Jacob Waters appeared in Upper Merion, Montgomery County, around 1777 when he joined the militia. His origins and family are unknown.1 He served in the Sixth Battalion, in Captain Lette’s company in 1777 and in 1784 in Captain Arnold Francis’ company.2 Since he was born in 1757, he was a young man during the Revolution.3 He was a blacksmith. In 1783 he was still in Upper Merion, taxed for a modest estate.4

In April of 1783 he married a woman named Ann. Her last name is not known, but she was the niece of Edward Tew (or Tue), who died in Philadelphia in 1788 and named her in his will.5 She might have been the daughter of Samuel Tew of Gloucester County, New Jersey, who was known to have a daughter Ann, but there is a question of how a young woman of Gloucester County would meet a young man from Montgomery County.6

In the 1790 census, Conrad Waters of Upper Merion had two men, one boy and four females living with him. This could be Jacob and Ann and their three oldest children, suggesting that Conrad was Jacob’s father. In 1793 Jacob Waters of Upper Merion bought land in Easttown, Chester County from Henry Ruth.7 In 1795 Jacob and Ann sold land in Easttown to Henry Zook8, and bought land in Honeybrook from Isaac Gibson.9 Honeybrook was about 20 miles west of Easttown. In 1798 they still owned a house in Montgomery County, a two-story stone house with a stone kitchen.10

By 1800 Jacob and Ann were settled in Honeybrook, living close to Benjamin Jones, whose son Benjamin would marry their daughter Sarah.11 Jacob subscribed to a fund for building a stone wall around the graveyard of the Presbyterian church in the forks of the Brandywine.12 They were still in Honeybrook in 1810.13

At some point they moved their family about 350 miles west to Licking County, in central Ohio. Why would they move so far across Pennsylvania and halfway across Ohio? “… In 1840, the population had almost tripled to over 2,700 people. Most residents earned their living from agriculture in Newark’s early years. By the late 1840s, the town was home to three newspaper offices, ten grocery stores, two gristmills, an iron foundry, a wool factory, a bookstore, two hardware stores, as well as several other business establishments. Construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal began just south of Newark at Licking Summit in 1825. The canal led to local prosperity in the 1830’s and 1840’s.”14 As a farmer, Jacob apparently hoped to benefit from that prosperity. Jacob and Ann’s daughter Sarah Waters Jones visited them there with her husband Benjamin, “riding the entire distance from Rockville, Chester county, on horseback.”15

In 1832 Jacob applied for bounty land as a Revolutionary War veteran, submitting a paper with the names of his children and dates of birth for him and his wife Ann.16 Records show that he did receive a pension, paid until his death in 1840.17 He is buried at Brushy Fork Cemetery, Licking County.18 Ann died in 1849, aged 84, a widow, survived by seven of her children.19

Some of the children stayed around Brushy Fork and associated with families in the Church of the Disciple there. “The Brushy Fork Congregation… was organized in the latter part of 1837 with… John Oatman and wife, Andrew Nicholson and wife…first members”.20 Andrew Nicholson was married to Nancy Waters; Nancy’s sister Jane was married to Andrew Oatman, probably related to John Oatman.

Children of Jacob and Ann:

Nathan, b. June 1784, alive in 1849.

Sarah, b. June 1786, d. 1872, m. Benjamin Jones, moved to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Benjamin died there in 1828, leaving Sarah with eight children.21 Children of Benjamin and Sarah: Nancy Ann, Samuel, Caleb, Hannah, Mary Ann, Jacob, Benjamin, Sarah.

Jacob, b. June 1788, d. 1860, m. Mary Trout. Jacob was a farmer in the 1850 census in Crawford County, Ohio. He and Mary had five children. She died in 1877 and is buried with Jacob at Luke Cemetery, Crawford County.22

Nancy, b. July 1790, m. Andrew Nicholson. In the 1820 census Andrew Nicholson lived in Hanover Township, Licking County, Ohio with four people in his household, a farmer.23 They have not been found in later census records.

Joseph, b. July 1792, d. July 1799

Rachel, b. August 1794, d. October 1795

Liddy, b. Dec 1796, no further records

Elizabeth, b. April 1799, m. John Patterson.24 In the 1850 census they were in Hanover Township, Licking County, Ohio.25 John was a farmer, age 60. Their sons Joseph and John were living with them.

Joseph, b. Oct 1802, d. before 1849.

Mary, “Polly”, b. Dec 1804, married a man named Lake.26

Jane, b. 1810, d. 1889, m. Andrew Oatman. In the 1860 census they were living in Mary Ann Township, Licking County, where Andrew was a farmer.27 In 1860 they owned 200 acres of land, managed eight horses, 15 cows, 14 sheep and nine swine, grew corn and produced wool.28 Andrew and Jane were buried at Barnes Cemetery, Licking County.29 Children: Charles, Harriet, Emily, Eliza, Warren, George, Jemima, Nancy.30

Benjamin Jones was the son of Benjamin Jones and Hannah Kirk. Born in 1781, he was a middle child in a large family. His father Benjamin was a tanner, who owned almost 300 acres of land in Honeybrook township, on the extreme northwest corner of Chester County.1 Some of the children of Benjamin and Hannah stayed in Chester County, while several, like the younger Benjamin moved west.

