Joseph Martindale wrote about the Duncan family in his history of Byberry. “The Duncans settled north of Byberry, in Bensalem. They were noted in their day as solid and exemplary Friends. Among these were John Duncan, Edmond Duncan, and William Duncan, for many years Clerk of Byberry Meeting. The last of the family was a ‘learned old bachelor’ who died at an advanced age, in 1808.”1 He makes them sound like the proverbial three brothers who immigrated together. In fact, William Duncan came with his wife and two young sons, John and George.2 After they immigrated they had two more children.

William married a woman named Jane while still in England.3 They must have married  by 1666, since their son John was born in 1667. Another son, George, was born about 1671. There is no record of when they immigrated or which ship they sailed on, but they arrived by 1683. They were members of Falls Meeting, and the birth of their son Edmund was recorded in meeting records as 1^st day 4^th month 1684.4

There is no record of William buying land early on, and some indication that they were poor. In early 1688 Jane Adkinson told Falls Monthly Meeting that William Duncan was in need of a house and that Friends should buy him one.5 This was an unusual request for a monthly meeting. Friends were accustomed to taking care of their poor, but only by giving them money, not by finding houses for them. They took up a collection instead, brought in by William Biles in 3^rd mo 1688.6 The land of Thomas Adkinson, which adjoined land of William Duncan, was sold after his death to support his children.7 This is probably the land that William Duncan sold in 1702 to Ann and Gabriel Baynes (mother and son), a tract of 145 acres, patented to Duncan in 1693.8

Jane Duncan was not active in Falls meeting, but when the widowed Jane Adkinson proposed to marry William Biles, Jane Duncan was appointed to investigate Jane’s clearness for the marriage.9 In 1693 William and Jane complained to the meeting that Edmund Lovett and his wife Martha were spreading false rumors about Jane. The meeting investigated and found that the rumors were not true, and also that the Lovetts were not guilty of spreading them.10 In 1699 both William and Jane signed a testimony for Thomas Janney, a noted minister among Friends.11

In 1697 William made another land purchase. He bought 600 acres on in Bensalem from Joseph Growden, paying £70.12 With such a large tract William was able to provide for his three sons. In 1708 William granted 184 acres to his son George and 259 acres to his son John, and in 1714 granted 120 acres to his son Edmund.13

William died in 11^th mo 1715 and was buried 7th day of 11th mo 1715 in Friends ground at Byberry.14 The date of Jane’s death was not recorded.

Children of William and Jane:15

John, b. ab. 1667, lived in Bensalem, died in 1729. He married Margaret Crighton in 1698.16 John was a member of Byberry meeting until his death in March 1729. A memorial to him in the minutes of the Yearly Meeting said that “he was appointed an elder for Byberry meeting in 1725 and continued such to his decease, which was about the 61^st year of his age and was a useful member in the society.”17 He left a will, naming his wife Margaret, and son William, and brother Edmund. His other two sons were infirm and had to be cared for by Margaret, and then William.18

George, b. ab. 1671, d. 1729 at age 58, m. before 1700 1) Mary Saunders, 2) Mary Ball. In 1715 George took a certificate from Abington Meeting to Cecil Monthly Meeting, Kent County, Maryland.19 His children included Joseph, William, Ebenezer, and James.20

Ellen or Eleanor, b. ab. 1680, m. 1702 Alexander Mode.21 In 1713 they sold their Byberry land to William Homer and moved to Kent County.22 They may have moved along with Ellen’s brother George. In 1735 Alexander was a witness at the wedding of George Duncan Jr.23 They may have spent time in Chester County, where the records of London Grove meeting show the birth of Alexander Mood in 1713, probably a son of Alexander and Eleanor.24

Edmond, b. 1684, m. 1708 Sarah Butler at Falls Meeting. Edmond died in 1760 and left a will, naming his surviving children: Edmond, Isaac, Catherine, Jane, Sarah, Helen, Ann and Mary. Edmund and Sarah also had a son George, born 1729, who must have died before Edmond wrote his will.25 Sarah was not named in the will and must have died before Edmond. The son Isaac moved to Plumstead, Bucks County.26

Thomas Cooper was born in 1726, the oldest son of William Cooper and Mary Groom.1 His father William died when Thomas was eight, leaving Mary with six children to raise. Thomas grew up in Byberry, Philadelphia County, on a farm on the Bucks County line.2 About 1750 Thomas married Phebe Hibbs, daughter of Joseph and Rachel of Byberry.3 By the will of his uncle Samuel in 1750, Thomas received “that plantation at Buckingham that William Preston did clear out of the woods.” Thomas and Phebe settled in Solebury, Bucks County.4 Solebury adjoins Buckingham and it might be the same land.

In 1768 they transferred to Wrightstown Monthly Meeting from Middletown, with their children Phebe, Thomas and Mary.5 In 1772 Thomas’ mother Mary died. Thomas inherited the plantation she was living on in Byberry.6 Thomas and Phebe probably did not move there, but instead rented out the land, since in 1779 Thomas Cooper’s “estate” was taxed in Byberry for £1.0.0. This does not mean that Thomas was dead, only that someone was renting land of his.7 In 1788 Thomas and Phebe were living in Upper Makefield. They sold a tract in Solebury to Charles Watson for £25, land that had been granted to them in 1779 by Jonathan Scholfield.8

Thomas wrote his will on the 23^rd day of the 6^th month in 1803.9 Phebe had died before him and was not named in the will. He died in 1805, “being advanced in years”. In his will he named his daughter Mary, five children of daughter Phebe (Groom) deceased (Phebe, Thomas, Evan, Mary, John), and four grandsons (sons of his son Thomas). Mary got the teakettle. The Groom grandchildren inherited £5 to be equally divided among them. His other grandchildren, the four sons of Thomas and Mary, got specific legacies: Joseph the riding mare and saddle, Thomas the desk and the beaver hat, Samuel the clock and feather bed, William the red chest, bed, and large Bible. His son Thomas inherited the residue and served as the executor.

The inventory was taken on August 29 and showed the household goods of a farmer. He bequeathed some of the goods—two beds, two chests, a desk, kitchen goods, a riding mare—to his family. The remaining inventory included “pocket books” perhaps for keeping accounts, a pipe, linens, two looking glasses, razors, coffee mills, tools, barrels, four hives of bees, five sheep and a cow. The total value of the estate was $846.21.10

Children of Thomas and Phebe:11

Phebe, b. 1750/1, d. before 1803, m. John Groom, son of Thomas and Lydia ab. 1780. John and Phebe were second cousins on the Groom side.12 John died in Upper Makefield in 1810. He did not make a will, and his estate was handled by the Bucks County Orphans Court.13 His personal estate was insufficient to pay his debts and even after the land was sold the creditors received only part of what they were owed.14 Children: Phebe, Thomas, Evan, Mary, John.15

Thomas, b. ab. 1759, d. 1839, m. Mary Merrick, lived in Solebury.16 Thomas died intestate, leaving children Joseph, Thomas, Samuel, William, Rachel, Martha, and Phebe. Thomas’ wife Mary apparently died before him. In 1840 Thomas’ heirs sold two farms in order to settle the estate.17

Mary, b. 1765, d. 1831, m. Benjamin Cooper, son of James and Hannah.18 Mary and Benjamin were first cousins; their fathers were both sons of William Cooper and Mary Groom. He could have been the Benjamin Cooper who died in 1798, leaving no will. The names of their children, if any, are unknown.

In September 1682 Edward Byllynge, one of the proprietors of West Jersey, sold 50 acres to James Cooper of Stratford upon Avon, Warwick, shoemaker, to be surveyed later.1 There are no records of when Cooper arrived, but he probably came in 1683, when many ships sailed from England full of Quakers bound for Pennsylvania and New Jersey.2 Cooper probably did not live on his West Jersey land, since by October 1683 he was in Philadelphia, getting a warrant from William Penn for a city lot to be laid out.

James married a woman named Hester; her last name is unknown. They were married either in England or Pennsylvania, but there is no record of the marriage.3 Since the records of Philadelphia Meeting are intact since its establishment, it is more likely that they married in England and immigrated together. James and Hester were both active as Quakers, but only after leaving and returning. Around 1692, James and Hester broke with the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and followed George Keith, the charismatic founder of a separatist movement.4 Keith taught that reliance on the Inner Light as a source of truth was insufficient and urged Quakers to conform more closely to Scripture. The resulting schism led many to follow him out of their meetings, although some, like the Coopers, later rejoined.5 In 1695 James and Hester wrote a letter of acknowledgment to Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, where they had already returned.

