History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 187

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

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GWYNEDD TOWNSHIP.

in 1718; Owen Evans, of " North Wales," one of the | born in 1750, married Rachel Johnson in 1778, and justices of the County Courts in 1726, and Cadwal- lader Foulke, in 1738. Jacob Albright was constable in 1767 and Nicholas Selser in 1774; John Jenkins assessor for 1776. Among the surnames mentioned in the list of 1734 who are still land-holders in the township, may be mentioned the Foulke, Jones, Jen- kins, Roberts, Evans and Davis families; the rest probably no longer exist here.

but one German name is found. Leonard Hartling ' purchased a farm of two hundred and twenty-five acres

As has been mentioned, for the third of a century Gwyuedd was almost exclusively settled by the Welsh, as we can infer from the list of 1734, wherein or Harthein, therefore, can beregarded as the pioneer settler of the latter. This element has since become a very important one, probably now constituting three- fourths of its total population. In the assessment of 1776, out of a total of one hundred and fourteen names, the Germans numbered already fifty-five, or almost one-half, while the Welsh had barely made an in- crease, either in taxables or land-holders, within the preceding thirty-two years. Many of these early Germans, it appears, had removed from the upper townships, particularly Towamenein, Lower Salford and Perkiomen, and consequently located themselves at first chiefly in the upper or northwestern section of the township.

Melchior Kreible came about 1735; Christopher Neuman or Neiman purchased, in t751, two hundred and twenty-five aeres in its western corner from the executors of Edward Williams' estate. Henry Snyder was married to a daughter of Neuman, and was returned in 1776 as holding one hundred and seventy-five acres, and having ten children in his family, whose names were Rosina, George, Christopher, Henry, Christian, Abraham, Isaac, Susanna, John and Regina. George Snyder at the same date possessed a farm of one hun- dred and fifty acres, and was taxed for a servant. This place was situated on the Upper Dublin line, he having purchased it from Francis Peters, in 1762. He died in 1792, leaving three sons, Adam, Jacob and John.

Abraham Danehower, the ancestor of an extensive land-holding family, came from Germany before 1755, and purchased one hundred and thirty-six acres in 1762, of David and Sarah Cumming. He died in 1789, aged sixty-seven years, and his wife, Catharine, in 1798, aged seventy-four years. His children were George, Abraham, Henry, John, Catharine, Elizabeth and Sarah. George died in 1793, aged forty-five years. Abraham resided on a farm he purchased from Samuel Evans, on the west side of the Bethlehem road, above the Spring House. Catharine married Jacob Snyder; Elizabeth, Philip Hurst; and Sarah, Philip Fetterman.

Isaac Kolb (now Kulp) purchased a farm before 1769 to the east of North Wales. He was rated iu 1776 as holding one hundred and forty-three acres, and his son Isaac, Jr., for the same amount. The latter was

died in 1828. He had seven children,-Benjamin, Elizabeth, Catharine, Mary, Jacob, Sophia and John. Benjamin Kulp married Ellen, daughter of Edward and Mary Hoxworth, of Hatfield. She was a sister of General W. S. Hancock's mother. lle died May 16, 1862, aged eighty-three years. He had eight children ; among these were Isaac, Enos, Simon, Oliver and Ann. The latter was married to Asa Thomas. Till- man Kulp, mentioned in 1776 as a single man, was no doubt a son of Isaac, Sr.

Philip Hoot came from New Hanover in 1768 and

from David Neuman in the western corner of Gwy- nedd; in 1776 he was assessed for three hundred acres. He died in 1798, aged sixty-eight years, aud left his homestead to his son Peter. The latter, in 1792, mar- ried Barbara Kriger. John Iloot, who was collector of Gwynedd in 1781, was probably his son. Philip lleist, is rated in 1776 as holder of one hundred 'and twenty acres of land, fifty-one acres of which were purchased in 1772 of Abraham Lukens, Sr., which was situated just below the present borough of North Wales. He died before 1780, and his execu- tors conveyed half an acre to the trustees for the erection thereon of St. Peter's Church, now the ceme- tery ground.

