USA > Pennsylvania > Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania > Part 17
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Having now brought nearly all of the Welsh "first pur- chasers," and the early settlers to their new homes in the great Welsh tract, a review of the peculiar claims they made on Penn, or set up for themselves, and how they tried to substantiate them, and, failing in this, see how it was that "the Welsh tract," as a district and indentity was wiped-off the map of Pensylvania should be interesting.
[248]
WELSH TRACT PLANTERS
The following is the summary of the foregoing transac- tions, and others in the Welsh tract, set forth in "D. Pow- els Acct of ye Welch Purchasers in Genl," in which he gives his personal "Account of the purchasers Concurned in the Welch Tract Granted by the Generall war't by wich the said Tract was Laid out and such Lands as hath bin Laid out by war'ts Dulie Executed within the same and ist of ye ould England Parishes" :--
Acres.
Aeres.
Charles Lloyd, and
Margaret Davis .5,000
Richard Davis, [Davies]. . 5,000
William Jenkins 1,000
John Poy, [Poyer] 750
John Burge 750
William Mordant 500
William Powell 1,250
Lewis David 3,000
Morris Llewlin 500
Thomas Simons 500
John Bevan 2,000
Edward Prichard 2,500
John ap John, and
Thomas Wyn 5,000
Edward Joanes, and
John Thomas 5,000
Richard Davis 1,250
Richard ap Thomas 5,000
Daniell Hurry, [Harry] .. 300
Mordicia Moore in
Thomas Joanes 50
David Joanes 100
John Millington 500
John Ffish
300
"The whole Compl'nt 50,000 acres."
As there are only forty-one grants in this list, and Holme's map indicated more than twice this number of land owners
[249]
Th. Ellis on ae't Humph.
Tho. 100
David Powell 1,000
Burke and Simson .1,000
John Kinsy 200
John Kinsy 100
David Meredith 250
John Day 300
David Davis 200
Henry Joanes 400
Thomas John Evan 250
John Evans 100
John Jormon 50
David Kinsy 200
Evan Oliver 100
Samuel Mills 100
Right of 500
Henry Right 500
Daniell Med-
200
Thomas Ellis
1,000
Tho Ellis for B. Roules.
. .
250
WELSHI SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
in the Welsh Tract, it may be presumed that Holme did not compile . his map as early as he claimed, when testifying before the Council as to the positions of the townships of Haverford and Radnor, as will appear.
In this summary by Surveyor David Powel, without date, we find the names of the first large purchasers of land in Merion township, John Thomas and Dr. Jones, and those of the other six "Companies," or adventurers for Welsh Tract plantations, and also those of the other large inde- pendent "first purchasers," some of whose land was laid out in Merion, besides in Haverford, Radnor, and Goshen townships, and it may be noticed that there were very few not strictly Welsh had been granted land in the tract.
Although the acreage given by Powel exceeded the orig- inal total of the grants to the Welsh, namely 40,000 acres, and took in much of the supplementary 10,000 acres re- served for them, it did not come up to "the whole Compl'nt 50,000 acres." Mr. Powel, however, may have inadvertently overlooked some grantees, but it appears that he remem- bered to record a tract of 1,000 acres in his own name, and its future location he had probably selected, for which he had deed from Penn. It seems to have been for services as a, surveyor, but the grant was not confirmed to him till in 1705, as mentioned below.
For the above reason, the date of Powel's list cannot be approximated by the mention of his own land, 1,000 acres. For his surveying work for the Land Commissioners, he probably received from them little cash; but he was granted small parcels of land, and realized what he could by the sale of them. He had a patent from the Commissioners, dated 14. 3mo. 1686, for 611 acres, which he laid out in Radnor tp., in two tracts, 500 and 111 acres, and this is his first land-ownership of record. This represented £100 to him. On 22. 5mo. 1687, he sold 100 acres of this patent to John Evans, adjoining the land of Hugh Samuel. On 17. 11mo. 1690, he sold 100 acres more to said Hugh Samuel, (servant to Thomas Ellis), adjoining the land of David
[250]
PLANTERS AND SERVANTS
Hugh. On 17. 3mo. 1690, he sold another 100 acres to James Pugh (servant to Steven Bevan), adjoining land of David Pugh, and by another deed of this date, he sold 20034 acres and closed out his 500 acres, to William Davis and Griffith Miles, the land adjoining Hugh Samuel. Of this land, Wil- liam and Griffith sold 150 acres to Philip Philips, whose widow, Phoebe, sold the same to David Pugh, and, by deed 22. 6mo. 1690, William and Griffith sold their balance of 50 acres to James Pugh, aforesaid, and here was the "Pugh District" in Radnor.
