USA > Pennsylvania > The history of Pennsylvania : from its discovery by Europeans, to the Declaration of Independence in 1776 > Part 54
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Christopher Taylor is said to have been a person of excellent character and ability; he was born in Yorkshire, had a good education, wrote well in the Latin language. IIe was an eminent preacher among the Quakers, and writ several pieces in defence of their religious principles, in England,
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as well as his brother, Thomas Taylor, &c. He was one of the first and principal settlers in the province, under William Penn; and is said to have been of great service in it, in different respects. He died in 1696.
Captain Thomas Holmes came from Waterford, in Ireland. He was one of the people called Quakers, and surveyor-general of the province, ap- pointed by commission, from the proprietor, bearing date the 18th of the second month, 1682.
Lacy Cock appears to have been one of the Swede settlers, prior to William Penn's arrival.
John Simcock came from Ridley, in Cheshire, in England, where he had suffered much for his religion, being a Quaker, and a preacher in that so- ciety. He had a good education, was one of the proprietor's first commis- sioners of property, and one of his most trusty friends in the government. Sometimes he was speaker of the assembly; and is said to have been a very worthy and serviceable person in the province, till his death, both in a re- ligious and civil capacity. He lived in Chester county, and died on the 27th of January, 1702.
William Biles was a preacher among the Quakers, among the first set- tlers there; where he appears to have taken up land under governor An- dros, of New York, prior to William Penn's grant of the province. He is said to have been a very useful person both in the civil and religious line; being often in the council and assembly, &c.
James Harrison came from Boulton, in Lancashire, one of the proprie- tor's first commissioners of property; was divers years in great esteem with him and his agent, at Pennsbury, &c. being a man of good education, and a preacher among the Quakers, &c.
William Haige, had been a merchant in London.
Ralph Withers, from Bishop's Canning in Wiltshire.
Griffith Jones, from Surry.
Francis Whitewell was counsellor for Kent county. He is said to have been a very serviceable person in the government, among the first and early settlers; a preacher among the Quakers; and every way a very useful and worthy member of society. He died in the year 1684; and William Darval was chosen counsellor in his stead.
Thomas Wynne was speaker of the assembly during the two first years, and was, at other times, a member of it. He was one of the people called Quakers, a preacher among them, and came from North Wales; a person of note and good character. He died in the latter part of the year 1692. He was author of some pieces written in defence of the Quakers, in his native country, &c.
John Moon was originally of Lancashire, in England; afterwards of Bristol. He writ some pieces in defence of the Quakers, in his native country, &c.
John Songhurst came from Sussex, in England, was a writer and preacher among the Quakers. He died in West Jersey, and was buried in Philadel- phia, in 1688 .- 1 Proud, 235-6.
S .- 82.
The curious reader will find a copy of this trial in Hazard's Pennsylvania Register, vol. 1.
T .- 88.
The expenditure of the proprietary must have been very great, and it is difficult to conjecture for what public purpose it was made. The purchase money of the lands he had sold, exclusive of city lots, exceeded 20,000l. : to which must be added, 6,000l., which he now said he had laid out, more than he ever saw from the province. It is probable that 16,000/. the debt of the crown, is included in this calculation, and also the sum of 7,000/.,
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spent by him on the manor of Pennsbury. There is also some discrepancy in his statements. In his letters to T. Lloyd, November, 1685, he gives the balance against the province at 4,0001. In another letter to the same, of September, 1686, he says 6000., whilst in his letter of the same month, to James Harrison, he states it at 5000l. only. In a letter to J. Logan, 8th mo. 6, 1704, he exclaims, " O Pennsylvania, what hast thou cost me! Above 30,000l, more than I ever got by it. Two hazardous and most fatiguing voyages, my straights and slavery here, and my child's soul almost!" The following is an extract from another letter, 14th 7 mo. 1705.
