USA > Pennsylvania > Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania > Part 4
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2741/2 acres in Merion, and 2341% acres in Goshen. Richard Walter bought as above from Robert David, 25 acres and 75 acres. These parcels lay in Merion township.
Rees Jones, by deed 18.2.1682, bought through Thomas & Jones, 1561/4 acres in Merion. He sold 50 acres to Cad- walader Morgan, and by his will bequeathed his land in Goshen to his sons John and Evan, and 100 acres to his son, Richard Rees Jones, who bought from "John Roberts, cordwainer," 371/2 acres (part of the Thomas & Charles Lloyd land), which land "the said Thomas [Lloyd] be- queathed by will to the said Jno Roberts, his nephew." So Richard Rees Jones held 1371/2 acres in Merion township. He also held 75 acres in Goshen township, granted to him by his Uncle, Evan John William, by deed, which lot was a portion of the Richard David purchase.
Thomas Prichard bought through Thomas & Jones, 1561/4 aeres. By his deed of 16 July, 1684, he conveyed the same to Rees Jones, who then had 3061/2 acres.
Cadwalader Morgan bought, by deed, 1.2mo. 1682, from Thomas & Jones, 1561/2 acres. He sold 761/2 acres in Goshen to "John Roberts, malter," and retained balance in Merion township. He inereased his Merion holdings with 50 acres bought of Rees Jones, and 761% acres in Merion, which he had by deed 18.4.1684, from John William, so had 2021/2 acres in Merion township.
Gainor Roberts, spinster, bought by deed, 1.2.1682, from Thomas & Jones, 156 aeres. One-half lay in Merion, and "John Roberts, the malter, held balance, in Goshen town- ship. John Roberts, malter, had 75 acres from Gainor Roberts, 75 acres from Cadw. Morgan, by deed of 7.7.1687, and on this date he bought 75 aeres from Hugh Jones. So he held 3061/2 acres, one-fourth in Merion, balance in Goshen.
"Thomas Lloyd (not the Presid't)," was a grantee, by deed of 1 April, 1682, from Thomas & Jones, for 156 aeres. He bequeathed his land to his nephew, "John Roberts,
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cordwainer," who sold of his inheritance 371% acres to Richard Jones, and 371/2 acres to Griffith John, of Merion. So he held 781/- acres in Goshen township.
William Jones' son, John William, inherited of the Thomas and Jones tract, 15614 acres, three acres was his estimated share of the "liberty land," as in each case of this amount, "liberty land," when allowed always reduced township holding. He sold all his land; to Cadwalader Morgan 761%, and balance to Edward Rees, who sold to Ellis David.
John Watkins received by deed, 1 April, 1682, from Thomas & Jones, 1561/4 acres "less 3 acres of liberty land." He sold all to Hugh Roberts, by deed dated 23.4.1684.
Hugh Jones received by deed, 18 March, 1681, from Thomas & Jones, 156144 acres. He sold John Roberts, malter, 761/4 acres. He and his son held the rest, in Merion township.
Evan Rees received by deed, 18 March, 1681-2, from Thomas & Jones, 3121/2 acres, "less 61/4 ac. of liberty land." By deeds dated 18.3.1683, he sold out to Robert David and Griffith John. The latter bought 156144 acres from Evan Rees, and 38 from "John Roberts, shoemaker," of Goshen township.
But these conveyances are given more fully in the sketches that follow of these original grantees. These transfers of land are of much genealogical interest, for they give the names of newcomers, and approximate the time of arrival here.
