USA > Pennsylvania > Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania > Part 36
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It is not till long after minutes began to be kept that it may be known from them who acted as clerk, overseers, and trustees of the "Welsh monthly meeting." On 13. 4mo. 1695, the clerks of meetings were, John Jarman, (Rad- nor), William Howell, (Haverford), and Robert Owen, (Merion). In 5mo. 1693, the monthly meeting overseers were John Roberts and Edward Rees, and in 7mo. 1694, Robert Owen and Edward Jones. John Bevan, Rowland Ellis, William Howell, David Lawrence, Humphrey Ellis, Richard Orms, and Edward Jones, were the "peace mak- ers" of the early years.
The first delegates appointed to attend the quarterly meeting, held in Philadelphia, between 13. 9mo. and 11. 10mo., 1684, were Griffith Owen and Mary Jones, for Mer- ion; John Bevan and Margaret Lewis, for Haverford, and "widow ffinger," for Schuylkill. On 11. 10mo. 1684, the Welsh Friends ordered Evan Harr, to make a copy of all the papers brought from this quarterly meeting, for the use of the Haverford Monthly meeting.
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The "little unpleasantness" between the Welsh Friends and the Chester monthly and quarterly meetings, which has been several times mentioned herein, and about which much has elsewhere been printed, may be seen in detail in the minutes of the Radnor monthly meeting, in 6mo. 1698. That the Chester Friends were exceedingly jealous of the supposed rights of their monthly meeting within Chester county, may also be seen in many instances in its records. As, for instance, when the little preparative meeting of Newtown was started, or, when (in 11mo. 1696), "William Lewis and some others, proposed to settle a meeting at Newtown meeting," the Haverford monthly meeting, on 11. 14. 1696, considered and consented to there being such a meeting for Newtown, and, as is customary, so formally notified the Chester quarterly meeting, which became very indignant upon the receipt of this communication, and took the matter of the so called presumption of the Haverford body before the yearly meeting at Philadelphia. The Friends in yearly meeting, after sober debate and subse- quent investigation, compromised and settled this dispute, by ordering, in 12mo. 1701, the Newtown preparative meet- ing, in Chester county, "to remain as it is," and that "for the future, ye said Welsh friends may set up no meetings further within the sd county of Chester, without ye appro- bation of the Chester quarterly meeting." This certainly was a victory for the Welshmen. The Newtown meeting continued a part of the Haverford, or Radnor monthly meeting for several years, but in 1705, consented to trans- fer its allegiance to the Chester monthly meeting. In 1700, 1 .e Chester quarterly meeting was still concerned about the I . eparative meetings of the Welsh Friends living in Chester Co., "which appear not at this meeting, but go to Phil- adelphia quarterly meeting." But it does not appear that the Chester Friends interfered with the jurisdiction of the Welsh Frier Is over those in the Chester Valley, as in 11mo. 1698, "Friends in upper end of Merion, complain they live too far from the settled weekly meeting. Ask to have
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weekly meeting among themselves. Approved," by Hav- erford monthly meeting. This was the beginning, it may be presumed, of the Valley Meeting, but it was not till many years after when these Friends had a meeting house, as a minute in 12mo. 1730, says, "arranged to erect a meeting house for Valley friends" and in 1 mo. 1730-1, "decided to build a meeting house at the graveyard of Lewis Walker, deceased, which was left by him for this purpose." The fol- lowing entry in Haverford, Mo. Mtg. records, as to summer arrangements, which is not without interest, 1701, 2mo. (April), "the dais now growing long, ffriends made known their intention to keep afternoon meetings." The Newtown Friends to meet at Lewis Lewis's; the Haverford Friends at their meeting house; the Radnor Friends at their meet- ing house, and at Rees Thomas's and Ellis Pugh's; the Mer- ion Friends at their meeting house, and at John Bevan's and Cadwalader Morgan's, and the Gwynedd Friends at Hugh Griffith's.
The ship "Vine," arriving on 17. 7mo. 1684, bringing many Welsh families to settle in Merion, Haverford, and Radnor, increased the population of the Welsh Traet so that it was almost immediately necessary to ereet appropriate houses for publie worship, therefore, probably, two log houses were put up at first, one in Merion, and the other in Haverford, (though there is evidence that the Friends in this township continued to meet for some time & the home of John Bevan), in localities most convenient to the major- ity of the settlers' families, and most accesible by the bridle paths, or trails, through the woods, for as yet there were no roads, nor need of them; but the Schuylkill meet- ing continued to be held at the house of Thomas Duckett in the "liberty lands," near the river, (on Market Street). But there seems to have been no occasion for a meeting house in Radnor before 1717.