" I have not yet surrendered, and unless I can do it on very valuable terms, I will not, and therefore expect three things, 1st, The condemna- tion of David Lloyd's proceedings, which thou speakest of, and that, whe- ther I surrender or not, since one or t'other shall make no difference as to my coming to inhabit there, and placing some of my children among them. 2ndly, That no law may be passed, or privilege granted by my lieutenant- governor, till they have settled a revenue of at least 1000l. per annum upon the government. I too mournfully remember how noble a law I had of exports and imports when I was first in America, that had been worth by this time many thousands a year, which I suspended receiving for a year or two, and that not without a consideration engaged by several merchants. But Thomas Lloyd, very unhappily for me, my family, and himself, com- plimented some few selfish spirits, with the 'repeal thereof, without my final consent, which his commission required, and that has been the source of all my loads and inabilities to support myself under the troubles that have occurred to me, on the account of settling and maintaining the colony; for I spent 10,000l. the first two years, as appears by accounts here in England, which, with 3,000l. I overspent myself in king James' time, and the war in Ireland that followed, has been the true cause of all my straights I have since laboured under; and no supply coming from Pennsylvania, between my first and second voyage, being fifteen years, to alleviate my burdens, and answer my necessities. To say nothing what my deputy- governors have cost me from the beginning, even in Fletcher's time, and the vast sum of money I have melted away here in London, to hinder much mischief against us, if not to do us much good, which I can solemnly say, has not been less communibus annis than 400l. per annum, which comes near to 10,000l. Lord Baltimore's 2s. 8d. per hhd. with anchorage, ton- nage, and other immunities, is a supply far transcending what I can hope for, though he never took the hundredth part of the concern upon him that I have done; and when they gave it to him they were in poorer circumstances than Pennsylvania is now by many degrees, and I am ashamed to tell thee how opprobriously our people's treatment of me has been styled by people of almost all qualities and stations."
U .- 89.
The collection of the quit-rents, and the balance of the tax, was resisted by many. Among others, Joshua Carpenter, who was among the rich of the province, suffered distress to be made, and stood suit by advice of his counsel, D. Lloyd .- Logan MSS.
X .- 101.
The facts stated in the text certainly warrant the conviction of Keith. But it is difficult not to believe that religious enmity was blended with public justice in promoting it. Some of the offences charged against him in a proclamation of the magistrates were committed in religious debates at church meetings; and, at his trial, Jennings, against whom he had railed, presided, and directed the prosecution with a bitterness and indecorum which would not be tolerated in a judge of the present day. ( Sce a pam- phlet, entitled " New England spirit of persecution transmitted to Pennsyl- vania."
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Some of the persons who adhered to Keith were of rank and character. Among them were Thomas Budd, George Hutchinson, Robert Turner, Francis Rawle, John Hart, Charles Read, &c. &c.
Y .- 112.
On the fifth of March, 1696, William Penn married his second wife, at Bristol. She was the daughter of Thomas Callowhill, and grand-daughter of Dennis Hollister, an eminent merchant of that city. His first wife, to whom he was married in 1672, was Gulielma Maria Springett, daughter of sir William Springett, of Darling, in Sussex. She died in December, 1693.
Z .- 132.
The following extract from the memorial will give some idea of the feeling of the assembly, and their sense of the services of the proprietary. " When thou entered upon legislation, thou wast pleased to repeal all the laws that were made in colonel Fletcher's time, which were approved by the king or queen, as we were informed, and as some of us gathered by the account thou gave of them, viz. that chancellor Somers had sent for thee to know what thou had to object to any of those laws; and if it had not been for thee, none of them had passed, or words to that effect; and not only so, the people being minded to surrender thy second charter, upon thy promise to give them a better in lieu of it; and under the pretence of passing an act for confirming and securing their lands, thou obtained liberty to re-survey all the lands in the province, and to bring the people to terms for the overplus: so that by this stratagem the warrants, surveys, and new patents, cost the people as much, and to some more, than the first purchase of their lands, besides their long attendance on thy secretary and surveyors to have their business done. But before thou wouldst pass that act, it must be accompanied with an impost or excise, and a two thousand pound bill besides; and all this thou esteemed but inconsiderable, when compared with the vast charge thou hadst been at in the administration and defence of this government since the year 1682: Though we know thy stay here at first coming was not above two years, but went home about the differences between thee and Baltimore, concerning the bounds of the lower counties, and did not return until the year 1699: excusing thy stay by thy service to the nation of England, in general, and thy friends there in particular, (as appears by thy letters from time to time,) whilst the in- terest of this province was sinking, which might have been upheld by the many wealthy persons that were inclined to transport themselves hither after the route of Monmouth, if thou had then come over, according to thy repeated promises. And how far thy stay has either affected what thou went about, or contributed to the establishment of the inhabitants here, in their just rights, and liberties and properties, we leave thee to demon- strate and the world to judge. In the mean time we desire thee to con- sider better what to place to account of this province; and do not forget that no part of thy pretended charges was expended in paying some of those who acted under thee in the administration here, one of whom, viz. Thomas Lloyd, served thee in that station about nine years of thy absence, which thou leaves, it seems, for the country to discharge.