There is plenty of evidence in the Philadelphia county land records, as may be seen, that the early Welsh Friends made many changes in their holdings in the twenty years following their removal here. Some increased their acre- age, some decreased to strengthen the balance, some sold out entirely and settled elsewhere outside of Merion. The land transactions were freqently before the Board of Land Commissioners for adjustment and settlement. It found it
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necessary finally, for its own better understanding of the situation in the Welsh "Towns" to learn as near as possible in whose names was the land Penn had granted them. In this matter, the Board, in its Minutes, under date of 22nd 10br 1701, recorded :
"Order issued the Ist inst. 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: That, in as much as the Welsh Purchasers of the Propr'ry were by large Quantities of acres in one Pair, by Deeds granted to one or two Persons only, under which several other Pur- chasers had a Share, the Gen'l Decds of one Purchase should be first brought in with an acc't of all other Persons who had a Share in such Purchase, also an account in whose possession the Respective Lands of every under Purchase now are."
"As for the Merion land holders in 1701, "the Propr'ry Deeds to John ap Thomas and Edward Jones for 5,000 acres was brought in with all such necessary acc'ts".
From their statement we learn that about 1,884 acres of their patent was not located in Merion township, but in Goshen township, and that the following number of the original Welsh Friends and descendants only held land in Merion township, the total of their holdings being about 3,000 acres. Newcomers holding about 445 acres.
The Merion holders and acreage being, about January, 1700, n. s .:-
"Robert Roberts, 200.
"Owen Roberts, 200.
"Edward Rees, 2051/4.
"Edward Jones, 15114 and 353 in Goshen township.
"Edward Jones, Jr., 1581/s and 1581/s in Goshen township ..
"Robert David, 2741/4 and 2341% in Goshen township.
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"Richard Rees Jones, 1371% and 75 in Goshen township.
"Cadwalader Morgan, 2021/2.
"John Roberts (Pencoid), 761/2 and 230 in Goshen town- ship.
"Hugh Jones, 76814.
"Thomas Jones, Robert Jones, Cadwallader Jones, 6121/2 (left to them by their father, John ap Thomas) ; and the same amount in Goshen."
Other land owners in Merion township, at this time, were Richard Walter, 100 acres; Griffith John, 194 acres, and Ellis David, 1511/2 acres, and in Goshen township, Hugh Roberts, 67 acres; Robert William, 761/4 acres, and John Roberts, the shoemaker, 7814 acres, who sold inherited land in Merion to "John Roberts, Gent."
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Edward Rees. 1707.
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Edward Anas. 1682.
Ress Press. 170%.
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Blugh Roberts. 1682.
The band
Dr. Edward Jones. 16 93.
8 inch = 1 torch.
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Robert Jones. 170%.
Haverford Road
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Lancaster
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FAMILIES AND LAND OF FIRST ARRIVALS
MERION ADVENTURERS
The following information concerning the aforesaid Welsh Friends, the "first purchasers," "ye first within ye tract of land in the Province" to have their land beyond the Schuylkill laid out, the first settlers in the Welsh Tract, and in Merion township, the founders of the Merion Meet- Ing, has fortunately been preserved, and gathered together from many sources, more or less reliable.
The sketches of these founders are not only of biographi- cal and genealogical interest, for they show the gradual and sure development of Merion, and of the Welsh Tract, now the "garden spot" of Pensylvania, if not of America, and incidentally the part taken by them in laying the foundation of the Commonwealth.
These first four sketches are of the four Welshmen and Friends, and their families, who were the first to remove here from Wales, and arrived at Upland (Chester), on the Delaware, 13 August, 1682, namely, Dr. Edward Jones, William ap Edward, Edward ap Rees, and Robert ap David.
DR. EDWARD JONES. He was described as "chyrurgion," and removed from Bala, in Merionethshire, and was the founder of "Merion in the Welsh Tract." Nothing is pre- served of his ancestry, or antecedents. He filed with the Merion Preparative Meeting, or the Haverford Monthly Meeting, on 8. 10mo. 1704, according to its minutes, an ac- count of himself and wife, and of their life before coming over, as all other members did, but such accounts have dis- appeared from the Friends' archives. His fame was as the one who selected the land to be settled upon by himself and his confrères, and as the founder of the most important settlement in "New Merion."
