USA > Pennsylvania > Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania > Part 41
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WELSH FRIENDS' MEETINGS
„ippincott, Jatton, Young, Radel Te, Du Bree, Carneross, Hansell, Dickinson, Pawling, Huntley, Lockwood, Bond, Wilson, Etc.,
Returning, on the left side of the walk, are the marked graves of Jacobs, Huntley, Jones, Price, Mynick, Leedom, Carneross, Hansell, Anderson, Mckeever, Harvey, Schlater, Jones, Thomas, Brookfield, Wainwright, Heston, Hall, Rob- erts, Zell, Pawling, Evans, Swayne, Sanders, Paiste, Tunis, Oress, Hunt, Moore, Huffman, Trasel, and then a long stretch of unmarked graves, opposite, on the other side of the alk, till the graves of members of the Rutter and Brookfield families, and of Jonathan Jones, d. 1821, are passed, then comes the "Roberts Row."
A tablet set into the cemetery wall, along Meeting House Lane, has the legend :- "John Roberts / of Lynn, Carnar- vonshire / Wales/ was born in 1648/ Died April 6th. 1724/ and/ his descendants/ are buried opposite/ this tab- let/. 1897"/. There are only twelve marked Roberts graves bere out of the hundred descendants of the immigrant prob- ably lying in this locality, or in the graveyard. The earli- est grave here marked by an old head-stone, sunken to the level of the ground, is that of "John Roberts, Died 1803." The new stones mark the graves of the following of this family :- Algernon, 1751-1815. (He was born 24 Nov. 1750), a lieutenant ce mel. His wife (Tacy Warner, is buried next to him) ; Tacy, 1761-1828; "Sarah, wife of John," 1792-1823; Emil. T., 1795-1825; John, 1788-1838; Tacy, 1805-1847; Isaac W., 1789-1859; Lydia, 1783-1862; Mary I., 1816-1865; Gainor, 1791-1868, and William War- ner, 1815-1898.
Tombstones, this meeting appoints ****** to advise with these that are concerned in placing Tombstones in order to remove them, and make report to ye next meeting".
Early in the last century, similar opposition to inscribed head- stones was so strong in the Merion Meeting that those in sight were laid flat on the ground and covered with earth. Last year, in clearing up the graveyard, and regradi. [ it, many of these stones were again set on end.
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
Among the burials recorded at this meeting as in this yard, were, 1803, 11mo. 10. "Aun Roberts, (killed by her son Titus), aged about 30"; 1803, 10mo. 8. Titu s'a grand- child, 2 weeks old"; 1807, 12mo. 29. "Titus Roberts, Died in Hospital." He died in an asylum for the insane; he was a nephew .f Col. Algernon Roberts.
Just beyond the Roberts plot, by the walk, in the ground added to th . graveyard by moving the wall some years ago, are he graves of the Levick family, and low marble slabs tell that buried here, in
"Two graves, grass-green,"
are the eminent Friends' minister,
"Samuel J. Levick / Born 8th month, 30th. 1819 / Died 4th month, 19th. 1885"
and his wife,
"Susanna Morris Levick / Born Sth. month, 2nd. 1819 / Died 4th. month, 9th. 1904."
It may be seen that Mrs. Levick "lived to the good old age" of 85 years, and it is remarkable that so many Friends who also attained fourscore years and more were buried in this yard in recent years. For instance, also in 1904, Tacy Ann Jones, aged 85 . ears, and Paul II. Hoffman, 86 years, in 1900, whose grave is decorated on Memorial Day, as he was a soldier. In other years,