John Evans, aforesaid, by deed of 10. 5mo. 1700, bought 200 acres in Merion, adjoining Rowland Ellis, from John Williams, who had it from the Richard Davies tract, (Com- pany No. 7), through Thomas Ellis and Daniel Humphrey.
Evan Harry, by deed of 10. 10mo. 1687, bought 90 acres from Surveyor Powel, who received it, 7. 7mo. 1687, from David Lloyd, the lawyer, as a fee, who bought it from the attorneys of Richard Davies, 15. 6mo. 1687. Evan Harry also bought 74 acres more from Powel, and Abel Roberts, son of Ellis Roberts, of Radnor, also bought 100 acres from Powel, by deed of 1. 6mo. 1693, confirmed 9. 6mo. 1703, and these sales exceeded his patents.
In 1704-5, Powel was still the Proprietor's surveyor in the Welsh Tract on the Schuylkill, and receiving no cash for his work, as he states in his petition, he asked the Commis- sioners, 28. 11mo. 1705, to grant him 1,000 acres he had selected in the Welsh Tract. He asked this, because he had been compensated with only the above mentioned 500 acres. Petition granted, providing he could find any vacant land, which, as an old surveyor in that section, he easily could, and apparently had. His lands were quickly disposed cf, as he may have been a good judge of land, and guar- anteed his bounds.
The following transportation agreement between Mr. Powell and a skipper, suggests that he brought over the pas- sengers to buy land from him about this time.
[25]]
WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
"Articles of ffreightment, covenanted, indented and made the seventh day of March, 1697-8, between Owen Thomas, of the county burrough of Carmathen, mercer, owner of the good shipp called the William Galley, now residing in the river of Towny, of the one part, and
"David Powell, of the parish of Nantmell, in the county of Radnor, and John Morris, of the parish of Karbardam- fyneth, in the said county of Radnor, yeomen, of the other part,
"Contract to take to Pensilvania after 10th of May, start- ing with first good wind and weather, from said river Towny, and town of Rhaygsder, to Philadelphia in Pensil- vania, with them and passengers and goods." The charge for transportation to be £5 for each adult over 12 years old, persons under 12 years, fifty shillings, sucking children and freight up to twenty tons, free. The head of each family was also charged "ffive shillings encouragement to the doc- tor belonging to said shipp, and all single persons except servants, to pay one shilling each."
The following is the list of principals in this venture, and how many each paid for in his party :
David Powell paid for 11 passengers.
John Morris paid for 6.
Margaret Jones paid for 3.
Edward Moore paid for 4.
Thomas Powell paid for 31/2.
Thomas Griffith paid for 2.
Rees Rees paid for 41%.
Edward Nicholas paid for 4.
Thomas Watts, 1.
Winnifred Oliver paid for 5 passengers.
Evan Powell paid for 5.
Thomas Jerman paid for 3.
John Powell paid for 2.
James Price paid for 2.
John Vaikaw ( ?) 1.
Lumley Williams, 1.
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PLANTERS AND SERVANTS
Ann Lewis, 1. Walter Ingram, 1. Benjamin Davis, 1.
"Jolın Burge, of Haverford-West, Pembrokeshire, cloth- ier," mentioned in Powel's list, was another of Penn's per- sonal customers for Welsh Tract land. He bought by deed, dated 24. 8mo. 1681, 750 acres which were to be laid out in Haverford in several tracts. One of these, 250 acres, it was discovered, was laid out on land owned by Humphrey Ellis, and after a litigation, Burge had to look elsewhere to locate this parcel, so he sold the 250 acre right to William Kelly, of Haverford-West, a weaver, who had 141 acres of it laid out in Haverford, and 30 acres in city liberties and lots. On 2. 10mo. 1694, said Kelly sold the 141 acres to Humphrey Ellis, who had also bought 79 acres from John Burge, or from Kelly, which he sold, for £8.9. Pensylvania money, 15 Feb. 1703, to Henry Lewis.
Edward ap Richard, or Prichard, on Powel's list, was another of Penn's personal customers. He took 2,500 acres, deed dated 14 April, 1682, which was confirmed by patent dated 18. 3mo. 1685; 1,250 acres were to be laid out in Mer- ion, and balance in Radnor. Many of his deeds are of rec- ord in the office of the Recorder.