Around 1804 Benjamin married Sarah Waters, daughter of Jacob and Ann. Benjamin was one of the first men in his family to marry outside the old Chester County Quaker families. By the early 1800s, many had fallen away from the Society, including Benjamin’s parents, who married out of meeting in 1765. Sarah’s father Jacob Waters, a blacksmith, was from Upper Merion, possibly the son of Conrad Waters. Jacob had served in the militia during the Revolution. Around 1793 he bought land in Easttown, Chester County and moved there with his family, including his daughter Sarah. Around ten years later he and Ann moved to Licking County, Ohio, and settled there. The story is told that Benjamin and Sarah visited him there, “riding the entire distance from Rockville, Chester County, on horseback.”2

Benjamin and Sarah started their family with a daughter Ann in 1806 and went on to have ten children in all. Benjamin supported them as a tanner, following in his father’s footsteps.

In 1821 Benjamin and his brother Samuel inherited their father’s land. Benjamin got the northern end of the property, where he was already living. Samuel got the southern end, which included the main house, where their mother Hannah had the privilege of living during her lifetime. In the usual provisions Samuel was to bring her firewood and care for her cow. Benjamin and Samuel also shared a 50-acre tract, probably of woodland.3

In the spring of 1824, the family of Benjamin and Sarah was uprooted. Benjamin had fallen into debt, owing $482.79. His property was seized by the sheriff and both tracts were sold, the woodland tract of 30 acres and Benjamin’s 108-acre share of the family farm. The smaller tract was sold to Richard and Thomas Walker, while Samuel Jones bought the larger tract.4

Benjamin and Sarah left Chester County and moved their family 150 miles west into the mountains of central Pennsylvania, settling in the Spruce Creek Valley.5 Benjamin did not live there long. “He was also engaged in hauling iron to Pittsburgh and while on one of these trips contracted a fever, from which he died September 21, 1828.”6 The early death of Benjamin probably the family in distress. He left Sarah with a large family of children, ranging in age from 3 to 22. Two of the daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth, died in infancy, possibly from consumption, a common disease of the poor at the time. Yet the sons flourished, becoming solid citizens, successful businessmen, and fathers of large families. The daughters fared less well. One suffered from mental illness and died in an asylum (Nancy); one died in the prime of life from consumption (Hannah); one lived to see her son sent to prison for murder (Mary Ann).

Children of Benjamin and Sarah:

Nancy Ann, “Ann”, b. 26 June 1806, d. 1872, m. James Hunter. After her husband died she lived with her sister Mary Ann LaPorte.7 Nancy died in an asylum in Harrisburg in 1872, according to testimony by her brother Samuel in the 1885 murder trial of Jack LaPorte8. The family was trying to get Jack acquitted on the grounds that insanity ran in his mother’s family.

Samuel, b. 23 Jan 1808, d. 1894, m. 1829 Elizabeth Mattern, daughter of David and Catherine. Samuel was a potter. He became a justice of the peace, a trustee of the Presbyterian Church, and a well-known figure in Tyrone.9 In 1889 he and Elizabeth celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary, hosting a celebration with their families, including nineteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He died in 1894, as one of “Tyrone’s oldest citizens”, according to his obituary in the Democratic Watchman of Bellefont.10 Elizabeth died in 1897.11 Children: Catherine, Benjamin, Christia Ann, Sarah Jane, Lucinda, David, Charles, Emaline, Aaron.12 Only Benjamin, Charles and Emaline (Hiltner) survived their father.13

Caleb, b. 28 May 1809, m. 1834 Catherine Mattern, dau. of David and Catherine, a carpenter. Caleb married Catherine Mattern in 1834. They lived in Franklin Township through 1840, later moved to Clarion County, Pennsylvania and farmed there for a time, then moved to Wabasha County, Minnesota. He died in 1882 and Catherine died in 1896. Children of Caleb and Catherine: Luther, Sarah, Susanna, Albert, Oliver, Sylvester, Catherine, Amanda, Mary Ann.14

Hannah, b. 20 April 1811, m. John D. Bell; she died in January 1850 of consumption.15

Mary Ann, b. 3 May 1813, d. 1887, m. ab. 1833 John LaPorte, lived in Spruce Creek Valley. John was a farmer and judge on the county court.16 Their son Jack was convicted of murder in 1885. Two of the sons, Samuel and Lemuel, fought in the Civil War and never fully recovered from the experience. Children of Mary Ann and John: Benjamin J, Samuel, James Hunter, Lemuel, Anson, Adolphus, Elmore, Sarah Margaret, Jack. John died in 1899, impoverished by the expensive defense of his son in the murder trial.

Sarah, b. 9 April 1815, died in infancy.

Elizabeth, b. 2 December 1817, died in infancy.

Jacob Waters, b. 30 Nov 1819, a carpenter and contractor. He married Rebecca Burley in 1844. They lived in Philipsburg, where he had a “large and successful business”, later moved to Tyrone. Jacob died in 1898, survived by six children. Children: Margaret, Orlando, Elvira, Nancy, Lewis, Delcena, Paul, Lisle, John.17

Benjamin, b. 10 Dec 1823, d. February 1910 in Tyone, m. in 1848 Margaret Rye, apprenticed as a carpenter, built houses in Tyrone with his brother Jacob, moved to Philipsburg and worked in several businesses there.18 Benjamin and Jacob were early builders in Tyrone. “About the same time the city of Tyrone was being laid out, and there the brothers purchased a couple of lots and erected homes of their own in the fall of 1851, when only about three houses adorned the present site of that now flourishing city.”19 Children: Oliver Perry, Ella, Lot, Mary Ann, Dwight.20