The inerease of inhabitants in the Welsh Tract also called for proper, and central places for burials, and to this end the Haverford monthly meeting minutes record :-
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"Att our monthly meeting held at John Bevan's house at Haverford, the 9th of the 8th month, (1684), it was ordered as followeth: This meeting haveing taken to their consideration the necessity of a burying place, it was ordered that Thomas Ducket and Barnaby Wilcox,* for Schoolkill ; Hugh Roberts and Robert David, for Merion; George Painter and William Howell, for Haverford, should view and set out convenient places for that purpose respectively, for the meetings they belong to, as aforesaid."
This was done, following up the permission given by the quarterly meeting, according to its minute, 2. 7mo. 1684, to wit: "Agreed that the monthly meeting at Skuylkill shall take care for a burying place, and its Enclosure." At this meeting, "Skuylkill friends being called, there appeared Thomas Duckett and Barnaby Wilcocks" only, and the Welsh were not represented. At the next monthly
*Both of these men served on the grand jury, 27 12mo. 1683-4. Mr. Willcox, who was a justice in 1687-9, and assemblyman, 1685, had been a member of the Bristol monthly meeting, in England, where the births of some of his children are recorded, namely, "George, 1667, 6. 22, son of Barnebe and Saralı Wilkox"; Joseph, 1669, 4. 19; "Hester, 1673, 6 30, daughter of Barnabus and Sarah Wilkcox"; "Abigael, 1679, 7. 28, daughter of Barnabas and Sarch Willcox." The will of Sarah Willcox, widow and administrator of Barnabas, dated 4th mo. 20, 1692, was proved at Philadelphia, 9mo. 30. It is not known when and where they married. It was the above Joseph Willcox (mayor of Philadelphia, in 1705), when an alderman of the city, who in the "historical fray," or "drunken brawl," a~ the occasion is described (see minutes of the Provincial Council), between the Founder's son, William Penn, Jr., and companions, and the "city watch," in Sept. 1704, at a tavern in Philadelphia, came to the rescue of the watchmen, and "fell upon young Penn, and gave him a severe beating."
Mr. Duckett was a maltster, and brought his certificate, dated 4. 4mo. 1683, from the "Monthly Meeting for the East Part of the County of Wilts," where the first men's meeting, or monthly meeting of record, was held 10. 2mo. 1684. His will, signed 20. 3mo. 1699, was proved by his widow, Ruth, 24 June, 1700.
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meeting of Welsh and English Friends, held in 9mo. 1684, reports were made that the burying places had been selected and laid out respectively for Merion and Haverford.
These minutes do not mention a graveyard for the use of Duckett's meeting, or "the Skuylkill meeting." But in the minutes of the Philadelphia quarterly meeting, 2. 1mo. 1684-5, inform that "the meeting appoints Barnaby Wil- cocks and Thomas Duckett to apply to the Governor's com- missioners for a grant of two acres of Land for a burying place on the other side of Skuylkill." This land was granted, and became the graveyard, near Duckett's house, and along the south side of the "settled road," about where Market and 32d streets now intersect, and is part of the Pensylvania Railroad property. It was used as a general burying place for Friends, after the Duckett meeting was abandoned, or about 1688-9, and was known as the "Lower Burying Ground," and "Haverford Friends' Ground." In 1809 there was a committee of the Pensylvania Legislature appointed to pass on the validity of Friends' title to this land, and it was reported that the graveyard h: i been used up to that time for 120 years, and their title good. But the Pensylvania Railroad effected some arrangement, and took the ground in 1850 for tracks, and the bodies were removed.
It might seem more natural that the ground selected for the burials should be at the meeting houses, than that these buildings should be subsequently erected near the grave- yards, hence it could be presumed there was at first at least a log meeting house in Merion, if not in Haverford. But as to. the latter, there is the contemporary statement, "we have our burying place where we intend our meeting house." The Philadelphia monthly meeting, which first took into consideration the erection of a permanent house for its meetings on 9. 11mo. 1682, did not take up the mat- ter of a graveyard for itself till 4. 7mo. 1683. It is notable that the Welsh Friends, Thomas Wynne and Lydia Grif-
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fith Jones were appointed to the building committee, and that Dr. Wynne and Henry Lewis served on the Philadel- phia graveyard committee.