" After thou hadst managed these points, and was sent for to England, thou granted the third charter of privileges, by which we are now con- vened, as also a charter to incorporate the city of Philadelphia, and signed a charter of property, but refused to order thy seal to be affixed thereunto, till thou had advised upon it in England; nevertheless, thou promised, under thy hand, that thou would confirm the first part of it, relating to titles of land, but thou sent thy order under hand and seal, dated within six months after, to countermand the sealing thereof.
77
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APPENDIX.
" After all the laws were completed for raising all the said taxes and imposts, thou proposed, if thy friends would give thee a sum of money, thou promised to negotiate their affairs at home to the best advantage, and endeavour to procure the approbation of our laws, and a general exemp- tion from oaths. We find that considerable sums have been raised by way of subscription and benevolence for that service: part thou received be- fore thou went, and more have been received by thy secretary since; but we had no account that our laws are approved, nor had we as much as a letter from thee, nor any other intimation, but by the secretary's letters, which he thought fit to communicate by piecemeals; whereby we under- stand thou hast been making terms for thyself and family, and by what we gather, thou hast been upon surrendering the government; nor are thy friends here eased of oaths, but on the contrary, an order from the queen requiring oaths to be administered to all persons who are willing to take them in all judicatures, whereby the people called Quakers are disabled to sit in courts."-Hist. Rev.
A 2 .- 140.
Proud states that Isaac Norris was one of the companions of Hill on this occasion. But the letters in the Logan MSS. give the place to Fish- bourne. Norris, it is believed, was in England at this time.
Richard Hill was born in Maryland, brought up to the sea, and after- wards settled in Philadelphia, having there married the widow of John Delaval, Hannah, the eldest daughter of the late Governor Lloyd, a woman of an excellent character, and very much esteemed and beloved. He was twenty five years a member of the governor's council, divers times speaker of the assembly, held several offices of trust; was, for several years, first commissioner of property, and, during the last ten years of his life, he was one of the provincial judges.
His services, in the religious society of his friends, the Quakers, of which he was, for many years, an active member, are said likewise to have been very considerable. He had by nature and acquisition such a constant firm- ness, as furnished him with undaunted resolution to execute whatever he undertook. His sound judgment, his great esteem for the English consti- tution and laws, his tenderness for the liberty of the subject, and his zeal for preserving the reputable order established in his own religious commu- nity, with his great generosity to proper objects, qualified him for the greatest services, in every station in which he was engaged, and rendered him of very great and uncommon value, in the place where he lived. He died in Philadelphia, on the 9th of September, 1729.
Samuel Preston, of Philadelphia, was, for a long time, one of the governor's council, and treasurer of the province of Pennsylvania; which offices he discharged with much honour and fidelity. He was a man of great integrity to what he believed was his duty; his conduct in life very instructive, and his practice a continual series of good offices. Ile was a person of such remarkable benevolence, and open disposition of mind, as rendered advice and reproof, from him, the more acceptable and serviceable; and being of a fair and clean character, good judgment, and suitable presence of mind, his usefulness, in that capacity, was the more extensive and successful. He was a very valuable member of society, among his friends, the Quakers, undertaking and performing many diffi- cult offices, and social duties therein, with great cheerfulness, alacrity, and utility; and was highly esteemed by them as an elder, who ruled well in his social capacity, and was worthy of double honour. He died in Sep- tember, 1743, aged about eighty years .- Proud.
B 2 .- 150.
William Penn, jr. was one of the parties at this night brawl, and was
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indicted for his conduct there in the city court. He professed the faith of the church of England, but had worn, it would seem, hitherto in the pro- vince, a Quaker garb. Upon the institution of this prosecution, he threw off all disguise, abandoned his Quaker connexions, and openly proclaimed his principles. During the riot at the tavern the lights were put out, and one of the peace officers severely caned the governor, renewing his strokes at every declaration he made of his name and rank, as a punishment for uttering scandal against the first officer of the government .- Logan MSS.