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As told already, he was one of the Welsh gentlemen who visited William Penn in London, in May, 1681, about buy- ing some of his land, and how he was one of the adventurers and trustees, with John ap Thomas, for 5,000 acres, taken up by "Edward Jones & Co.," located part in Merion, on the Schuylkill, and part in Goshen township, because Penn's agent here, according to instructions from Penn, of course, would not survey or lay out so large a tract in one place.
Where Edward ap John, or Edward Jones, studied medi- cine has not been discovered, but it may be supposed he had medical skill as a barber-surgeon, and practiced his profession among Friends in and about Bala, from whence he came, and later in Merion and Philadelphia.
He and his party, "40 souls," were the first of the Welsh Friends to remove to Penn's Province. The names of all who composed Dr. Jones's party cannot now be determined, and it is only positively known that on this trip of the ship Lyon there were as passengers Dr. Jones and his wife, and two small children; William ap Edward, and his second wife, and two children by his first wife; Edward ap Rees, and his wife, and three children, and Robert ap David, and his wife, and one child, and that they were the "first class passengers." .
These four men were the only ones of the seventeen "shareholders," purchasers of the land Thomas & Jones engaged, who made the first settlement in Merion. This accounts for sixteen souls, and the others of the forty were farm-hands and servants.
Dr. Jones, and his party of first Merion settlers, sailed from Liverpool, in the latter part of May, 1682, in the ship Lyon, Captain John Compton, master, and arrived at Up- land, now Chester, in the Delaware, 13. 6mo. (August), 1682, two months before William Penn's first arrival.
Among the papers of his "partner," John ap Thomas, brought to America by his widow, is preserved a letter written by Dr. Jones to him, whom he had left very ill at
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COMPANY NUMBER ONE
home, thirteen days after reaching his destination. Some extracts from this interesting letter have been give above, but as it was an account of the experience of this first party, as well as the Doctor's earliest opinion of his new home, his letter is given in full. It was written apparently after the men of the party had gone out to inspect the fract assigned to them on the west side of the Schuylkill, at and above the Falls, where subsequently they took their seats close to- gether, and camped with their families, till their comfort- able log houses were built, for it was mid-summer, and therefore no great hardship at first.
An account of another family tells that these first comers "dug caves, walled them, and dwelt therein a considerable time, where they suffered many hardships, in the beginning, -the next season being wet and raining about their barley harvest [time]."
It is unfortunate that the Doctor's first letter he refers to has not been preserved, or did not reach John Thomas.
This second letter is addressed in this quaint manner :---
"These ffor his much estecmed friend John ap Thomas of Llaithgwm neer Bala in Merionethshire, North Wales, to be left with Job Boulton att the Boult and tun in Lumber Street London, and from thence to William Sky Butcher in Oswestrie, to be sent as above directed and via London --- with Speed."
"My endeared fr'd & brother, my heart dearly salutes thee, in a measure of ye everlasting truth, dear fr'd, hoping that these few lines may find thee in health, or no worster yn I left thee.
"This shall let thee know that we have been aboard eleaven weeks before we made the land, (it was not for want of art, but contrary winds,) and one we were in coming to Upland. . .
"Ye town [the future Philadelphia] is to buy]ded 15 or 16 miles up ye River.
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
"And, in all this time, we wanted neither meate, drink, or water, though several hogsheds of water run out. Our ordinary allowance of beer was 3 pints a day, for each whole head, and a quart of water; 3 biskedd a day, & some times more. We laid in about a half hundred [weight] of biskedd, one barrell of beere, one hogshede of water, -- the quantity for each whole head, & 3 barrells of beefe for the whole number-40-and we had one [barrel of beef] to come ashoare.
-"A great many could eat little or no beefe, though it was good. Butter and cheese eats well upon ye sea. Ye re- mainder of our cheese is little, or no worster; butter & cheese is at 6d per lb here, if not more. We have oatmeale to spare, but it is well yt we have it, for here is little or no corn till they begin to sow their corn, they have plenty of it.
