USA > Pennsylvania > Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania > Part 32
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"Taken from John and Samuel Gray, for the use of the army commanded by George Washington, £6. 12. 6."
"From Isaac Bartram and Abraham Liddom, for ditto, £3. 0. 8. And from same by British, $48. 16. 0, on 12mo. 12, 1777. And on same day from Abraham Liddom, £47. 14. 9."
"And from friends of Merion preparative meeting, in 1777, and beginning of 1778, from John Roberts (the mil- ler), by army under George Washington, horses, cattle, &c., about £500."
"From Isaac Lewis for a demand of £22. 7. 6, for the non-attendance in the militia, by Isaac Williams, collector, 28. 7mo. 1778, £60."
"Taken, Smo. G. 1778, for a demand of £24. 7. 6, for sub- stitute money, and non-attendance in the militia, from Amos George, of Blockley, by John Ellis, collector, £33."
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"Taken, 9mo. 16. 1778, for same and same, from Edward George, of Blockley, by the same, a young mare, sold at vendue on 19th, £70."
"Taken from Jesse George, 9mo. 16. 1777, of Blockky, by Thomas Rhoads, William Rees and Henry Alexander, militiamen, with fixed bayonets, three blankets, £1. 17. 6."
"8mo. 6. 1777. Taken from Jesse George, of Blockley, £24. 7. 6, substitute money, &c., by John Ellis, &c. (sold on the premises by public vendue the 12), £28. 19. 6."
"Smo. 14. 1777. Taken from Thomas George, of Block- ley, by Isa. c Kite, Jr., and two others of the militia with fixed bayonets, two blankets worth .... "
"9mo. 19. 1778. Taken for a demand of $1. 7. 6, for non- attendance in the militia, from Thomas George, by John Ellis, collector, a heifer which he sold the same day for £13."
"From Radnor Friends:"
"Smo. 1777. From Daniel Maule, of Tredd. (Tredyffrin), for demand of £3. 10. 0, for non-associating, by John Max- well, collector, £10."
"6mo. 1778, from same for the Provincial Tax, by John Lloyd, collector, £2. 17."
"8 & 9 mos. 1778. Taken from same for a demand of £55 substitute money, & by David Briggs and Jeremiah Eard- ley, by order of Lewis Gronow, £68. 14. 512."
"3mo. 1778, for a demand of £31. 10. 71%, for substitute money, &c., from Evan Lewis, of Radnor, by D. B. and J. E., by order of L. G., £72. 4. 0."
"12mo. 1777, from Evan Lewis for use of army com- manded by George Washington, £8. 15. 6. By same, from Jesse Meredith, for same, £31. By same, from Abijah Richard, for same, £29. By same, from John Jones, for same, £29. By same, from James Espen, for same, £29.5.0."
Many other Radnor Friends "suffered" in this way, "for their country's good," some having to meet demands of £120, £60, &c. The Walkers, and Richards, Quakers, were
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the greatest "sufferers." One Michael Smith claimed his property was damaged to the extent of £151, but by which army the record does not tell. These sufferings of the sons and grandsons of the first settlers, must have given them an impression of what their forefathers had to endure in the old country up to the time they emigrated, of which they had often heard, and of which much has been printed.
I don't know that the Friends as a class were "Tories," nor did they appear to have been "obnoxious partisans," but in their "quiet way" they favored the patriots, their countrymen, and as testimony of this a speech by Elias Boudinot, in Congress (second session of the first) ; 22 March, 1790, is of interest. "The indiscriminate abuse that has been thrown out against Quakers, without distinction. has not comported with the honour, or dignity of this House. Not only their characters, but their very names, have been called upon, and private anecdotes, relating to individuals, been mentioned on the floor. Many of the Quakers I have long lived in the habits of friendship with, and can testify to the respectobility of their characters and the regularity of their lives. Their conduct in the late war has been arraigned, and they have been condemned in a lump. I have known many of them during the war, and impartial justice requires it from me, to give some official information on the subject. I had the honour of serving the United States at the commencement of the war as commissary- general of prisoners. Congress not being able to afford them supplies, those unhappy men in this town were re- duced to the very depths of distress, without food, or rai- ment, without blankets or firing, they suffered everything that human nature could bear. In this situation many of the Quakers of this city exercised such humanity towards them as did honour to human nature. The miserable pris- oner not only felt the happy . fects of their exertion in his favour, but participated in their money, their food, and clothing. Nay, such were the jealousies created by this conduct, in the British army here, that an armed force
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entered the house of one of them, seized his books, and though a man of great property and large commercial deal- ings, on finding that he had loaned large sums of money to our distressed prisoners, he was turned out of their lines, and with his family was a refugee during the whole war afterwards, separated from his business and property. To whom was the care of our prisoners in Philadelphia com- mitted? To a Quaker, and I have bec. witness to the just tribute of gratitude and thankfulness paid by great num- bers of our unhappy fellow-citizens to that gentleman for his kindness and humanity. ₭ I rejoice to say that our cause was not carried on by fanaticism or religious zeal, but a general struggle for the rights of human nature. Then why all this abuse of this particular sect without discrimination ?"
