CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Pages 21 - 28

The earliest settlers in the Delaware Bay area which became Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey were the Swedes and the Dutch. The territory was under the jurisdiction of New Amsterdam in 1664, when that city was captured by the British and became New York.

In 1681 William Penn received from Charles II a grant of land west of the Delaware River and north of the fortieth degree of latitude, and north of a circle drawn twelve miles north of New Castle. This southern boundary of Pennsylvania became the subject of bitter controversy between the proprietors of Pennsylvania, and the Lords Baltimore, to whom an earlier English king had granted some of the same territory.

When Penn's deputy arrived in 1681, not more than 500 white persons resided in the limits of what was to become Chester County. These people lived only on the rivers or tide-water creeks; inland there was but untracked forest, inhabited by a few thousand Indians. There were some Quakers at Upland, and a Monthly Meeting was held across the Delaware in Burlington, New Jersey. William Penn had been interested in that colony at an earlier date.

In 1682 Quaker emigrants began to arrive in numbers. William Penn arrived at New Castle on October 24, 1682, from whence he proceeded to Upland, which he renamed Chester. In a letter written from that settlement on December 29, 1682 he said:

"As to outward things, we are satisfied; the land good, the air clear and sweet, the springs plentiful, and provision good, and easy to come at; an innumerable quantity of wild fowl and fish; . . . . .

"Blessed be the Lord, that of twenty-three ships none miscarried; only two or three had the small pox, else healthy and swift passages, generally such have not been known; some but twenty-eight days, and a few longer than six weeks. . . . ."

There were a number of our family in these first ships: John Sharples, John Heycock who settled in Bucks County, Robert Pyle, Samuel Levis, John Bowater, Benjamin Mendenhall, Christopher Pennock, Robert Stovey, Elizabeth Hickman and her son Robert Chamberlin, Ralph Lewis, and Robert Pennell all arriving before or within four years of Penn. All accounts agree wtih Penn's as to the bountifulness of nature in the Delaware Bay region. The deputy governor of East Jersey wrote in 1683:

"There is not a poor man in all the province, nor that wants; here is abundance of provision; pork and beef at two pence per pound; fish and fowl plenty; oysters, I think, would serve all England; wheat four shillings sterling per bushel; Indian wheat two shillings and sixpence. . . . good venison plenty, brought in to us at eighteen pence the quarter; eggs at three pence per dozen; all things very plenty; land very good as ever I saw; vines, walnuts, peaches, strawberries, and many other things plenty in the woods."(*)

Other accounts show the hardship which accompanied settlement. Those newly arrived from the seat of an ancient civilization had difficult adjustments to make. The following was written during the Revolutionary War, based on documents then old:

"Besides, these adventurers were not all young persons, and able to endure the difficulties and hardships which are mostly unavoidable in subduing a wilderness . . . but there were among them persons advanced in years, with women and children; and such as, in their native country, had lived well, and enjoyed ease and plenty.

"Their first business, after their arrival, was to land their property, and put it under such shelter as could be found; then, while some of them got warrants of survey, for taking up so much land, as was sufficient for immediate settling, others went diversely further into the woods. . . . often without any path or road, to direct them; for scarce any were to be found above two miles from the water side; not so much as any mark, or sign of any European having been there. . . . So that all the country, further than about two miles distant, from the river, (excepting the Indians moveable settlements) was an entire wilderness, producing nothing for the support of human life, but the wild fruits and animals of the woods.

"The lodgings of some of these settlers were, at first, in the woods; a chosen tree was frequently all the shelter they had, against the inclemency of the weather: This sometimes happened late in the fall, and, even in the winter season. The next coverings of many of them were, either caves, in the earth, or such huts, erected upon it, as could be most expeditiously procured, till better houses were built; for which they had no want of timber.

"It is impossible that these first adventurers and settlers, who had never seen, nor been accustomed to, such a scene, could, at first, have that proper idea, or method of improving this wilderness, which experience afterwards taught. It is likewise certain, that the great difference, between the finely improved, cultivafed open countries, with the near connections, which many of them had left behind, and the appearance of a wild and woody desert, with which they had now to encounter, among savages, must have created, in them, very sensible ideas, and made strong impressions, at first, on their minds:--That likewise the consideration of the long and painful labour, and inevitable disappointments and hardships, which, more or less, are naturally inseparable from such undertakings, and for a series of years must necessarily be endured, before a comfortable subsistence could be procured in the country, and a sufficient portion of land brought into proper order, for that purpose, must undoubtedly have been very affecting to a thoughtful people, in this new, remote and solitary situation."(*)

The early settlers were fortunate in their relations with the Indians. During the period of Quaker domination in Pennsylvania, the peace was not broken. The Indians were regarded by the Quakers as children of God, and not as heathens to be murdered with impunity. William Penn bargained with them for each tract of land which the emigrants settled, and the Indians were paid for it. Measures were taken to discourage the selling of liquor to them, although violations occasionally came to the attention of the courts. William Penn wrote in 1683: "We have agreed, that, in all differences between us, six of each side shall end the matter. Do not abuse them (the Indians), but let them have justice, and you win them. The worst is, that they are the worse for the Christians; who have propagated their vices, and yielded them tradition for ill, and not for good things. . . . it were miserable, indeed, for us to fall under the just censure of the poor Indian conscience, while we make profession of things so far transcending."