“9^th day 11^th month 1695. Dear and faithful friends, brethren and sisters with whom formerly we have had dear fellowship in the spirit of Jesus (as also of late)… we are made sencible of that Spirit of Iniquity that doth Labour against the Operating Power of the Spirit of Truth and which hath captivated the soules of many and led in the way of untruth to witt prejudice enmity and seperation by George Keiths division and strive about things to no profit. Wherein as farr as we have bin concerned we do condemn disown and judge… we do desire we may be for the future kept in unity with you. Your poor afflicted Brother and Sister, James and Hester Cooper.”6

The experience of the separation seemed to deepen Hester’s religious feelings. She became a minister, one of a select group of men and women who were accepted speakers in the meetings. In 7^th month 1701 Hester was one of three women who joined with fifteen men to form a group of approved ministers, in response to concerns from the Yearly Meeting about people who spoke inappropriately in meetings for worship. “Inasmuch as some painful instances had appeared both amongst Men and Women, in their using unseemly noises, tones and gestures, drawing their words out to a great length, and drowning the matter, also in the use of many needless repetitions in Doctrine, prayer, etc. For prevention thereof, and that the respective Meetings may be supplied with able Ministers, especially Philadelphia, it was agreed that there be a Meeting of Ministring Friends…”7 This group was supposed to serve the meeting in Philadelphia and others within a “moderate distance from the City, as to be conveniently visited from thence in a morning.”8 They were asked to correspond to “know each others minds as to avoid too many being at some Meetings while others are left without any.” The men who signed included such eminent ministers as William Penn, Thomas Story and Griffith Owen. Hester was in elite Quaker company.9

The Ministers met weekly, kept their own minutes, and signed up to attend the nearby meetings for worship.10 At the following meeting they would often report back how they found the meeting they had attended, “well”, “easy”, “not very open”, “a good meeting”.  When Griffith Owen reported in 2^nd month 1702 that the meeting at Frankford had a “dark drowsie earthly spirrit”, the others presumably knew exactly what he meant. There was noticeably less travel in the winter months. Hester was not active in 1702, but from 1703 into 1706 she travelled to nine different meetings, usually with a companion. For example, in 9^th month 1704 she went to Radnor by herself, in 12^th month 1704 with Martha Chalkley to Abington, in 2^nd month 1705 with Anthony Morris to Bank Street meeting, the week after with Morris to Frankford, and in 4^th month 1705 with Henry Willis to the Phila High Street meetings, one in the forenoon and one in the afternoon.11 Besides Martha Chalkley she went to meetings with Mary Lawson and Elizabeth Durborrow. The women ministers did not go as frequently as the men, but they appeared in a variety of meetings.12 In 5^th month 1706 Hester went to Byberry with Hugh Durborrow and the Bank Street meeting with Ralph Jackson. This is her last appearance in the quarterly meetings of ministers.13

In 1701, the Philadelphia Meeting approved Hester’s request to attend the Yearly Meeting in Maryland, along with Elizabeth Key.14 Hester was included in John Smith’s 1785 list of “Persons eminent for piety and virtue among the people called Quakers”. As Smith put it,  “Elizabeth Morris informs me that she was reputed an innocent and acceptable minister and died at Philadelphia.”15 From 1702 into early 1706 she was active in the Women’s Meeting of Philadelphia, presenting young couples to the Men’s Meeting after they had been approved for marriage and inquiring about the clearness of young women who wished to marry (freedom from marital promises to others).16

In 3^rd month 1707, after she died, James Cooper came to the Women’s Meeting and presented a gift from Hester, “£2.10 as a legacy from his dear wife, which Friends accepts of as the last Token of her love.“17 Hester died in 10^th month (December) 1706. Her death was noted in the minutes of the Yearly Meeting, where she was “raised in testimony”, an exceptional tribute from her fellow Friends.18

James was not a minister like Hester but he was active in the usual Quaker committees. In 6^th month 1701 he was one of four Friends appointed to “look after the children that are disorderly or kept out of the meetings on First Days”.19 In 3^rd month 1703 he was appointed to attend the Quarterly Meeting, and in 7^th month to make inquiry about James Streator’s fitness for marriage.20 He was again asked to “take care that boys and young people be not disorderly about the meeting house on first days”, and was to discuss with workmen a new fence for the burying ground.21 In 1706 he and Hugh Durborough were appointed to take care of a matter about the widow Russell, reportedly in want because David Powell was detaining money from her.22

Some of James’ Quaker activities were not with his home meeting in Philadelphia but were instead with Byberry Meeting. Byberry was seventeen miles northeast of Philadelphia and would have been a long ride, although it was considered at a “moderate” distance for travel (as per the agreement of the Ministers in 1701). James’ first connection with Byberry Friends was in 6^th month 1694, when he witnessed Henry English’s donation of land for a burying place for Quakers. Previously Byberry Friends had been buried on land of John Hart, but after Hart left to follow George Keith, the Friends remaining in unity needed their own land.23 Why was James active in a meeting so far from his home in Philadelphia? Had he already repented of his Keithian affiliation, but still felt estranged from the meeting in Philadelphia?24

James and Hester bought the rights to 50 acres in West Jersey in 1682, and sold the rights three years later to William Dillwyn, a saddler of Philadelphia.25 In October 1683 James Cooper went to Penn’s land office in Philadelphia to get a warrant for a lot in the city. Originally these lots were given by Penn as a bonus for people who bought land in the countryside, but by 1683 Penn saw the profit to be made in selling city lots. His warrant directed Thomas Holme to survey a lot, “thirty foot in breadth and in length as the rest of the lotts there.”26 The lot was surveyed, a return was filed with the land office, and Cooper got a patent for the lot in December 1684. This lot was on Chestnut Street, between fourth and fifth streets. It was soon rented to Robert Row and finally sold to him in 1695.27

In 1686 Cooper bought a part of a lot from Joseph Phipps where he and Hester would live for the rest of their lives and raise their family, and which served as the basis for the family’s solid economic status. This lot, with the addition of the other half from Phipps a year later, was divided into lots and rented out, providing the family with a yearly income of over £20 from the ground rents. The first piece was along Mulberry Street (present-day Arch Street), extending westward from the corner of 2^nd Street. After buying the second lot from Phipps, Cooper owned most of the block of Mulberry between 2^nd and 3^rd  Streets, extending over 300 feet along Mulberry. Starting in 1719, he rented out portions of the Mulberry Street land to others, including John Head, Grace Parsons, James Estaugh, and Henry Jones.28 After James’ death this land was partitioned out to the heirs.

James was a cordwainer, a shoemaker. Later he called himself a merchant. It is commonly said that he had a store on the corner of Mulberry and 2^nd Street.29 He would certainly have sold shoes, and possibly other merchandise that people could not make themselves. Merchants of the time sold goods like paper, ink, nails, and cotton cloth.30 In 1693, Cooper just missed being in the top quartile of wealth in the city, with a valuation of £100 for his estate. (Samuel Carpenter led the list with £1300.)31 In 1710, with other merchants and tradesmen, James signed a petition to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, asking for power for the Mayor and Aldermen to make ordinances, to build a watch house, erect a work house for the poor, and to repair wharves and bridges.32 In 1714 James Cooper requested a certificate from Philadelphia Meeting, since he “intends for New England upon his lawful occasions”.33 If this was James the merchant, he was probably going on a buying trip.

In 1706 Hester died, leaving James with eight children, most still living at home, and several still very young. As a well-off merchant he probably had a housekeeper to manage the household servants and supervise the children.34 He did not remarry for fourteen years, so the younger children were effectively raised without a mother. Perhaps that helps to explain why only two of the eight married in a Quaker meeting.

By 1711 the sons were growing close to maturity, and James bought his first land outside of the city, perhaps for his sons to settle on. He bought a 300-acre tract in the Manor of Moreland, in Philadelphia County from the heirs of Nicholas More. His sons James and Benjamin later lived on this tract.35 In 1714 Cooper bought 100 acres from John Brock of Byberry but sold it back to Brock a year later.36 In 1716 Cooper bought a larger tract, of 260 acres in Moreland, from Thomas and Elizabeth Groom. Nine years later James and Mary sold most of this to his son Samuel.37 Two other transactions were probably meant as investments, at a time when there were few options for getting a return on excess capital. In 1723 James bought 150 acres in Great Swamp in Bucks County, in the far northwest corner of the county, later called Richland Township.38 Originally too far from Philadelphia, land there became more settled about 1720. None of the family settled on the tract, and it was sold at a loss by the heirs after James died. Another transaction, for 200 acres on Neshaminy Creek in Northampton, Bucks County, was never completed.39

In 1722 James applied for a certificate of clearness in order to marry Mary Borrows of Falls Meeting. They were married the following month but had no children together.40 In 10^th month 1732, James and Mary were buried on the same day.41 James died before he could sign his will, and although it was admitted for probate there were blanks for the date and name of his executors. According to testimony of the witnesses, he intended to appoint his son Samuel to be executor, along with John Cadwallader. But Samuel lived out of the city, in Moreland township, and James wanted him to be there for the signing of the will. Sarah Elfreth said that when Cooper was at her house about ten days before he died, he told her that he wanted to settle his affairs and wished that his son Samuel was in town.42 The will was admitted to probate and letters of administration were granted to Samuel and to John Cadwalader.