The teachings of the ancient Friends naturally would pre- vent them from taking any active part in any war, even that for freedom from British tyranny, but it was not so with some of their sons, who had not learned to restrain the fighting blood of their ancestors, the Britons, and self- protection they fully believed in. This may be known by there being a company organized in Merion, during the French and Indian war, or for the "war scare" of 1747. In Feb. 1747-8, a company of Associators was recruited and organized in Lower Merion, and Edward Jones was appointed the captain, Griffith Griffith first lieutenant, Wil- liam Coates, second lieutenant, and James Ritchie, ensign. This was a "home-guard" company, and did not "see serv- ice," but it may be supposed it would willingly have gone into battle if called upon.
Subsequently, Edward Jones became the colonel of a regiment of eight companies of associators, and in 1756, he was captain of the Merion Troop of Horse, Lynford Lard- ner being the lieutenant.
During the Revolutionary War, the following Merion "Welshmen" served in the Philadelphia county militia, Peter Richards, and Abel Morgan, as sub-licutenants, and
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Peter Evans, and Algernon Roberts, as commissioners of purchases.
The seventh battalion of Associators of Philadelphia county was recruited in Upper and Lower Merion and Blockley. The regimental officers, commissioned 6 May, 1777, were at first, colonel, Jonathan Paschall, of Paschall- ville ;; lieutenant-colonel, Isaac Warner,* and major, Matt- hew Jones. The regiment then was only four companies. In the Pensylvania Packet may be seen orders signed by Sam- uel Dewees, the Sub-Lieul. of Philadelphia county, calling out the companies to drill, similar to the following :- "Nor- rington, July 24th, 1778. Notice is hereby given to the in- habitants of the Townships of Upper Merion, Lower Merion, Blockley, and Kingsessing, that an Appeal will be held at the house of William Stadleman, in Blockley Township, for the fourth and fifth Classes of Militia, on the 31st day of July, at ten o'clock in the forenoon."
Subsequently. this militia regiment was re-organized, and recruited up to eight companies, of eight "classes" each, when Isaac Warner was the colonel, and Algernon Roberts, the lieutenant-colonel. The First Company was composed of all Lower Merion men, with Llewellyn Young, captain; David Young, 1st lieutenant; Isaac Williams, 2d lieutenant, and William Addihi, ensign. In 1780, Matthew Holgate was lieutenant-colonel, commanding this battalion, and John Dethell was the major.
The young Friends within the jurisdiction of the Radnor monthly meeting, who joined either side during the Revolu- tion, were reported to their several preparative meetings as "violating the testimonies of Friends," and many for- feited membership in the Society rather than leave the
+Col. Paschall was descended from Thomas Paschall, a pewterer, who bought 500 acres from Penn, 26 Sep. 1681, and arrived here in following Feb., and died in 1718, aged 83 years.
*Isaac Warner, the colonel aforesaid, was a son of William Warner, mentioned elsewhere as the founder of the "State in Schuylkill." He married in 1757, Lydia Coulton, and died in 1784.
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army, and humble themselves. The men's meetings disci- plined not only for entering into military service, but for agreeing to attend "classes," or military exercises; for learning military exercises; for assisting in collecting for- age for soldiers; for associating with soldiers; for paying tax to support war; for buying a substitute for the army; for paying money to redeem horses or cattle taken by the soldiers; for paying muster fines for not attending drill- ; gs; for taking the "test oath," &c. And these rules obtained as well in the "1812 War," and the Civil War.
The known Revolutionary War soldicas from Merion, who were of Welsh Quaker blood, L wied in the ground of the Merion meeting, were Lt .- Col. Aggernon Roberts, Thomas Roberts, Joseph Roberts, William Robert ,, Jacob Hoffman, John Wells, John Price, Isauc Davis, Lieul. Thomas Wynne, Daniel Williams, Nehemiah Evans, Jose George, William Holgate, Benjamin Holland, Jonathan Jones, Col. Ircas Warner, John Zell, Richard Jones, and Edward George who all served in the Pensylvania inilitis. "A roklier. D.ed at David Gillis', buried Ime. 6. 1791," is the record of an unknown soldier buried at the Merion Meeting House, but in which army he served is now unknown.