The histories tell of one incident where William Penn's peaceful principles quickly eliminated a potential cause of bloodshed. One day in 1688 it was reported in Chester that 500 Indians were assembled at Naaman's creek to exterminate the whites. The reports were convincing, as places and names of the first victims were given. "The Council were, at that time, sitting at Philadelphia on other affairs, when one of them, a Friend, supposed to be Caleb Pusey, who lived in Chester county, voluntarily offered himself to go to the place, provided they would name five others to accompany him, without weapons; which being soon agreed on, they rode to the place; but, instead of meeting with five hundred warriors, they found the old king (Indian chief) quietly lying, with his lame foot along on the ground, and his head at ease, on a kind of pillow, the women at work, in the field, and the children playing together.(*) When the unarmed Quakers viewed this scene of peace, the dangerous rumor was discredited.

Early official records of Chester County contain frequent references to persons connected with the family. Some of the records follow.

At a court held "the lst third day of ye first weeke in ye 1st month, 1684" "John Gibbons was Summoned and att this Cort Presented for selling ye Indians Rum" John Mendinghall was guilty of the same offense, "butt upon his Petition remitted."

The first Court of Equity for Chester County was held in 1686: "Att a Court of Equity held att Chester the 5th day in the 1st week for the 10th month 1686.

Commissioners present:--John Blunstone, John Simcocke, George Maris, Bartholomew Coppock, Samuel Levis, Robert Wade, Robert Pile.--Robert Eyre Clerk."

The following does not appear to involve any of our family, but does refer to one of the colleagues of Samuel Levis and Robert Pyle, mentioned above as members of the court: "1682. "J(???). M(???) was called to the bar to answer a presentment of the Grand Jury, for abusing John Bristow and John Simcock, two of the King and Queen's Justices of the peace, in calling them a pack of Rogues, and the jury was called & the said M(???) did then, in open Court, affirm that the said partys was two of the greatest rogues that ever came to America."

March 1687-88. "The names of ye Constables Chosen to serve ye ensuing year. Middletowne--Robert Pennell."

List of landholders, 1689. "An Alphabetical List of Lands taken up by several purchasers, Renters and old Renters within the County of Chester, and the Quantityes certifyed by Rob: Longshore to be taken up by them respectively &c: viz.


 

 

Acres

 

"Jno. Harding, now Benj. Mendinhall

250

 

"Sam'l Levitt (Levis?)

492

 

"John Mendinhall

300

 

"Robert Piles

150

 

"Robert Pile

100

 

"John Sharples, P Patent

240

 

"John Sharples, P Patent

330

 

"John Sharples, P Patent

300"


(The entire list contains about 250 names.)

List of Taxables, 1693. The Township of Beathell, Robert Pile 8s. 4d., Nickoles Pile 4s. 2d.; The Township of Concord, John Mendinghall 2s. 6d., Benjamin Mendinghall 3s., Ben. Mendinghall for Tho. Hoope 6s.; The Township of Darbye, Samuel Levis 8s. 4d.; The Township of Haverford, Ralph Lewis 2s. 6d.; The Towneship of Middletowne, Robert Pennell 3s. 4d.; The Towneship of Radner, John Morgan 2s. 8d.; The Township of Ridley, John Sharples (son) 3s. 4d. . . (The entire list contained over 250 names. In Marple where Jonathan Heacock settled some 20 years later, there were only 15 taxables. Marple remained rural--it had only 895 inhabitants in 1910.)

In March 1694-5 a tax of one penny on the pound was ordered "for finishing the prison and defraying of the old debts & for wolves heads." In October 1695 the Grand Jury found the county to be in debt, and the treasurer "out of purse. . . and that the prison is not yet finished, and several wolve's heads to pay for" and levied a new tax of one penny per pound on real and personal property and three shillings per head on freemen. Land was to be valued at one pound per acre if cleared and in tillage, rough land by the river ten pounds per hundred acres and land in the woods five pounds per hundred acres. While this assessment may not represent the full value, it indicates that land under tillage was ten times as valuable as unimproved land near the river, and twenty times as valuable as unimproved land in the woods. Horses and mares were assessed at three pounds, cows and oxen at two pounds ten shillings, sheep six shillings, male negroes sixteen to sixty years old twenty-five pounds per negro, female negroes twenty pounds. A new list of taxables was prepared in 1696, containing among others the following names not listed in 1693: Concord, Robert Chamberlin; Middletown, John Bowater; Thornbury, Joseph Hickman and Benjamin Hickman. At the July court, 1698, a deed was acknowledged to the justices of the County, among whom was Samuel Levis, "for all that piece of land whereon the new court house stands."