John Poyer, on Powel's list, also purchased of Penn, by deed dated 24. 8mo. 1681, 750 acres, and by deed of 3 June, 1686, he sold the rights to 250 acres to Henry Sanders, who had the same resurveyed to himself, on Commissioner's warrant, dated 16. 12mo. 1701, when Owen Thomas re- quested a warrant to take up this land.
"William Jenkins, of Tenby, in Pembrokeshire, emascu- lator," (subsequently of Abington tp.), on Powel's list, bought of Penn 1,000 acres by deed dated 24. 8mo. 1681. Of this grant, 245 acres were laid out to him in Duffrin Mawr tp., 12. 11mo. 1689. By deed of 30. 7mo. 1686, he conveyed 250 acres to James Thomas, late of Landboyden, Carmarthenshire, a husbandman, which, on resurvey, amounted to 300 acres, and Penn issued a warrant for that
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
amount, 2. 7mo. 1701. Afterwards, James was astonished to learn that his purchase was not within the Welsh Tract, and, on 16. 12mo. 1701, requested a new warrant for Welsh Tract land to this amount, which the Commissioners granted, provided he could find such an amount of unclaimed land in the tract. But it seems he could not, as by his will he devised to his son, Nathan Thomas, lands in Duffrin Mawr.
William Jenkins, by deed of 3. 7mo. 1686, sold 500 acres to Francis Howel, of Lancilio, in Carmarthanshire, who de- vised 300 acres of the purchase to Thomas Howel, which he sold, by deed 1. 7. 1700, to above James Thomas,
From the number of these sales of land, it might be sup- posed that Penn had no difficulty in getting rid of his land; but he had, even before Ford's persecution cast a shadow on the titles. For some reason the bottom dropped out of his real estate business after the first boom, and when he supposed 100 "barons" in the "House of Lords"-each to buy 5,000 acres, was too small a number to stop at, he sud- denly discovered that he might not be able to have even half that number of "Lords." And his order that "no 1,000 acre lot could be increased contiguously, unless within three years there was a family settled on each 1,000 acres," shows how sparsely the country must have been settled at that period.
In the early land records of Chester Co., for the town- ships of Radnor and Haverford, there are records of the following early grantees.
These had deeds for land :
1681.
Acres.
March 3. Lewis David 3,000
Thomas Rowland 1,000
David Powell 1,000
March 17. John Bevan
2,000
22. Thomas Ellis
1,000
¥ Thomas Holme 5,000
Joseph Powell
250
Thomas Powell
500
June
16. Richard Davies
1,250
[254]
PLANTERS AND SERVANTS
1681
Acres.
July 13. Thomas Rudyard 5,000
Sept. 1-1. John & Wynne 5,000
" = Richard Davies 5,000
Oct. 2.1. John Poyer
750
Jan. 19. Morris Llewelyn
500
William Sharlow*
5,000
These had patents for land.
Haverford tp.
1684. 11. 29. Thomas Ellis 791
1688. 5.23. Charles & John Bevan 230
1703. 8. 25. Ellis Ellis 425
1703. 8. 25. Daniel Humphrey
241
1704. 2. 4. John Bevan
508
1706. 5. 20.
Henry Lewis 488
Marple ip.
1688. 5. 23. Charles & John Bevan 750
1694. 2. 21. Thomas Ellis 330
Radnor tp.
1684. 5. 29. Thomas Wynne 250
1685. 5. 30. David Davis
200
1686. 3, 14. David Powell 611
1687. 7. 9. David Powell
300
1688. 8. 1. Reese Prece
200
1689. 3. 26.
David Meredith
350
1701. 7.30. Evan Rodderch
122
1703. 8. 25. John Evan Edward
123
1703. 8. 25.
Margaret Jarmon
152
1703. 8.25. David Pugh
174
1703. 8. 25. James Pugh
162
1703. 9. 1. Thomas John Evan 340
1703. 9. 1. Edward David 155
1704. 1.14. John Evans 300
1704. 3. 1. David Meredith 253
* William Sharlow was a London merchant. He purchased from Mr. Penn, by deed dated 2. 5mo. 1683, besides the above, 500 acres, which was laid out and surveyed to him, 30. 7mo. 1684, and named "Mount Ararat." It lay on the Schuylkill, above the Thomas & Jones tract, but not adjoining it, as in Holme's map. Mr. Sharlow's Pen- sylvania attorney, by deed of 5. 10mo. 1692, conveyed 150 acres of "Mt. Ararat" to Thomas Potts, who by deed of 2. 2mo. 1695, conveyed his purchase to David Hugh, who sold the same to "Robert Jones, of Meirion, Labourer," or "Robert Jones, Yeoman, of Meirion," who was a son of John ap Thomas.