1821. Paul . ones, 84. 1874. Samuel Jones, 85.
1837. Sarah Du Bree, 83.
1877. Mary Jones, 90.
1843. Mary Tunis, 83. 1878. Elizabeth G. Jones, 77.
1847. Jane Huntley, 81. 1879. Priscilla Tunis, 88.
1852. Mary Bond, 81. 1879. Rachel Jones, 88.
1853. Edward Thompson, 81. 1881. Mary Price, 97.
1858. Mary Hall Sanders, S4.
1882. Jesse Thomas, S1.
1862. Lydia Roberts, 79. 1886. Elizabeth Thomas, 84.
1868. Gainor Roberts, 77.
1888. Lewis Yerkes, 81.
1869. Rachel Radcliffe, 87.
1890. Joseph Thomas, 84.
1871. Elizabeth Hansell, 78.
1872. Isaac Hansell, 83.
1872. Dr. Joseph Brookfield, 83.
1873. John Thomas, 87.
1873. Jesse George, 88.
1891. Sarah Thomas, 81.
1892. Emily Radcliffe, 76.
1895. James L. Paiste, 89.
1898. Elizabeth Diel:inson, 37.
1898. William W. Roberts, 83.
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ELSH " RIENDS' MEETIN .S
The earliest decipherable stone records of burials are those of Philip Huffman, died 17 July, 1789, age 61; Edmund Huffman, died .- , 1793, and Beese Thompson, died 14 July 1799, but in regarding the grounds, and reset- ting sunken stones, several older stones were found in Dec. 1910, engravel "A ... . S. . . .
. . 1783," "H ...... S ...... , 1783," and "Jo .... S .. . . . 1789." They stand three rows from the "Zell Row," but in whose memory they were placed is not known at this writing. However, the meeting records, from 1705, give the names of hundreds interred here, as John, son of Thomas Jones, 2mo. 12, 1706; Catherine, daughter of Thomas Jones, 4mo. 17, 1706; Lewis David, Imo. 2, 1707-8; Jane, wife of Cadwalader Morgan, 7mo. 19, 1710; Jane, wife of John Griffith, Smo. 18, 1710; Felix, son o Edward Jones, 8mro. 9, 1714; William Edward, 10mo. 31, ) 14; John George, 10mo. 31, 1714; Abraham Musgrove, 11mo. 18, 1714-5; Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Jones, 4mo. 16, 1715; and daughter of John Griffith, 6mo. 1715; John Bevan, bachelor, 11mo. 13, 1715-6; Huglı George, Imo. 26, 1718; Evan Bevan, 5mo. 15, 1720 ; and so on, as incorporated in genealogy super. From 'hese records it may seem that many of the original settlers of Merion lived there many years, id until the "country "lots" had all become productive farms. For instance, Dr. Edward Jones lived here fifty-five years; Jane, wife of William Edward, for sixty-three years; Robert David for fifty years, and Edward Price for forty-six years.
The earliest extant vital records of the Haverford monthly meeting are not uninteresting, aside from genealogical value, for they tell that the bi. . hs, if they were all recorded, were not numerous among the members of the meetings of Merion, Haverford, and Radnor, for they did not av - age four a year in each ( the two oldest meetings in the first seventeen years the record was kept, and that there were three births to each death, indicating many young married couples in these meetings. For instance,
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
From Merion's record, 1684-1690, seven years :-
Births, 0. 3. 2. 5. 2. 6. 1. Deaths, 1. 2. 0. 4. 4. 2. 1. From Haverford's ccord, 1684-1690, seven years :--
Births, 0. 6. 0. 9. 1. 3. 4. Deaths, 0. 3. 1. 1. 2. 0. 3.
Or, in the same seventeen years, (1684-1700), there were 64 births, and 39 deaths, in Merion, and 59 births, and 26 deaths, in Haverford.
Bu for some unknown reason, in 1697, there were nine deaths of record in Merion meeting, and in same year, only one in the Haverford.
The earliest births of record on the Merion book are
1682, 9mo. 11. Jane, of Edward and Mabley Rees.
1683, 8mo. 17. Edward, of Edward and Mary Jones
1683, 12mo. 24. Elizabeth, of Hugh and Jane Roberts.
The earliest burials of record at Merion inecting :-
1682, 8mo. 23. Katharine, of Edward Rees.
1682, 9mo. 16. John Watkin. (Not the man of this name, in p. 137.)
1683, 7mo. 29. Sidney Jones.
66 8mo. 12. Katharine, dau. Robert & Elizabeth David.
8mo. 18. Mary Jones.
9mo. 5. Elizabeth Jones.
" Smo. 20. Willia Jones.
11mo. 10. Evan John William.
. 6 Evan Edward.
In 1702, the entries in the Merion book were in Welsh.
The earliest burials at the Haverford meeting were 1684, 9mo. 19. William Sharpless.