Of course, there are many more Revolutionary War sol- diers buried in other cemeteries in Lower Merion. For instance, in the Bicking family graveyard, near Mill Creek and Righter's Road :- Frederick and Richard Bick- ing, and John Kuhn; "Harriton" graveyard, back of Bryn Mawr :- Major William Cochran; the Baptist cemetery on Gulf Road, back of Bryn Mawr :- Samuel Davis, William Thomas, Joseph Wilson, John Wilson, James Wilson, John Elliott, John Young, Jacob Morris, John Cornog, Jacob and John Righter, Griffith Smith, John Wilfong, Christopher Shubert, Francis Conrad and Benjamin Sheetz, George Coulter, and in the German Lutheran cemetery, Ardmore :-- Col. Philip Lowry, Casper Weest, John Brooks, John Philler, Martin Miller, John and William Smith, John Goodman,
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Jasep Grover, William Wagner David and Llewellyn Young, Peter Ott, Sr. and Jr., Peter Trexler, George Horn, Sr. and Jr., John Horn, Daniel. McElroy, Ludwick Knoll, Martin Wisc, Adam Grow, Jacob Waggoner, Jacob Latch, Michael Simple, John and William Fiss. John Maurer, Nicholas Pechin, Obadiah Wilder, J. Rightor, and possibly others, and nearly all of German blood. Among the "1812" soldiers buried here are Col. Conrad Krickbaum, Col. Wiliam Pechin, Adam and Simon Litzenberg, and John and sheob Stadleman.
During the Reveintionary Wer, not only were there scions of the Welsh Quaker families serving in the American army, but there were several who wore prominent mom- bers at that time of the "Pensylvania Lodge," "Lodro No. 8," or the "Schuylkill Lodge," of the Brotherhood of Free and Accepted Masons. This lodge had no habitat, as most of its members were serving in the army of the patriots, and for this reason it is presumed it was really the cele- brated "military lodge" which had its meetings at Valley Forge, when the Americans encajaped thore, in the farm house used as headquarters by Gen. Pulaski. This particu- lar masonic lodge existed till about 1789-90, when it is last of secord advocating to make the Friends' meeting house, at 5th and Race Streets, Philadelphia, the meeting place for the Pensylvania Grand Lodge. Among the members of this alleged "military lodge," or Lodge No. 8, at that time were the following men of Welsh Quaker blood :-- John Davis (master of the lodge), John Cadwalader (secretary of the lodge), James Morris (the treasurer), David Thomas, Jesse Roberts, Isaac Thomas, Joseph Price, Abel Morgan, and John Richards. (See "Freemasonry in the Continental Army," American Historical Register, March, 1885.)
The "Harriton" graveyard mentioned above, was the private burial ground of the Harrison and Thomson fam- ilies, who, in 1719, succeeded by purchase to the "Bryn Mawr" estate (and gave it the name "Harriton"), of Row-
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land Ellis, the early Welsh settler, in what is known now as Morris' woods, not far north from the Bryn Mawr College.
From the will of Richard Harrison," dated 11 Sep., 1746 (he died 5 Aug. 1717), we learn that he erceted on this ground "a certain meeting house, or place of worship," * * * "It is my will, and I do hereby declare that the said meeting house, together with a square piece of ground containing by estimate two acres, adjoining the said house, where several of my children lie interred, shall not be sold by my trustees, but that the same house ar l grounds shall forever be excepted and reserved out of my said tract of land, and shall remain for the use and service of a meeting house, and a place of interment forever."
This house, primarily a school house, was intended by Mr. Harrison for the use of an "indulged meeting" of the Welsh Friends, and to be used only on occasion of inter- ment in its graveyard. The house was not kept in repair by the Friends, and the attention of the Radnor monthly meeting was called to this neglect in 1792, when a commit- tee composed of James Jones, Jr., of Blockley, and Jona- than Roberts, of Merion, was appointed to look into the matter, and report. On 7. 10mo. 1792, Mr. Roberts wrote to Mr. Jones that Charles Thomson (the secretary to the Con- tinental Congress), had written to him that he considered the Harrison heirs to be the legal trustees for the meeting house and graveyard, and as the Friends had not held meetings in there for many years, a Presbyterian congrega-
*Richard Harrison was a Quaker, and had a certificate from the Clifts Meetir , Maryland, dated 11mo. 1729, which he presented at the Phila. monthly meeting, in that year. His wife, Hannah Norris, daughter of Judge Isaac Norris, and granddaughter of Gov. Thomas Lloyd, was an accepted minister among Friends. Under date of 11mo. 14. 1730, p‹ mission was given by the monthly meeting that Mr. Harrison and other Friends have liberty to keep a meeting on the First Days, for the winter season, at said Richard's school house. The same was extended in several subsequent years, when afternoon meeting. in the summer were also allowed, and continued till in 1757.