[255]
WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
Some of the properties of early settlers were located about as follows :
Along the East boundary, ( a line and the Haverford road, about 33/1, miles), of Radnor, in Merion, on the upper side, where are the settlements of Villa Nova and Rosemont, were the great estates of Rowland Ellis and John Eckley. And in Radnor, along and between this line, and where "Radnor Street," (or the present Radnor road, crossing Eagle road, if continued straight to the opposite line), was to have been, passing through the center of the township, North and South, beginning at the upper end, were the properties of Evan Lloyd, Abel Roberts, John and William Thomas, Mat- thew Jones, David David, Richard Humphrey, John Mor- gan, Henry Lewis, John Jarman, John Evans, Roger Hugh, David Prees, David Meredith, David James, Thomas Rees and Stephen Evan.
In the same position in Haverford, that is between the line of the proposed "Haverford Street," through the center of the township from North to South, and the Eastern boundary line, about 31/ miles long, were the properties of Hugh David, William Lewis, Thomas Rees, David and Ralph Lewis, Rees Rotherow, William Ellis, Ellis Ellis, Robert Wharton, Thomas Ellis, Lewis David, Daniel Hum- phrey, William Howell, all lying above the road passing the Haverford Meeting House towards the road to Darby. And below this road, John Lewis, John Havard, Henry Ellis, David Hugh, Henry Lewis, Daniel Lawrence, Richard Hayes, Samuel Lewis. In both townships, West of the im- aginary streets, were the properties of some others. And in Merion, along the Haverford township line, at Haverford College station on the railroad, and below Wynnewood sta- tion, were the great estates of John Humphrey and John Bevan.
In 1734, the following Welshmen each paid assessments on 100 acres of land in Philadelphia county : Hugh Thomas, Daniel Jones, David George, John Thomas, James Jones, William Roberts, Evan Rees, John Humphrey, George
[256]
PLANTERS AND SERVANTS
George, Lewis Jones and Edward Williams; "Robert Rob- erts, of Mirian," 50; David Morgan, 19, and "Thomas Winne," 50 acres in Blockley.
In an undated paper . (1693?) at the Historical Society of Pensylvania, giving "The Valuation of the Estates of the Inhabitants of the Township of Merion," and the amount of tax each was to pay ("one penny on the pound"), we have a list of Merion people, many of whose names are familiar, as follows :--
Merion. Valuation.
Merion. Valuation.
John Roberts £120
Robert Owen 100
Hugh Jones 40
John Roberts "of the Wain" 100
Cadwalader Morgan 90
Robert Jones 72
Rowland Richard 30
David Hugh 60
Robert David [collector] .. 100
Katherine David 30
Hugh Roberts 150
John Williams 30
Katherine Thomas 100
Benjamin Humphreys 60
Richard Walter
70
Philip and Isaac Price. 60
Peter Jones 30
Reece Jones
60
John Robert Ellis 30
Edward Jores
90
Edward Rocce
120
Edward Griffith
72
William Cuarton
30
David Pugh
30
Thomas Rees
30
David Price
30
Owen Morgan 30
Daniel Thomas
50
John Moore 30
Evan Bevan
80
David Havard,
James Thomas, Sen'r
70
"with 200 acres of Land" .. 82
James Thomas, Jun'r 40
The following men of Merion were cach assessed six shill- ings, without valuations, (which was the tax paid on all estate valuations of £72), and probably were freemen :-
Evan Harry.
William Roberts.
Thomas Jones.
Robert William.
David Ryederch.
Philip Wallis.
Meredith Davids.
Owen Thomas.
Joshua Owen.
Robert David.
Edward Edwards.
Robert Hugh.
Robert Lloyd.
John Owen.
Thomas Jones.
Evan Harry, weaver.