C 2 .- 154.
Colonial officers. during the government of Evans.
Counsellors .- Edward Shippen, Samuel Carpenter, William Trent, Tho- mas Story, Richard Hill, William Rodney, Caleb Pusey, James Logan.
Joseph Growden, speaker of the assembly; Thomas Story, master of the rolls; William Clark, Edward Shippen, Joseph Growden, and William Guest, judges; colonel Robert Quarry, judge of the admiralty; Samuel Carpenter, treasurer; R. Lowther, attorney-general; Peter Evans, register; Edward Pennington, surveyor-general; Robert Ashton, clerk of the peace for the town and county of Philadelphia.
D 2 .- 157.
The debt from the proprietary to Ford was large, and from the manner in which it was secured, proved very troublesome to himself, and his tenants in the province. Ford was steward of Penn's Irish estates, and made considerable advances of money; to secure the payment of which, he took an absolute conveyance of the province, and gave Penn an in- formal defeasance. During the life of the steward this transaction appears to have been kept secret; but, after his death, his representatives openly claimed the province and government; the latter was soon abandoned, as not contained in the conveyance. Penn insisted that the transaction was a mortgage only, and suit was instituted in chancery for opening and liquidat- ing Ford's accounts, amounting to 12,000l. sterling. Of this great sum, Penn insisted that one-third only was, in justice, due; but that the account had been increased to this amount, by illegal and compound interest, and extor- tionate commissions. The chancellor appears to have been satisfied that the account was unfairly stated, but it had been so often confirmed at va- rious settlements by the proprietor, that he would not venture to open it. Pending the suit in chancery, the Fords brought suit in the king's bench for arrears of rent, due on a lease of the province, made by Philip Ford to the proprietary; a verdict was obtained for 3000l., and execution issued, on which the proprietary was arrested, whilst attending public meeting, and in the gallery; but he was liberated by the bailiff, on the assurance of H. Gouldeny, and other friends, that he would render himself when meeting should be over. This was accordingly done, and soon after he was removed to the Fleet prison, where he continued for several months, until a com- promise was made with his persecutors, for the sum of about 70001. This sum, or the greater part of it, was raised by friends in London, to whom Penn mortgaged the province as security. The settlement of Ford's claim brought great pecuniary relief to the proprietary, and closed a drain, the extent of which may be conjectured, when it is stated, that Ford had re- ceived 17,000l. principal money from his employer, and had expended 16,0001. only, and yet claimed a balance for interest and services of 12,0007. -Logan MSS.
E 2 .- 163.
As these proceedings are highly interesting to the Society of Friends, and seem, by the commutation of military service, to sanction principles
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APPENDIX.
not now admitted by them; and as Proud has treated the address of the assembly with great forbearance, I have given here the names of the mem- bers of this house, in order that their religious characters may be scruti- nized.
Philadelphia County-Edward Farmer, William Trent, Edward Jones, Thomas Masters, Thomas Jones, Samuel Cart, Jonathan Dickenson, David Giffing.
Chester County-Nicholas Pile, Joseph Baker, William Lewis, John Wood, Nathaniel Newlin, Ephraim Jackson, Caleb Pusey, Isaac Taylor.
Bucks County-Abel Janny, John Clark, Hoffeld Vanzant, John Heugh, Thomas Stevenson, Samuel Baker, Jeremiah Langhorne.
City of Philadelphia-Richard Hill, (speaker, ) Isaac Norris.
F 2 .-- 185.
The council resolved, " that as often as the governor shall hold a court, all the members of council, in or near Philadelphia, shall attend him as his assistants on the bench; and no decree shall be pronounced or made in chancery by the governor as chancellor, without the assent or concurrence of two or more of the six eldest of the council for the time being. And that the six eldest of the counsellors for the time being may be employed by the governor as masters in chancery as often as occasion shall require."
G 2 .- 194.
Forgeries of the provincial bills afterwards became frequent, and the punishment of death was inflicted by law on the offence. The minutes of council contain narratives of two or three attempts on a large scale. One of them was made by a person from New England, who went to London to have the counterfeit better executed.
H 2 .- 197.