Garret Clements, or Clemens, resided in the east corner of the township, on the Welsh road, and was rated for one hundred and thirty-six aeres. He was a Mennonite, and on account of his conscientious scruples for not bearing arms was fined by the au- thorities several times. His wife's name was Ke- turah, and his daughter Mary married Charles Hubbs. Ilis large two-story stone house is still standing close beside the road, and as it has been for some time abandoned, attracts the attention of passing travelers. John Frey, or Fry, of Towamencin, in 1735, purchased a tract of one hundred aeres from Jane Jones, situated about a mile southeast of Lansdale. In 1742 he sold it to Paul Brunner, of Salford, whose widow, about 1757, married George Gossinger, a "redemptioner," who had followed the occupation of a tanner, and it thus passed into his control.

John Troxal, in 1776, was the owner of two tracts, containing one hundred and five acres, and a grist and saw-mill. This property was situated at the in- tersection of the Swedes' Ford road and the Wissa- hickon Creek, near the Whitpain line. It was sold in 1777 to Samuel Wheeler, and the mill is now owned by H. Mumbower. Peter Troxal was rated at that time for one hundred and seventy acres. John Everhart, who was rated for one hundred and fifty acres, purchased in 1762 from George Klippenger and sold it to David Lukens in 1793. This property is now owned by Charles Lower, and adjoins the Upper Dublin line. Martin Raker, who was rated in 1776 for fifty-seven acres, resided near the present borough of Lansdale, the place being now owned by Charles S.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Jenkins. He was one of the first four trustees of St. Peter's Church.

Jacob Heisler's farm of one hundred and forty- seven acres was located on the Allentown road, near the present Kneedler Station. It is known that he kept a licensed inn here in 1779, if not some time ear- lier, and it has been continued as such unto this day. Martin Schwenk's farm of one hundred and sixty acres was located on the present Sumneytown pike, below the borough of North Wales. This was the residence of Thomas Evans, the first settler. George Heist set up a public-house on this place in 1784. Thomas Shoemaker, who was rated for one hundred and ten acres in 1776, was the son of George, and was married to Mary, daughter of Joseph Ambler. This farm lay to the northeast of North Wales, and remained many years in the family. Adam Fleck, who was rated for one hundred and forty acres, was one of the building committee, with George Gos- singer and Peter Young, of Gwynedd, in the erection of St. John's Church, Whitpain, in 1773.

Nicholas Selser's farm was assessed as one hundred acres. He was constable of Gwynedd in 1774. It is probable that Henry and John, mentioned as single men, were his sons. Henry Bergy (fifty acres) was collector in 1776; Michael Hoffman, two hundred acres; John Conrad, sixty ; Conrad Gerhart, one hun- dred ; John Shelmire, fourteen; George Shelmire, ninety-six acres (the latter had a son George, who was a taxable) ; Matthew Lukens, one hundred and thirty acres and a saw-mill. Jacob Albright, constable in 1767, appears as a renter, taxed for two horses and two cows. Ezekiel Cleaver (one hundred and forty acres) was the son of Peter and Mary, of Upper Dub- lin, and a descendant of Peter Cleaver, of German- town, who was naturalized in 1691.

The descendants of the early German settlers of Germantown and vicinity are also now quite nu- merous in Gwynedd, namely,-the Shoemakers, Cleavers, Lukens, Tysons, Custers, Snyders and Rit- tenhouses, concerning whom the want of space pre- vents us here from entering into details. A glance at the map of Gwynedd, as published in Scott's Atlas in 1877, will convince any one that the German element are extensive holders of real estate here at the present time.

Soon after the settlement of Gwynedd, efforts were made to have public highways laid out and opened for their general advantage and intercourse, especially to Philadelphia. In June, 1704, a petition was pre- sented to the Court of Quarter Sessions wherein it was stated that there were "in said township above thirty fa- milices already settled, and probably many more to settle in and about the same, especially to the northward thereof, and as yet there is no road laid out to accom- modate your petitioners, but what Roads and Paths have formerly been marked are removed by some and stopped by others." They therefore ask an order from the court for "a Road or Cartway from Phila-