In 1699 the yellow fever devastated Philadelphia and the Chester court adjourned without transacting any business, presumably due to the epidemic. Returning from England for his second residence in the province, William Penn landed at Philadelphia in November, after the yellow fever subsided. In 1700 a tax was laid in Chester County "for Repairing the prison and other publick charges." The valuation was similar to that of 1695, lands fronting on the river were assessed at ten pounds per hundred acres, rough land back, both settled and unsettled, at five pounds per hundred. This compares with the original price of two pounds per hundred which John Sharples and other purchasers paid to William Penn. 10 mo. 9, 1701 "James Sandiland by his attorney, David Lloyd, delivered a deed to John Blunston, Caleb Pusey, Ralph Fishburn, Robert Pile and Philip Roman for a piece of land being 120 foot square in the township of Chester." The grantees delivered a declaration of trust showing that the property was for the use of the county.

1701-2. Account of purchases in the Welsh tract, by David Powell, surveyor, contained this entry: "and to Robert William, 300 acres."

The following entires are found in Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Volume IX:

Officers of Chester County

Coroner: John Mendenhall, October 4, 1726, 1727.

Justices of the Peace: Robert Pyle 1684, April 6, 1685, 1692; Samuel Levis 1686, Nov. 2, 1689; Nathaniel Newlin Sept. 25, 1703; July 4, 1718, Aug. 25, 1726; Nicholas Pyle 1709, Feb. 19, 1729-30; Joseph Pennock, Feb. 19, 1729-30-, Nov. 22, 1738, April 4, 1741, Dec. 17, 1745, May 19, 1749.

Members of the Provincial Assembly: Samuel Levis 1686, 1689, 1694, 1698, 1700, 1706 to 1709; Robert Pyle 1688, 1689, 1695, 1699, 1700, 1705; Nathaniel Newlin 1698, 1701, 1705, 1710, 1711, 1713, 1714, 1717 to 1722; Nicholas Pyle 1704, 1710, 1711, 1714; Benjamin Mendenhall 1714; Joseph Pennock 1716, 1719, 1720, 1722 to 1724, 1726, 1729, 1732 to 1734, 1743, 1745; Nathaniel Pennock 1749 to 1755, 1760 to 1768.

During the interim between his two residences in Pennsylvania, in the year 1693 William Penn was deprived of his proprietary rights by William and Mary, who had overthrown King James II. Penn, who had been a friend of James, was accused of disloyalty to the new rulers, but was later cleared, and Pennsylvania was returned to him. In the meantime, Benjamin Hetcher, Captain General of New York, had been made governor of Pennsylvania. The colonists feared loss of their rights, and the following letter was addressed to the new governor:

"The humble address of the freemen of the province of Pennsylvania, presented by their delegates, Members of the Provincial Council, showeth,

"That, whereas, the late King Charles the second, in the thirty-third year of his reign, by letters patent, under the great seal of England, did, for the consideration therein mentioned, grant unto William Penn and his assigns, this colony. . . .

"By virtue, and in pursuance whereof the said Proprietary, William Penn, with the advice and consent of the freemen of this Province . . . did enact, that the time for the meeting of the freemen, to chuse their Deputies, to represent them in Provincial Council (consisting of three persons out of each county) should give their attendance, within twenty days after election, in order to propose bills; and the members of the Assembly, being six out of each county, should meet on the tenth of the Third-month, called May, yearly, in order to pass those proposed bills into laws. . . ."

"We, therefore, earnestly desire, that no other measures may be taken, for electing, or convening, our legislative power, than our recited laws and constitutions of this government prescribe, . . ."

Seven names are signed to this address, including Samuel Lewis (Levis).

1735. "To George the Second, King of Great Britain, etc., In Councill: The Petition of the People call'd Quakers, from their Quarterly Meeting, held at Concord the 12th day of the third month (May), 1735, comprehending all of that Profession who inhabit within the County of Chester, in the Province of Pensilvania, and the Countys of New Castle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware in America, Humbly Sheweth,

"That the majority of the first adventurers for settling and cultivating these Countrys under William Penn, our late Proprietor and Governour, being Quakers, chearfully transported themselfes and ffamilys from their native Land that they might in this Retreat enjoy Ease and Quiet. . . ."