"The passengers are all living, save one child yt died of a surfeit.
"Let no frds tell that they are either too clil, or too young, [to come over]. for the Lord is sufficient to preserve both to the uttermost.
"Here is an old man about 80 years of age; he is rather better yn when he sett out. Likewise here are young babes doing very well, considering the sea diet.
"We had one tun of water, and one of drinke, to pay for at Upland; but ye master [of the ship] would faine be pd for 13 or 14 hogsheds yt run out by ye way, but we did not. And about 3 quarters of Tunn of Coales we pd for. We laid in 3 Tun of Coales, and yields no profit here.
"We are short of our expectation, by reason that ye town [future Philadelphia] is not to be builded at Upland; neither would ye Master bring us any further [than Up- land], though it is navigable for ships of greater burthen than ours.
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COMPANY NUMBER ONE
"Ye name of ye town lots [where they imagined, for some reason, the city would be laid out, as the site was not positively decided till after Penn's arrival] is called now Wicoco. Here [at the supposed town-site] is a Crowd of people striving for ye Country land, for ye town lot is not divided [that is the future Philadelphia was not yet laid out in lots, and was not until the following winter], & therefore we are forced to take up ye Country lots [first].
"We had much adoe to get a grant of it [that is, a war- rant to locate and survey the land, from Penn's deputy, young Markham, directed to the official surveyor, Thomas Holme, or Holmes, who had been here only about six weeks, and was filled with engagements]. But it Cost us 4 or 5 days attendance [on the officials] besides some score of miles we travelled [forth and back to the Falls of Schuyl- kill and to the surveyor], before we brought it to pass [before the site was selected].
"I hope it [the Thomas & Jones lands, and its location] will please thee, and the rest yt are concerned, for it hath most rare timber. I have not seen the like in all these parts. There is water enough besides.
"The end of each lot will be on a river, as large, or larger than the Dye, at Bala. It is called Skool Kill River.
"I hope the Country land [the land the Doctor selected] will within this four days [be] surveyed out. [It seems that Ashcom, a Deputy Surveyor, made a rough survey of this land on 24 August, but probably had not returned when the Doctor wrote this on 26 August.] The rate for sur- veying 100 Acres, twenty shillings. But I hope betters orders [terms] will be taken [made] shortly about it" [the charge].
At this point there is a long paragraph in Welsh (the major part of the letter being English), and so written to make his remark secret and private, as the Doctor's letter was to be carried to England by the man he referred to, the captain of the ship in which he came over :---
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"We liked him, the Captain, well enough when eating our own victuals; but beware of his provisions [a warning to Mr. Thomas, or any who might sail with him], because it was only bread and salt meat, with little beer, and foul water usually. But he made a great fuss over me and my wife, and over most of those who could talk with him [in English ]. There is another Captain living in the same town [Liverpool], and passengers [some of Penn's first colonists ] from Carmarthenshire came over with him on his provision, and they spoke well of him, but they paid him £4.10. 00; early [for young] children, under 12 years of age, 52 shillings, and got plenty to eat, and good drink. The name of this good man is Captain Crossman. It is cheaper to furnish our own provisions than to pay £4. 10.
"I think most of the things [dry goods, utensils, imple- ments, etc., brought over to sell to colonists] will not be sold until you come over, because so many things had pre- viously been brought here."
All these suggestions may have been useful to others coming over. He suggested to bring for sale some white fustian, serges to make clothes, men's hats, saddles, bridles, shoes, etc. "Blue flannel is most called for here, but all colors are used," he wrote. "Don't bring much white flan- nel with you. Stuff dyed blue we like best."
"Compel the master of the ship to come to the town of Philadelphia with your goods [it appears from this, and Penn said, the town received its name before its site was selected]. I had to pay to the other [another] party 30 shillings for hauling the things up. and be sure to pay for carrying your luggage, and everything else that you start with, to the Captain."
