Indians, in 1723.
Weiser, as stated, remained at Schoharie, till 1729, when he, his wife and four children left, and followed his relations and friends to Tulpehocken, where they were all cordially received. Here he took up a tract of land within a few miles of the site of Wommelsdorf.
He, as occasion demanded it, acted as interpreter between the Indians and the German settlers. Though he had determined to spend his remaining days in private, his talents soon attracted the attention of the Government, and his services, as interpreter, were re- quired, by the Hon. Patrick Gordon, Lieut. Governor. of Pennsylvania, as early as Tost; for that purpose, Weiser accompanied Shekellany and Cehachquey, In- dians, who had returned from the Six Nations, to Phila- delphia .* He was called on repeatedly to act as
*Col. Rec. 452.
22
173.
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interpreter while pursuing the improvement of his farm.
He was a man of unbounded benevolence, and dis- posed "to hope all things"+it was through him the Moravian brethren were made attentive to. Indian natives, especially the Iroquois, or Six Nations. Mr. Spangenberger received the first account of them from Conrad Weiser, a justice of the peace, and interpreter to the Government in Pennsylvania .* The Governor and Proprietor of Pennsylvania had sent him in the winter of 1736, to treat with the Iroquois, concerning a war ready to break out between them and the Indians of Virginia, and to endeavor to settle the dispute amicably. On this journey, of nearly five hundred miles, he suffered great hardships. The weather was uncommonly severe, and he had to force his way, mostly on foot, through deep snow, thick forests, brooks and rivers, carrying provisions for several weeks on his back:t
If it may be called such, he had the good fortune to become acquainted with many of the conspicuous characters of his day. Count Zinzendorf visited him August 14, 1752, where' he met, at Tulpehocken, a numerous embassy of sachems or heads of the Six Nations, returning from Philadelphia. The count was desirous of preaching the Gospel to the Indians; Weiser . was interpreter on this occasion; adding in conclusion of the discourse: "This is the man, whom God hath sent, both to the Indians and to the white people, to make known his will unto them," confirming his words,
*Loskiel. P. I, 4, 5.
+He was appointed in 1741. Die Landes Obrigkeit gewann ihn lieb, wegen seines ehrlichen und besonders nuetzlichen Characters, und machte ihn 1741, zum Friede-Richter und I othschafter bey den Indianer-Nation. Hall. Nachrichten 978.
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after the Indian custom, by a present of a piece of red. cloth .*
Sometime in the month of September, Conrad Weiser visited. Shomakin, a populous Indian town, where he interpreted between Shikellimus and the count.
He attended all the principal Indian treaties held for a period of rising twenty-five years. About the year 1752, Conrad Weiser, in connexion with the Governor of Pennsylvania, Chief Justice Allen, Mr. Peters, Secre- tary of the Land Office, Messrs. Turner, and B. Frank- lin, was appointed a trustee and manager of the public schools, which were established through the efforts of the Rev. Michael Schlatter. By virtue of their com- mission, the trustees established schools at Lancaster, · York, Reading, New Hanover, Skippack, and Goshen- hopen.t
During the French and Indian hostilities, as Lieut. Colonel, he commanded the second battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment, consisting of nine companies- "they were thus distributed-one company at Fort Augusta, one at Hunter's mill, seven miles above Har- risburg, on the Susquehanna, one half company on the Swatara, at the foot of the North mountain, one com- pany and a half at Fort Henry, close to the Gap of the mountain, called the Tothea Gap, one company at Fort Williams, near the forks of the Schuylkill river, six miles beyond the mountains, one company at Fort Allen, at Gnadenhuetten, on the Lehigh, the other three com- panies were scattered between the rivers Lehigh and Delaware, at the disposition of the captains, at farm- houses, others at mills, from three to twenty in a place."}
The duties of the numerous stations of life he held, were always discharged with fidelity and ability; he was
*Ibid. 27. +Hall. Nach, 661. #Gordon's Pa. 341.
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both capable and honest. The space allowed us, we regret, will not admit of details. He closed his eventful life, July 13, 1760-his remains were interred July 15, near Wommelsdorf, Berks county. He left seven chil- dren and numerous relatives to lament his departure .- Weiser was a man of strong mind-cultivated in the never failing school of experience. His poetical effu- sions, a few of which only remain, are said to be well written. The following is a concluding verse of a hymn furnished by W. at a church dedication:
Fuer Feuer, Krieg und Wassers-Noth Wollst du dis Haus bewahren! Damit nach unserm selgen Tod Die Nachkommen erfahren, Dasz wir dich, wahren Gott, geliebt Und uns in deinem Wort geuebt, Um deines Namens willen.