In later years, when there was much uncertainty about the quality of Penn's deeds for land, and in fact alout the tenure of land generally in the Province, the leading Friends, of all nationalities, influenced the Pensylvania assembly, in Jan. 1706-7, to request of the provincial councillors that the titles to land of meeting houses and graveyards be confirmed, but for some reason the council did not grant this request for several years.
From the records of the Haverford (Radnor) monthly meeting, it appears that the English families of Warner, Kiete, Willcox, Saunders, Griffith, Duckett, Gardner, Clay- ton, and Hearne, were members, in 1684-5, of the Schuylkill preparative meeting, and that their children's births were recorded as of this meeting up to 6mo. 19, 1685. While the general records did not begin so early, the entry of the first birth is Smo. 29, 1680. In these years, the "Burials att Skoolkill Buring Place West Side," were only five, namely,
1683. 7mo. 8. Janne Duckett, widdow.
1684. 7mo. 10. Mary Duckett, Daughter of Thomas and Mary.
1.85. 6mo. 11. Mary Duckett, Wife of Thomas.
1685. 9mo. 27. John Rhydderch.
1685-6. 1mo. 3. Mary Keite Wife of Thomas.
After 2. 7mo. 1684, the Welsh Friends' meetings, their monthly meeting, were regularly represented at the Phila- delphia quarterly meetings, sometimes under the designation "Friends for the Welsh friends, and Skuylkill," or as "the Skuylkill Meeting," "Friends for the other side of Skuyl- kill," "Friends appearing for Skuylkill monthly meeting," "Friends from the monthly meeting on the other side Skuyl- kill," and "Skuylkill Meetings," and it was not until after 1688-9, that the designation Haverford monthly meeting was used in Philadelphia quarterly meetings.
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The delegates from "over the Skuylkill Meeting" to the quarterly meetings were the prominent men of the meetings. For instance, in 10mo. 1684, Thomas Ellis, Griffith Owen, Thomas Duckett, Henry Lewis, Barnabas Wilcocks, and John Bevan; in 4mo. 1685, Barnabas Wilcocks, George Painter, and William Howell. At this session, Duckett and Wilcocks were placed on the committee to oversee the build- ing of the new meeting house, in Center Square, Philad. I- phia, to be "50 by 35 feet, and 14 feet to roof." In 7mo. 1685, Thomas Duckett, John Bevan, John Humphreys, Ed- ward Jones, and George Painter, "for the other side of Skuylkill, appeared for the service of the yearly meeting." In 1mo. 1685-6, Griffith Owen, George Painter, John Bevan, Edward Jones, Thomas Duckett, and Paul Saunders. In 4mo. 1686, John Bevan, George Painter, Hugh Roberts, Edward Jones, Thomas Duckett, and John Warner. In 10mo. 1686, Paul Saunders, George Painter, John Jermin, John Warner, Richard Orme. The latter was appointed official grave digger in Philadelphia at two shillings a grave, "if not a big one," by the Philadelphia monthly meet- ing, 12. 7mo. 1685. After his marriage in this meeting, in 12mo. 1685, to "Mary Tedder, of Harford," Mr. Orme resigned, and Thomas Howell was appointed, 17. 4mo. 1686.
At the quarterly meeting, 7. 1mo. 1686-7, "appcared for the other side of Skuylkill," John Bevan, William Howell, John Roberts, John Evans, and David Meredith. At the next quarterly meeting, Griffith Owen, Hugh Roberts, John Warner, Henry Lewis, David Lawrence, Richard Orme and John Jermin were the representatives. At the next quarterly meeting, held, 3. 7mo. 1687, as before, at "the meeting house on the front of the Delaware," William Howell, Edward Jones, John Roberts, John Bevan, and David Meredith, represented "the Welsh meetings," when the "Harford meeting" contributed £5 toward a fund to give assistance to a Friend whose home was destroyed by fire, and "Merioneth Meeting," gave £6.7.0 for same object, but Radnor could only promise 32s. 6d. Griffith Owen,
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Hugh Roberts, John Evans, David Meredith, William Jenk- ins, and William Howell, attended the next Quarterly. Mr. Duekett as usual representing his meeting. The minutes of the next quarterly meeting, 5. 1mo. 1687-8, "Friends appeared, to attend the meeting :- from Harford, John Bevan, and David Lawrence; from Radnor, Richard Orme, and Reese Peters; from Merrioneth, Edward Jones, and John Roberts; from Skuylkill meeting ; Paul Saunders." At the next Quarterly, "William Jenkins, and William Howell, from Harford; David Meredith and John Evans from Rad- nor;" but "Merryoneth" was not represented. At the quar- terly meeting, 2. 6mo. 1688, the German Friends, of the Germantown Friends' meeting, had their first delega- tion ; but none of the Welsh Friends attended this meeting.