The provisions of the will were typical of the time. Mary was to have one third of the rent from the real estate and one third of the personal estate. Esther received £10 per year from the rents. Isaac also got £10 per year, and “if he be restored to his former capacity” and marry, then his heirs were to have the annuity. Rebecca and the only named grandson, James son of James deceased, were to have an annuity, but only after the death of Mary and Isaac. The remainder of the estate was to be divided among Samuel, William, Benjamin, Isaac, Esther, Rebecca and the grandson James. The son Joseph had died before his father, leaving no heirs. There was no legacy to Philadelphia Friends, although some well-off Quakers did this.

The inventory shows that James was wealthy but does not suggest that he kept a normal dry-goods shop. There was a bountiful list of his household goods, plus the land in the Great Swamp and a 40-acre tract in the Manor of Moreland. The business is reflected in the bonds from 56 different people, from Philadelphia and Bucks County. Cooper probably kept an account book for his business, to manage these debts owed to him.43 The inventory did not include shoemaker’s tools or dry goods such as quantities of cloth or nails. It did include 2 ½ dozen knives, 1750 feet of boards,1200 feet of scantling (small lumber), and 3000 bricks. Was he in the process of building a house or did he sell building supplies? The total value of the estate was over £855, wealthy for the time.44

Two years after James and Mary died, the heirs faced the challenge of dividing the main asset, the land on Mulberry Street. James had not specified that in the will, leaving it for them to do. They solved the problem in an unusual way. There were seven of them, the six surviving children and the grandson James who was entitled to a double share, as his deceased father James was the oldest son. The grandson James and his wife Susannah sold their two shares to Samuel Cooper, leaving six people to divide the property into eight shares. They met together in the Manor of Moreland, and divided it up, numbered each share, put each number on a piece of paper, put them into a hat, shuffled them together, and took turns drawing out the numbers. Samuel went first and drew his three shares, and the others followed, each drawing one share. They wrote out the results in a complex partition deed and proclaimed themselves “fully satisfied contented and agreed”.45 Some of the lots were less valuable than the others, probably because some were vacant and others were rented out, but they balanced the values with a system of payments between themselves. For example, whoever drew lot eight would get yearly payments from the holders of three other lots, and the holder of lot six paid yearly to that of lot one. This appears to have been an amiable process, since it bound the siblings together in a web of yearly payments for as long as they owned the land.

It is noteworthy that only the two daughters married in Philadelphia Meeting. The sons either did not marry (Joseph, probably Isaac, possibly Samuel) or married outside of meeting (James, William, and Benjamin). All apparently stayed in or near Philadelphia.

Children of James and Hester:46

Esther, b. about 1683, m. in 1705 Jedediah Hussey of New Castle, Delaware. James and Hester went to the Philadelphia MM to give their consent to the marriage. Jedidiah, born in 1678, was from a large Quaker family that moved from Massachusetts to New Castle County.47 Esther and Jedidiah lived there and had four children: Rebecca, Jedidiah, Sylvanus and Esther.48 Jedediah died in 1734. In his will he left one third of his estate to Esther, £50 to his daughter Rebecca, the plantation and two mulatto girls to his son Sylvanus, a young colt to Susanna his former servant, a house and lot to his daughter Esther, a portion to his “poor afflicted son Jedediah”, which was to belong to Sylvanus for the care of Jedediah. It is not known when Esther died.

James, b. ab. 1684, married but his wife’s name is unknown, died before 1732, lived in Moreland, Philadelphia County.49 James was a member of Byberry Meeting for a few years around 1714 to 1717. He lent the meeting £50 to build a meeting house, repaid by subscription in 1723.50 In 1717 he was one of 19 signers of the certificate of Giles Knight who was returning to England.51 In 1718 James Cooper, of the Manor of Moreland yeoman, lent money to both Oddy Brock and John Brock; they each gave him a mortgage and both repaid the money.52 James’ only heir in 1732 was a son James, a shoemaker, who married Susannah Chaffin in 1733 at Christ Church.53

Joseph, b. ab. 1686, d. 1720. His death was noted in the records of Philadelphia Meeting: Joseph, son of James and Hester, died 7th month 4th day 1720.54 He left no heirs.

Samuel, b. ab. 1697, d. 1750, possibly unmarried.55 He lived in the city around 1734 and 1735 and called himself a cordwainer. By 1739 he was a yeoman of Moreland. He acquired valuable land in the city in the partition deed after his father died. In 1735 Samuel arranged with William Britton of Bristol Township, Philadelphia County. Samuel sold Britton the 210 acres in Moreland that his father had sold him in 1724, and left part of the purchase price (£200) in Britton’s hands in return for Britton “to provide the said Samuel Cooper in meat drink washing loading and mending of apparel during all the days of his natural life”.56 Samuel died in 1750. He left a will, leaving land to his sister-in-law Mary Cooper (widow of William) and her sons, to his sister Rebecca Kelly, and a residual legacy to his niece Esther Hussey, to Rebecca Kelly’s children, and to his cousin James (son of James). He also left £30 to Rachel Britton, wife of William Britton, perhaps in gratitude for her services in caring for him.57 The inventory of his estate showed comfortable furnishings for one room and a few luxuries like an ivory cane.

William, b. about 1699, d. 1736, married before 1726 Mary Groom, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth of Byberry. They lived in Byberry, where he was taxed in 1734. William and Mary had six known children: Rebecca, Thomas, James, Joseph, Samuel, Letitia.58 William died in 1736; he did not leave a will. Mary outlived him by many years, dying in 1772. William and Mary were the great-grandparents of James Fenimore Cooper, through their son James.59

Benjamin, b. about 1700, m. 1720 Elizabeth Kelly at Christ Church, Philadelphia, lived in Moreland. Taxed in 1734 for 100 acres there.60 It is not known when Benjamin or Elizabeth died. Since they do not appear in Samuel’s will, they probably died before 1750 and left no children.

Isaac, b. ab. 1701, in 1734 he was named in the partition deed as a tailor of Philadelphia. Since he does not appear in Samuel’s will, he probably died before 1750 without heirs.

Rebecca, b. ab. 1703, d. after 1735, married first 1726 Ralph Hoy at Philadelphia Meeting, married second in 1735 Daniel Kelly at Christ Church. Rebecca’s first husband, Ralph Hoy, was a weaver from Yorkshire, who arrived in 1725 at Middletown, Bucks County, but soon moved to Philadelphia, where he married Rebecca in 6^th month 1726. They had a daughter Elizabeth (who married Francis Kelly in 1747 at Christ Church). Ralph died by February 1734, when Rebecca signed a deed as his widow.61 In September 1735 she married Daniel Kelly. They had at least one child, mentioned but not named in Samuel’s will of 1750.62

The founding legend about the Carver family of Byberry is that there were four brothers who came together from England: John, William, Joseph, and Jacob.1 Joseph moved to North Carolina and Jacob died unmarried. Whether the story is true or not, only John and William appeared in Byberry. They both immigrated in 1682. John came on the Welcome with his wife Mary.2 William came in 1682, possibly on the Samson.

Life was difficult for these early settlers. “The frank and generous hospitality of the Indians to the original settlers deserved a kind and generous return. The descendants of the original settler, (Carver), have told me of a striking case of kindness. When his family was greatly pinched for bread-stuff, and knew of none nearer than Chester or New Castle, they sent out their children to some neighboring Indians, intending to leave them there until they could have food for them at home; but the Indians took off the boys’ trousers, tied the legs full of corn, and sent them back thus seasonably loaded.”3

First generation: the immigrant brothers

John, d. 1714, m. Mary Lane in England before 1682. Lived on Poquessing Creek, where John was a maulster. Children: Mary, Richard, John, Ann, James.

William, d. 1736, m. 1) 1690 Joan Kinsey at Middletown MM, m. 2) about 1693 Mary —, m. 3) 1723 at Falls MM Grace Carter. Children: Sarah (with Joan); William, Joseph, Rachel, Esther, Rebecca, Mary (all with Mary); Hannah (with Grace).