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Griffith John 110
Reece Thomas 100
Abel Thomas 30
Edward Jones 72
Richard Cuarton
80
Thomas Howell 40
WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
Robert David, who lived in Merion fifty years, was the collector of this tax, and he endorsed on the list, "Paid to James Fox, Recorder." If Mr. Fox was a recorder of Phila- delphia County, none of the accepted-as-correct printed lists of them include his name. Mr. Fox was commissioned, 12 Feb. 1697-8, a justice of the Philadelphia county court, and was a member of the Assembly 1688-1699; will proved at Philadelphia, 10 April, 1701.
It is presumed that the aforesaid assessment was made in 1693, because it is known that in this year there was one made in Chester Co., as below, for the same amount of tax, namely, "one penny per pound on Estates," and "six shill- ings per head on freemen." This was probably the levy noticed in the minutes of the Welsh monthly meeting, 8mo. 1693, "tax levied of one shilling per hundred towards the taking of wolves."
The following names are on the Chester Co. lists for the townships of Haverford and Radnor. The total amounts received were: Haverford, £3.14.5, and Radnor, £2.19.3. The estates in these townships were appraised lower than those of Merion, as may be seen.
Haverford. Valuation.
Haverford.
Valuation.
John Bevan
£50
Lewis David
30
William Howell
40
John Lewis
40
Morris Llewellyn
40
Henry Lewis 50
Thomas Reese
30
John Lewis, Jr.
30
William Lewis
48
Richard Hayes 43
John Richard
30
Benjamin Humphrey
32
Humphrey Ellis
30
William Howell, for
Ellis Ellis
33
Thomas Owen 72
Ralph Lewis
30
Richard Hayes, for
William Jenken
45
David Lewis 72
Daniel Humphrey
40
John Bevan, for
David Lawrence
36
Evan William 72
Radnor.
John Evans £45
Philip Evan 43
David Meredith
70
David Evan
41
John Evans
30
William Davis 31
John Jarman
44
Samuel Miles 33
John Morgan
32
Richard Miles
34
[258]
PLANTERS AND SERVANTS
William David 31
Evan Prothero 43
Richard Armes
52
Joh'n Richard 33
Matthew Joanes
30
Stephen Bevan 45
Howell James
44
Thomas Johns 32
Following the custom- long established in Virginia, Penn granted fifty acres for each indentured servant brought into his Providence. In Virginia, this head-right, as it was called there, belonged to the person importing the servant. In fact, the importer, or master, received in Virginia lands, fifty acres not only for each of his servants, but the same amount for each member of his family, or particular party, whose passage he paid. While Penn not only granted (or intended to do so), fifty acres to the servant himself, and gave him a deed, and warrant of survey for the same, at the expiration of his term of servitude, or when his master freed him, but fifty acres to the master for each servant brought. This was a better arrangement, because in Vir- ginia it was notorious that the same servants and other head-rights, were used over and over, often with the same names, to procure lands, hence some of the great tracts of tide-water land in Virginia, held by Colonial worthies.
In neither Virginia or Pensylvania were all of the "ser- vants" of the lowest social class; nor were these, men and women, all servants as we now understand the term. In either colony, many of these servants were relatives of their "masters," even were their children, and frequently were at "home," and here, of equal social standing to their mas- ters. Many reason. can be assigned to account for their servitude, or indenture, and many whose earliest record in America is that of "servant," in a short time became prom- inent for good in social, religious, or civil life.
According to the Minutes of the Board of Property, 26. 9mo. 1701, it was the intention of William Penn to set aside a township of 6,000 acres, to be used only as "head-land" for servants brought into his Province, in the years 1682-3,
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
where they could settle when their "time" expired; but this idea was probably abandoned, becaus. it was found the ser- vants nearly always conveyed away for a small considera- tion their rights to land.
For instance, Philip Howel purchased their head-lands from the following servants, they uniting in a deed for the same to him, dated 18. 2mo. 1702 :-
"Humphrey Edwards, servant to John ap Edwards.
"Inemry (?) Osborn, servant to Griffith Jones .*
"Elizabeth Osborn, his wife (born Day), servant to same.
"Jacob Willis, servant to William Cloud.
"Evan Williams, servant to Thomas Ellis.t
"Margaret Williams, his wife (born Richard), servant to John Bevan.
"Edmund MacVeagh, servant to Thomas Holme .
"Alice Mae Veagh, his wife, (born Dickinson), servant to James Harrison."