Sarah, b. 18 Dec 1826, d. March 1899. She lived with the household of her sister Hannah (Bell) and kept house for the family after Hannah died. Around 1852 she married Amos Gingrich, who died a few years later. They had a daughter, born September 1856, who lived to be 96 and died in Tyrone in 1953.21 Sarah then married William O. Myers.22 Children of Sarah and William: Carrie, Mary, Jennie.23

Benjamin was born in East Bradford in 1740, one of nine children of John Jones and Sarah Taylor.1 Benjamin grew up to be a currier and tanner. Since his father John was a miller, Benjamin must have been apprenticed to learn the tanning trade. Around 1771 he moved about 15 miles northwest to West Nantmeal township.2 From 1796 on he was taxed in Honeybrook. He probably didn’t move; Honeybrook had been formed from West Nantmeal in 1789.

Benjamin bought several tracts of land. In 1785 he bought 217 acres in 1785 from William Logan.3 He added another 50 acres in 1799, and in 1812 he bought a house and ten acres on the turnpike road.4 In 1814 Benjamin and Hannah sold four acres of the ten-acre tract to George Bunn, making a tidy profit.5 In 1817 they sold the remaining six acres to William Davis, reserving the privilege of water from a spring at the southwest corner. In 1818 they donated a tract of 52 perches (1/3 of an acre) to the trustees for a schoolhouse to be erected, part of the land bought from William Logan in 1785.6 In his will Benjamin gave three pieces of land to his surviving sons Benjamin and Samuel. Benjamin got the northern end of the home plantation, while Samuel got the southern end. They were to share a tract on Barren Hill.7

Benjamin’s first wife Alice Temple was the daughter of William Temple and Hannah Taylor. Since Sarah and Hannah Taylor were both daughters of Joseph Taylor and Elizabeth Haines, Benjamin and Alice were first cousins. Marriages between first cousins were against the rules of the Society of Friends, which might explain why Benjamin and Alice were married outside of the meeting in 1765.8 The births of Benjamin’s children were not recorded, so it is not known whether he had children with Alice.9 In her 1827 will Hannah named her six daughters, including Alice and Phebe. This strongly suggests that all of Benjamin’s known children were with Hannah.

William Temple wrote a charming letter to his niece in England in 1772, mentioning that his daughter Alice was dead and asking her to find the record of his birth.10

Respected Niece Mary Isaac:

On the 23rd of Nov. 1772 with great satisfaction & pleasure rec’d thy kind letter dated Bath 18th of Aug, 1772, & was greatly rejoiced to hear from one that was the offspring of my sister Susannah for whom though young when I left her, had a particular regard & esteem for, being my favorite sister as I well remember the younger children laboured under some hardships & difficulties by our fathers marrying a second wife, which is often the case in second marriages, & that was the cause of my leaving my native land, but through the blessing of Almighty God & my care & industry I have acquired a handsome share of the things necessary to be enjoyed in this life, besides which I’ve had nine children, 4 whereof are now living (to wit) 2 sons & 2 daughters all married & have a competent living, my son Thomas is the oldest, Hannah, Lydia and Benjamin are the others living, and those Dec’d are Susanna, William, Elizabeth, Sarah & Alice, … I married one of the family of Taylors who came from Didcot not far from Reading in Berkshire, … as for my ever seeing the land of my nativity I much despair of, being far advanced in years and the infirmities attending old age makes it difficult crossing the seas. I earnestly request if an opportunity should offer that thee make search for the day and year that I was born in. I suppose it may be found in the records of births for the parish of Atford alias Atworth in Wilts as I remember my parents saying I was born at Coonslane in said parish (my fathers name was William Temple) and send me an acct on a piece of paper with the parsons hand to it in thy next letter …”

On 9 April 1770, Benjamin married Hannah Kirk (as “Kark” in the record) at Old Swedes Church in Philadelphia. They had a large family. Apparently none of his children married as Friends. In his will, written in 1819 and proved in 1821, Benjamin named his daughters first, as Alice, Phebe, Cordelia, Hannah, Sarah, and Mary, followed by sons John deceased, Benjamin and Samuel.11 Hannah survived him and died in 1829, and left a will naming six daughters.12

Children of Benjamin and Hannah:

Alice, b. ab. 1771, d. between 1819 and 1827, m. 1) Joseph Trego of Honeybrook (b. 1763), 2) 1797 Isaac Gibson in Middletown Church. Joseph Trego died in 1794, and named his wife Alice and father-in-law Benjamin Jones in his will.13 He was a prosperous farmer, leaving much livestock and many tools.14 Most of the estate was to be sold and divided among his heirs, his wife Alice and children Joseph and Hannah. Alice (as “Else”) married Isaac Gibson on 28 February 1797 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Middletown. He was a widower; his first wife Ann Liggett was the widow of John Starrett.15 Isaac was a physician, who lived first in West Nantmeal, then in Honeybrook when it was separated from Nantmeal. “Dr. Isaac Gibson, about 1786, and Dr. Effinger Happersett, about 1816, commenced the practice of medicine; but as neither of them had received a medical education they were not largely patronized.”16 Gibson was a pewholder in the Presbyterian Church at West Brandywine and subscribed to build a stone wall there.17 He is probably the Isaac Gibson who died in 1829 in Lancaster.18

Phebe, b. Aug 1772, died in 1826, married Jeremiah Trego, b. 1771, son of Joseph and Alice.19 They moved to Northumberland County where he died in 1834. Children of Jeremiah and Phebe: Nancy, Sarah, Hannah, Joseph, Benjamin, Phoebe, Polly, Samuel, Ann, Smith, Mary, Washington.20

Cordelia, m. John Smith before 1819. The were ten men named John Smith in Chester Co in 1820. It is not known which one she married.

