USA > Pennsylvania > Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania > Part 26
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In inspecting the members' lists of the Welsh Tract Pre- parative Meetings, and the minutes of the Welsh Monthly Meeting of Friends, when it was the "Baronial Assembly," it can be seen that the Friends's ministers and the elders were not only the leading men in the meetings, but were also the largest land holders, and the wealthiest men. So it can be imagined that in the Meeting-Assembly the patricians would be the "potent power of authority," and whether it was an Assembly, or an irregular Town Meeting of Freemen, the ministers and elders would control and direct the proceedings. Such was the case in the Swedish settlement down the Delaware; in Dutch one of New Netherlands; in that of the Waloons, on Long Island, and notably among the Puritans of New England, the minister was the chief man, just as the abbot was the "potent power" in the monastic "Towns" of England. Possibly, the only difference was that the Friends's ministers in the Welsh Tract were the richest men there. As late as in 1701, in a minute of Penn's Commissioners, they were all Friends's ministers, those men from the Welsh Tract, "some of the Chiefs of that Nation in this Province," who appeared as we shall see, before this Board on a matter of the affairs in the Welsh Barony.
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I have read that these Quakers transplanted into their Towns their "Velsh "customs" and "laws," but they were never so distinct that they could be identified after the Revolutionary War, and there is only evidence that they hoped they would prevail in the Towns. The supposition that peculiar Welsh laws had been in force in the Welsh Tract may have had its origin from what Minister Hugh Roberts said, in a letter quoted hereafter, Penn promised in respect to corporate rights in the "Barony." But cer- tainly Penn gave the Welsh no charters to establish "Towns" as they understood such, therefore, at the best, they could only assume they could have town officers and ordinances of their own selecting and making. And, whatever they were, it is likely the Welsh laws were similar to and as good as the English, for few laws of an old country are adapted to conditions peculiar to a new one, and certainly not without revision or amendment, and if Penn's "Laws" were traced back to their birth place it may be some were derived from the ancient Cymric code, though there is good evidence that Holland was the original home of his "Concessions, or Constitucons," and his "Frame."
Apparently, the Welsh Quakers of the "Barony" enforced no peculiar Welsh code of laws, for the "Friends's customs," -committees on suffering, relief, peace, discipline, &c., were the working machinery of their "Assembly," and these were common to all monthly meetings. Whatever other intentions for self-government they may have had, they were never developed; the independent State was too short lived. So far as the "customs" could go, they were good and useful, but there were many matters they could not touch or cover, and, possibly the first to come up of this class of "annoyance," would have been suffrage privileges, and voting qualifications, when it came necessary to send delegates to the General Assembly to look after the interests of the Welsh "Towns," when they were hoping to enjoy representation without taxation, and their singular desire that their "State" was to flourish in the atmosphere,
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WELSH TRACT AFFAIRS
-no, in the protection, for Penn made no provision, or m: r- tial arrangement even to protect his Province from any possible enemy,-of a general government, without con- tributing to its support.
This little territory of "621% square miles" the Welsh Quakers thought would be the acme of comfort to have it all by themselves,-to which they fled from "sufferings," and where they hoped for complete relcase and rest from all the unpleasantnesses of that "high civilization" that then prevailed in the old country, and to be let alone, all of which might have been granted by Penn if they had not tried unusual political conditions, and not satisfied to be similar to the chartered New Netherland Company on Manhattan, and simply privileged to support themselves. But, as will be seen, they wanted more privileges, greater concessions than Penn could afford to allow, hence, as we shall also see, this was the cause of downfall of the Welsh Tract as a distinct settlement, a Welsh Utopia.
[875]
KATHERINE THOMAS. (+ GB2).
EDWARD REES. ( 1 707).
MUCH
ROBERTS. (1 6 8 2).
7
EDWARD REES. ( 1 632 ) .
HUGH ROBEATS. 1696.
DR. EDWARD JONES . 1496.
DR. GRIFFITH
1 703.
?
1684.
DR. EDWARD
JONES. 1703.
PROBERT
DAVID. (1682).
DR. EDWARD JONES. 17 0 3.
2
CAD.
MOREAN 1624.
REES JOHN WILLIAM.SIG .: )
REES JONES. 1 6 84.
RICHARD WALTER.
GRIFFITH JONES.
THO. LLOYD.
CADVALADER
MORGANa 169 4
0
HUGH ROBERTS.
ABEL CONCS.
CADWALADER MORGAN170%.