The second men's meeting, or monthly meeting, of the Merion and Haverford Welsh Friends, was held at the home of William Shaner, in Radnor, "on the second fifth day of the third month," 1684, when the Radnor preparative meet- ing was authorized.
The third men's, or monthly meeting of record was held at the house of Hugh Roberts, in Merion, "on the second fifth day of the fourth month," 1684, and the next one, in 5th mo. at the home of John Bevan, in Haverford.
In the earliest years, in fact for twenty-five years, the Welsh "men's meeting," or the monthly meeting for busi- ness, Was transitional. A minute says, "At our monthly meeting held at Haverford, 22d of 2d month (1698), it is considered that the monthly meeting for business be kept in course here, at Merion, and Radnor." This changing of the place of assembly was the cause of the Welsh monthly meeting being variously named, as before sug- gested, since the name of be place it was held at was given to that particular men's meeting, hence we find the "Mer- ion Monthly Meeting," the "Haverford Monthly Meeting."
The Welsh Friends of course had mor thly meetings for worship, and what they called "First Day Monthly Meet- ings," and "General Monthly Meetings." It may be that
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some of these Welsh people could not understand English, and there is a suggestion that Rowland Ellis acted as inter- preter sometimes in meetings; but as a whole they were probably an English speaking people, for all their surviving documents are written in English, and well done, both as to writing and expression. Yet, in one of their petitions they said it was their desire "Not to entangle ourselves with laws in an unknown tongue." -- Penn's laws in English.
There is evidence that the monthly meeting of the Welsh tr .. ct exercised the same authority over its members, as did the Englishmen's monthly meetings elsewhere, and not only had it care of the piety of the Welsh Friends within its jur- isdiction, and of ecclesiastical matters, having particular care to find if there were "any loose livers," or "disorderly walkers" among them, but also, as was Frier 's' custom of old, endeavored to adjust or settle disputes 1 ween neigh- bors, who were members of a Welsh preparative meeting, to prevent them going into the county court with their trouble, for Friends have always had a "testimony against" law courts. The men's meeting of the Welsh Friends main- tained committees, or tribunals, to consider personal dif- ferences, after the matter between them had been attempted to be adjusted by reference to disinterested parties, men- bers of the meeting; this method failing, the difference was laid before the men's meeting, which endeavored to reason with the disputants, and settle tl 2 misunderstanding. What- ever the decision of the meeting was, the two Friends must abide by; but should one of them refuse the arbitrament, the only thing left for the "unruly one" to do was to with- draw from the Society, or for the monthly meeting to "dis- own" him. Of course, if one of the disputants was a non- Quaker, and spurned the decision, the meeting could go no further in the case, and it generally found its way into court. But the "Que ker method" was more often accept- able, since lawyer's and court fees were avoided.
The Welsh monthly meeting also had cognizance of mem- bers "going backward in their outward concerns." It
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insisted that business engagements must be kept, and debts paid, and the way of the defaulter was hard indeed, if he was a Welsh Friend. The Welsh "men's meeting" also made it its business to watch the reckless, and if anyone was discovered "venturing too much in the judgment of the elders," be it buying too much land, or what not, he was warned in a friendly spirit, and steered out of the danger of bankruptcy. Everything was done to avoid calamity to the Welsh Friends, especially if it was possible that it might bring a scandal to the meeting. These were the lessons they had learned in the old country, and they transferred these rules into the new. And this was what the Welsh Friends meant when they wrote the President :- "we can declare with an open face to God and man, that we desire to be by ourselves for no other end or purpose, but at we might live together as a civil society ; to endeavor to decide all controversaries and debates amongst ourselves in a gospel order, and not to entangle ourselves with laws in an unknown tongue."
And this was the reason these Welsh Friends also sat in their meetings as the legislative assembly of their "bar- ony," and looked after its civic affairs, while nursing the claim they made as a State distinct from every county. But it cannot be proven that the Haverford men's meeting, as a body, ever meddled with the provincial politics, or made up county "tickets," or selected candidates for elec- tion, outside of their territory, unless j' may have been in the case of Eckley's candidacy, mentioned elsewhere.