Hannah, b. ab. 1777, d. 1863, m. ab. 1793, Joseph Pennock, son of Jesse & Hannah21. Joseph died in 1853, left a will in Chester County. Hannah died in 1863. She and Joseph are buried at London Grove Friends meeting.22 Children of Hannah and Joseph: Benjamin, Mary, Sarah Ann, Joseph. The son Benjamin became a physician, perhaps serving as an apprentice with one of his uncles, Isaac Gibson or Effinger Happersett.

John, died before 1819, left daughters Jean and Hannah.23

Benjamin, b. 1781, d. 1828, m. ab. 1804 Sarah Waters, daughter of Jacob and Ann, moved to Huntingdon County in 1824. Benjamin was in the business of hauling iron to Pittsburgh, and on one trip he caught a fever and died.24 Most of the children of Benjamin and Sarah stayed in Huntingdon County, although at least one ended up in Minnesota. When Benjamin died in 1828, he left Sarah with a large family of children, ranging in age from three to 23. Sarah outlived him by many years, dying in 1872 in Tyrone, Blair County.25 Children of Benjamin and Sarah: Samuel, Ann, Caleb, Hannah, Mary Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth, Jacob, Benjamin, Sarah.

Sarah, b. Nov 1779, d. 1850, m. Davis Roberts before 1819. They moved to Waynesburg, Greene County, where Davis died in 1845. Sarah is buried in the Methodist cemetery in Honey Brook.26 Children of Davis and Sarah: Hannah, Davis, John, Benjamin, Joseph, Mary Ann.

Samuel, b. 1788, d. 1875, m. 1813 Rachel Happersett, dau of Jacob and Agnes, sister of Effinger. They were married at St. Mary’s P.E. Church in Warwick, Chester County. Samuel was a tanner. They had 10 children.27 Samuel died in 1875 in Honeybrook.28 In his will he named Rachel and children Samuel, Agnes, Rachel, Emelia, and Levi. The daughters received a cash legacy, while the sons Samuel and Levi shared the land. Rachel died in 1878 and was buried with Samuel at St. Marks Episcopal cemetery in Honeybrook.29

Mary, b. 1790, d. 1869, married in 1822 Effinger Happersett, a widower whose first wife was Margaret Jones, daughter of David Jones (not a close relation).30 Margaret died in 1821 leaving Effinger with two small children, born in 1815 and 1817. Effinger was a physician, who died in 1861 in West Nantmeal. His inventory included cupping fixtures, syringe, medicine cases and medical library.31 Some said that he was “not largely patronized”, since he had not gone to medical school.32 Mary and Effinger were buried at St. Mark’s P.E. cemetery.33

John Jones of East Bradford first appeared in Chester County records in 1738, when he was listed as a landholder.1 His origins are not known, even whether he was born in Pennsylvania or emigrated.2 Around 1732 John married Sarah Taylor, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Taylor, who were members of Concord Monthly Meeting. John too was a Quaker. When he went before a justice in 1744 to attest to the will of his brother-in-law Richard Taylor, John affirmed rather than swearing.3

Sarah was born in Kennett Township, near the Forks of the Brandywine, in 1711. If John was a few years older, then he would have been born about 1708. He died in 1772, when he would have been in his 60s.4

In 1744 Sarah’s father Joseph Taylor died and left her a tract of land in East Bradford containing 26 acres. Sarah’s husband John and their sons built a mill there on the Brandywine River, later known as Sager’s Mill.5 There were two mills, a sawmill and corn mill, still owned in common in 1773, when one of the sons, Edward, sold his share.6

“By 1740 Joseph Taylor was a large land owner in the Brandywine Valley near Lenape. In 1744 he deeded twenty-six acres of land located on the east side of the Brandywine to his daughter, Mrs. Jones, whose husband and sons soon built a dam and erected a grist and saw mill… The mill property was purchased by Joel Baily in 1775 and sold two years later to Benjamin Powell for one thousand pounds. Among owners in subsequent years was Isaac Dixon who, in 1817, was running the grist and saw mills and built a four story cotton factory. This was known as Adelphi Cotton Works and produced cotton yarn and muslin… The property was purchased in 1855 by John P. Sager, a mill from Delaware County.”7

John was taxed in East Bradford for the saw mill and grist mill on this tract through 1770. In addition to the mill John probably farmed on the remainder of the land. They kept a horse or two and three cows, to provide milk for the family.8

John and Sarah were probably members of Bradford Meeting. In 1741 when her brother Samuel married Deborah Darlington at Bradford Meeting, Sarah and John both signed, along with some of Sarah’s siblings and relatives.

John did not leave a will. When he died in March 1772 in East Bradford, letters of administration were granted to Sarah his widow. She died three years later, living in East Bradford. Her will was written in January 1775 and proved in June 1775. In it she named sons Edward, John and Benjamin, daughters Hannah, “wife of Thomas  Temple” (sic), Lydia, wife of James Jefferis, Elizabeth Harlan, Cordelia Webb, and Ann Chandler.9

Children of John and Sarah:10

William, b. 1732, d. 1766, probably unmarried.11 William died in East Bradford, with administration granted to John Jones. The inventory of his estate, taken December 1766, showed no furniture, a few tools, gear for one horse, and his share in the sawmill and gristmill. He was probably living with his parents.12

Edward, b. 1733, married Ann, a miller in East Bradford in 1771.13 In 1773 Edward and Ann sold a one-sixth share of the water mill to Benjamin Taylor of Pennsbury (Edward’s uncle). They may have left East Bradford after that.