Then continuing in English :-
"The people [about where the tract lay] generally are Swede, which are not very well acquainted [with our lan- guage].
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COMPANY NUMBER ONE
"We are amongst the English which sent [ send] us botli venison, and new milk, & the Indians brought [bring] ven- ison to our door for six pence ye quarter .*
"And as for ye land, we look upon it a good & fat soil, generally producing twenty, thirty, & fourty fold. [This may mean that in the tract were old Indian fields of this quality, or reputation.]
"There are stones [for houses] to be had enough at the falls of the Skool Kill, that is, where we are to settle, & water enough for mills. But thou must bring Mill-stones, and ye Irons that belong to it, for Smiths are dear [in charges here]. (This was a useless suggestion, as may be seen elsewhere.)
"Iron is about two and thirty, or fourty shillings per hundred. Steel about 1s. 6d. p. l.
"Ye best way is to make yr picken axes when you come
*That is, they were then stopping "in town," and had not yet moved out to "ye country lots," with the squattors on the site where they supposed "ye town" would be laid out, who were living in dug-out caves, on the bank of the Delaware, or in lean-to shacks. Near the "Thomas and Jones grant, was Peter Cock, a Swede, who had about 200 acres, west of Mill Creek, i.e., Cobbs Creek, in Blockley tp., Phila. Co. Later the Swansons became neighbors across the Schuylkill, having been forced to exchange their land on the Delaware, for the city's site, and take land on both sides of the Schuylkill, from Fairmount to the Falls. The one Englishman in this neighborhood was William Warner, who, with his son, held three large tracts of land, extending from the Schuylkill half-way to Cobbs Creek, along the future Haverford Road. It is presumed that Warner came here by the way of New England, and bought land from the Indians, or the poorer Swedes. On 3 April, 1678, the Upland Court con- firmed 100 acres to him, and on I June, 1681, he was an applicant to this Court for further confirmations of purchases. After Pen'n entered into possession, Mr. Warner became a member of young Gov. Markham's Council, 3 Aug., 1681, and on 13 Sep. following, he became a justice, and was a member of the first assembly held in Philadelphia, 10 March, 1683. He called his land, which lay in the ""City Liberties," in Penn's time, "Blockley," from the place of his mativity, in Worcestershire, and it gave name to the township in which it lay, extending to the present 52d Street.
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over, for they cannot be made in England; for one man. will work with ym as much as two men with ours.
"Grindle Stones yield good profit here.
"Ordinary workmen hath 1s. 6d. a day [wages]. Carpen -- ters 3 or four shillings a day.
"Here are sheep [belonging to the settlers on the lower Delaware river], but dear-about twenty shillings a piece. I cannot understand how they can be carried from England ..
"Taylors hath 5s. & 6s. a day [wages].
"I would have you bring salt for ye present use ;- here is coarse salt; sometimes two measures of salt for one of. wheat [in exchange], and sometimes very dear.
"Six penny, & eight penny nails are most in use.
"Horse shoes are in no use.
"Good large shoes [for people] are dear.
"Lead in small bars is vendible; but guns are cheap enough.
"They plow, but very bungerly [here], & yet they have: some good stone.
"They use both hookes and sickles to reap with.
"Time will not permit me to write much more, for we are not settled.
"I [send] my dear love, and my wife's unto thy selfe and. thy dear wife, and the rest of my dear friends, H. Ro., Rich : P., Evan Rees; J. ap E., Elizabeth Williams; E. &. J. Edd., Gainor R., Ro .: On., J .: Humphrey ; Hugh J. Tho.,, and the rest of fr'ds as if named.
"I remaine thy Lo' friend & Bro while I am, "Edd Jones."