NOTES .- Hatwel Varnon was a native of Wrexford, Ireland. In 1728, he settled in Lancaster county, now Leacock town- ship. It is said he was a man of rare endowments ;; and ac- tive and useful Friend-died 1747, 1 mo. 1 day .- Friend's Mis- cellany, Vol. IV. 25,
QUAKERS were numerous in Lancaster county, as early as 1730. " The Quakers extended their settlements to the Susque- hanna, one thousand families of the Society of Friends, settled in Chester county, before 1700. A, thousand families of Friends were settled in Lancaster county, at the time or shortly after its erection. The meeting house in Lancaster city, was, for a length of time, numerously attended."-R. C. Lan. Jour.
In the spring of 1729, John and James Hendricks made, under the authority of Government, the first authorized settle- ment on the west side of the Susquehanna, now called York county. They were soon followed by other families.
The following mills had all been, erected in Lancaster county, prior to 1729: Christian Stoneman's, Hans Graff's, Samuel Taylor's.
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In May 1729, the 'Conestogoe, Ganawese and Delaware Indians, went to Philadelphia to have an interview with Gov. Gordon. The chief's of the Conestogoe were Tawenna, Gaya- torouga and Taquatarensaly, sometimes called Civility ; those of the Ganawese, Amawoolit, Peyhiohinas and Yaochkon- guess; those of the Delawares, Peyashickon, Whawyayga- men and Saykalin. Peter Bizallion and John Scull, were interpreters .- Col. Rec. III. 383.
1730, May 5th, at Postlewhait's, John Emerson, Gent., upon his humble suit to court, was admitted to practice as an at- torney at law within the same.
1731, May 4, at Lancaster, Edward Harris, Gent., upon his humble suit to court, was admitted to practice as an attorney at law.
1730, Lancaster town contained about 200 inhabitants-this year Stephen Atkinson built a fulling mill at a great expense ; but the inhabitants of the upper part of the creek assembled and pulled down the dam on the Conestoga, as it prevented them from rafting and getting their usual supply of fish. At- kinson altered his dam with a twenty feet passage for boats and fish.
Members of the Assembly from Lancaster county for 1727, were Thomas Edwards, John Wright, James Mitchell and Thomas Reed. For 1730, John Musgrove, Thomas Edwards, John Wright and George Stuart.
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CHAPTER II.
Road from Lancaster to Philadelphia ordered to be laid out, &c .- Election excitement, orviolent contest-Border frays-Townships erected-Penns- borough and Hopewell, west of the Susquehanna-Hanover-Little Britain-James Ewing born-Contest between the Marylanders and inhabitants of Lancaster-Cressap and his associates attempt to displace the Germans-Is apprehended and imprisoned-Governor Ogle sends messengers to Philadelphia-German settlers seized and carried to Balti- more-The council sends an embassy to Governor Ogle-Marylanders. break into Lancaster jail-Germans naturalized-Notes of variety.
PREVIOUS to the erection of the county, little or no care had been taken of the high-ways. The first, and leading object of the inhabitants, after townships had been erected and organized by the appointment of the requisite officers, was laying out roads and build- ing bridges where there was necessity. "A petition of the magistrates, grand jury, and other inhabitants of Lancaster county, was presented to the board of coun- cil held at Philadelphia, January 29, 1730-1, setting forth that not having the conveniences of any navigable water, for bringing the produce of their labors to Phila- delphia, they are obliged, at a great expense, to transport them by land carriage, which burthen became heavier through the want of suitable roads for carriages to pass. That there are no public roads leading to Philadelphia, yet laid out through their county, and those in Chester county, through which they now pass, are in many places incommodious. "And therefore praying that proper persons may be appointed to view and lay out a road for public service, from the town of Lancaster, till it falls in with the high road in the county of Chester, leading to the Ferry of Schuylkill at High street, and that a review
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may be had of the said public road in the county of Chester; the prayer of which petition being granted:
" It is ordered that Thomas Edwards, Edward Smout, Robert Barber, Hans Graaf, Caleb Peirce, Samuel Jones and Andrew Cornish, of the county of Lancaster, or any five of them view and lay out by course and dis- tance, a convenient high road from the said town of Lancaster; and that Thomas Green, George Aston, William Paschal, Richard Buffington, William March, Samuel Miller and Robert Parke, of the county of Chester, or any five of them, in continuing to lay out as aforesaid, the said road from the division line aforesaid, till it falls in with the King's high road in the county of Chester, leading to Philadelphia, and make return thereof to this board. And they, the above named per- sons of the county of Lancaster, or any five of them, together with the above named persons of the county of Chester, or any five of them, are further empowered jointly to review the said road within the last mentioned county, and to report to this board what alterations may be necessary to be made therein, and suit the conve- niency of carriages, and for the better accommodation of the inhabitants of this province ..