John, b. 1735, named in the wills of his parents, no further information.

Hannah, b. 1737, d. ab. 181014, m. 1770 Benjamin Temple, son of William and Hannah. Children of Benjamin and Hannah: John, Jane, Hannah, Joseph, Elizabeth, William, James.

Benjamin, b. 1740, d. 1821, m. ab. 1765 1) Alice Temple, b. 1743, dau. of William and Hannah (Taylor), m. 2) Hannah Kirk, b. 1747, dau. of Adam & Phebe. They moved to Honeybrook Township by 1799. Alice Temple Jones died before November 1772, and most (or all) of Benjamin’s children were with his second wife Hannah Kirk. Children of Benjamin: Alice, Phebe, Cordelia, Hannah, John, Benjamin, Sarah, Samuel, Mary. They were all named in Benjamin’s will except for John, who died before 1819.

Lydia, b. 1742, m. James Jefferis, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Carter); after Lydia died James married Mary Perkins15. James probably lived in East Bradford in 1790.

Elizabeth, b. 1745, d. 1811, m. 1766 Phineas Harlan at Birmingham Meeting, son of John and Sarah. Phineas died in 1795 in St. Georges Hundred, New Castle County. Children of Phineas and Elizabeth: Sarah, Cordelia, Elizabeth.

Cordelia, b. 1749, d. 1785, m. 1773 Ezekiel Webb, at Birmingham Meeting, son of William and Elizabeth. After Cordelia died, Ezekiel in 1787 married Elizabeth Hollingsworth and had seven children with her16. He owned a farm and kept the Anvil Tavern in Kennett. Children of Cordelia and Ezekiel: Elizabeth, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, Thomas, John, Ezekiel.17

Ann, b. 1754, m. 1773 John Chandler at Christ Church, Philadelphia. They were probably in East Marlborough in 1783 when he bought land in East Bradford. According to some sources they moved to Kentucky.18

Joseph Taylor of Chester County was the son of Abiah Taylor of Didcot, Berkshire, and the grandson of John Taylor.1 Abiah became a Quaker, probably before 1671 when he was absent from services at the church in Didcot. His father John died in 1677, and on his deathbed changed his will, leaving everything to his two children by his second wife and cutting off Abiah with a shilling. Abiah contested the will, but the archdeaconry court found that John was lucid at the time of his death and ruled against Abiah.2

Abiah married a woman named Alice, probably in a Quaker ceremony, and had three known children with her, two sons and a daughter. The daughter, Sarah, married Thomas Hunt.3 The two sons, Joseph and Abiah, both married and immigrated to Chester County.4 It is known when their father Abiah or mother Alice died.

The younger Abiah married Deborah Gearing in 1694 at Faringdon Meeting, Berkshire, and immigrated in 1702. He bought rights to 1000 acres of land from John Tovey while still in England. In 2^nd month 1703 the Commissioners of Property granted him a vacant tract “in Consideration of his Sufferings in Comeing into this Place”.5 He settled on the Brandywine and build a mill. In 1708 and 1713 he bought more land.6 He and Deborah were members of the Friends meeting. He died in 1747 in East Bradford township. The inventory of his estate was sparse, suggesting that he was living with one of his children by then.7 Children of Abiah and Deborah were: Ann, Abiah, Alice, Deborah, and Samuel. They married into other Quaker families, mostly at Birmingham Monthly Meeting.8

His brother Joseph apprenticed himself in 1699 to Edward Weston, a carpenter of Harwell near Didcot. Joseph was a grown man by then, not a youth, and probably wanted to learn the skills. The next year he and Elizabeth Haines of Harwell declared their intentions of marriage at the Quaker meetings at Harwell and Blewbury.9 They started their family, having four sons before immigrating to Chester County in 1708. By then Joseph’s apprenticeship would have ended. He must have saved money while working, since in 1711 he bought a tract of 705 acres on Brandywine Creek.10 He later bought more land, eventually owning over 1100 acres. Later in life he divided the land among his sons and became a shopkeeper. When he died his inventory included 12 iron pots, spectacles, buckles, calico, thread, silk bindings, buttons, alum, writing paper, nails and tobacco.11

Joseph and Elizabeth had seven known children, one of whom died young. In March 1732 three of the sons were hauled into Chester County court for rioting. They had apparently gathered, along with ten other youths, and assaulted Jacob Way, beating and abusing him.12 Joseph, Richard and Benjamin Taylor were found guilty, but the verdict was set aside on a technicality.13 Although Joseph and Elizabeth were Quakers several of their children married outside of meeting.

Elizabeth died in 6^th mo 1743. Joseph died 3^rd mo 1744. Only their three youngest children survived them. In Joseph’s will he named the children of his son Joseph deceased and a son of his son Jeremiah deceased, as well as two living sons and two daughters. All received cash bequests except for the daughter Sarah Jones, who received 26 acres in East Bradford.14

Children of Joseph and Elizabeth:15

Joseph, b. 1701, d. 1740, m. Catherine. Her last name is unknown; she was the widow of a Baxter. A wheelwright and blacksmith, Joseph died in 1740 in Kennet. He left a will, naming four children and a Baxter stepson. His estate included shares in a copper mine and lead mine.16 Children of Joseph and Catherine: John, Susanna, Elizabeth and Joseph.