1685, 7mo. 29. Margaret, wife of William Howell. 11mo. 9. Gwen, wife of Humphrey Ellis.
1687, 5mo. 6. Janet, wife of James James.
George Painter, Thomas John, David Kinsey, and Gobe- ithia Humphrey, were also buried here in 1687.
There were burials at the Radnor meeting from 3. 11mo. 1686, and the first births recorded were:
1684, 9mo. 12. John, of John and Margaret Jarman.
1636, 5mo. 20. Sarah, of Stephen and Elizabeth Evans.
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WELSH FRIEND S' MEETINGS
There are no very carly pictures of the Merion Meeting House extant. The sketeby, and near view of the old house, made by Hugh Reinagle, in 1829, engraved by J. W. Steel, and published by Childs, Philadelphia, 1830, is similar to another picture of it, labelled "Premier Temple de Quak- ers a Philadelphia," and "Primer 'Templo de las Cuacros en Filadelfia," "L. Thienon, del., Boiseau, s ' These views have frequently been reproduced. An earlier picture, one including the General Wayne Inn, and surroundings of the meeting house, may be found at page 111, of the printed Journal of Robert Sutcliff, 1804-05. These are herein reproduced, also copy of a wood-cut made about 1833-
From these ea v pictures, it may be seen that the meet- ing house has not changed in appearance since 1800, and that in the earliest sketch extant, it had the T shape, thus refuting the statement that it was built into its present shape after 1827-8. But by these views, we see that the post and rail fence, with the gate along the old Lancaster Road, has disappeared, and been replaced by a stone wall. Once, a path led from the door of the meeting house straight to this stone wall, where there was a stone built horse- block. After the grounds were altered to their present. appearance, and coming to meeting á cheval ceased to be necessary, this horse-block of old memories "strolled" up the pike, and has rested ever since in front of the old Price house.
It seems singular now to read a notice of the Merion Meeting Houst printed fifty years ago like the following, "Merion Meeting House, located in the village of Gen. Wayne, at the head of the West Philadelphia Plank Road, five miles from Philadelphia. It is a stone building, sur- rounded by buttonwood trees. It is built something like a letter T. The walls are two feet thick. Its longest length is 36 feet. It is 14 feet to the roof, but the end facing the
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
South West is 24 fret nigh. Originally, it was stone- pointed, or rough stone, but in 1829, when it was repaired, it was plastered in inditation of large stones."
In the early years of the Merion Meeting, it was visited by many of the best known Friends' ministers, among them John Estaugh, John Richardson, John Salkeld, Thomas Wil- son, Thomas Chalkley, and Samuel Bownes, and later, before 1740, by Robert Jordan, Mungo Bewley, John Bur- ton, Paul Johnson, and Samuel Stephens, and subsequently, by Michael Lightfoot, Thomas Gawthrop, Benjamin Trotter, Thomas Brown, Jonah Thompson, John Griffith, Samuel Fothergill, Joshua Dixon, Samuel Jones Levick, and some others.
It may be supposed that the Friends' minister, John Rich- ardson, who sailed from London, and arrived in Maryland, 5. 1mo. 1700-1, visited the meetings in the Welsh Tract, as he was intimate with Rowland Ellis, but he did not say so. But he records in his book :- "I went to visit a meeting in that Part called North Wales, which had not been long planter' in that Place, where there was a fine, tender People, but few understanding English. Rowland Ellis was my interpreter. A good meeting it was. Some by interpreter expressed their great Satisfaction in our Visit to that meet- îng, which heretofore had not been counted as Friends." He left America on 6. 9mo. 1702. This item is useful in that it confirms what has been said of the Gwynedd settle- ment being more decidedly Welsh than the great Welsh Tract.
The Journal of John Fothergill, a traveling minister, on his second visit to Pensylvania, in 1721, tells, that on 27. 10mo., that year, "I went to Hartford where we had a very large meeting. And on the 28th, "I went to Radnor where was a larger and solidly profitable meeting." And on 29th., "to Merion, where a large number was gathered. I went that evening to lodge with J. Roberts, wh re I had a good and edifying Session with the old People, many Friends also coming there to see us." Next day, he returned to
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V LSHI FRIENDS' MEETINGS
Philadelphia. nd further, "The Life and Travels of
John Fothergill," (reprinted . sold by James Chattin, in Church Alley, Philadelphia, 17 ,1), on 6. 12mo., 1722, Mr. Fothergill says he was ."at a General Meeting for Worship st Haverford, wherein the Lord's Power shook the Earth in many Hearts in divers respects." On the 14th, he was "at Lewis Walker's, in the Great Valley, and had a large meet- ing out of doors."