The persons appointed to view and lay out the road, made report to the board, October 4, 1733, that they had attended to the business assigned them, which report was approved and confirmed; and it was then ordered that the road thus laid out, be declared the King's High- way, or Public Road, and that the same be forthwith cleared and rendered commodious for public service .*
*The courts ordered, the Governor and council having certi- fied the same, that the respective supervisors open and clear the King's Road leading from Lancaster to Philadelphia ; to clear the same on the north side of the marked trees, at least
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In the history of this county, the year 1732, is re- markable on account of a violent contest, and border frays, in both of which females played "a manly part ;" Mrs. Galbraith " figured " in the former, and Mrs. Louse " shone " in the latter. Andrew Galbraith of Donegal, and John Wright of Hempfield, were both candidates for member of Assembly ; it was an excitting time pro- duced by exciting causes. "Andrew Galbraith was pushed forward by his friends. Mrs. Galbraith mounted her favorite mare, Nelly; a spur, she fastened to her ancle, and away she went, her red cloak flowing to the wind, to scour the county for Andrew. She did him good service; for Andrew Galbraith was elected and returned a member, and took his seat," among his col- leagues of the county, viz : Messrs. George Stuart, Thomas Edwards, and Samuel Blunston.
" John Wright contested the election, and Wright and Galbraith were heard at the bar of the House, and after hearing their claims, the House resolved "that Andrew Galbraith is duly returned a member for the county of Lancaster."*
John Wright was a short time after elected in the place of George Stuart, who had died a short time after his election.
thirty feet wide, and grub the underwood, at least fifteen feet of the said space on the side north the marked trees and make necessary bridges over swamps so as to render the same safe and passable for horse and wagon .- Docket of Quar. Ses. for 1733.
*John Wright contested the seat of A. Galbraith, on the ground that a number of the tickets on which his name was written, were rejected, because the tickets contained but three names instead of four. The House resolved, " That a ticket · containing a less number of names than by law directed, be a bad ticket."-Votes of Assembly.
love
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Sometime in 1732, as appears from the affidavits of James Hendricks, William McMannack, John Capper, John Brubaker, Charles Jones, John Patten, Alexander McKey, JoshuaMinshal, Francis Ward, Rebecca Hen- dricks, Joshua and Tobias Hendricks, taken before John Wright and Samuel Blunston, Hempfield, that "James Patterson had been informed that one or more of his horses had been killed near John Lowe's plantation, and that his two sons, Daniel and William, had been seen presenting a gun to fire at another horse, but were pre- vented by being discovered, sent some persons thither to enquire into the truth of the matter, who, finding one of them lying dead near Lowe's house, made some expos- tulations with his sons on that head, who were so far from disowning the fact, that they said they would kill all the horses which came upon that land, and having assaulted and grossly abused Patterson's messenger, threatened they would tie and whip all those he should send over thither; that upon complaint hereof made, a warrant was issued for apprehending the two persons who had been thus guilty of that assault." The war- rant was directed to Charles Jones, constable of Hemp- field township, who, with his staff in hand, and in con- sequence of threats from Thomas Cressap and his asso- ciates-" Maryland intruders,"-to shoot any officer of Pennsylvania, who came into those parts to do his
NOTE .- Thomas Penn, son of William Penn, arrived in Pennsylvania, 1732. He was at Lancaster in October, 1736- signed licenses or grants for settlements that had been made previously on the west side of the Susquehanna. Samuel Blunston was engaged as his agent to grant licenses for 12,000 acres, to satisfy the rights of settlers, &c. These licenses, or rather promises to the settlers, to grant them patents for the lands they had settled, are signed by T. Penn, himself .- Smith.
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duty, Jones demanded the assistance of James Patter- sons, senior and junior, William McMannack, Alexander McKey, John Capper, John Hart, John Patten, James Patten and Matthew Bailey, "who took three guns, and these not loaded, serving only as an appearance of defence," went to the house of Mr. Lowe, apprehended Daniel and William, who made considerable resistance. Mrs. Lowe raised an alarm to raise the neighborhood,* whereupon, Thomas Cressap, William Canon and Ed- ward Evans, followed to rescue the prisoners, and wounded John Hart; but were obliged to desist. The Lowes were arrested and imprisoned at Lancaster.