GRIFFITH OWEN. GAINOR ROB 'T.
JOHN ROBERTS. 1 6 8 4.
----
. .
CITY LINE.
JONES.
WYNNE.
EDWARDS.
----- EDWARD
JONATHAN
6
-
A
-
ROBERT DA VID.
CADWAL.
MORGAN.
"THOMAS AND JONES TRACT TWENTY YEARS AFTER SETTLEMENT."
WELSH TRACT AFFAIRS. II.
Possibly, the greatest dissatisfaction among the Welsh Friends beyond the Schuylkill was occasioned by the new order as to "unseated lands" in the Province, mentioned before, for there can be no question but that they held the greatest part of such land. It was a fact that the seven adventuring Welsh land companies, the so called "land trustees," when disposing of the 40,000 acres, did sell much land to speculators, or to some who held for a rise in values, but, all the same, the vendors knew the purchases had been made in good faith, and that they were in honor bound to protect them.
A resolution passed by the Land Commissioners, Messrs. Markham, Turner, Carpenter, and Goodson, (not Welsh- men), under Penn's warrant of 24.11-1686, began the cam- paign to get away from the Welsh Friends as much of their 40,000 acres as possible, at a sitting on 25 Oct. 1690, when they "took into Consideration the Great Quantity of Land lying waste and unsettled within a tract of about 40,000 Acres, Commonly known by the name of the Welsh tract, the want of Seating and Improveing of which has been of great Dammage to the Proprietary and of Exceeding Loss and hinderance to the well seating and Strengthening the Province. Several Honest, able and Substantiall persons haveing either Leaft it for want of such convenient Seates that are unsettled in that Tract, or hindered from Seating Such as have been formerly layd out unto them in it.
"Resolved, that notice be given unto David Powel, or some other purchaser concerned in the said tract, that they show cause why the land, not laid out, or not seated and Improved,
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within the said tract, according to regulation, may not be disposed off as other Lands within this Province." The hearing was set for 19th of November following.
On this date, 19 Nov. 1690, the Minutes record :- "Griff Owen with several other Purchasers who have an Interest in the Welsh Tract, was this Day with the Commiss'rs, according to notice sent to David Powel, bearing date the 25th of ye Last Month. They requested a longer time to Give their answer to the Commiss'rs' Proposall, which was granted untill the 13th of ye Next Month."
On this date, "13th of 10ber, 1690," the Minutes record : -"Griff. Owen, with several others, Inhabitants of the Welch tract, Came and gave in a Paper to the Commiss'rs, which follows verbatim :-
"Wee, the Inhabitants of the Welch tract in the Province of Pensylvania, in America, being Descended of the Ancient Britains, who always in the land of our Nativity, under the Crown of England, have Enjoyed that Liberty and priviledge as to have our bounds and Limits to ourselves, within the which all cause, Quarrels, Crimes, and Tittles were tryed and wholly Determined by officers, Magistrates, Juries of our own Language, which were our Equals.
"Having our faces towards these Countrys; Made the Motion to our Gov'r that we might Enjoy the same here, which thing was soon granted by him, before he or we ever came to these parts.
"And when he came over, he gave forth his Warr't to lay out 40,000 acres of land, to the intent we might live together here, and Enjoy our Liberty and Devotion in our own Language, as hefore in our Country.
"And so the 40,0 0 acres was Surveyed out, and by his own Warr't, Confirmed by several orders from the Com- miss'rs of ye Propriety and Settled upon already with near four score Settlements, and, as we have good grounds to believe, if the way had been Clear from troubles, there might had been so many Settlers upon it, by this time, as in Reason it could Contain.
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"And besides, it is well known, there was several Scores of our men Serv'ts who was very desirous to have out their head land, according to promise, but could have none with any convenientey that was worth to settle upon, whereby many are like to Desert the province and go to other Countrys.
"Also, some of our I' iends that have Concerned them- selves with the first that came over to this Country, have lived a while here, and Returned again to their families.
"Friends and Relations, that had Disposed themselves to come over with all speed, if Providence had permitted, and, as far as we are given to understand, are Still waiting for the opportunity to their great Dammage.
"And now to Deprive these of their lands and Libertys, which they Depend upon when Coming here (and that in their absence), Wee Look upon it to be a Verry Unkind Dealing, like to Ruining many Families, as also a Subtill undermining to Shutt that Door against our Nation, which the Lord had open for them to come to these Countrys.