John and Mary lived on a large tract on Poquessing Creek. He had bought rights to the land before leaving England; in the record he was listed as a maulster from Hedly in Southampton.4  The Philadelphia Monthly Meeting reported in 1692 that “John Carver lost most he had by fire that fell out while he and his wife were at their usual meeting.”5 A collection was taken up for him at the meeting at Richard Wall’s and at Germantown. They worshipped at Byberry Meeting, where John was an overseer in 1695. During the Keithian schism around 1692, both John and William stayed with the traditional Friends.

In 1697 John bought 700 acres of land jointly with Francis Searl, perhaps to provide for his three growing sons. John and Francis partitioned the land four years later.6 John and Mary had five children. Their daughter Mary became an approved minister among Friends. In 1713 John made his will, naming his wife Mary, sons James, John and Richard and a daughter Mary.7 He left his wife the use of two rooms in the house and liberty of the cellar and privilege to keep a horse and a cow and to take fruit from the orchards.8 The land on Poquessing Creek was passed down through six generations, all the owners named John.9

In 1701 John and William had a dispute with their neighbor, William Hibbs, who claimed that they had moved his boundary post. The matter was taken before the Commissioners who heard land disputes in Philadelphia.10

“William Hibbs having purchased of Thomas Ffairman a Tract of Land contiguous to the above; there has been for some Time past a Contest between him and the said John Carver and his Brother William Carver about a Corner Post which Hibbs complains has been taken away and thereby the Bounds altered, … the Surveyor General being present affirmed he had executed to the utmost of his Power, being present himself at the Survey; it was to be presumed the Lines as returned were the true ones, unless it could be made appear to the contrary, which William Hibbs was not sufficiently able to do.

…It is Ordered that J. Carver’s Patent be no longer delayed by be granted forthwith…

The bad feelings apparently lingered from this. In 1707 John Carver and George Duncan took Hibbs to court, “unadvisedly and contrary to ye practice of Friends appeared before Justice Fenny and John Carver delivered a paper of accusation against William Hibbs, to ye Scandalizing of truth, which this meeting do Condemn.”11 In 1709 the boundary between John Carver and the widow Hibbs was still at issue, and Abington meeting appointed six Friends to view the land and put an end to it.12

William was a member of Byberry Meeting for worship. He witnessed marriages there in 1685 and 1686.13 For business purposes Byberry Meeting was part of Abington Monthly Meeting, where in 10^th month 1689, William got a certificate to proceed in marriage with Joan Kinsey of Middletown Meeting. She lived near Neshaminy Creek. William and Joan duly “published their intencions of marriage by affixing a paper on the meeting house doore of the people called Quakers.” In January 1690 the marriage was recorded.14 William and Joan settled on his land in Byberry.

In 1^st month William and Joan were involved in a lurid scandal. 1690 Nathaniel Harding requested a certificate from Middletown Meeting to go to England, normally a routine process.15 The meeting consented to his request, but then word came of an evil report concerning him. He wrote a letter of acknowledgment, but the meeting investigated further and found that he had been involved in a disorderly proceeding with William and Joan Carver. Middletown sent a committee to Abington Meeting to inform them, and Abington requested a joint gathering of Friends from both meetings to settle the difference between William and Joan and Nathaniel. The joint committee met and issued a statement on 4^th month 1690.16

Whereas there has been great reproach and infamy concerning Nathaniel Harding Jane and also William Carver making agreement with him it was brought under the consideration of the two monthly meetings whereunto they belong who appointed James Dilworth, Henry Paxson, William Paxson, Giles Knight, George Walker, John Hart, Anne Dilworth, Grace Langhorne, Mary Ellis and Elizabeth Cutler to meet together with the aforesd parties and examine the matter

Whereupon it does appear that William Carver and his wife are guilty of looseness in suffering Nathaniel Harding to lodge in bed with them which probably did excite lust in him to lie with her as appears that he used endeavor to tempt and allude her there unto by salutations wantoness and unseemly discourse and behavior which had too much acceptance with her and a second time also he having a like liberty of lodging with them hardened him with expectation that he should prevail with her and inviting her to his house she went alone then he made a second attempt though she refused to fulfill his desire yet did yield to his salutations wantonness and the like and afterwards when known to her husband William Carver he proceeded with him requiring satisfaction for the aforesaid attempts as a husband to his wife whereupon they reached an agreement for a certain sum of money without having regard to the order of truth among friends, all which actions condemnable and more especially that corrupt spirit prevailing in Nathaniel Harding to sin against God and endeavor the ruin of the woman and her husband – then after deliberate consideration and due rebuke to each person respectively it was agreed that the agreement made between them ought not to stand it being unfast on William Carver’s part – then the time being spent it was referred to Henry Paxson and John Hart to meet with them again and make a conclusion. The parties submitted themselves to friends acknowledged their guilt and willing … all such practice, taking shame to themselves—in testimony thereof they set their hands the 9^th of 4^th month 1690.

All three of them signed—Nathaniel Harding, William Carver, Jane Carver.17 Nathaniel’s fault was clear. He tried to seduce Jane on several occasions. Her fault was more subtle. She encouraged him, perhaps what we would nowadays consider innocent flirtation, but not using good judgment as a married Quaker woman. William’s fault was against the Quaker rules for handling disputes. Instead of taking Nathaniel’s behavior to the monthly meeting to be judged, he pushed Nathaniel into paying him damages, an agreement that was “unfast”, either because William wanted to retract it or because it was made improperly to begin with.

Nathaniel sent another letter of acknowledgment after the meeting, expressing his shame even more explicitly. “… With humility and contrite heart I repent of the evil of my doings in offering lewdness with Jane Carver, also all wanton carriage, rude discourse and unseemly behavior. I do free condemn it… I desire to be one with you that I may enjoy the assistance and benefit of fraternity in the truth.”18 The meeting finally gave Nathaniel his certificate and that was the end of the matter, at least in the written records.

A few months later Joan and William had a daughter, named Sarah. She was their only child, since Joan died sometime between late 1690 and 1692.19 Around 1693 William married again, to a woman named Mary. Her last name is not known.20 They had six children together.21 The births of the first two were recorded at Abington Meeting, showing that William was still in good standing as a Friend.22 The date of Mary’s death is not known; she might have died soon after the birth of their sixth child, around 1704, or it may have been later. In any case, in 1723 William married for the third time, getting a certificate from Abington meeting. His wife was Grace Carter of Falls Monthly Meeting. She was the daughter of John White, a gentleman of Philadelphia, and the widow of John Carter. When she married William her three children with Carter were in their teens: Robert, Mary and Martha. The records of Falls Monthly Meeting show that “Care to be given to secure what was left to Grace’s children by her former husband.” This was routine, and does not show any special concerns about William. William and Grace had a daughter Hannah together. By then William must have been in his fifties, a decade older than Grace.23 In 1726, William and his wife Grace leased a lot in the city to Thomas Chase, merchant, on the bank of the Delaware river between Front and King Streets. This must have been property that Grace brought into the marriage.

William wrote his will in 1733 and died in 1736. In the will he named his wife Grace and seven living children. His son Joseph must have died by then. The five older daughters were married, as was William Jr, the only surviving son. He left five shillings to each of his daughters, a token amount, so they must have already received a marriage portion. He left a feather bed and furniture to his wife Grace, which was to be appraised by two men, one chosen by Grace and one by William Jr. The bulk of the estate was to be divided between Grace and William. It is not clear how they were to share the land or the house.24 William Jr was the executor.

The inventory of William’s estate was sparse for the time. Besides the furniture and kitchenware, he owned one old horse, two ewes and a lamb, two cows and a sow. The value of the estate was only £24.15.4. Either William had been unsuccessful as a farmer or else he had given much of his capital to his children before his death. Grace died a year after William. In her will she named her four children: Robert Carter, Mary Deane (Doane), Martha Beale and Hannah Carver.25 The three older children each got one shilling, while Hannah got the rest of the estate. The inventory of her estate showed a value of £33, more than William’s.

Children of William and Joan:26

Sarah, b. 1690, m. 1) 1707 at Abington, John Rush of Byberry, 2) possibly William Marshall before 1733.27

Children of William and Mary:28

William, b. 1694, d. 1759, m. 1719 at Abington MM Elizabeth Walmsley, daughter of Henry Walmsley.29 They lived in Buckingham, where William died in 1759. Elizabeth survived him and died in 1772. Her will named their sons Joseph, William and Henry, son-in-law Isaac Worthington, daughters Elizabeth Buckman, Mary Wilkinson, Rebecca Schofield, and Martha Worthington, and some of the Worthington grandchildren.30

Joseph, b. 1696, d. before 1733, may have died young

Rachel, b. ab. 1698, d. 1771, m. William Duncan. William was born about 1699, the son of John and Margaret. Rachel’s death in 8^th month 1771 was noted in the records of Byberry Meeting.31 Rachel and William had a large family.