"My wife desires thee to buy her one Iron Kettle, 3s or" 3s. 6d., 2 paire of shoes for Martha [a little child], and one; paire for Jonathan, let them by strong and large [which confirms they had only two children at that time]; be sure and put all yt goods in cases, if they be dry, they keep well, otherwise they will get damp and mouldy [ on the voyage].
This is ye 2nd letter, Skool Kill River.
Ye 26th of ye 6mo. 1682."
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COMPANY NUMBER ONE
Dr. Jones, and his companions, Edward Rees and William Edwards, (or the surveyor, Ashcom, assigned the lots to the partners in this purchase, as Dr. Jones gave him the num- ber of acres each bought) selected adjoining lots in their tract, he having laid out to himself here 1561/2 acres (and the same amount was divided between the other two), which upon Powell's resurvey, he made 15314 acres, sup- posing three acres were to be in the Liberties. It was a narrow strip, extending from the river into the back coun- try, 788 perches, or about two and one-half miles, and beyond the present Montgomery avenue, the successor of the Lancaster road. The remainder of Dr. Jones's pur- chase was laid out in Goshen township (about West Ches- ter) subsequently.
Dr. Jones had two tracts in Goshen of 125 acres and 400 acres, made up of his original purchase, and of land he bought of "Edward Jones, Jr." and Richard Thomas.
"Edward Jones, Jr.," (son of John ap Edward), having procured a resurvey on 3061% acres in two tracts of 1531/4 acres, one in Goshen township, the other in Merion town- ship, one parcel was 20 acres over, and the other 28 short, it was ordered 20. 2. 1703, that patent for the whole be issued to "Edward Jones, the elder," to whom "Edward Jones, Jr.," had sold.
On same date, Edward Jones, Sr., it appears had 150 acres in Merion township, and 153 acres in Goshen town- ship, and 200 acres more in same township, which he had purchased of Richard Thomas.
Of these properties, he sold, in 1707, to Robert Williams, 300 acres, and the balance, in 1720, to Ellis Williams. Dr. Jones also owned 160 acres in Blockley township on the old Lancaster road and the Merion line.
From his confirmation patent for this Merion land, where he resided over fifty-five years, dated 22. 4mo. 1703, after the third, and final, survey, it would seem that he had bought from his adjoining lotholder on the South, Ed-
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ward Owen, the back half of his purchase of 1561/1 acres, and had sold the front half of his own first selection, and on this date, had added 188 acres, purchased from Edward Jones, Jr. (adjoining his purchase from Owen), which land lay on the Haverford and Merion road, going East from near the Merion Meeting House, and extends over the Pensylvania Railroad at Narberth. His deed for his orig- inal purchase, dated 1 April, 1682, was from John Thomas, and was witnessed by John and Robert Lloyd, Griffith and Reece Evan, and William John.
Dr. Jones was honored with the appointment of a Justice of the Peace in the Welsh Tract, and was chosen as one of its representatives in the Pensylvania Assembly.
According to Penn, in his long letter addressed to the London members of the Society of Free Traders of Pen- sylvania, dated at Philadelphia, 16. 6mo. 1683, "Edward Jones, son-in-law to Thomas Wynne, living on the Sculkil," was a good farmer. As Penn says: "He had with ordinary cultivation, for one grain of English barley, 70 stalks and ears of barley." ,
The Doctor died at his Merion home, in February, 1737. His burial is recorded on books of the Merion Meeting: "Edward Jones, Doctor, aged 80 years," 12mo. 26. 1737.
Friend Thomas Chalkley, of "Chalkley Hall," in Frank- ford (Philadelphia), in his "Journal" records: "The 26th of the 12mo., 1737, being the first day of the week, there was buried at Merion, Edward Jones, aged about 92 (sic) years. He was one of the first settlers of Pensilvania, a man much given to hospitality, a lover of good and virtuous people, and was beloved by them. I had a concern to be at that meeting before I left my home at Frankford, and before I heard of this Friend's death. There were many hundreds at his funeral."
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