Thomas Chalkley, in his published Journal, says, 4mo. 5th, 1724, "I want to Merion to visit an ancient friend, John Roberts, who was sick near unto death, where I again met with John Salgeld. * * The friend expressed his satisfaction in this visit," and died the next day. "He was a helper of the poor, and a maker of peace in the neighbor- hood." In 5mo. 1725, Mr. Chalkley was at a Merion meet- ing, "which was large ind solid," and in 2mo. 1726, he writes, the meetings of friends of Haverford, Newtown, Radnor, and Merion "consist chiefly of ancient Britons, who are a religious, industrious, and increasing people." In 6mo. 1726, he attended "the General Meeting at Haverford," a: in 9mo. was at a wedding in the Merion meeting house. ( nes Chattin also published Mr. Chalkley's works, in 1754).
In 1736, John Fothergill made another visit to Pensyl- vania, saying in his Journal, "some exercise having been upon me some years to visit the Churches in America once more," he came out to a meeting of the ministers and elders at Haverford, on 1st. 12mo., and three days after, he was at the Merion meeting. In his Life and Travels, John Churchman, a public Friend, of Nottingham, Pa., tells, in 1736. of visiting Merion meeting, "where we met our worthy frie: John Fothergill, who had great and good service there a."
According to the Journal of John Woolman, a Friends' minister, he visited Merion, Haverford, and Radnor meet- ings in 8mo. 1758. And William Reckitt, who travelled through America, 1757-9, preaching among Friends, says
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
that on 12. 4mo. 1759, he attended Radnor meeting, and on 6th day, following, attended the Merion meeting, and went on to Philadelphia. The Journal of Daniel Stanton, a Phil- adelphia Friend, records, 3. 2mo. 1766, "After our quer- terly meeting in Philadelphia, I sat out from home with se eral Friends towards Haverford. Lodged that night at George Smith's, and was next day at a large meeting at Haverford." Ile then went on to Radnor and Goshen meet- ings, which he says were large. From the Journal of San- uel Neale, we learn that, on 20. 2d mo., 1779, he visited Radnor meeting which "was in a good degree lively, being favoured with the running of the heavenly oil." From the Journal of Job Scott, a travelling minister from Providence, R. I., we learn that on 3d day, 12mo. 1785, he was at Haver- ford, "a little meeting." and 5. 1mo. 1787, he was at Radnor, and on "6th day, 5th, at Merio". the most satisfactory meet- ing" he had been at for .. lon fime, and returned to Phil- adelphia.
Edward Peckover, a Friend from London, travelling in America, tells in his Journal of his visit to "Miriam Mect- ing," in 12mo. 1742-3, and again in 3mo. 1743, and at the Haverford monthly meeting.
The Journal of Esther Palmer, of Rhode Island, a public Friend travelling with Susanna Freeborn, says she was at Philadelphia, in 9mo, 1704, and "visited the Marion Meeting. six miles from town, on a First-day," and that on Third- day following, they "went from town, with Joseph Glaisaer, to the Harford General Meeting, ten miles from Philadel- nhia." And in 11mo. following, she again attended the meet- ings of Merion, Haverford, and Radnor. Her Journal is a mere itinerary, generally without remarks. In 1705, "7th day of ye monthi & 6 of ve weeck," she "rode eight miles from Jacob Sincock's to the Merion meeting, and returned to town."
In the diary of Robert Sutcliff, a young English Friend, which he kept during his sojourn in and about Philadelphia, in 1790-1806, there are several interesting items about the
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WELSH FRIENDS' MEETINGS
old Merion Meeting, for he spent many weeks visiting Friends in Merion, while yellow fever was epidemic in the city, in 1792-3 and later. Among the people he became ac- quainted with there, besides some mentioned below, were Peter Andrews, Henry Bowman, Elizabeth Cogshall, Eliz 1- beth Bird, Joseph Paul, Sarah Harrison, the widow George, and Mary Price, who was, he says, about eighty years old, and always walked to the Merion Meeting Hous", about a mile f om her house. He tells, 20. 7mo. 1806, that her daughter-in-law (unnamed), "who is a descendant of the Lloyds of Dollebran," owned "a deed from Charles Lloyd, and a female of the name of Davies, to a person of the name of Humphreys." "It was for 5,000 acres [bought] from Pe mn for £100. the same land, were it inclosed, now sells for £12 per acre."