delphia, through Germantown, to the utmost portion of their above-mentioned Township of North Wales." The court appointed six persons to lay out the road, but it appears not to have been fully opened until June, 1714. This is the present road leading by way of the Spring House and Chestnut Hill to the city. At March Sessions, 1711, a petition was presented to the court stating that a road had been laid out nine years before from a bridge between the lands of John Humphreys and Edward Foulke, in Gwynedd, to the mills on Pennypack, and that it be now confirmed as : a public highway. Viewers were appointed, who, on March 28, 1712, went over the ground. and their re- port was adopted. This is the present Welsh road, forming the line between Upper Dublin and Horsham; it terminated in Moreland, where is now Hunting- don Valley. In June, 1714, a petition was presented for a road from Richland to John Humphreys', near the present Spring House, which was confirmed in 1717. In March, 1715, a road was desired by the "in- habitants of Gwynedd, Montgomery and Skippach," leading to the mill of David Williams, at the present Spring Mill, in Whitemarsh. Portions of the dis- tance, they stated, had been in use as roads for ten or twelve years previous. This was confirmed and soon after opened. The road from the present Spring House to Horsham Meeting-house was laid out and confirmed in 1723. The road from the present Mont- gomery Square to Gwynedd Meeting-house was con- firmed in 1728. The Goshenhoppen or Sumneytown road was surveyed and confirmed in June, 1735, com- mencing at the present Spring House. This old and important highway has milestones on its course bear- ing the date of 1767. What is now known as the Swedes' Ford road, leading to said place from Gwyn- edd Meeting-house, was ordered to be opened in 1738. In a survey of 1751 the distance from the Gwynedd meeting-house to Plymouth Meeting-house is stated to be seven miles and twenty-four perches. The State road crosses the centre of the township in a southwest course; it was laid out in 1830, forty feet wide.

The people of Gwynedd were fortunate in es- caping many of the disasters of the Revolution, which befel some of their not very distant neigh- bors. The sympathies of the Welsh element, like the German, was generally inclined to the patriotic side. This may be more particularly observed in the residents of Lower Merion, who successfully main- tained their neutrality though so near the city and between the contending armies. At this period the Society of Friends, with the Mennonites, Schwenkfel- ders and Dunkards, who were opposed to bearing arms through conscientious scruples, constituted a decided majority of the population. To their credit, however, not one was arrested here for treason or any property confiscated. No battle took place within its limits, nor was any marauding done by the contending parties. Small divisions of the American army several

HIHi

SHEEP FARM. WILLIAM M. SINGERLY,

GWYNEDD TOWNSHIP.

859

times passed over its territory, but this was all, with the exception of the breaking up of the camp at Val- ley Forge, June 19 and 20, 1778, when Washington and his whole command moved over the Swedes' Ford road, by way of Doylestown, to Wells' Ferry, now New Hope, where they crossed into New Jersey in pursuit of the retreating British, whom they encountered at Monmouth on the 28th. Miss Sally Wister, of Phila- delphia, who was at that time staying with her rela- tives near the present Penllyn, states in her journal that on this march "Washington was escorted by fifty of the life-guard with drawn swords."

All men residing in the township liable to military duty, were enrolled into two companies. Captain Christian Dull had the lower command and Captain Stephen Bloom the upper, and both were attached to the Fourth Battalion of Philadelphia County militia, of whom William Dean, of Moreland, was colonel. For refusing to attend the musters of the aforesaid companies, sixty-eight persons were fined in one year two thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight | teachers was twenty dollars per month, nine months pounds Continental currency, equivalent to seven open in the year. Two of the school-houses were " eight-square " or octagonal, a form of building then common. In 1856 the public schools in the township numbered six, eight months open, taught by six male teachers, with four hundred and thirty pupils enrolled and an average attendance of one hundred and fifty- five. The amount of tax levied for the support of the schools was $1444.48. With the loss of North Wales and half of Lansdale, six schools are still maintained, however, nine months open, with only three hundred and thirty-tonr pupils enrolled, teachers' wages now being forty dollars. thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars of our persent money. As the total number of taxables in 1776 was one hundred and fourteen, we thus preceive that those fined must have considerably exceeded half the enrolled population liable to the service. The making out and collecting of those fines, as may be well imagined, imposed an unpleasant duty on the officers, the prejudices against whom have not yet died out or been forgotten in some of the old neutral families. It is a tradition that the old Friends' Meeting-house was used as a hospital immediately after the battle of Germantown, and that several solders who had died there were in- terred in the grave-yard beside the road.

