Worthington

John Worthington and Mary Walmsley

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My grandmother Helen told me a story about her Worthington ancestors, passed down to her from her aunt May. She said that we were descended from Captain John and Sarah Worthington who sailed up the Severn River in Maryland and settled on a plantation called Pendennis. These turned out to be real people, even though the dashing Captain John was not related to our quiet Quaker farmers.1

Worthington was a common name in the north of England, around Lancashire and Cheshire. Some of them became Quakers and they were persecuted for it. James Harrison, a prominent Quaker from Bolton, wrote in 1679 to Roger Longworth, a traveling Quaker missionary, “I and mine are very glad to here from thee and of thy welfare.  Soe are friends here and heareaways Ph: (?) Worthington desired me to remember his love to thee when I writ … a bad bad spirit hath been at work and it is in Cheshire.” He then gives details of the persecutions, especially of James Worthington.2 When Pennsylvania opened up as a refuge for the Quakers, some of the Worthingtons emigrated and settled in Byberry township, north of Philadelphia. The usual story is that there were three brothers, John, Samuel, and Thomas, who reached Byberry in 1705.3 Since the first record of them is the marriage of John in 1720, they probably came about then as young adults.4 Worthington was a very common name at the time.5 From the earliest times there were two unrelated families, one in Byberry descended from John and Samuel, and the other around Wrightstown, descended from Richard Worthington.6

First generation: The immigrant brothers7

John, b. ab. 1697, d. 1777, married about 1720 Mary Walmsley, daughter of Thomas and Mary, lived in Byberry.

Samuel, b. ab. 1700, d. 1775, married 1724 Mary Carver, daughter of William and Mary, lived in Byberry, then Buckingham.

possibly Thomas, found only in a list of 1734 landholders in Byberry.

John Worthington was born about 1697.8 He probably immigrated as a young man with his brother Samuel. John married Mary Walmsley, daughter of Thomas Walmsley and Mary Paxson, about 1720, and settled in the northern end of Byberry. The marriage was not recorded at Abington meeting. All of Mary’s brothers and sisters were married under the auspices of Abington meeting; this strongly suggests that John and Mary were married there too, possibly at a time when the records were in disarray.9

In 1721 John subscribed to the collection for the poor of Byberry. In 1734 he was on the list of landowners in Philadelphia County with 25 acres. This would not have supported a family; presumably he made his living as a weaver.10 In 1732 Samuel’s house in Byberry burned down and two years later he and Mary moved north to Buckingham, Bucks County.

In 1752 John was elected as an overseer of the poor. The job was “to provide the necessaries of life to all who are unable to procure them, and not let any suffer.”11 This is one of the few times he appears in the records for his meeting or for the township. He was not active in religious or public affairs. In 1754 Mary’s father Thomas Walmsley died, followed three months later by his wife Mary’s mother Mary. In his will Thomas left 60 acres in Byberry to his daughter Mary Worthington. They may have moved to that tract, since in his will John mentioned a tract of 50 acres in Byberry “whereon I now dwell”. He eventually owned four tracts in Byberry, one in Bensalem and one in Buckingham. In the tax list of 1769 and 1774, he was shown with 160 acres in Byberry, three horses and four cows.12

He and Mary had eleven children born in the next thirty years, with their births recorded at Abington Meeting.

The oldest daughter was the first to marry.  Elizabeth married Joseph Tomlinson at the First Presbyterian Church  in 1744. This was the first of a series of marriages out of meeting for John’s children. In 1751 Thomas married Hannah Duncan at Trinity Church, Oxford. In 1765 William was disowned for going out in marriage with Esther Homer; a few years later he moved up to Buckingham Township, where two of his brothers were already living.

Benjamin, the youngest son, was the only one of them to stay in Byberry, while the others moved to Buckingham.

Mary died in 4th month 1764.13 She buried two of her children, but lived to see four of them marry. John wrote his will in 1776, “somewhat disordered in body”. He was about 80 years old. He died the following March. In the will he named all his living children, distributed the household goods and referred to six separate pieces of land. In the typical pattern of the time he gave land to his sons and cash to his daughters. He provided for his unmarried daughter Mary. Four of the sons, William, Isaac, Joseph and Benjamin, were to build her a “suitable and convenient dwelling house”.

It is striking that of the ten marriages of their children, including the three of Joseph, only three were under the auspices of Friends meetings. John and Mary were not successful in keeping their children as Friends. Also, several married at an older age than usual, or not at all.