The following is an example of the Acts and Orders of this Legislative Meeting, when taking care of the "constitu- ancy." "It is Ordered by the Meeting and consent of the Inhabitants of the Townships of Haverford & Radnor in pursuance of a Law in that Case made yt ye Inhabitants of ye sd two Townships should pay 1 shilling per hundred [? acres] towards ye takeing of woolves."
Other "Acts" concerned line and division fences, stray cattle, and the utilities of the "State." But, when it would
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seem necessary to have to use force in making an arrest, or in protecting property, the Meeting-Assembly went to the Provincial Co neil, and handed over to it such matters, as, for instance, to stop Indians from killing the Friends' hogs, mentioned elsewhere.
The Welsh Tract "Assembly" also did police duty for itself, and tried to keep out undesirable inhabitants, as, for instance :- "Our friend John Bevan, haveing laid before this Meeting That divers Persons came over here, and left debts unpaid in those parts and places yt they came from, and the Creditors complaining against ye sd Persons that they did not receive any satisfaction from them for ye sd debts, the ffriends yt are appointed by this Meeting to see to such affairs, are desired to deal with them, if there be any such belonging to this Meeting." How they were to "deal" with these fugitives from obligations is not of record» but the interesting part of this item is that the Assembly- Meeting was the first to govern through "standing commit- tees," which is a recognized and most important portion of the machinery of all of our present-day legislative bodies, and some others. This monthly meeting further assumed to itself the authority of the "General Court," with legis- lative and taxing power in the "Welsh Towns," and as an Orphans' Court, it appointed guardians for minor children, and if not administrators locked after testamentary pro- ceedings; assisted in settling estates, or apportioning of property, especially land, to heirs, as in the case of the adjustment of the estate of Thomas Ellis, 1688-1698, men- tioned elsewhere.
The following matter, one as much secular as canonical, also had the earnest attention of this monthly meeting. We all know, and Butler ("Hudibras," II, 2) confirms it,
"Quakers (that, like lanterns, bear
Their light within them), will not swear,"
And that it is now a long established and proper cus- tom in our courts that anyone having conscientious scruples may select to "affirm," instead of taking a prescribed oath.
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But it may not be generally known that the Friends of the Haverford monthly meeting had a considerable part in bringing about this concession, and that they were obliged to help buy it.
In 1704, the statute of 1694-5, by which Quakers were not permitted to testify in any case in court, particularly in criminal cases, where evidence was given under oath, or to serve on juries, or even to hold any office of profit in the government, was confirmed by an act of parliament.
It was understood that the provisions of this act extended to Pensylvania, and disqualified Quakers here, as well as elsewhere. At that time, the important offices in Pensyl- vania were held by Quakers, and they were in the majority in the assembly; but as they did not hold their positions from the genera government of the kingdom, the act did not effect them, yet it did the business of the courts, as the supreme court of Pensylvania held the act extended to Pen- sylvania, therefore, criminal cases could not be tried. Many important ones* were held-over, and even alleged murderers were released on bail.
This state of affairs obtained for years, until in 1724-5, when the provincial council and the assembly passed what was known as the "Affirmation Act," enabling Quakers to
*One of these was that of Hugh Pugh, a millwright, and Thomas, a laborer, charged in Oct. term, 1715, Chester Co. Court, with the murder of Jonathan Hayes, of Marple tp., a justice of the peace, and member of the assembly. (The Welsh Friends, John Parry, Caleb Evans, and David Parry, were fined by the Chester court for refusing to aid the constable in arresting Hugh Pugh, they having conscientious scruples in such matters.) This case, the first for homicide, was tried 17 April, 1718, before David Lloyd, chief justice, and associates, at Chester, and the men found guilty, and sentenced to be hung on 9 May following. On May 8th, they petitio ed the Governor for a reprieve, till the King should be heard from as to the legality of their conviction and sentence, claiming that seventeen of the grand jury, and eight of the jury which tried their case were Quakers, and only affirmed contrary to the statute. There is no proof that they were hung.
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testify. But as this Pensylvania act had to receive the King's approbation before it was legal and should be in force, the Pensylvania Quakers started out to kern if His Majesty, George the First, would give it freely, if not, what they should do to persuade him. They were not long in learning that the King's approvement would have to be pur- chased from him personally. Thereupon, the Pensylvania Ycarly Meeting gave notice to every monthly meeting that collections should be taken up within their jurisdictions to make up a purse for the mercenary monarch.
The part that the Haverford monthly meeting took in this matter is of record in its minutes, as follows :
1725. 13. 3mo. "This meeting refers to the consideration of ffrds :- getting of money to pay for negotiating ye late affirmation aet in Great Britain."
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