Richard, b. 1702, d. 1744. Richard died in 1744 and left a will naming his wife Eleanor, four children and an unborn child.17 His widow Eleanor later married Thomas Huston. Children of Richard and Eleanor: John, Joseph, Sarah and Hannah.

Jeremiah, b. 1704, d. 1732, m. Mary; she later m. a man named Smart. Jeremiah died in Kennett. Administration for his estate was granted in 1732 to his father Joseph. Children of Jeremiah and Mary: Elizabeth, Joseph, Jeremiah.18

John, b. 1705, d. young.

Hannah, b. 1708, d. 1768, m. in 1725 William Temple (son of James and Susanna) at Birmingham Meeting. William died in Kennett in 1775; he left a will naming several children and one grandson. Hannah and William had nine children.

Benjamin, b. 1710, d. 1775, m. Sarah Nookes. They lived in Pennsbury on land conveyed from his father Joseph. Benjamin left a will, naming his wife Sarah and children Isaac, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Hannah and Ann. Sarah survived him and died in 1789. She left a will naming her son Isaac, three daughters and a granddaughter.

Sarah, b. 1711, d. 1775, m. John Jones about 1732. In 1744 Sarah’s father Joseph left her a tract of 26 acres in East Bradford. John and his sons built a mill there.19 John died intestate in 1772; Sarah died in 1775. Only two of their nine children were known to marry as Friends. Children of John and Sarah: William, Edward, John, Benjamin, Hannah, Lydia, Elizabeth, Cordelia, Ann.

Adam Sharpley and his wife Mary emigrated to Pennsylvania around 1682 and settled on Shellpot Creek in northern Delaware. Their origins are unknown. They may have come from Ireland, since they settled near Irish Quakers such as Valentine Hollingsworth, Thomas Conway, Morgan Drewett, and Cornelius Empson, forming the nucleus of Newark monthly meeting.1 Valentine Hollingsworth owned a large tract of almost 1000 acres on Shelpot Creek. He gave a tract to the meeting as a burying place, known as the Newark burying place, after the name of his plantation. Later a meeting house was built there, and the meeting was known as Newark Meeting.2

Adam and Mary probably came in the fall of 1682. In 2^nd month 1683 Penn issued a warrant to Ephraim Herman to lay out 300 acres for Adam Sharpley on Shellpot Creek.3 At the same time Herman was to lay out land there for Robert Vanne and William Lester, suggesting that they may have emigrated together. Besides the 300 acres warranted to Adam in 1683, the commissioners of property granted another 100 acres to him in 1694. This land descended to his son William, who sold it in 1717 to Timothy Stedham or Stidham.4

Adam had five known children, born over approximately twenty years. Because of the widely-separated dates, they may be children of two separate wives. The two older daughters, Rachel and Abigail, married between 1686 and 1692 and obviously immigrated with Adam and his then-wife Mary.5 Adam also had a son William, whose birthdate is unknown. He signed the marriage certificate of his sister Abigail in 1693, so he must have been born before 1675 (or earlier), and immigrated with his father. Adam and Mary had twins Benjamin and Charity born in early 1687.6

Adam and Mary were active in Newark Meeting, serving on committees of clearness or relief of the needy. In 1690 Adam was a delegate to the yearly meeting in Burlington; in 1693 he was a delegate to the quarterly meeting.7 He was clearly a trusted leader. In 1690, when Cornelius Empson married his late wife’s sister, he was reprimanded by the men’s and women’s meetings. Adam Sharpley and Valentine Hollingsworth were appointed to meet with him.8 In 5^th month 1694 Adam Sharpley was to inquire about the needs of David Richardson. This is Sharpley’s last action for the meeting. He died in 9^th month 1694 and was buried at Newark Meeting.

Adam made his will in November 1686, leaving everything to his wife Mary.9 The witnesses were Robert Vance, John Vance, and Thomas Pierson. Robert Vance was probably the Robert “Vanne” whose land was laid out in 1682. Pierson had married to Adam’s daughter Rachel a month a few months earlier.

The will was not probated until 1720, probably when there was some question of land inheritance.

In 2^nd month 1696, Andrew Thompson proposed to Salem Meeting to marry Mary Sharpley, widow of Adam.10 The meeting gave him a certificate of clearness, but this proposed marriage might not have happened.11

Children of Adam:

Rachel, b. about 1665, d. 1687, m. 1686 Thomas Pierson the surveyor, buried at Newark. Thomas later married Rose Dixon and had two daughters, Susanna and Rose. Pierson apprenticed as a surveyor in England and arrived in New Castle in 1683. As a deputy surveyor he worked with Isaac Taylor to lay out the circular line dividing New Castle from Chester County.12

Abigail, b. ab. 1670, d. 1748, m. in 1693 Alphonsus Kirk at Newark Monthly Meeting. He was born in County Armagh and immigrated as a young man in 1688. He married Abigail in 12^th month 1692/93 and they settled in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County. They had eleven children, most of whom married in Quaker meetings. Alphonsus died in 1745, leaving an estate of only £31.13 Children: Roger, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Mary, Deborah, Abigail, Timothy, Alphonsus, Adam, William, Timothy. Four of the children (Mary, Deborah, Abigail, the first Timothy) died young, the latter three within a month in the fall of 1704.14

William, b. around 1670, disowned by Kennett Mtg in 1718/9 for an irregular marriage.15 There are no records of marriage for William, but he had at least two sons, William and Daniel, who inherited his interest in the land of their grandfather Adam Sharpley. In 1764 they divided the marsh tract with Adam Kirk (a son of Abigail and Alphonsus) and Thomas Gilpin Jr (who claimed in right of Charity Wollaston).16 A Daniel Sharpley, probably this one, died in New Castle in 1788, leaving a brother William.17

Benjamin, a twin, b. 1686/87, no further records.