This was soon followed by more "unhappy frays," accompanied by acts of atrocity committed by the Mary- landers "upon the Pennsylvanians." The Lancaste- rians were aroused to action, they called "to arms," and a body of the mostr esolute, entered into Maryland and compelled Cressap and his associates to flee. The Lan- casterians convinced the Marylanders that they were not to be assailed with impunity.
Though Lancaster county was without specified limits, at this time, settlements had now been made west of the Susquehanna, within the present boundaries of York, Adams, Franklin, Cumberland, Perry; the inhabi- tants in various parts presented petitions to the court at Lancaster for the erection of townships. At the Novem- ber session, 1735, upon the petition of many inhabitants on the west side of the Susquehanna river, opposite to Paxton, praying that the parts settled between said river
*Lowe's house, where his sons were taken, was within the boundaries of Pennsylvania. About 400 people lived more south than Lowe's house, who paid taxes in Lancaster county, and had always acknowledged themselves inhabitants of Penn- sylvania .- Col. Rec. III. 507
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and Potomac river, on Conedogwainst, Yellow Britches and Conegochegue creeks, may be divided into two townships, and constables appointed in them, it was ordered by court that a line running northerly from the hills to the southward of Yellow Britches (crossing a direct line by the Great Spring) to Keghtotening moun- tain, be the division line, and the eastern-most township, be called Pennsborough, and the western, Hopewell .- (Cumberland county.)
At the February session, 1736-7, upon a petition of the inhabitants of Lancaster county, Hanover township was erected; divided on the west from Peshtank by Beaver creek from its mouth to the mountain, from Lebanon on the east, and Derry on the south by Sua- taaro creek, from Beaver mouth to the forks, thence by the north branch thereof to the mountain.
At the February session, 1737-8 .- The petition of many of the inhabitants of Drumore township, setting forth the inconveniences they lie under by the largeness of the township, and praying the same may be divided
NOTE .- James Ewing was born about the year 1736, in Manor township, of this county, of Irish parents. When yet a lad his parents moved to Hellam township, Lancaster, now York county. Our young hero, at the age of 18 or 19, was engaged in repelling, with his associates, and citizens soldiers, the incursions of the Indians. He took, at an early day, an active part in the Indian or French army; and was, it is be- lieved, a lieutenant in Braddock's army, and present at the disastrous slaughter usually called "Braddock's Defeat."
He served his country in various capacities. He was a member of the Legislature for six or seven years. He was Brigadier General, and attached to the Flying Camp in the Revolutionary war. He was in public life till 1800-died in March, 1806, aged about 70 years. Of him it is said, at the time of his death, what is said of few: "He died without an enemy."
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by a line running from a marked Spanish oak standing on the brow of a roundish hill by Sasquehanah opposite an island, called Mount Johnson, north-east by east to Octoraro creek, and that the said western division may be called the township of Little Britain, which said petition being considered and approved of, the same is ordered per curiam to be recorded in manner aforesaid.
The year 1736, there was a contest between the Mary- landers and the inhabitants of Lancaster, arising from the undefined boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. A respectable number of Germans and others had settled west of the Susquehanna, now York county, under Pennsylvania titles; but to avoid paying taxes, imposed by the province, these settlers accepted titles from Maryland, "and attorned to Lord Baltimore; but, becoming satisfied that adhesion to him might ulti- mately prejudice their interests, they formally renounced their allegiance, and sought protection from Penn- . sylvania."
This course of shifting greatly displeased the Mary- landers; they were determined to eject the "miscreants" from their possessions. Three hundred men, headed by the sheriff of the county of Baltimore, advanced within the borders of Pennsylvania to execute their ejectment. The citizens of Lancaster county could not look with indifference upon the conduct of the Marylanders: Samuel Smith, the sheriff of Lancaster county, drew out a Posse Comitatus, i. e. citizens to oppose the aggres- sions of rioters or invaders, and to protect the settlers west of the Susquehanna. Smith succeeded without violence in having the Marylanders leave the arena, where they proposed to execute the design of their mis- sion, with the understanding the settlers there would,
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after consultation, "give an answer to Lord Baltimore's expedition to acknowledge his authority."
For a short time, disturbances seemed to be settled; but before long, through the instrumentality of Captain Thomas Cressap, a restless, quarrelsome individual, an association was formed with the knowledge of Governor Ogle, of some fifty or sixty persons, under the auspices of the Captain, to displace the Germans, being the prin- cipal settlers; and to divide their lands, according to the agrarian laws of Rome: "to distribute the lands of the conquered among the conquerors; for Cressap had promised each of his associates two hundred acres of _ land.
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