Robert Turner's servants, like himself, were from Dublin, and all named Furness :- John, Henry, Joseph, Daniel, Mary, Sarah, and Rachel. John Furness was Mr. Turner's barber, and in 8mo. 1683, was granted by the Commissioners 350 aeres, on account of himself, and the other servants of his surname.
Reuben Ford, servant to John Gibbons, received head- land on his own account, by warrant of 8. 9. 1703.
* Griffith Jones was one of the prominent Welsh Quakers of the Province. In 1703, he was chosen as Mayor of Philadelphia, but for some reason he declined to serve, and, as was the custom then, he was fined £20, but did not pay. On 3 Oct. 1704, he was again chosen for the mayoralty, and would have again declined, but being threatened with a like fine, or a total of £40, he accepted the office, and it was such an honour to have him as the Mayor, the first fine was remitted. David Lloyd, another Welsh Quaker, was the Recorder of the city at this time.
Thomas Ellis came from a hamlet, near Dolgules, in Merioneth- shire, the name of which was variously written Dolserre, Dolserey, Dolyseerey, Dolyserry, Doleyseere, Dolyserre, Doleyserre, etc.
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PLANTERS AND SERVANTS
The following were servants to the prominent families of Merion, the first settlers :-
Edmund Griffith, and . Katherine Griffith, "formerly wife to Edmund Griffith," were servants of Hugh Roberts.
John Hugh was servant to Rees John William.
Hugh Samuel was servant to Thomas Ellis.
Mary Hughes was servant to John ap Edward.
John Roberts and William Roberts were servant: to Rob- ert David.
William David was servant to John Bevan.
James Pugh was servant to Steven Bevan.
Thomas Rees was servant to Evan Thomas.
Susanna Griffith was servant to John Richards.
Thomas Armes, John Ball (had four years to serve), Rob- ert Lort (had eight years to serve), Jean, Bridget and Eliz- abeth Watts, and Alexander Edwards (who each had three years to serve), were servants to Griffith Owen, in 1684.
These were servants to Katharine, relict of John ap Thomas, in Merion, Elizabeth Owen, Thomas David, and Ann David.
Frequently servants were given certificates of good char- acter by the Friends' Meetings they belonged to in the old country. There are a number of these preserved on the books of the Haverford, now Radnor, Monthly Meeting, as John ap Evan and family, and Ralph Lewis, from Treverig Meeting, dated 10. 7mo. 1683, and John Richard, and Wil- liam Sharpless, from the same Meeting, of whom the Cer- tificato deseribe them "of small abilitie," and "harmless men"; but "ready to hear and Receive the Truth." And that they were "low in the Outward, yett lived Comfortable enough." John Lloyd, a servant to Mr. Bevan, was also thus described.
Servants who claimed to have served their "time," re- quire a strong certificate of the fact before being released. For instance, in the case of Humphrey Edwards, mentioned above; on 9. 4mo. 1702, Edward Jones, William Jenkins, and Philip Howel, declared before the Commissioners, that
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
Humphrey, "now of Gwynedd, came into this Province about the year 1683, as a servant to John ap Edward, and served his time to him faithfully, and according to Inden- ture." This occurred on his request for fifty acres of head- land.
Thomas Jones also had a servant named Ellis Roberts, who according to the minutes of the Merion Preparative Meeting, 6mo. 6. 1703, was made frec, having according to his certificate, which was read to the meeting, as was usual, served Mr. Jones's mother, brother, and himself twelve years.
The certificate of Robert Goodwin, who had been a ser- vant for four years to Evan Harry, was also read in Mer- ion meeting, on 2. 1mo. 1704-5, and, on 4. 6mo. 1704, that of Hugh Humphreys from his master, Benjamin Humphreys, and that of John Roberts from his master, Robert Jones.
A letter from Thomas Jones, of Merion tp., to his cousin, Robert Vaughan, in Wales, tells of Owen Roberts' (son of the Friends' minister, Hugh Roberts), adventures at sea, coming to Pensylvania, and that his company was captured by the French near the mouth of the Delaware, and carried as prisoners to the West Indies. Nine of the servants he was bringing were "pressed on board a ship"; "Morris Richard, the Tailor, died at sea"; but the others finally reached Phil- adelphia. Among the latter were Humphrey Williams, Thomas Owen, Cadder John, Robert Arthur, Hugh Griffith, Edward Thomas and James Griffith. Thomas Owen died after reaching here. Owen Roberts returned to Antigua, to try and recover his impressed men, but could not find them.
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