Esther, m. 1) 1722 at Abington MM Joseph Walton, son of Daniel and Mary, 2) 1728 Daniel  Knight at Abington Meeting. Joseph and Esther had two children, Richard and Rachel. Joseph died in the spring of 1727; letters of administration were granted to Esther on April 12. The daughter Rachel was born less than a month later. In early 1728 Esther married the widower Daniel Knight.32 Daniel and Esther had six children together, making a household of ten children since each of them had two from their first marriage. After Esther’s death Daniel married Mary Wilson. He died in 1782. 33

Rebecca, b. ab. 1702, m. —Brock34. Her marriage was not recorded in the local monthly meetings and the name of her husband is not known.

Mary, m. Samuel Worthington by 3^rd month 1724. Later in 1724 Samuel produced a paper of acknowledgment to Abington meeting; the first child was born too soon after the marriage.  In 1736 they moved to Buckingham in 1736 with a certificate from Abington Meeting, at the same time as Mary’s brother William and his family. Samuel died in 1775 in New Britain, leaving a will naming his wife Mary and seven surviving children. Children: Jonathan, David, Samuel, Sarah, Hester, Rachel, Pleasant.35

Children of William and Grace

Hannah, unmarried in 1733. She may have later married into the Beal family.

John Lee was an early settler in Bucks County. There is no record of his arrival, but he registered his cattle mark in Phineas Pemberton’s list of 1684.1 John was a member of Falls Monthly Meeting.2

He appeared in Bucks County court in 1690, along with two other members of his family. They were called as witnesses when John Pidcock assaulted Pilocarpus Rose.3 Rachel Lee and Martha Lee were called; from the wording of the record it looks as though Rachel was John’s wife.4 Who was Martha? If she was a daughter of John and Rachel, and old enough to be a witness in 1690, then John must have been born before 1655. The alternative is that Martha is a sister of John’s, and that John was born around 1675.5

John Lee was back in court a few months later when Thomas Tunnecliff brought a suit against him, which was withdrawn. Tunnecliff had been a member of Falls Meeting at least until 1686. If he was still a member in 1690 he should not have brought suit against Lee; if they were both Friends the matter should have been handled by the Meeting. In 1712 John Lee served on a jury that tried Reuben Pownall for condemning the authority of the court. This was usually viewed severely at the time, and in fact the jury found Pownall guilty and fined him.

In 1719 Daniel Lee, the only known child of John Lee, married Mary Ashton at Falls Meeting, and settled in Makefield.6 In 1726 John and Daniel were on a jury together. Adam Pettet, late of Makefield, a cooper, went into the river with Samuel Hough and John Pickering to “wash and bath himself”. He got in too far, was unable to swim, and drowned.7

John died in Makefield in 1733. He did not leave a will, and letters of administration were granted to Daniel Lee, John Clowes and Henry Woodward of Makefield.8 His wife Rachel must have died before him, since she was not an administrator. An inventory was taken of John’s estate. He owned two guns, some carpenter’s tools, a horse and mare, and a few other oddments, but no livestock or other household goods. He was clearly living with someone, probably his son Daniel. The total value of the estate was about £25.

Children of John:

? Martha, b. ab. 1670, alive in 1690 (She may have been a sister of John, rather than a child.)

Daniel, b. ab. 1695, m. 1719 Mary Ashton, dau. of Thomas & Deborah at Falls Meeting

Next generation: Daniel and his family

Daniel Lee and Mary Ashton were married in 1719. They were Quakers, members of Falls Meeting. He was a blacksmith. They lived a quiet life and appear in few records. It is not known when Daniel died. It is very likely that Mary died between 1721 and 1723, because in 1723 her father and stepmother named a daughter Mary, which would be very unusual if the first Mary were still alive. The second Mary was probably to commemorate her.

Daniel and Mary had two known children:

Deborah, b. 1720, her birth in the Falls Meeting Records, no further records

John, b. ab. 1721, m. in 1749 Sarah Carr, daughter of John & Mary

Next generation: John and Sarah Lee

John lived in lower Bucks County, and was a member of Wrightstown Monthly meeting. 9 In 1749 he requested a certificate of clearance to marry Sarah Carr, a member of Falls Monthly Meeting. He was on the tax list in Lower Makefield in 1753. In 1755 John requested a certificate from Wrightstown for him and his wife to Radnor Monthly Meeting, on the other side of Montgomery County. The record of Radnor show their arrival there by 5^th month 1755, when they brought a certificate from Wrightstown.10 It is probable that both John and Sarah died by 11th month 1766, when Radnor issued two certificates to Wrightstown for the five children of John Lee deceased. The children were all underage and needed someone to care for them. Joseph Buckman of Wrightstown Meeting was married to Martha Carr and was the uncle of the Lee children on their mother’s side. The minutes of Wrightstown recorded that at least the three youngest children were put under the care of Joseph Buckman, David Buckman and John Story.11

Children of John and Sarah:12

Mary, b. ab. 1750, m. 1770 Thomas Powell of Marple Twp, Chester County. They had at least two children before Thomas’ death in 1785. He did not name Mary in his will; she probably died before him. He did however name her siblings, Daniel, John, Deborah and Merebe Lee, showing that they all lived to adulthood, and that Thomas had some connection to them, even though they returned to Bucks County after their parents died.

John, b. ab. 1752, alive in 1785, no other records

Daniel, b. 1753, m. 1774 Margaret Buckman at Upper Makefield MM13. He was taxed in Newtown in 1775 and paid a militia fine in 1780. They moved to Roaring Creek, Northumberland County, where there was a Quaker meeting house. They had twelve children, born between 1775 and 1797.14 Daniel died in March 1803.15

Deborah, b. 1754, m. 1780 Joseph Walton at Wrightstown Monthly Meeting. 16 He had a certificate from Abington Monthly Meeting; they were married under the auspices of Wrightstown, where she was a member. They lived in Warwick Township until about 1786 and their first three children were born there. They later lived in Byberry and were members of Byberry Monthly Meeting. Joseph died 3rd month 19th, 1821; Deborah died in 1840. They had nine children, born between 1781 and about 1798.

Meribah, alive in 1785, no further record.

John Carr was a Quaker who lived in lower Bucks County and died there in 1731. Nothing is known of his origins or those of his wife Mary. John and Mary were probably born between 1690 and 1695, either in England or Pennsylvania.1

John Carr lived in Middletown and his affairs were under the care of Falls Monthly Meeting.2 He died in 1731. Letters of administration were granted to his widow Mary and to Joseph Wildman. Mary signed by mark. The usual inventory was taken of the estate. It included four horses, two cows and their calves, “nine piggs running at large” and a servant man. Although the list of household furniture and goods seems sparse, the estate was valued at £95, a good sum for the time. However, he had debts as the meeting discovered when Mary remarried. Two years later the marriage of John Clows and Mary Carr was accomplished at Falls Monthly Meeting.34 As the minutes state “Care was to be taken that what belongs to Mary’s children by her former husband was secured. However, after his debts were paid there was nothing for them.”5 Who were these children? Looking at the Quaker marriage records for Falls and Wrightstown, we find two daughters, who can be tentatively placed as children of John and Mary, and one known to be their child.6 There may have been others who did not live to marry.

John Clows, who became the stepfather of the Carr daughters, came from good Quaker families. He was the son of Joseph Clows and Elizabeth Pownall, whose families came over from Cheshire in the great migration of the 1682 and 1683. John and his brothers Thomas and George all lived in Makefield. Since John’s brothers were carpenters, perhaps he was too.  John and Mary Clows had a daughter Meribah born in 1733.7

In 1735, the meeting at Falls reported that “It is evident that Mary the wife of John Clows hath been disorderly in her conversation in several respects.” We don’t know what she had done. There is no record of her death.

Probable children of John and Mary:

Dorothy, b. ab. 1715, m. 1) 1737 Isaac Ashton, son of Thomas & Hannah, 2) by 1756 m. John Ballance. Had 9 children with Isaac and a son Joseph with John.

Martha Carr, b. ab. 1720, m. 1746 Joseph Buckman at Falls MM. He was from Wrightstown Mtg.8

Sarah, b. ab. 1725, m. 1749 John Lee, son of Daniel & Mary. Had children Mary, John, Deborah, Daniel and Meribah.

