THE JOHN FAMILY

Pages 59-62

Hannah John, who married Nathan Heacock, was of Welsh descent. Her father, Joseph John, was the grandson of Griffith John, son of John Philip, who lived and died in Wales. Griffith John emigrated to Chester County with his brother, Samuel John, and while the brothers remained in the east, their descendants migrated westward.

In accord with Welsh custom, the children of John Philip, whose wife was named Elin, and who lived in Pembrokeshire, Wales, took the first name of their father as their last name. The two children of John Philip, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1709, were therefore called Samuel John and Griffith John. There were other Welsh families descended from persons with the Christian name John, but some of them altered the name to Jones. Most of the members of the John family in the Quaker communities appear to be descended from John Philip. The Welsh ancestry was established by Gilbert Cope, the Chester county historian and genealogist, whose notes, now in the Pennsylvania Historial Society, refer to an old family bible giving the birth and parentage of Griffith John. The bible was in the possession of a Perry John of Shamokin Valley in 1867. The children of Griffith John are presumably named in this old Bible, as they are given in all the old histories together with the other information in the bible.

Griffith John landed in Pennsylvania on February 11, 1709, travelling in a slow vessel, which required several months for the voyage. He settled in the district then known as the "Welsh Barony", peopled by "ye ancient Britons", as the Welsh are called. He was one of the first purchasers of land in Uwchlan township, Chester County, when the township was settled in 1715.

Griffith John married Ann, daughter of Robert William of Marion township (now Montgomery county, lying northwest of Philadelphia, between Chester and Bucks counties). Marion, with Haverford and Radnor townships in what is now Delaware county was the center of Welsh settlement in Pennsylvania, the "Welsh Barony" which caused much trouble to the provincial authorities, the Welsh desiring more autonomy than Penn could grant. Robert William, a widower, was married at the house of Hugh Robert, 4 mo. 19, 1691, to Gwen Cadwalader. About nine years later he settled in Goshen township, Chester County, on land near the site of the present Goshen Friends Meeting House. The first Friends Meeting in Goshen was held in his house; the records show that it was in the house of Grant Owen, who was living in Philadelphia, with William living on his property. Robert William and his wife Gwen are said to have been the first settlers in Goshen Township, and their first residence to have been in a cave. When the hearth fire went out, William had to go seven miles to have it renewed. Old stories refer to him as the "King of Goshen."

Despite owning considerable land, Robert William had financial difficulties. In 1702 the Haverford Friends contributed nineteen pounds, nine shillings and eight pence to him to build a new house, he "having received the Friends kindly and open hearted", and held the meeting in his house. He was complained of for debt in 1710 by Edward Roberts. The meeting advised him to sell land to pay, and appointed persons to assist him in following the advice.

In 1715 Robert William and his family lived in Uwchlan township, and in that year the homestead in Goshen was transferred to Robert's son Ellis. Robert died in 1734, aged 87 years.

The children of Griffith John and Ann William were Ann, Rachel, Joshua, Hannah, Jane, Abel, Griffith, Esther, Robert, Sarah, Asa, Reuben, all of whom reached mature age except one son. Most of the children migrated westward, with the exception of Griffith, Jr., who married and remained on the homestead to take care of his parents in their old age. Griffith John, Sr., who united with the Friends soon after his arrival in America was a faithful member and a minister for over 70 years. He died May 29, 1778, at the age of 95 years.

The only son of Griffith, Jr., Abia John, married Martha the daughter of his uncle Reuben in 1795, and moved to Northumberland County in Central Pennsylvania. A history of that country says "He put up a small log house and commenced clearing off his farm. The country was infested with wild animals, and for some years the nights were made hideous by their screams and howls. The scanty products of his place that he had to spare were hauled over miserable mountain road to Reading, where they were sold or exchanged for articles of food and clothing."

Abel John, second son of Griffith Sr. and older brother of Griffith Jr., was born 7 mo. 23, 1727 and married sometime about 1750. While his wife's first name was Mary, her maiden name is unknown. The Warrington Friends meeting lists two children of Abel and Mary John: Robert, born 3 mo. 26, 1763 and Mary, born 12 mo. 27, 1775. When a monthly meeting was established at Menallen (or Monalin) in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1780, Abel John was living there, and on 11 mo. 13, 1780, he was appointed to attend the Quarterly meeting on behalf of Menallen. On 12 mo. 9, 1799 the monthly meeting recorded that "Monallen Preparative Meeting informs that Abel John requests the advice of this meeting with respect to moveing: Isaac Everitt, Jacob Comley, Benjamin Wright and Finley McGrew are appointed to take an opportunity with him, consider his motives for moveing, give him such advice as they may think best and report to next meeting." 1 mo. 22, 1800: "The service performed in Abel John's case." Apparently Abel John received advice which caused him to hesitate in his intention for several months. The Menallen minutes contain no further reference to Abel, but he obtained

a certificate the following fall, and moved to the Redstone settlements ?? western Pennsylvania. He became a member of the Wesland (or West?? ??reland) meeting in Washington County as indicated by this entry in the minutes of the Westland Monthly Meeting on 10 mo. 25, 1800: "Abel John produced a certificate for himself, Mary his wife, and also for Alice and Ruth Fisher, two minor children under their care from Monallin Monthly Meeting, dated 27th of last month, which was read and received." Abel and Mary died sometime prior to 7 mo. 1818.