"For we can declare, with an open face to God and man, that we Desired to be by ourselves for no other End, or purpose but that we might live together as a Civill Society, to endeavour to deside all Controversies and debates amongst ourselves, in a Gospell order, and not to entangle ourselves with Laws in an unknown Tongue, as also to preserve our Language, that we might ever keep Corres- pondence with our friends in the land of our Nativity.
"Therefore, our request is,
"That you be tender, not only of violating the Governor's promises to us, but also of being Instrumental of depriveing us of the thing, which were the Chief Motives and Induce- ments to bring us here, and that you would be pleased, as far as in you lies, to preserve us in our properties, by removing all such incroachments as are made upon the Lines and Boundarys of our said tract, and by Pattent, or otherwise in Due form of Law, to Establish and Confirm
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the same to us, so that we may not by any further pretences be interrupted in the peaceable Enjoyment thereoff, accord- ing to the Governor's true intent.
"And then we shall with all readiness become responsible for the Quit-rent accruing to the Proprietor, the Commence- ments whereoff we shall referr ar I submitt to his Con- sideration. and if these our reasonable desires be not answered, but our antagonists Gratifyed by our being exposed to those uncertainties that may attend, wee shall choose, rather than Contest, to suffer, and appeal our Cause to God, and to our friends in England."
As four years passed before his Land Commissioners in Philadelphia, began to act on Penn's order about the idle lands of the Welsh, over the Schuylkill, it may be presumed, if the order was published in 1686-7, that the Welsh tried to meet Penn's wishes, and failed, or that the Commis- sioners suppressed the Proclamation till they got the Welsh "just where they wanted them," and then began their attack, when they could make out a clear case against them, or when would-be purchasers were clamoring for this valuable land. Anyway, it was a well planned procedure.
The reply of the Welsh, it may be seen, was dignified, and in part it was just and proper in their interest, though of quaint expression. It may be noticed, they claimed Penn promised them, before they bought his land, the right to govern themsely s, in the manner they had been accustomed, within their tract on the Schuylkill, (just as he also promised the German settlers, as we have seen), else, possibly, they would not have removed.
That their 40,000 acre tract was to be an independent "Welsh State," a "Civil Society," a municipality, governed by laws of its own making, and by men chosen from among themselves by themselves, all within Penn's Province, which has been noticed elsewhere, was a chimera, of course, but I do not imagine these intelligent Welshmen would have made this ascertion had they not known it to be the truth, as
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they understood it, so it may be presumed Penn did agreed verbally to their plan of a State, for he was then selling his land.
It may be also noted, they claimed there were only near 80 homesteads, or "settlements," in the whole tract after eight years ownership, (Holme's map of about this date says 104), so it is likely that four years before there were not ten families seated to each 5,000 acre lot, "town," or township, when Penn issued his order that so astonished the Welsh, and from this, it may be supposed, he had not seen the map made for him by Holme.
But as to the excuses for no greater seating, they are both good and poor. There is other proof that the intelligent Welsh were timid about removing, because of rumors of the uncertainty of land tenure in the Welsh Tract. Then, too, the Welsh had ceased coming over, conditions at home having improved, for the "toleration act" had ended their physical sufferings, and teasings, though their political disabilities remained. But why, in this great, fertile tract, the few servants could get no good land is not apparent. They seem to have been entitled to some land, after serving their time, so the question is, had many served-out even their passages? Certainly, Penn could not be blamed for this. Nor, that some early settlers had tired of farm life, and had returned to Wales. And, it was only a possibility that those who had bought, and had not removed, would do so.
But quit-rent was the crux of this matter, as much as was cash money through sales. Evidently there had been some effort by the Commissioners to collect the quit-rent due Penn from the Welsh, and they had not paid (in fact, few, possibly none, paid in the province, and this was one of the causes of Penn's mortification, and shortness of money), because it was not agreed when the rentals should begin, but now promised to do so, under the conditions mentioned in the reply, and when it was determined from when the payments should date.
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"1690, 20 1 of 10ber." The Commissioners again met, and took up the reply of the Welsh, particularly as to quit- rents. They read it over again, "and haveing Considered of the same and found not to answer the propositions made by the Commiss'rs to them, Ordered, that the Commiss'rs propositions be Drawn up in writing to be Delivered to them, whielt follows Verbatim :-
"By the Proprietary Com'rs.