Governor Keith attempted to give a very high colouring to this act. He charged Mr. Logan with having falsified the minutes of council. But this charge was indignantly repelled. The offence of the secretary consisted in having framed a minute of the transactions of the board, with the re- marks of the members, in which Keith was not very respectfully treated. This minute was placed among the others without having been formally . approved. The members admitted that in substance it was substantially correct, and declared that in their opinion Mr. Logan did not design to add to, or alter the proceedings of the council .- Min. of council.
I2 .- 203.
Among the members of council about this time, appear Richard Hill, Samuel Preston, Anthony Palmer, Robert Ashton, Isaac Norris, Tho- mas Masters, William Ashton, John French, Andrew Hamilton, also attor- ney-general, James Logan, likewise secretary.
The names of the members of assembly at the end of Gookin's adminis- - tration were --
For Philadelphia County-Samuel Carpenter, senr. Francis Rawle, Matthias Holston, John Swift, Robert Jones, Anthony Morris, Hugh Evans, Benjamin Vining.
Bucks County -- Joseph Growdon, William Paxton, William Biles, John Sotcher, Joseph Kirkbride, jr. George Clough, Thomas Canby, Thomas Yardly.
Chester County -- Samuel Lewis, jr. Joseph Pennock, David Lewis, Wil- liam Pile, Daniel Williamson, Israel Taylor, Nathaniel Newlin, Isaac Tay- for.
City of Philadelphia-John Kearsley, Charles Read.
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APPENDIX.
The names of the members of assembly, elected in October, 1724, were -- For Philadelphia County-Anthony Morris, Job Goodson, Morris Morris, Francis Rawle, John Swift, Samuel Hudson, Edward Farmar, Matthias Holston.
Bucks County-William Biles, speaker, Jeremiah Langhorne, Joseph Fell, Christopher Vanhorne, Matthew Hughes, Thomas Watson, Benjamin Jones, Abraham Chapman.
Chester County-Moses Key, Joseph Pennock, William Webb, William Pile, Thomas Chandler, Elisha Gatchell, John Parry, John Crosby.
City of Philadelphia-John Kearsley, Thomas Tress.
K 2 .-- 225.
Andrew Hamilton died in the latter end of the summer of 1741. He was originally from Scotland, and his first residence in America was in Virginia, whence he removed to Pennsylvania. He was distinguished for knowledge and ability as a lawyer, his general good character, and acquaintance with men and business. He acquired great reputation by his defence of Zen- gar at New York, indicted for a libel on the governor. The city of Phi- ladelphia is indebted to his exertions for the purchase of the state house square, and the erection of the state house, which was founded under his superintendence as a committee of assembly. He laid the foundation of a large fortune, consisting in part of lands in and near the city, which, in the hands of his heirs, have, by the lapse of time, and the improvement of the city, become immensely valuable.
L 2 .- 254.
The speech of Canassatago may be seen at length in note H.
M 2 .- 278.
On the seventeenth of January, 1750, governor Hamilton laid before his' council, a letter from captain Celeron, dated " Camp sur le belle riviere, d. une ancienne village des Chouans," stating, that, being sent to reconcile some Indians who had gone to war, in consequence of the late quarrel be- tween the French and English, he was surprised to find English traders from Pennsylvania in a country to which England never had any claim; re- questing the governor to forbid their future intrusion, and to advertise them, of their danger in trespassing on the territories of France. At this time, Celeron buried the leaden plates mentioned in the text .- Minutes of coun -. cil.
N 2 .- 305.
It is said that Braddock fell by the arm of a provincial soldier, and not by the fire of the enemy. That, in the course of the battle, the general ordered the provincial troops to form in column; but that they disobeyed, and; adhered to the Indian mode of firing severally from the shelter of a tree. That Braddock rode up to a young man, named Fawcett, or Prichett, and either shot him, or cut him down with his sword. That Thomas Fawcett, a bro- ther of the killed, having learned his fate, watched his opportunity, and revenged his death, by shooting Braddock through the body, of which wound he died. Thomas Fawcett was said to have been living a short time since on the Laurel hill, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years.
Braddock was buried, about forty miles from the field of battle, in the centre of the road which he had cut. To prevent the discovery of his grave, and to preserve his remains from savage outrage, the troops, horses, and wagons, were passed over it. The spot was marked by the soldiers, and the exact place of his interment is still pointed out. It is close to the
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