Mr. Suteliff frequently attended the Friends' Merion Meeting, and once visited a great camp meeting of Metho- dists near it, which he records was attended by a "great number of Negroes, and many of them in handsome car- riages." He also attended Friends' Meeting at Radnor, and "dined at J. H.'s, and spent the evening at O. J.'s. This Friend was one of those who suffered banishment on account of supposed ttachment to the British during the revolu- tion. His sister [see p. 76], told me that on William Penn's arrival in America, he lodged at her great-grandfather's in Merion. At that time her grandfather was a boy of twelve years old," and Sutcliff then tells the anecdote of the boy peeping at Penn and seeing "the great man praying in pri- vate of his bed room," which has often been repeated, but with th old Llewellyn house, at Haverford, as the scene.
Should it be presumed that this happened at the time of Penn's second visit to his Province, in 1700-1. and that O. J. refers to Owen Jones, Sr., 1711-1793, sometime treasurer of Pensylvania, who was a conspicuous Tory, (see p. 76). and that Mr. Sutcliff was visiting him in 1792-3, then this Mr. Owen's sister was misinformed, or go' the incident "all wrong," because one of her grandfathers (Dr. Jones) ,
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W. LSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
was about 43 years old in 1700-1, and her other (Robert Owen), had then been dead about three years. Or, of her four great-grandfathers, only one (Dr. Wynne), came to Pensylvania and he was dead eight years, in 1700-1. If the spying happened at the time of Penn's first visit, 1682-3, the story is no more : liable, as her grandfather, Dr. Jones, was about 25 years old, and her other grandfather had not come to the Province. If the O. J. was Owen Jones, Jr., 1745-1825, the treasurer's son and he was the one who "suffered" banishment, and one of his six sisters was Mr. Suteliff, informant, then her grandfathers, Jonathan Jones. 1680-1770, and Hugh Evans, 1682-1772, could either o. them have been the peeper in 1700-1, and two of her great- grandfathers, Dr. Edward Jones, 1657-1737, and Thomas Evans, 1651-1738, could have been Penn's host that memo- rable night, ith everything in favor of the episode happen- ing in this Jones family, but, of course, only during Penn's second visit to the Province.
Sutcliff tells also of a visit to the Haverford Preparatory Meeting, on 12. 10mo. 1805, on his way from the Radnor Prep. Mtg. to the Merion Prep Mtg., and says that at the early settlement of this meeting, "Friends of Philadelphia went every third First-day to attend it, most of them coming on foot, a distance of ten miles." (Before the R. C. Church of St. Denis was erected in Haverford tp., south of Ard- . more, the earliest church of the denomination, the Catholics living in what was the Welsh Tract, walked to St. Patrick's Church on 20th street in the city, for worship). And, con- tinuing as to Haverford, Mr. Sutcliff wrote, "amongst the rest, William Penn used to come on horseback, and would occasionally take up a little bare-footed girl behind him, to relieve her when tired." Out of this item grew the story related by Thomas Clarkson, a biographer of Penn, that once little F becca Wood, "says Sutcliff," walking alone from Darby to Haverford Meeting, was taken up behind him by Wi' m Penn, and so carried to the Meeting.
Mr. Sutclix, in entry of 14. 6mo. 1806, tells of attending
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WELSH FRIENDS' MEETINGS
Merion Meeting, and listening to the preaching of the cele- brated Friends' minister, James Simpson, and his impres- sion of him. He records "Mr. Simpson is only a broom maker; he is thin, and upwards of ix feet high; his visage is very long, and his face of an Indian complexion, with small, quick eyes, corresponding, and to appearances, be may he about eighty years of age. In the gallery, he com- monly wears a dark colored cap, fitting closely to his head, and over his shoulders, a long dark colored cloak." At this Meeting, he says there was a unusually large attendance .~ "a senator, four judges, and four magistrates" were in the congregation, "who all behaved in a becoming manner." He recorded that the boys and girls attended the Merion Meeting in hot weather, without shoes or stockings. And that "a number of men Friends also in the upper eats, sat without thei ' coats and stockings, having long cotton trowsers which came down to their shoe tops." And that there was also one young man, who sometime appears in the ministry acceptable, had on a striped cotton jacket and trousers, and a drab hat. A costume whi appeared strange to the Englishman.