A school-house was mentioned, in a road petition for 1721, as being situated near the dwellings of Rowland Hughes, Robert Humphreys and not far from the old road to Philadelphia, which, probably, was about half- way between the present Spring House and the Up- per Dublin line. Mr. Jenkins, in his "Historical Collections of Gwynedd," mentions Marmaduke Pardo, a native of Wales, a teacher here in 1729, who may have taught in the aforesaid school-house. The Friends had charge of a school at the meeting-house in 1793, which it is supposed was there for some time before. Joseph Foulke, a respected minister among Friends, who for some time kept a boarding-school for boys on his farm, on the Bethlehem road, about a mile above the Spring House, states that when he went here to school, prior to 1795, the principal books used were the Bible and Testament, Dilworth's spell- ing-book and arithmetic. Ou and after that date he went to school to Hannah Lukens and Joshua Foulke, his uncle. They taught in a log school-house about half a mile above the Spring House. They were suc- ceeded by William Coggins, Hannah Foulke, Benja- min Albertson, Hugh Foulke, John Chamberlain,

Christian Dnll, Jr., Daniel Price and Samuel Jones, all of whom taught at that place prior to 1859. Joseph Foulke died February 15, 1863, in his seventy- seventh year. Hugh Foulke, mentioned, was a brother of the latter, and at his house, in October, 1855, he ex- hibited to the writer the family Bible of his great- grandfather, Hugh Griffith, one of the early settlers of Gwynedd, and which he had brought over with him, in the Welsh language, printed at Londou in 1654. Hugh Foulke died in 1864, aged seventy- six years.

The common-school system in Pennsylvania dates its origin to an act of the Legislature passed in 1834. The six school directors of Gwynedd for that year declined its acceptance, and opposition to it was main- tained until 1840, when, through the influence of State appropriations, it was carried by a vote of eighty-six to eighty. In 1844 there were four schools, taught by four male teachers, with four hundred and fifty-two enrolled pupils. The average compensation to the

Friends' Meeting House at Gwynedd, owing to its antiquity and long-extended influence, is deemed well worthy a separate article. From its being almost in the exact centre of the township or original purchase it was the third house of worship erected in the county, being preceded a few years only by those erected in Lower Merion and Abington. Nearly two centuries have now passed away since these occurrences, produ- cing great changes in almost everything, and from which even their ancient meetings have not been by any means exempt. Hallowed and venerable asso- ciations cluster around them, the impress of which should by no means be entirely lost on their numer- ous and respected descendants. Posterity owes much to the past, and as long as gratitude exists it will re- main a serious question as to the best or most proper method to meet such obligations. The labors of the historian are certainly not calculated to weaken such ties, but to ennoble or exalt them.

The minute-book of Gwynedd Monthly Meeting commences in 1714, but it is stated therein that this place was settled "and called by the name of Gwyn- edd township in the latter end of the year 1698 and | the beginning of the year 1699. The principal settlers and purchasers, among others, were William Jones, Thomas Evans, Robert Evans, Owen Evans, Cadwalla-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

der Evans, Hugh Griffith, John Hugh, Edward Foulke, John Humphrey and Robert Jones. Of this number those who were Friends met together " at the houses of John Hugh and John Humphrey, until more were added to their numbers." With the exception of

The log meeting-house proving inadequate for the accommodation of the society, which was no doubt in part brought about by the influx of immigration and the the latter two and most probably Hugh Griffith, , continuous prosperity of the settlement, a subscription the remainder were attached to the Established paper was drawn up in the Welsh language, in 1710-11, to which were signed sixty-six names headed by Wil- liam, John and Thomas Evans. The sums ranged from one to eleven pounds each, the total reaching to about two hundred pounds. Hugh Griffith assisted in its building, and it was completed in 1712. It was considerably larger than the former, and was built of stone, with two galleries and a hip-roof. It occupied the former site, and the ground was a portion of Robert Evans' purchase, still covered with the original forest. The subscription paper mentioned is an in- teresting relic and has long been preserved and retained in the Foulke family. Church of England. An identity of interests in this new settlement was calculated to draw them closer together. It is evident that the meetings held at the aforesaid honses led to the organization of this congregation. The churchmen for a brief term did assemble for worship at the house of Robert Evans, where his brother Cadwallader supplied in part the place of a minister, by reading to them portions of the services and passages from his Welsh Bible. This may not have been maintained much beyond a year, for on building the first small log meeting- house in 1700, on the site of the present edifice, they all united, assisted by later immigrants, who, must have also increased the body of Friends. The relation is that Robert and Cadwallader Evans first sought them by attending at their place of worship, and finally through their influence the rest were brought over, on which the meeting-house was agreed upon.

It is a well-settled tradition that William Penn and his daughter Letitia and a servant came out on horseback to visit the settlement shortly after its erection and that he preached in it, staying on this occasion overnight at the house of his friend, Thomas Evans, the first settler, who resided near by. As he returned in November, 1701, to England, we may determine nearly the time that this transient visit was made.