Charity, a twin, b. 1686/87, d. 1748, m. 1710 William Wollaston at Kennett Monthly Meeting.18 They lived in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, where William died in 1750.19

Robert Pennell and Hannah Hyandson lived in Balderton, a village in the plain of the river Trent, in Nottinghamshire. The tall spire of St. Giles Church was visible from anywhere in the village. Robert’s ancestors had worshipped at St. Giles for generations, and Robert and Hannah were married there in February 1665/66.1 They would turn away from the Church of England to become Quakers and would leave Balderton for the new colony of Pennsylvania.

Robert was probably the son of another Robert, who wrote his will in Balderton in 1663, leaving children Anne, Nicholas, Henry, Robert and Elizabeth (married to Richard Owlatt). His wife’s name is unknown. It is sometimes said to be Isabell, but no marriage record has been found for them.2

The younger Robert married Hannah Hyandson in February 1665/6.3 Their first child, Ann, was born in 1668; she was followed by five more, all born in England. At some point Robert and Hannah became Friends. In 1684 they got a certificate of removal from the meeting at Fulbeck and emigrated before 1686 to Chester County, where they were members of Middletown Meeting.4 Robert was a constable in 1687 and in 1690 served as a supervisor of Middletown.5 In 1688 he signed a petition against selling liquor to the Indians.6

“The Pennell homestead stood a short distance northwest of Howellville…one of the windows has the small leaden lights of Queen Anne’s time.”7 Howellville is now called Gradyville and is just west of Ridley Creek State Park. In 1685 Robert bought 100 acres from Richard Crosby. In 1711 Crosby sold the remainder of his 370-acre tract to William Pennell, son of Robert and Hannah.8 In 1691 Robert bought land in Edgmont township; in 1705 he bought more land. In 1716 he gave a tract of 200 acres to his son Joseph, and a tract of 218 acres to his son William.9

Hannah died in 1711. Robert survived her. He wrote his will in 1727; it was proved in February 1728/29.10 He called himself a yeoman of Middletown. He gave 200 acres to his grandson Joseph, who only survived him by eight months. He named several other grandchildren, his daughter Ann, his son-in-law John Sharpless, and his daughter Jane Garrett and her husband. The residual legatees were sons Joseph and William. The inventory of the estate was taken in 12^th month 1728/29. It included money owed on bonds, clothing, bedding, two chests and a box and a warming pan, for a total of £278.  Robert was obviously living with one of his children when he wrote it.11

The children of Robert and Hannah were all Friends.

Children of Robert and Hannah:

Ann, b. 1668, d. 1749, m. 1689 Benjamin Mendenhall at Concord Meeting. They eventually owned over 1500 acres around Concord. He was active in Concord Meeting, where he became an elder, and served as delegate to Quarterly and Yearly meetings. He served one term in the Provincial Assembly but was not active there.12 He wrote his will in 1736, naming his wife Ann, five living children and several grandchildren. He died a few years later. His estate was valued at £760. Ann also wrote a will, proved in 1749.13 She left cash legacies to her children and grandchildren. Children: Ann, Benjamin, Joseph, Moses, Hannah, Samuel, Rebecca, Ann, Nathan, Robert.14

Elizabeth, b. 1670, d. 1700, m. 1690 Josiah Taylor under the care of Chester Meeting.15 Children: Phebe, Hannah, Robert.

Hannah, b. 1673, d. 1721, m. 1692 John Sharpless, son of John and Jane, at the house of John Bowater Children: Caleb, Jane, Hannah, John, Phebe, Rebecca, Margaret, Ann, Daniel.16 John died in 1747, leaving a will.

Joseph, b. 1674, d. 1756, m. 1701 or 1702 Alice Garrett, daughter of William and Ann. They settled in Edgmont. Children: Hannah, Robert, Joseph, Alice, Ann, Mary.17 Joseph died in 1756 at Edgmont; Alice died in 1748.18 Their son Joseph died in 1728, soon after his grandfather Robert. Joseph Jr wrote a will leaving his land to his father Joseph and a walnut chest to his friend Ann Hoopes. “There is a suggestion in his legacy to Ann Hoopes, of a romance never to be fulfilled.”19

James, b. 1676, died young.