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tion had applied to him for leave to repair the house and use it, which request he had granted, and they held religious services there occasionally. Mr. Thomson also wrote he had no objection to the Friends building a meeting house on the property, and would sit with them if they did do so. Sub- sequently, the Presbyterians abandoned the house, and it fell in ruins, and was removed, and the Friends did not take advantage of Mr. Thomson's offer.
This little private graveyard, with its two dozen graves, remained unnoticed in its solitude till in 1838, when an item appeared in the Philadelphia National Gazette, stating that, "on Second Day morning, 13th of eight month," the graveyard was entered stealthily by four men, and the graves were opened by them till they found the bodies of Charles Thomson (who died 16 Aug. 1824), and his wife, and carried them away; the farmer in charge protesting. On 16 Aug. Mr. Levi Morris, the owner of "Harriton" adver- tised in the paper, "Upon conviction of any person, or per- sons, who may have been concerned in this outrage, a suit- able reward will be paid." The Gazette called attention editorially to the scandal, saying, "What adds to the hein- ousness of the offense is that the interment was made there in accordance with the wish of the deceased." * "It is hoped that every means will be taken to discover who committed the offense."
A few days later, the Philadelphia Daily Advertiser con- tained the statement as to the removal of Mr. Thomson's body, that "it is proper that the public should be informed that it was done under the direction of the nearest relatives of the deccased, for the purpose of placing it in a situation more consonant with the feelings of the family," and that the removal was made by "an experienced undertaker, with proper care, and were reinterred in the new Laurel Hill cemetery." This called out a rejoiner, protesting "against the right of any persons, in a clandestine manner to remove the body to a public cemetery," "for the purpose of giving eclat to a particular locality, as there is strong reason to
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believe has been done in this instance." This brought out a long reply from John Thomson, nephew and executor of Charles Thomson, dated New Ark, Delaware, Aug. 24th, 1838. Ile explained that the body lay at "Hurriton," virtu- ally an abandoned, out of the way grave yard, unkept and brier-grown, and that he had been refused the privilege of erecting a stone to mark the grave, therefore be deemed is his duty to remove it to a more suitable place, and creeted a suitable granite monume & (which he did immediately, Watson writing the inscription). He feared, he said, that the original burial place would be in time diverted from ils original use, in spite of the will of Mr. Thomsen, and his letter to Jonathan Roberts. This brought out a sharp rejoiner from Mr. Levi Morris, dated Smo. 81, printed in the U. S. Gazette, saying he had been approached as to the removal of Secretary Thomson's remains, and declined to give his consent, because Mr. Thomson's body was in the spot he himself had appointed for its burial. He contra- dicted that the burial plot was ever brier-grown and neg- lected, on the contrary kept it in good order, as was natural for him to do, since his child, and his father-in-law were buried there. Mr. Morris had built a stone wall round part of the lot, and his widow left money to complete it. In time the Philadelphia newspapers* and the public became recon- ciled to the removal, and decent re-interment of the Secre- tary's remains.
To correct and amplify the statements made in regard to the beautiful seat of "Bryn Mawr" or "Harrison" (ante pp. 236-7), in which I followed Mr. Glenn's theories (ride "Merion in the Welsh Tract"), I have the following more lucid information from the venerable Friend and antiquar- ian, Mr. George Vaux, ; to whom the property belongs, and
*See Philo. Evening Bulletin, 15 Sep. and Oct. 1886.
¡Mr. Vaux's interest in this property is, genealogically, as follows: Richard Harrison, Jr., of "Harriton," m. in 1717, Hannah, 1696-1774, daughter of Judge Isaac and Mary (Lloyd) Norris, of Philadelphia, and had Thomas Harrison, (whose sister, Hann h, b. 1728, d.s.p.