Child of Mary and John Clows: (surname Clows)

Meribah, b. 7^th mo 1733, alive in 1755 when she got a certificate to Philadelphia9

Next generation:

Dorothy Carr married twice. Her first marriage, to Isaac Ashton, was contrary to rules, as reported at Wrightstown Monthly Meeting in 1^st month 1737, since they were married with a license from New Jersey. They were apparently not disowned.10 Dorothy and Isaac named their first two children Mary and John (for her parents) and the next two Hannah and Thomas (possibly for his parents). The others were Elizabeth, Ann, Martha, Lydia and Susanna.11 According to one site, with no evidence, Isaac died on 22 September 1751. In 1753 Dorothy was living in Lower Makefield and taxed there as “Doratha” Ashton. By 1756 she was married to John Ballance.12 In the birth record of their son Joseph she was listed as the daughter of John Carr.13

Her sister Martha married Joseph Buckman. He requested a certificate from Wrightstown in 8^th mo 1746 to proceed in marriage with her, since she was a member of Falls Meeting. Joseph was born in 1723, to a solid Quaker family. (His grandfather William had come on the Welcome with William Penn.) Joseph died in 1798. His will named eight children, but there was no mention of Martha. She must have died before him.14 The children were Joseph, Esther, Mary, Agnes, Letitia, Sarah, Elizabeth and Asenath. All seven of the daughters were married by then.

Sarah, probably the youngest of the sisters, married John Lee. She was a member of Falls Meeting, when in 1749 he got a certificate from Wrightstown to proceed in marriage with her. They had five known children, before moving to Radnor in 1755.15 John died before 11^th month 1766 when the children were granted a certificate to return to Wrightstown.16 Since there is no mention of Sarah in the minutes, the implication is that she was dead as well. The children were Daniel, Deborah, Meribah, Mary and John.

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John Bowman came with to Bucks County with a certificate from the meeting at Pardshaw, Cheshire in 1701, which he presented to Middletown Monthly meeting.1 It said that he came with his wife and children.2 The wife was probably Francis; the children were Sarah and Jeremiah.3

John was listed as a cordwinder of Middle Township, Bucks County when he bought land there in 1708, paying £40 to Israel Morris.4 It was a 52-acre tract in Newtown, adjoining land of Israel Morris, Henry Paxson and Ezra Croasdale.5 John left this land to his son Jeremiah, who sold it to Stephen Twining in December 1735.6 According to the records of Middletown MM, John died in December 1712. He wrote a will, dated 12^th 8^th mo (October) 1712, but it was lost. In it he left £40 to his daughter Sarah and his land to Jeremiah.7

His widow Francis requested in 1^st mo 1716 that the marriage of her daughter Sarah to Alexander Beal be accomplished at the house of Stephen Twining in Newton. The marriage was reported orderly accomplished the next month.8 Francis died in December 1730, still a member of the Middletown Monthly Meeting.9

Children of John and Francis:

Sarah, b. ab. 1695, m. 1716 Alexander Beal, son of William and Elizabeth. Alexander grew up in Bensalem and was a member of Abington Meeting. In 1716 he married Sarah at Wrightstown Meeting. The births of their children were not recorded, but only two survived to adulthood, Hannah and William.10 Sarah died about 1722, possibly in childbirth, leaving Alexander with small children to raise. He later married Sarah Town, had two children with her, after her death married Hannah Rogers, moved with Hannah to Burlington County, after Hannah’s death married Esther Butterworth. Alexander died in 1754.

Jeremiah, named in minutes of Buckingham Meeting in 1723, sold 52 acres in Newtown to Stephen Twining in 1735, witnessed the will of John Chapman of Wrightstown in 1743.11 Jeremiah was probably dead by January 1748, when his niece Hannah, her brother William, and her father Patrick confirmed the sale of the 52 acres to make the title good for Twining and others.12

Children of Sarah and Alexander: (surname Beale)

Hannah, b. 1717, d. between 1769 & 1784, m. Patrick Malone about 1742. Patrick bought a farm in 1745 in Buckingham near Forest Grove. He was a member of Buckingham Meeting, although not active in its affairs. In 1781 he released from bondage a mulatto lad named Jesse, filing the record with Bucks Quarterly Meeting.13 Patrick died in 1788. In his will he named seven of his eight children; another daughter, Sarah, had died before him.14

William, b. ab. 1722, d. 1752, m. 1742 Grace Gill at Buckingham Meeting, the daughter of Thomas Gill and Alice Comly of Byberry. William and Grace had six children.15 They lived in New Brittain on a farm of 157 acres. William left a will, as did Grace. She outlived him by forty years, dying in 1793. By the time she died the plantation was reduced to 30 acres.16

Before 1685 a man named John Clarke emigrated to Pennsylvania or West Jersey, bringing four servants with him: Bernard Littlejohn, Mary Chapman, Christian Chapman (sister to Mary), and William Beale.1 Clarke bought 300 acres on Pennsaukin Creek in West Jersey, but apparently did not stay there. In May 1685 he was living in Pennsylvania when he made his will, and in July of that year he died. The terms of the will were unusual. He left his estate to Littlejohn and the Chapmans, to be divided among them. Littlejohn also got Clarke’s clothes and working tools, and stones, and the “indenture and time of service of William Beale”. Clarke was a mason, and Beale was an indentured servant, learning to be a mason.2 When Beale’s time of service was done Littlejohn was to give him twenty shillings, and a hammer, trowel and pick. By leaving his time to Littlejohn, Clarke provided Littlejohn with valuable labor, while also giving Beale a place to live until he came of age. They probably lived somewhere near Philadelphia, since in October 1685 Littlejohn got a certificate of clearness to marry from the monthly meeting there. It was granted the following month, and he married Mary Chapman.3 William probably lived with Bertrand and Mary Littlejohn for three years, either in New Jersey or in Pennsylvania, until 1688 when he bought his own land.4

Who was William Beale, the apprentice mason? He was probably the son of William and Elinor Beale, members of Ross Monthly Meeting in Herefordshire. William Senior was a cordwainer who had been fined and persecuted for his Quaker faith. William and Elinor were married at Ross meeting in 1664. They had three sons: Alexander, William and John.5 There are no further records of Alexander and John, and William was believed to have come with John Clarke as an apprentice.

William Beale bought land three times in his life: once when he was starting out on his own, ten years later when his family was growing, and much later when he wanted a parcel to leave to his sons. The first land that he bought was near Poquessing Creek, a small piece of Joseph Growden’s great manor of Bensalem. Growden had come over from Cornwall about 1683 with a lot of money and great plans. He had purchased 5000 acres of land, to be laid out in Pennsylvania, and his father Lawrence had bought another 5000 acres. Growden’s plan was to establish a manor, where his servants worked the land and where anybody who bought part of his land owed him yearly rent and a day’s work in the time of harvest.6

On the 10^th day of the 12^th month [February] 1688 a group of men gathered together to transact land business, probably at Joseph Growden’s mansion. On that day Growden sold land to Stephen Nowell, a mason, Abel Hinkston, William Beale, also a mason, Thomas Fox and Joseph Wilford, both shipwrights. Nicholas Hickst and Thomas Fox witnessed most of the transactions, except the one to Fox himself. While they were there Beale authorized Nowell to be his attorney to receive the deed when it was acknowledged in court the following month, signing a paper to that effect. Beale paid £16 for his 102 acres, lying on Potquessink Creek and adjoining the land that Abel Hinkston bought the same day. He also had to pay to Growden the yearly ground rent of two English shillings and “one day’s work in time of harvest forever”. Beale signed with his initials; he had not learned to write.7

About 1690 William married a woman named Elizabeth, probably at Byberry Meeting.8 There is no marriage record for them. Byberry Friends did not keep their own records until later, and Abington Monthly Meeting records do not include a marriage for William and Elizabeth, or the birth of their children.9 Elizabeth was undoubtedly a Friend, possibly the daughter of a local family, although many single women Friends came on their own, sometimes as indentured servants to pay their way. Since William and Elizabeth are apparently not mentioned in the wills of other local families, it is possible that they were on their own, with no family support.

Bensalem had no Quaker meeting of its own. The Friends of Bensalem would have met with Friends in Byberry, on the other side of Poquessing Creek. At first Byberry Friends met in private houses, especially those of Giles Knight and John Hart. In 1694 Henry English gave an acre of land for a meeting house and burying place. A log building was erected there, which served for 20 years until a two-story stone building was erected in 1714. It had a fireplace at one end, hinged windows that could be opened, and separate seating for men and women on either side.10 For William Beale and his family it was a three-mile trip to the Meeting. As good Friends they would know that route well. They had six known children. Alexander was the oldest, named first in William’s will, followed later by John. If William was in fact from the family of Ross, then these sons may have been named for William’s brothers.