The records of the Menallin meeting give the date of birth of Joseph John, 9 mo. 20, 1756, and refer to him as the son of Abel and Mary. His wife was Mary Bonine, born 2 mo. 4, 1760, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Bonine of Derrey township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Joseph John and Mary Bonine were married on 10 mo. 17, 1781, at Newbery Meeting, where their marriage and parentage are recorded. In the marriage record, Joseph is referred to as of Menallen township, York county, although the Menallen meeting was located across the line in Adams county.

The nine children of Joseph John and Mary Bonine were born in Menallen, and are recorded by the meeting: Daniel b. 11 mo. 2, 1782, d. 10 mo. 10, 1785; Elizabeth b. 9 mo. 20, 1784; Hannah b. 6 mo. 26, 1786; Sarah b. 9 mo. 2, 1788; Rebecca b. 10 mo. 16, 1790; Abel b. 7 mo. 26, 1793; and Rachel b. 11 mo. 19, 1795. There were also two younger sons. Joseph Jr. and Josiah. Joseph John and his family followed Abel to Redstone, and the Westland meeting minutes record his arrival on 5 mo. 23, 1801, with a certificate dated 4 mo. 23 from Menallen, mentioning his wife and children Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah, Rebecca, Abel, Rochel, Joseph and Josiah. Entries in the Westland minutes show that Mary died between 1813 and 1817, and that Joseph John remarried on 7 mo. 30, 1818 to Martha Walton. Joseph John was then in his sixty-second year.

The certificate of marriage of Nathan Heacock, son of John Heacock, and Esther, to Hannah John, daughter of Joseph John and Mary, is recorded in the Westland minutes. The marriage occurred at Pikerun meeting on November 26, 1806. In the certificate the name was spelled Haycock, but Nathan and his bride signed Heacock. The witnesses who signed the certificate included John and Esther Heacock, Joseph and Mary John. Samuel Heacock, Amy Heacock and Ann Heacock. Nathan Heacock was living in Pikerun township, Washington county, when he married.

The preliminaries to the wedding are recorded at Westland: 10 mo. 25, 1806 -- Nathan Heacock and Hannah John declare intentions: John Battin and Joshua Davis to inquire. 11 mo. 22, 1806 -- Nathan Heacock ??d Hannah John second time: Inquirers to attend the marriage. 12 mo. ??, 1806 -- Marriage of Nathan Haycock and Hannah John reported ??derly. The marriages of several other children of Joseph and Mary John are recorded in the Westland minutes of this period.

The departure of Nathan and Hannah Heacock for Ohio in 1811 is also recorded in the Westland minutes. On 9 mo. 28, 1811 "Nathan Heacock requests a certificate for himself and family to Salem Monthly Meeting. Jacob Griffith and Jonathan Knight are appd to make necessary inquirey and if no obn appears produce one next meeting. On 10 mo. 26, 1811 "The Friends appd produced a certificate for Nathan Heacock Hannah his wife with their children viz; Phebe and Joseph which was approved and signed. The certificate commended them to the Salem, Ohio, meeting as "frequent attenders of our religious meetings." If was signed by John Dingee and Bathsheba Dingee, clerks.

Redstone, which gave its name to all these settlements was located about where Redstone Creek empties into the Monongahela river, in Fayette county. Westland was across the river in East Bethlehem township, Washington County. The Westland Friends held their last meeting in 1864, and as Redstone Monthly Meeting was also disbanding, the members transferred to Salem meeting in nearby Ohio. Among the names of those transferring were Josiah John, David John, Asenath John, Taylor John, Joseph John, and Esther Pyle with children.

The westward migration of the Quaker families followed a regular path, and at given periods the families are found at the successive stages of the journey. The Sharples, the Pyles, the Johns, the Heacocks, and many other familiar names are noted in Chester or Bucks county in the 17th and 18th centuries, in Redstone during the first half of the 19th century, in Eastern Ohio from about 1810 to 1870, and from 1860 onward in lowa. After the given period the names in most instances disappear from the local records, the entire younger generation having deserted the homes of its fathers.

Had we lived a generation ago, we would have had an opportunity, as descendants of Griffith John, to claim a Welsh estate. The West Chester Local News of February 25, 1890, published a letter from Gilbert Cope, referring to many inquiries which he had received from persons anxious to establish their claim to the rich legacy. The letter said, in part: "In 1883 an advertisement appeared in the Philadelphia Press calling for the heirs of Griffith John or John John who died in Pennsylvania in 1720, and represented that $30,000,000 awaited their claim. . . . Of course many persons fancied themselves heirs to this vast sum and responded to the advertisement. They were then requested to contribute one dollar each toward the prosecution of the family claim." By 1890 the estate had grown to $60,000,000 and the local papers in Pennsylvania were reporting the names of those fortunate people descending from Griffith John, who were to receive a share of the riches. Some of these old clippings are in the Pennsylvania Historical Society, but there is no mention of payments from the John estate to any of our uncles and cousins of the John family.