Children of John Worthington and Mary Walmsley:14

Elizabeth, b. 1st month 1721, d. 1761, married 1744 Joseph Tomlinson, at the First Presbyterian Church in Phila15. He was the son of Thomas Tomlinson and Joan Walmsley.16 In 1757 Joseph was on the list of members of Byberry Meeting.17 They had seven children before Elizabeth’s death in 1761. Joseph died in Bensalem but did not leave a will.18 Children: Rebecca, John, Thomas, Joseph, Francis, Mary, Benjamin.19

Mary, b. 12th month (February) 1723/24, died unmarried in 1785, provided for in her father’s will. She was called “honest old Mary Worthington” by Henry Tomlinson.20 She left a will naming her sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews.21

Thomas, b. 2nd month 1726, d. 1798, married 1751 Hannah Duncan at Trinity Church, Oxford.22 He moved to Southampton, and left a will proved in 1796, providing for Hannah and naming ten children.23 Children: John, Nathan, Rebecca, William, Joseph, Isaac, Benjamin, Thomas, Amos, and Mary.

Hannah, b. 12th month 1727/8, married her cousin Joseph Carver, son of William Carver and Elizabeth, in 1776 at Buckingham MM.24 It was a late marriage for her; he was twice widowed; they had no children.

John, b. 2nd month 1730, d. 6th month 1744.25

William, b. 7th month 1732, d. 1816, married in 1764 Esther Homer in the Presbyterian Church at Churchville.26 She was the daughter of William Homer and his second wife Mary Walton (daughter of Daniel). William and Esther had six children who lived to marry.27 He died in Buckingham and left a will, proved in 1816.28 He named Esther, and children William, Jesse, Benjamin, Hiram, Mary, and Esther. Esther died in 1832.

Isaac, b. 6th month 1735, d. 1800, m. 1760 Martha Carver at Christ Church, Philadelphia, daughter of William and Elizabeth. Isaac and Martha moved to West Goshen, Chester County, and died there. Isaac left a will naming Martha and most of the children.  Children: Mary, William, John, Amos, Eber, Elizabeth, Joseph.

Joseph, b. 6th month  1738, d. 1822, m. 1) Elizabeth or Esther Carver, daughter of Joseph, in 1767 at the Dutch church in Churchville29, 2) Sarah Malone (daughter of Patrick and Hannah) in 1773 at Buckingham MM, 3) Esther Kimble in 1778 , daughter of Anthony and Esther.30 Joseph had children with all three of his wives. He owned Indian Neck Farm, on the Neshaminy Creek31 and died in Buckingham, Bucks County. Joseph left a will, proved in 1822.32 He named his wife Esther, and ten of the children. Esther died in 1828.33 Children of Joseph and Esther/Elizabeth: Joseph, John.34 Children of Joseph and Sarah: Abner, Sarah.35 Children of Joseph and Esther: Anthony, William, Joel, Elisha, Amy, Hannah, Martha, Jesse, Esther, Isaac.

Martha, b. 1st month 1740/1, m. 1772 James Bonner. They were married by Justice of the Peace Wm Dewees.36 She was a member of Buckingham Friends but James was not, although he became a Friend later. He immigrated in 1764. She died in Buckingham, then he moved to Byberry, with a certificate from Buckingham and died there.

Benjamin, b. 12th month 1742/3, d. 1813, m. 1774 Hannah Malone37, daughter of Patrick and Hannah, at Buckingham Meeting.38 They settled in Byberry and had eleven children, two of whom died young. Benjamin made his will in 1811 and signed it, then wrote another one after Hannah died. The second one was unsigned, but admitted for probate.39 Children: Mary, Asa, John, James, Benjamin, Mahlon, Hannah, Joseph, Elizabeth, Enos, Martha.