The big news in Bensalem in 1692 must have been exciting even to the sober Quakers. An unknown man was found murdered by the mouth of Neshaminy Creek in May. Suspicion fell on Derrick Jonson, a Swede, when blood was found on his bed and wall, appearing about the time that the stranger was murdered. Derrick and his wife Britta and sister Eliza were indicted by the grand jury, but the court put the trial off for the winter, evidently hoping that evidence would appear to exonerate him, but it did not, and he was hanged for the murder the next summer.11

In 12^th month 1698/9 (February 1699) William bought another 202 acres from Joseph Growden. This was also on the Poquessing and adjoined Abel Hinkston’s land. Growden reserved two acres near one side for a mill “when he shall think fit to build on thereon”, along with ingress, egress and regress. The Poquessing was a fast-running stream, and many mills were eventually built along it.

William was a respected Friend. In 1694 he was appointed a representative from Abington Monthly Meeting to the Quarterly Meeting in Philadelphia.  This was an honor for someone so young, and suggests that he was trustworthy, since he would be representing the entire meeting. He was appointed again in 1709. In 1700 Byberry Meeting chose William Beale and Thomas Groom as overseers for the following year. This was another honor. The overseers were responsible for the welfare of the members, especially the youth, the poor, and those who might be straying in their conduct. Along with the elders, the overseers were the leaders of the meeting. Of the six children of William and Elizabeth who lived to adulthood, at least five of them married under the auspices of a Friends meeting. William and Elizabeth were successful as Quaker parents in keeping their children from leaving the faith.

William was also mentioned in civic records. In 1703 he was appointed with Joseph Growden, Frances Searle, Thomas Knight and others, to lay out a road to Albersons Mill. This was a typical obligation for landowners who lived in the neighborhood and had a stake in the location of the roads. In the middle of June 1714 he was chosen to review the layout of a road from Newtown to Dunks Ferry.12

In 1713 William bought his final piece of land, probably to leave to his sons. It was in Buckingham, far from his Bensalem land.13 This was a tract of 550 acres, bought from Thomas Stevenson.

In January 1715, William was 47 years old. His six children were in their teens or early twenties. None of them were yet married. His life came to an abrupt end, as he made his will on January 1, and died within five days.14 He left the Buckingham land to be split between his sons John and Alexander, with 225 acres to each. He left his daughter Ann £10 and a black mare. The residue of the estate, including the personal property and the Bensalem land, was left to Elizabeth with no restrictions. He trusted her to manage the affairs and made her the sole executrix. When she died it was to be shared among their four daughters. One of the witnesses was William’s old neighbor Abel Hinkston.15

His inventory shows the standard possessions of a farmer in these early decades of the 1700s. The house had four beds (everybody doubled up), earthen and woodenware, cooking gear, chairs and a table, a dough trough and money scales, glass bottles, barrels and tubs. They had no chests, side tables, no extra items in the kitchen or dining room. A few tools were mentioned: axes, pitchfork and dung fork, grubbing hoes, two spinning wheels, old iron, a plow and plow irons, a cart. The livestock included 17 cows, 14 sheep, 8 horses and a colt, and 15 swine. There were stored 75 bushels of wheat and 25 of barley. The family owned two Bibles. It was a respectable living, with no luxuries. There is some indication of excess production for the Philadelphia market, particularly the number of cows, but there is no mention of dairy equipment. With a value of over £150, it was a solid estate for the time.

In 1717 the widowed Elizabeth bought land from Henry and Mary Walmsley, 16.5 acres in Bensalem, probably adjoining her existing land. (She later sold that same parcel to her son John.)16] In 1721 she subscribed to a collection for the poor of Byberry, along with her son John and many other members of Byberry Friends.17 She outlived William by forty years. In 1751 she was living in Warminster, possibly with one of her children. She died in early 1754, probably well into her eighties.18 Her estate was administrated by her son-in-law Eli Welding, husband of her daughter Elizabeth.

Children of William and Elizabeth:19

Alexander, b. ab. 1690, d. 1754, m. 1) 1716 at Wrightstown Sarah Bowman, dau. of John and Francis, 2) 1723 at Falls, Sarah Town, 3) 1737 Hannah Rogers, 4) 1746 Esther Butterworth

Ann, b. ab. 1694, d. 1747, m. 1717 John Watson, son of Thomas and Elinor, at Abington MM20

Elizabeth, b. ab. 1695, d. 1773, m. 1721 Eli Welding, with a certificate from Abington MM

John, b. ab. 1696, d. 1762, m. 1729 Martha Carter, daughter of John and Grace21, prob at Abington MM

Rebecca, b. ab. 1698, m. 1733 Samuel Richey at Christ Church22

Martha, b. ab. 1700, d. 1786, m. 1729 John Taylor at Abington MM

Most of these siblings married into local Quaker families.

Alexander was probably the oldest, and the first to marry. He first married Sarah Bowman at Wrightstown Meeting. They became members of Buckingham Monthly Meeting. The births of their children were not recorded, but only two survived to adulthood, Hannah and William.23 Sarah died about 1722, leaving Alexander with small children to raise. In early 1722/3 he married Sarah Town, a member of Falls Meeting. They had at least two children, but she died before 1737 when he asked  Buckingham for a certificate to Burlington, West Jersey, to marry the widow Hannah Rogers. He married her, probably without permission since he made acknowledgement to the meeting for his misconduct.24 The following year he came before the meeting again to acknowledge fornication with Hannah before marriage. Around 1742 he and Hannah moved to Burlington, New Jersey, where she died. Alexander was to marry one more time. In 1746 he married Esther Butterworth.25 He died in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in 1754.26

Ann made the most advantageous match when she married John Watson in 1717 at Abington Meeting.27 He was not trained in a medical school, but he read several books about surgery and “physic” and became the local doctor in Buckingham. He set broken bones, cured disorders in general, and prescribed a spicy medicine of his own invention called Watson’s Black Drops.28 Ann and John had three children before her death in 1747, Thomas, Joseph and Elizabeth. John died in October 1760, leaving a very large estate and a will written on one enormous piece of parchment.29 Ann and John lived a comfortable life for the time. Their house was full of material goods:  maps of Asia and Africa and Europe and America, a tea table with porcelain tea cups and silver tea spoons, the imported china known as “Delf ware”, a looking glass, hat box, case of drawers, clock, brass candlesticks, abundant furniture, stacks of linen. The house had a cheese room with cheese, a coffee mill and other goods. Around the farm John had many tools, two hives of bees, a wolf trap. As a country doctor he needed to travel to his patients, so he had a chair and chair horse to pull it. This was a light-weight riding cart with two large wheels, pulled by a single horse, and with a folding top to protect the rider from the elements.30 Their house had a parlor, front room, back room, a front and back room upstairs, a garret, cellar, kitchen, a room over the kitchen, cheese room, and an addition in back called a “linto”. Outside there was an outhouse (probably a storage building, not a privy), chair house, cart house and barn. These were surrounded by an orchard, fields and meadow. The house and land was to go to son Thomas, but John’s widow Sarah, whom he married after Ann died, got the privilege of living in three of the rooms until her death, the usual provision for meat and drink and firewood and a riding creature and an annual cash payment.31 The estate was valued at over £1200.32

Elizabeth Beale married Eli Welding. Eli was a blacksmith who had emigrated from Wales with his brother Jacob, also a blacksmith. Jacob stayed in New Castle County, while Eli married Elizabeth and settled in Buckingham, where he bought land from Humphrey Morrey and Alexander Beale. The area where he lived was probably named for him, the village of Weldon. Eli and Elizabeth were married under the auspices of Abington Meeting and had three children. He died in 1771; she died two years later.

John Beale lived next to his brother Alexander on his share of the land inherited from their father.

In about 1729 John Beal married Martha Carter.33 In 1732 they got a certificate from Abington to Buckingham Meeting. They settled down in Buckingham and raised their family, with two children surviving to adulthood. In 1754, after their mother died, John and Alexander agreed to partition their remaining inheritance.34 John died in Dec 1761.35 His will was unusual in two ways. Instead of the usual provision for his wife to have the use of a room or two in the house, he provided Martha with the use of a small log house on the south east corner of his land, along with the profits, probably in case she should choose to rent it out. In addition, he left land to his daughter Phebe, with the provision that she supply firewood and a cow and an annuity for Martha. This was a typical provision for a son, but rare for a daughter. The son John got the remainder of the land and was also expected to keep a horse and firewood for Martha. The will also stipulated that “my cousen Jonathan Beal” should be under the care of John’s sisters Elizabeth Welding and Rebekah Richey, to be bound out for a trade and to be educated. At the time “cousin” could mean nephew, and it is not clear who this is. Martha outlived John by twenty-four years and died in 1786.