"To the Inhabitants of the Welch tract :-
"The Proposition that was made to you by us was,
"That, there being 40,000 acres of Land actually Sur- veyed and laid out and known by the name of the Welch tract, and there being. Regular Returns thereof made in form and Manner as other purchasers Lands by which we know (and by no other means can) how to charge eacht Tract of Land with its Quit-rent, and, therefore, in course and according to th Method which has hitherto been used, we have Charged the said Tract of 40,000 acres as other tracts of the like purchase are. But least it should Surprise you, or give Suspition of an unneighbourly, or unfriendly act, we gave you time notice for a conferrence with us about it, and afterwards a Considerable time to make your answer; which you gave in writing the 13th Instant.
"The which we have very Deliberately Considered, and find the Maj'r part of the writing not Cognissable by us, Or within our province, which is only to Confirm and grant Lands, &c., and settle the affairs of the Proprietor's Revenue, nor, Indeed, does any part of it answer our proposition, but Verry Obliquely, and with much ambiquity, which shows more of Skill and Cunning, then a Direct and Sincere answer.
"Whatever the Proprietor hath promised, we Question not but he will perform; and in whatever he has given us power we are Ready to doe, and when you please to Demand, will- ing to Confirm to you the said tract by Pattent, as we doe unto other purchasers, according to the warr't and Survey
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the which, if you Refuse, and others accept, You Cannot think it hard if we grant your Refusal to them, who have Equal right with you by purchase to take up land.
"To this we desire you will be speedy and plain in your Answer, as we are with you in our proposition, for we are Resolved what in us lyes, God willing, to Remove all Rubs and hindrances in the way to a quiet and easy Settlement off the Proprietor's Revenue within his Province.
"Dated at Philadelphia, the 20th of 10th Mo. 1690."
By this, the Welsh were allowed more time to consider the demand of the Commissioners, and their conclusion is found in the following Minute; but there is no suggestion that they had appealed to Penn over the heads of his agents.
"At a Meeting of the Commis'rs ye 2nd of the 3rd Month, 1691."
"This being the Day appointed for the Welch friends to give their answer to the Commiss'rs's propositions of the 20th of December, Last, there appeared in behalf of the Welch, Griffith Owen, Hugh Roberts, Robert Owen, John Bevan, with many Others.
"The Welch Friends' answer is: that they are willing to pay hence forward Quit-rent for the whole 40,000 Acres, but not since the Date of Survey.
"The which inswer not being Satisfactory, or Direct, to our proposition :
"Resolved, that the Lands already laid out in the Said Tract unto other Purchasers, Be Confirmed unto them."
This was a terrible blow to the Welsh, for it opened up their large tract to strangers, people of any nationality, and any religion, who had money to buy from Penn. and it rudely awakened them from their dream of an independent Welsh State, and quite shattered their confidence in Wil- liam Penn.
However, from the Minutes of the Commissioners, or Board of Property, 27th, 4mo. 1691, we learn that the Welsh made one more attempt to justify their claims, and to have
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the quit-rent payable only from the time of the final survey of their tract, and not from the date of the grant, several years difference, or about £100 total difference, which was then quite as large a sum to Penn, as to them.
This final attempt was another petition addressed to Penn himself, dated 15. 3mo. 1691 (the document is at the His- torical Society of Pa.), which went over the same ground and statements, covering three large pages, they did on 13 Oct. 1690.
But this last petition has as its important feature and statement, that it was to Hugh Roberts, of Merion, the cele- brated Friends' minister, that Penn personally made these promises, before the Welsh Friends would buy and leave their native country. Hugh Roberts was one of the signers -the third-of this second petition, and therefore sub- scribed to his statement included in it, namely, "before we came from our native country, we desired a tract of land from you, . and you promised Hugh Roberts it should be a barony, or corporation apart from others, but to fall under the Gen .l Govmt, and desired him to com- municate it to Friends."
And all those prominent Welshmen, who signed this petition, "with the unanimous consent of all ye Welsh con- cerned in ye tract," had every confidence in the statement of Hugh Roberts, and in the man himself.
This document, a guarantee of the veracity of Hugh Roberts, as much as it was a petition, endorsed at the time, "Petition of Griffith Owen, R. Owen, and others," was signed in autograph, and in three columns, as follows :-
Lewis David.
David Meredith. Griffith Owen.
John Bevan.
Stephen Evans.
Robert Owen.
John Humphreys.
Ellis ap Hugh. John Gorman.
Hugh Roberts.
John Roberts.
Francis Howell. William Howell. David Lawrence. John Lewis.
Robert Davies.
Cadwalader Morgan. Will Edward.
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WELSH TRACT AFFAIRS
Edward Jones.
Thomas Jones.