"That the few of those first adventurers who are yet alive among us with their Descendants and Successors on the borders of Maryland perceiving that the Ld Baltimore by his Commissioners declin'd executing the agreement for settling the boundaries, and hearing of the threatening us'd by some of the Inhabitants of that Colony that the said Ld Baltimore would use his endeavours to possess our Lands and our Labour. . . ."

". . . . everything we hear and feel raises in our minds and establishes our dependance on thy Justice and Benevolence, Giving us the assurance humbly to beseech thee to take our case into Consideration, and then we have good cause to hope That the prayer of the Petition of Charles Ld Baltimore for a grant of that part of the Peninsula which was inhabited by Europeans Before the date of the Charter granted by King Charles the first to his predecessors, and never posses'd or Cultivated by them. . . . Will appear too unreasonable to be granted, and that Our King will be graciously pleas'd to continue to us the Liberty we have Long Enjoyed."

The above excerpts from the petition to the king indicate the basis for opposition to the claim of Lord Baltimore for territory granted by King Charles I to the proprietor of Maryland and by King Charles II to William Penn. The colonists held that the original grant to the Baltimores was invalid because the land was, at the time, settled by the Dutch and the Swedes, and was not the king's to give. At the time of the grant to Penn, it had been captured from the Dutch and ceded to England. The petition was signed by over 200 Quakers, including: Joseph Pennock, John Sharples, William Pennock, Benj. Mendenhall, John Mendenhall, Saml Levis, Samuel Lewis, Joseph Sharples, and other familiar names.

In 1736 Thomas Cresap, a man wanted for murder in Lancaster County, was used by the adherents of Maryland to attempt to oust some German residents from the disputed area. Thomas Penn, son of William Penn, was then in Philadelphia as proprietor and governor, and he addressed the following letter to Joseph Pennock and others:

"Gentlemen--As a most wicked conspiracy hath been lately discovered to be carried on by several of the Inhabitants of your county in conjunction with the Governor of Maryland, with intention by force of arms to turn out of their Houses and Plantations the Persons and Familys of more than fifty of his majestys subjects inhabiting this Province, the execution of which it is very probable might have been attended by the most unhappy consequences to the people on both sides, and to the very great disturbance of the King's Peace; and as it is absolutely necessary, in order to apply a proper remedy to so dangerous a disorder, that some persons should use their endeavours to discover any besides those whose names wee already have that are concerned in the association, and that any who are leaders, and on whom others depend, may be committed as disturbers of the Peace till they can find security, or be otherwise discharged by due course of Law.

"I have thought propper to desire that you would do this acceptable service to your country as well as to myself, and believe it would be convenient for you to call at the house of Wm Miller, . . . and that you would examine the said Wm Miller with Jeremiah Starr & Robert Smith, or any other persons likely to inform you the true state of this ill designed affair. . . .

                                     Your very Loving Friend, 
                                                  Tho. Penn" 
Philadelphia, November the 18th, 1736.

On November 23, Joseph Pennock and the other addressees acknowledged the letter from Thomas Penn, promising: "We shall make the best Enquiry we possibly can for the future to discover all persons now or that shall be hereafter concerned in such vile practices, . ."

The investigations were made, and indicate that the Governor of Maryland was involved in the instigation of the trouble, and in the arming of Cresap and his Confederates. Cresap was captured and kept in irons for some time.

England declared war on France on March 29, 1744, and in 1753 the French invaded Western Pennsylvania, and succeeded in arousing the Indians against the British and the Colonists. In 1756 the Delaware Indians had joined the French and attacked the frontier settlements. The Governor of Pennsylvania was no longer a Quaker, and he declared war on the Dela wares, but through the instrumentality of the Quakers and the friendly Indians, the trouble was soon ended. Some Quakers enlisted in the armies, and were disowned by their meetings, others were disowned for seeming foo ready to furnish wagons and provisions for Braddock's expedition and other military undertakings. The legislature had a Quaker majority, but it voted liberal funds "for the king's use", which were actually war appropriations. On October 16, 1756, Mahlon Kirkbridge, William Hoge, Peter Dicks, and Nathaniel Pennock of Chester and Bucks Counties resigned from the seats to which they had been elected in the Provincial Assembly, that they might be filled by persons whose religious principles would allow them to prepare without scruple all laws necessary for the defense of the province.

In November 1755 there arrived in Philadelphia three ships of Acadian exiles, the people whose sufferings were the subject of Longfellow's "Evangeline". In March the assembly passed "An act for dispersing the Inhabitants of Nova Scotia, imported into this Province, into the several counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Lancaster", and one of the commissioners to carry out the act in Chester County was Nathaniel Pennock.