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where he resides in the summer time, who has been person- ally acquainted with the farm since 1856. He says that when he was a young man, he examined the date-stone in the wall of the house, which much to his regret has been taken out and carried away by some person unknown years ago, and it showed plainly the figures 170-, and that the last figure was apparently a 4, and that the 0 was, without ques- tion, distinct. He also says that there is no doubt about it that the 300 acres surveyed 21 Feb. 1708, to Rees Thomas (p. 171),* and William Lewis (Jr., p. 165), included the land on which the old house stands. This tract of 300 acres was at the southeast end of plantation, and that the northwest line was far to the northwest of the house, in which Rowland Ellis lived in 1708. Mr. Vaux's statement is substantiated by the recorded facts that Rowland Ellis' son, by his second wife, Robert Ellis married Margaret, daughter of William John, of the Gwynedd settlement, 3. Omo. 1705, and died about two years later, leaving his wife and an infant daugh- ter, Jane Ellis. Rowland Ellis had settled 380 acres and one moiety of the dwelling house, the orchards, fields, &c., of the plantation, on his son Robert, and after Robert's decease, his widow and relict, Margaret Ellis, claimed her dower and portion for her child out of the 380 acres. For some reason unknown, the widow could not get a settle-
1807, m. 1 Sep. 1774, Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress), of "Harriton," 1729-1759, who m Frances Scull, and had, Amelia Sophia, d. 1820, who m. Robert McClenachan, of Philadel- phia, d. 1822, and had, Charle. McClenachan, who m. Mary Thomas, and had Naomi, who m. Levi Morris, of "Harriton," and Philadelphia, and their daughter, Sarah, was the wife of Mr. George Vaux, of "Harriton" and Philadelphia.
*Mr. Vaux says thit Rees Thomas lived a little north of the north corner of the l. berts road and the Lancaster road, in a stone house, which existed till about 1872. As he recollects it, it had lead t .ndow sashes, and that the interior plaster was combined with straw instead of hair, and that wooden pegs were used instead of iron nails, and in the living room was a very large fire place, flanked by two 1 ge settles.
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ment with her father-in-law, so the claim was laid before the Welsh Friend ;, of the Haverford Mo. Mtg., for arbitra- tion, who decided that Mr. Ellis should pay to Jane Ellis, his granddaughter, £180, when she became of legal age, and other arrangements were agreed upon for the widow. To secure the payments, 300 acres of "Bryn Mawr" were conveyed to Rees Thomas and William Lewis, in trust. In Oct., 1719, when Rowland Ellis sold "Bryn Mawr" to Rich- ard Harrison, the conveyance was for 718 acres, less 20 acres reserved, or 698 acres,* and included the trust land of 300 acres; Thomas and Lewis joining in the conveyance, which was made by two deeds, recorded 22 Dec., 1719, giv- ing full title to Mr. Harrison.
So prominent a road as the Lancaster, from the city into the disafforested fertile country beyond the Schuylkill, it is natural should have been the scene of some military opera- tions during the Revolution. Within Merion's bounds, how- ever, they were few, and not of great moment. Hiltz rec- ords, 24 Aug., 1777, Sunday, "Our army commanded by Gen. Washington, marched through the city, crossed the bridge over the Schuylkill, proceeded four miles, then turned back." From the Journal of the American officer, Lieut. James McMichael,; under Sunday, 14 Sep., 1777, we learn : "9 A. M., we marched from camp near Germantown, N. N. W., for a few miles up a good road, from Philadelphia to Reading, the turning W. S. W., we crossed the Schuylkill in the center, between Philadelphia and Swedes Ford, eight miles from each. We reached the great road to Lancaster, at the Merion Meeting House, and procceded up that road, then we camped in an open field, being denied every desir- able refreshment."
It has been decided that this camping ground was on the land of Edward ap Rees, or his descendants, the Price family, near the 8 Mile Stone. At that time, there was a
*See Pa. Mag. Vol. XXI. 119.
¡Sce Pa. Archives, 2d series, XV. 221, and Pa. Mag. XVI, 156.
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Price mansion house, recently demolished, in this field, beyond the Meeting House, and another belonging to the same family, nearby, across the road, still standing. It is presumed that it was at these homes of "striet Friends" this young lieutenant and soldiers were denied "desirable refreshment" on Sunday. It may be noticed they were not refused refreshments, so the supposition is the young man was over fastidious. The wonder may be that his men did not try to get something more desirable, but this they would not dare do, as there were orders positively for- bidding any raiding, or depredations, and there are no com- plaints extant that dwellers along the route were annoyed in any way when Washington moved his army from Ger- mantown over the Schuylkill, and up the ravine, or the Rock Hollow road, and Meeting House Lane, past the rear of the meeting house, and out the Lancaster road, on his way "to get between the enemy and Swedes Ford."
Pickering, in his Journal, tells of the movement of Wash- ington's army, the day following the defeat at Brandy- wine :- "Marched to the Schuylkill (12 Sept. 1777,), part crossing and marching to our old camp by the Schuylkill Falls," on the erst bank. He says that on the next day, "the rest of the army erossed, and the whole collected at the old encampment."
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