Esther, b. 12th month 1749/50, d. 9th month 1754.40

  1. Captain John Worthington was born about 1650 near Manchester, England. In 1664 he came to Maryland, and rose to serve as a commissioner, coroner, judge, and member of the House of Burgesses and the Legislative Assembly. He was active in the Severn Militia and fought against the Nanticoke Indians. With his wife Sarah Howard he had six children. But we are not descended from any of them. ↩
  2. Hull, William Penn and the Dutch Quakers, p. 358. The spelling is modernized here. The original letter in a mss collection at the HSP is very difficult to read. According to W. W. H. Davis, History of Bucks County, the Worthingtons were from Standish Parish, Lancashire, where there is a town called Worthington. This must have been family folklore from someone whom Davis interviewed.  Without finding more records for John and Samuel, we cannot pin down their origin. ↩
  3. Joseph Martindale probably started this in his History of Byberry and Moreland, originally published in 1867, and many others have repeated it since. Samuel was known to be John’s brother, since he named John’s son Isaac in his will. Davis said that Thomas was received at Buckingham Meeting in 1732, but “shortly removed to Abington”. No records of him have been found, except a land record in 1734. ↩
  4. There was a John Worthington who died on the Friendship in January 1684/5, from the parish of Cheadle. He left a will, but the names of his siblings do not match the other known Worthington families. ↩
  5. There was another Worthington in Byberry, coincidentally, but not related to Samuel and John. The Pennsylvania Gazette reported on July 11, 1734 that, “The weather has been so excessive hot here for a Week past, that a great Number of People have fainted and falled into Convulsions, and several have died in a few Hours after they were taken.  From the Country round about we hear that a great many of the Harvest people faint in the Fields, and ‘tis said that in some Places a multitude of Birds are found dead. … Saturday Night last …  James Worthington of Byberry, as he was reaping drop’d down; and being carry’d into the shade dy’d in a few Minutes. (Pennsylvania Gazette, from July 4 to July 11, 1734, quoted in the PA Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 12, 1883.) Letters for James’ estate were not granted to John and Samuel, but instead to strangers, showing the lack of relationship. Could this James be the one referred to in the letter of James Harrison? ↩
  6. My grandmother Helen knew this and assured me that we had no connection to the Wrightstown Worthingtons. The oral tradition was remarkably accurate. Davis calls the family of Richard Worthington the Buckingham Worthingtons.  He calls Samuel’s descendants the Plumstead Worthingtons (Samuel moved from Abington to northern Bucks County in 1736). (Davis, p. 259.) My grandmother was descended from the Byberry Worthingtons, while her husband Raymond was descended from the Plumstead Worthingtons. She never knew this, although it would not have surprised her. ↩
  7. There is an Esther Worthington who married Robert Bryant in 1724 at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and some researchers have included her as a sister of John and Samuel. There is no evidence to connect her to them, and it is unlikely that their sister would have married in any place other than a Friends meeting. ↩
  8. There are no birth records known for him. His wife Mary was born in 1701. ↩
  9. The early records were given to George Boone to copy in 1716; he finished around 1719. ↩
  10. It is often said that he is was a weaver, starting with Martindale. An original record showing this has not yet been traced. ↩
  11. Martindale, p. 141. ↩
  12. Proprietary Tax List of Philadelphia County and City 1769, 1774, 1779. ↩
  13. Byberry Meeting, Deaths 1736-1823. ↩
  14. Abington MM records at the Bucks County Historical Society; also Martindale. ↩
  15. Pennsylvania Marriages Prior to 1810, PA Archives, Second Series, vol. IX. ↩
  16. Martindale, History of Byberry and Moreland, 1867, p. 370. ↩
  17. Byberry Preparative Meeting, Minutes 1753-1792, image 293. ↩
  18. A different Joseph died in Upper Makefield in 1785 and two men named Joseph Tomlinson died in Philadelphia County in the late 1700s, none of them this Joseph. ↩
  19. Francis can be either a male or female name at this time, the only name of its type. This Francis was a male, who married his cousin Mary Worthington about 1785. ↩
  20. Tomlinson was interested in local history and kept a list of deaths of people in the surrounding neighborhood, both Quakers and non-Quakers. At some point his list was copied into Byberry Meeting records. (Byberry Monthly Meeting, Deaths 1736-1791). The clue that some are non-Quakers are the Dutch names such as Vandegrift and Praul. ↩
  21. Philadelphia County Wills, book T, p. 238. ↩
  22. Records of Trinity Church at the Bucks County Historical Society, Spruance Library, collection Chu 11. Martindale said that Thomas married Hannah Pritchet. ↩
  23. Bucks County Wills, book 6, p. 93. ↩
  24.   Buckingham MM marriages on USGenWeb Archives for Bucks County. ↩
  25. Abington MM, Minutes 1629-1721. ↩
  26. Marriages at the Presbyterian Church, Churchville, 1738-1810, in PA Marriages prior to 1810, vol. 1; also on USGenWeb Archives for Bucks County. ↩
  27. Their son Benjamin married Mary Welding and had a son Watson, confusable with another Watson Worthington with a father named Benjamin. ↩
  28. Bucks County wills, Book 9, p. 146. ↩
  29. Her name is given both ways in different sources; it is not clear which is correct. ↩
  30. She was his cousin, the daughter of his first cousin Esther Worthington Kimble. ↩
  31. William Worthington, “Indian Neck Farm”, manuscript. Indian Neck Farm is on a level floodplain of the Neshaminy, supposedly the site of a Lenni Lenape village. Many implements were found there such as stone darts and arrow heads. ↩
  32. Bucks County wills, book 10, p. 81. ↩
  33. Web sources, not confirmed. ↩
  34. They were named in the will of their grandfather Joseph Carver in 1790. ↩
  35. They were in the will of their grandfather Patrick Malone. ↩
  36. Post to Bonner surname board on Rootsweb, citing a book by Ruth E. Bonner ↩
  37. Some sources erroneously give her name as Sarah, but this is a confusion with her sister, who married Joseph Worthington. ↩
  38. Comly says Benjamin was born in 1746; however the diary of Lydia Ann Cleaver (FHC #0172927) says that Benjamin was born 19th of the 12th month in 1742. Either Comly had a mistake or there was another Benjamin who died young. ↩
  39. Philadelphia County estate records, City Hall. ↩
  40. Abington MM, Minutes 1629-1721. ↩

One thought on “John Worthington and Mary Walmsley”

  1. Good afternoon! We are cousins of some sort. I am descended from both John and Samuel. I will be most interested to read more of what you have in these pages. They are bookmarked, and I will be coming back to them in December, after I am finished with a bit of intense schooling. Thank you very much for your work here.

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