Rebecca Beal was the only one to not marry as a Quaker. In 1729 she and Joseph Gilbert Jr. were brought before the Bucks County court and convicted of fornication. This offense was discovered in the usual way when Rebecca became pregnant. Joseph denied the charge, but was convicted on her word, and was fined for the cost of prosecution and the cost of nursing the child. Joseph died before 12^th month (February) 1730/31, when Abington Meeting took up the case. The meeting felt a “tender regard” for Joseph, who was no longer around to speak for himself. They wanted Rebecca to “take the shame and blame on her self as far as she was guilty and leave his name out of her condemnation”. She refused, and they drew up a paper against her, disowning her, “until it may please God to bring her to a sight and sence of her out going. That she may be received again is the sincere desire and prayer of this meeting.” Rebecca apparently did not take any action that would satisfy the meeting, since she and Samuel Richey were married in 1733 at Christ Church. They must have stayed in Bucks County since she was charged with the care of Jonathan Beal along with her sister Elizabeth Welding in 1761.

Martha Beal, probably the youngest child of William and Elizabeth, married John Taylor at Abington Meeting in 1729. They lived in Buckingham, where Martha died in 1786. She left a will, naming her daughter Phebe Tucker and son John.36 The inventory of her estate showed the furniture for one room, plus cookware, a horse and a cow. She must have been living with one of her children.

William Beale was born in Gloucestershire around 1640, moved to Ross, Herefordshire and became a committed Quaker.1 He is often said to be a son of William and Susanna Beale of Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, whose house was a meeting place for Quakers as early at 1655. Since William and Susanna had a son William baptized in 1641 it is easy to see how the William Beale of Ross might fit in their family.2 However the records of Nailsworth Meeting show that William Beale, presumably the son of William and Susanna, married Hannah Carter in 1668 and had three children with her.3 These records overlap with the time when William Beale of Ross was marrying and having children.4

William of Ross had become a Quaker by 1660. In that year at Ross, “James Merrick, Thomas Atkins, John Merrick, William Beale …(and eleven more) were taken from the Meeting, others in the street, and some from their own houses, and committed to the Marshall’s custody: Next day the Oath of Allegiance were tendered them by a Justice of the Peace, who sent them to Prison for refusing it. Six of these were very poor men, having families dependent on their labour, for one of whom, when five persons in compassion offered to be bound, the Justice refused it.”5

Four years later William Beale “of the parish of Tufley county of Gloucestershire”, married Ellinor Bellamy, daughter of Guy Bellamy, late of Ross on second month (April) third day, 1664.6 The marriage certificate was signed by Thomas Merrick, James Merrick, William Fisher and John Caton. Tuffley is a small town about twenty miles from Ross, across the Severn in Gloucestershire. It is unlikely that William moved from Ross to Tuffley and back again between 1660 and 1665. More likely the marriage record showed his birthplace or where he was living before he moved to Ross, not where he was living at the time. In the marriage record William is shown as a cordwainer, a skilled shoemaker. In 1665 William Beale was taxed at Ross-on-Wye for three hearths.7

The general meeting also recorded the birth of three sons of William and Elinor between 1664 and 1669, named Alexander, William, and John.8 In 1670 Elinor died, leaving William with at least one young child to raise. 9 There is no record that he married again. He was still in Ross in 1683 when goods were taken him to the value of £12 7s 10d, along with six other Friends.10 He was an active member of the meeting, serving as a witness to marriages from 1677 through 1693, most of the recorded marriages of Ross Meeting.11 William died in Ross in 7^th month (September) 1694, still a member of Ross Meeting.12

William and Elinor had three known children: 13

Alexander, b. 5^th 11^th month 1664, no further record

William, b. 21^st 6^th month 1667, emigrated before 1685, d. 1714 in PA, m. Elizabeth —

John, b. 18^th 7^th month 1669, no further record

There are no further records of Alexander and John. William born in 1667 is probably the one who appears in Pennsylvania in 1685. He is a Quaker of the right age. He first bought land in Pennsylvania in 1688, when he would have been 21. He named his own sons Alexander and John, matching the names of his brothers. John is a ubiquitous name at the time, but Alexander is uncommon.14

Alexander Beale, son of William and Elizabeth Beale of Bensalem, had a complicated life, with four marriages and many changes of residence. He grew up in Bensalem and was at first a member of Abington Meeting. In 1716 he married Sarah Bowman at Wrightstown Meeting. A year or so later he got a certificate from Abington to go to Falls Meeting. Perhaps he and Sarah were living with his widowed mother and farming her land in Bensalem. He and Sarah later became members of Buckingham Monthly Meeting.1 The births of their children were not recorded, but two survived to adulthood, Hannah and William.2 Sarah died about 1722. In early 1722/3 Alexander got a certificate from Buckingham to marry Sarah Town, a member of Falls Meeting. They lived in Buckingham, where in 1724 he mortgaged a 200-acre tract bounded by land of his brother John and others.3

Alexander and Sarah Town had at least two children, but she died before 1737 when he asked  Buckingham for a certificate to Burlington, West Jersey, to marry Hannah Rogers. The request was denied. He asked again the next month, and married her the month after that, probably without permission since he made acknowledgement to the meeting for his misconduct. The following year he came before the meeting again to acknowledge fornication with Hannah before marriage. Alexander was almost 50 years old at this time, so he should have known better. Hannah was the widow of William Rogers, who had been a lieutenant of militia of Northampton in 1706 and who died in 1736 in Burlington County.

In 1741 and 1742 Alexander sold off his Buckingham land, apparently preparing for a move to West Jersey.  He sold a small portion of it to Elizabeth and Ely Welding, and the remainder to John Watson, practitioner in physic. It was about this time that his older children married and started households of their own.4 After his eventful life Alexander remained in good standing with Buckingham Meeting, and in 1743 he requested a certificate from them to Burlington Meeting. Around 1742 he and Hannah moved to Burlington, NJ and owned a farm in Hanover Township. Alexander was to marry one more time. In 1746 he married Esther Butterworth, with a license in New Jersey on December 11, 1746.5

In March 1749/50 his daughter Deborah married Thomas Rambo, both of Gloucester County. Married at St. Michael’s and Zion Church in Philadelphia, they lived in Deptford Township, Gloucester County.6

Alexander died in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in 1754.7 Thomas Rambo was the administrator for Alexander’s estate. Beal was described as a husbandman of the Township of Deptford, Gloucester County. Was he living with Deborah and Thomas when he died?

Children of Alexander and Sarah Bowman:8

Hannah, b. 1717, d. between 1769 and 1784, married Patrick Malone about 1742. They bought a farm in Buckingham in 1745 near Forest Grove. Patrick died in 1788. In his will Patrick named his sons John and James, and his daughters Elizabeth, Mary, Hannah, Phebe, and Ann, as well as grandchildren Abner and Sarah Worthington, children of his daughter Sarah Worthington deceased. John was the residual heir and executor.  Since there was no mention of Hannah, she had clearly died before him.

William, b. about 1722, d. 1751, married 1742 Grace Gill at Buckingham MM.  She was the daughter of Thomas Gill and Alice Comly of Byberry. They lived in New Britain and had six children before William’s death in March 1752. In his will he provided for the maintenance of his “dearly beloved” wife Grace, left the plantation to his two sons Thomas and Joseph, asked his father-in-law Thomas Gill and cousin Thomas Watson to be executors. His inventory showed the typical farming household of the time.9

Children of Alexander and Sarah Town: (born between 1723 and 1730)

Deborah, married in 1749 Thomas Rambo at St. Michael’s and Zion Church, Philadelphia; lived in Deptford Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. They had children James, Jonathan, Elizabeth and Hannah.10

Benjamin, mentioned in a certificate of 1741. Benjamin was called before Bucks County court in May 1758 to answer a suit of Richard Yardley. His uncle John Beal of Buckingham and brother-in-law Patrick Malone were sureties for his appearance. There is no record of how this case ended. In 1764 he was probably the Benjamin Beal taxed in Buckingham, and in the same year Isaac Beal, son of Benjamin Beal of Buckingham Twp, was apprenticed to Edmond Kinsey, blacksmith. In 1769 Benjamin Beal, possibly the same one, was called before Bucks County court for assault and battery. Again there is no record of how the case ended.