In consequence of this change in their religious principles, it would seem that the Rev. Evan Evans, a Welsh Episcopalian minister, was sent over here, in 1700, to make efforts to reclaim them. In a letter to the bishop of London, in 1707, he mentioned this settlement as "twenty miles distant from the city, where are considerable numbers of Welsh people, formerly, in their native country, of the communion of the Church of England ; but about the year 1698-two years after my arrival in that country-most of them joined with the Quakers; but by God's blessing some of them were induced to return, and I have baptized their children and preached often to them." In the "Collections of the Episcopal Church in Pennsyl- vania," edited by Rev. W. S. Perry and published in 1861, considerable may be seen on this subject, which appears to have attracted some attention at the time. There is a tinge of exaggeration running through Mr. Evans' correspondence, (prompted, no doubt by his zeal,) that cannot now be substantiated by records. Partly in corroboration, Mr. Millett, in his "History of St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh," states that the "Rev. Evan Evans, who came to this country in 1700, for many years rector of Christ Church, Phila- delphia, within two years after his arrival more than

five hundred followers of George Fox joined them- selves to the Church of England."

Rowland Ellis, in behalf of Haverford, represented, on the 10th of Fourth Month, 1699, to the Phila- delphia Monthly Meeting, about this Welsh settle- ment, twenty miles distant, who had for some time held a First-day Meeting by their advice and consent, and, as they do not understand the English language, desired to be joined to Haverford Monthly Meeting, to which consent was given. At the Monthly Meet- ing held at Radnor Meeting-house on the 9th of Tenth Month, 1714, it was left for consideration as to what time the Monthly Meeting of Gwynedd and Plymouth be left to the appointment of this meeting by the Quarterly Meeting held in Philadelphia. The Third-day of every month was proposed and agreed upon.

Being now constituted a Monthly Meeting, they were allowed the privilege of recording all their births, marriages, deaths and removals, which had heretofore been entered in the records of Ilaverford. Plymouth Friends being few in numbers and the meetings being chiefly held here, it was called Gwynedd Monthly Meeting, which name has been ever since retained. John Evans was appointed the first clerk, and Edward Foulke and Robert Jones overseers. On the 26th of Second Month, 1715, Friends in Providence were allowed to hold a meet- ing on the first First-day of every month, and a few months thereafter liberty was given to have a burying- place. But the meeting-house again proving too small, it was decided, the 28th of Tenth Month, 1725, to have it enlarged, John Cadwallader, John Jones and John Evans being appointed a committee to have charge of the same.

The first ministers were Robert and Cadwallader Evans, of whom it is stated by Samuel Smith, in his "History of the Province of Pennsylvania," that "they could neither read nor write in any but the Welsh language." The former died in First Month, 1738, and was aged upwards of eighty years. Thomas Chalkley, in his journal, mentions being present at

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his burial. Among other early ministers belonging here may be mentioned Evan Evans, Alice Griffith, Ann Roberts, John Evans, Hugh Foulke, Ellis, Hugh and Mary Evans. Evan Evans died in 1747, aged sixty-three years, and John Evans died in September 1756, having been in the ministry forty-nine years. John Fothergill, of England, visited this meeting several times in 1721, and again, on his return to America, in 1736. Alice Griffith was the wife of Hugh Grittith, and died in Second Month, 1749.

Gwynedd Monthly Meeting remained in Philadel- phia Quarter until 1786, when it comprised, with Abington, Horsham, Richland and Byberry, Abing- ton Quarter, whose meetings are now held at Abing- ton in Second Month, Horsham in the Fifth, Gwyn- edd in the Eighth and Byberry in the Eleventhi. The present meeting-house was built in 1823. It is a plain, substantial, two-story stone structure, forty by seventy-five feet iu dimensions. When first built here, in 1700, the spot must have been very secluded. In the ample yard and burial-ground attached several original forest-trees are still preserved, one of these, a chestnut, nearly four feet in diameter. Near the southern corner of the yard is a stone bearing the name of Mary Bate, daughter of Hum- phrey and Ann Bate, who died in 1714.

The many associations of the past that cluster around this spot, where for three-quarters of a cen -! tury was the only house of worship in the township, make it an object of much interest to the anti- qnary. That it is no longer flourishing is to be re- gretted, even by those not in membership. Respect- ing this subject, Mr. Jenkins, in his recent work, thus expresses himself:

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 187

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534