Mr. Sutcliff says he visited, 29. 6mo. 1806, "J. J. [brother to R. J.] and his wife, aged 95 and 89 years respectively." "One of her sisters is of the same age, and another sister in her 85th year." J. J. told he had ".'ten heard his father speak of having seen the foundations laid of the first house built in Philadelphia." Mr. Sutcliff mentioned many other people but by initials only, as B. J., and "his country resi- dence, just above the Falls of the Schuylkill"; r. H., who resided near the Merion Meeting House; D. J., J. Z., H. B., R. B., P. W., who was a German paper maker; and "O. J. and his mother-in-law, and her ten d' "ghters."
In 1805, Mr. Sutcliff introduced the following item as an example of neutrality. A relation of his, W. R., who had a large stone house above Norristown with 300 acres on the Schuylkill, extending to Perkiomen, ne says, formerly owned by a Friend from London, named Vaux, who built
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WELSH SETTLEMENT OF PENSYLVANIA
the house. When' Vaux lived here during the American war, being in full view of the American encampment at Valley Forge on the opposite side of the Schu: "kill, "he had frequently the company of Gen. Howe, Que day it hap- pened that he had Howe to breakfast with him, and Gen. Washington to tea."
On 10. 6mo. 1805, Mr. Sutcliff records "to Radnor monthly meeting at Merion. A couple who were about to be married, for whose accommodation the meeting at Merior was agreed to be held on 5th day, instead of 6th. After meeting, dined at J. H.'s. On 31st. 8mo. he was five days visiting at Merion, and in 9mo. he was there for three weeks. On 21 9mo., he says, "visited P. A. ar I his wife at H. Bowman's. They are an ancient couple of plain, honest Friends, botn in the min' try." ""The grandfather, Edward Andrews, of P. A. became a friend in a remarkable way; he was a fiddler, living on the sea coast, in the Jerseys, and after playing for a dance, returning home, found a skull on the sand, buried it, and the reflections convinced him." On 4. 10mo., Mr. Sutcliff says he attended the Merion meet- ing with Elizabeth Coggerhall .. nd Elizabeth Bird, and went with them to the house of a young man who had been dis- owned for taking up arms, but who ha i lately been rein- stated. And on 5. 10mo. 1805, "went with Joseph Paul. in his carriage, to see a large encampment on the Ridge Road, of poor people who bad fled from the city on account of the yellow fever. Thence to William Hamilton's to see his plants."
Like the Friends of the Merion Preparative meeting, those of Haverford built thei . stone meeting house by de- grees, slowly, and by contributions. The first stone house for public meetings was built in 1697-1700. In 1800, it was rebuilt, retaining part of the original structure, and has been added to, and on the whole, stands a substantial structure, built along plain lines peculiar to Friends' meet- ing houses.
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There is good reason to believe that the Hav. ford Friends had a m ting house, built of dressed logs, almost co-ex- istent wi. that of Merion, although "Harfod Town" was only a : rarsely settled neighborhood up to 1690. The monthly meeting, when in rotation it met with the Haver- ford Friends, met at the home of John Bevan, according to the minutes, and it may be supposed the earliest wed- dings took place at private houses. The first marriage of record on the book of the Haverford Monthly Meeting, was that of Humphrey Ellis and Owen Rees, on 10. 12mo. (Feb.) 1683-4. But it is not recorded with which prepara- tive meeting it took place. But Lewis David and Florence Jones were married "at the Haverford meeting" 20. 1mo. 1689-90, and Rees Thomas and Martha Aw! ey were mar- ried on 19. 4mo. 1692, "at the Haverford meeting," so it would appear there was a public meeting place for Haver- ford as early as Feb. 1689-90.
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