Recs Jones.
Ilugh Jones.
Edward Jones, Jun.
Robert Owen.
Griffith Jones. Abel Thomas.
All but ten of these signers were Merion men, neighbors of Hugh Roberts, and the other's lived in Haverford and Radnor. Seven of them were signers of previous petition, 23. 2mo. 1688, and some who had signed it were dead in 1691.
The minutes of 27. 4mo. 1691, record that:
"Griffith Owen, with several of the Welch Friends, appeared for themselves, and other Inhabitants and those concerned in the Tract of Land of about 40,000 acres called the Welch tract, and did offer to pay quit-Rent from hence forward for the Whole 40,000 acres, and thereupon Chal- lenged a Patent for the whole to themselves.
"The Commiss'rs Ordered the Minute of the 2nd. 3rd mo. last [1691], about the same business to be read, which was accordingly done, and [informed] them it was now too late for them to alter that result, having passed their words Already to Confirm those Tracts to the purchasers that have been laid out within the said 40,000 acres, who are ready and willing to pay their quit-Rent from the time of [first] Survey.
"Whereupon, it was Ordered a Warrant for takeing of the Caveats entered in Surveyor General's Office of the Lands within the said trac'."
Even while the Welsh Friends were present in the cham- ber, the Commissioners issued orders to a surveyor to lay out land in the Welsh Tract, for a dozen applicants, named in the minutes, thus adding insult to injury. The first who were accommodated were the pressing creditors of Penn, and it was thus he cancelled some of his obligations. The
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Commissioners also took some of the tract for themselves and friends, as also did the surveyor.
This was the end of the "Welsh Tract."
The hopes and plans for the New World, expressed in their several extant petitions, the Welsh Friends had to sur- render and forget "greatly in the cross."
When the unoccupied land was put on the market, after the rush of the "insiders," there was a steady demand for it. Among the first to enter the traet, were Richard Snead, of the city of Bristol, linen draper, for 1,500 acres, William Pardoe, a merchant, and Francis Fisher, a glover, both of the city of Worcester, each buying 1,250 acres. But Penn, fearing that these English purchasers might be no more desirable than the Welsh speculators, issued an order not to sell more than 500 acres (and "no faster than it could be improved") to one purchaser, hence these and hundreds that followed had to be satisfied with that amount :- Tho- mas Brascy, John Hart, John Moore, John Finchner, &c.
At this time, the original Welsh Friends became fright- ened even as to the tenure of the places they were then farming, and living upon,-their homesteads, and went be- fore the Land Commissioners, asking confirmation of their deeds, which, under the circumstances, was a wise thing to do.
The Commissioners' minutes, 1 Dec., 1701, record their awakening, "for taking some Measures to regulate the Welsh Tract." "Some of the Chiefs of that Nation in this Province having met and Concerted the Methods to be taken in order to the Regulations. It was agreed (states the Min- ute of 22 Dec. following) :-
"That, in as much as the Welch Purchasers of the Prop- r'ry were, by large Quantities of acres in one Pair of Deeds, granted to one or two persons only, under which several other Purchasers had a Share, the Gen'l Deeds of one Purchase should be first brought in, with an acco't of all other Persons who had a Share in such Purchase, also an account in whose possession the Respective Lands of
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WELSH TRACT AFFAIRS
every under Purchase now are, and that, because all the Lands hitherto laid out (or most of them) in the said Tract were by Vertue of one Gen'l Warrant; particularly Warr'ts of Resurvey should be granted to every Man upon what he now possesses, and that an exact account of all their Titles should be taken in distinct Minutes from these pres- ents, to be kept fair in a Book or Papers for that Puropse."
Accordingly, at this meeting many of those who bought of Dr. Edward Jones and John Thomas ("Company No. 1"), appeared before the Commissioners, and had their deeds confrmed. And in Nov., 1702, these following also had their deeds examined and reconfirmed :- Rowland Ellis, for 577 acres; Edward Jones, Sr., 402; Edward Jones, Jr., 125; Griffith Owen, -; Hugh Roh .ts, 338; John Roberts, 262; Robert David, 346; Hugh Roberts, 441; Richard Jones, 157; Evan Jones, 361; Ellis David, 409; Rees Jones, 587; Cadwalader Ellis, 310, &c.
In Oct., 1701, Griffith Owen became a member of the Board of Commissioners of Property, when Penn ordered that each first purchaser should be deeded a lot in the city, hence, after this, we find the Welsh Friends city lot owners.
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