Jane, b. 1678, d. 1736, m. 1698 Samuel Garrett, son of William and Ann. Samuel served in the Assembly but was more active in Darby meeting, as an overseer and delegate to quarterly and yearly meetings.20 Children: Mary, Joseph, Hannah, Samuel, Nathan, James, Thomas, Jane.21

William, b. 1681, d. 1757, m. 1710 Mary Mercer at Concord Meeting.22 Lived in Middletown. Children: Thomas, Hannah, James, Phebe, Ann, Robert, William.23 William left a will, proved in 1757; his estate was valued at £696.24

Alphonsus Kirk was born in 1659 in Tollygally, near Lurgan, County Armagh, in northern Ireland, the sixth child of Roger and Elizabeth Kirk.1 Roger and Elizabeth originally lived in “Neshagg” (probably Ness Hagg) near Skelton, the North Riding of Yorkshire, just a few miles from the North Sea.2 They became Quakers around the time that they moved to Ireland. According to the records of Lurgan Meeting, “Roger Kirk and Elizabeth his wife dwelt in Neshag in ye prsh of Skelton and ye County of York. Came to Ireland with his wife and five children in ye yeare 1658 (being a Couper by traide) since wch time he hath dwelt at Tolly gally near Lurgan in ye County of Ardmagh and had by his wife Children as followeth…”3

Roger and Elizabeth were members of Lurgan meeting, the first regular Friends meeting in Ireland.4 Alphonsus and his siblings grew up as double strangers in Armagh – as English and as Quakers. There were other English families in the meeting, including others from Yorkshire: the Calverts, the Hoopes’, the Hollingsworths, the Harlans. They came to Ireland, stayed for a while, then some immigrated to Pennsylvania when it opened up for Quakers in 1682.

In 6^th month 1688, Henry Hollingsworth of New Castle County returned to Ireland to marry Lydia Atkinson of County Armagh. Alphonsus signed the marriage certificate, along with Roger Kirk (probably his brother) and Kathreen Kirk (probably the wife of Alphonsus’ brother Timothy). “It is likely that Henry encouraged the Kirks to move to Penn’s colony”, since Alphonsus asked for a certificate of removal from Lurgan meeting a few months later.5

“Whereat, the bearer hereof, Alphonsus Kirk, having an intention to transport himself into the Province of Pennsylvania, in America, at the request of the said Alphonsus, we think it our duty thus to certify concerning him. That he hath lived with his father from his infancy until now, and for aught we know, hath been subject and obsequious to his parents; and since his convincement he hath belonged to our Meetings, and hath behaved himself quiet and honest in his deportment and dealings here, and for anything we do know, or now understand, we having made inquiry concerning him, and he saith himself, is free and clear of all women here, on the account of, or concerning marriage or anything relating thereto. We leave him, and advise him to the measure of the grace of God in his own heart, to which if he would submit, it will teach him to deny all ungodliness.

From our Meeting at John Robinson’s, the 9th of 10th month, 1688.

Robert Hoopes, John Webb, John Robinson, Mark Wright, William Porter, Thomas Wainwright, Timothy Kirk, James Webb, Jonathan Hoopes, William Williams, Robert Kirk, Jacob Robinson, William Cook, Thomas Walker.

Roger and Elizabeth added their own note to it: “This is to certify that we are willing our son, above named, should take this journey herein mentioned; desiring the Lord to be his preserver, and leave him to the disposal of the Almighty. And if it be his fortune to marry, we give our consent, providing, it be with a Friend in unity with Friends, according to the order of truth.”

Alphonsus did immigrate, but not directly to Pennsylvania. He landed in Jamestown, Virginia in 1^st month (March) 1688/89 and traveled overland to Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, settling on Brandywine Creek. He was not the only Quaker immigrant from Ireland near there. “About 1687, the brothers George and Michael Harlan, from Parish of Donnahlong, County Down; Thomas Hollingsworth, son of Valentine Hollingsworth; Alphonsus Kirk, from Lurgan, County Armagh; William Gregg, probably from the north of Ireland; William Dixon or Dixson, from Parish of Segoe, County Armagh; and other Friends settled on the west side of Brandywine Creek, in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, near the present village of Centerville, and became the founders of what later was known as Centre Meeting.”6

It would be five years before Alphonsus married, suggesting that he was not able to support a family until then. Perhaps he was working for someone else to pay the cost of his passage. Finally in 12^th month (March) 1692/3 he married Abigail Sharpley under the care of Newark Friends Meeting.7 She was the daughter of Adam Sharpley.8 Abigail had immigrated with her father Adam and his wife Mary, around the fall of 1682.9 In 2^nd month 1683 Penn issued a warrant to Ephraim Herman to lay out 300 acres for Adam Sharpley on Shellpot Creek.10 Adam and Mary were active in Newark Meeting; Adam served as a delegate to both quarterly and yearly meetings. Alphonsus was also active in Newark meeting, serving on committees and later donating a piece of land for a meeting house and burial ground, which became Centre Meeting.

Alphonsus and Abigail had eleven children. Four of them died in infancy, three of them within a month in the fall of 1704. Of the children who lived to marry, most married in Quaker meetings, although the son Jonathan married out of meeting and was baptized as an adult.

Alphonsus died in 1745 in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware. An inventory of his estate, taken on 23 October, amounted to a meager total of only £31.11 With few farm goods, he may have made his living as a carpenter. Abigail died in 1748.

Children of Alphonsus and Abigail:12

Roger, b. 1694; d. 1761; m. 1726 at Nottingham Joan Bowen. As a young man he was in trouble with Nottingham meeting for wagering on a wrestling match and was probably disowned. He left a will in 1762, naming children Abigail, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Hannah, Sarah, Rachel, Margaret, John, Sampson, Henry, William, Timothy.13

Elizabeth, b. 1695; m. 1717 Daniel Brown; had at least three children.14

Jonathan, b. 1697; d. 1735; bapt. at age 21 at St. James Church; m. Mary Anderson at Old Swedes Church in 1720, had children James, Elizabeth, Abigail.

Mary, b. 1698; d. 1699.

Deborah, b. Jan. 1699/70; d. 23 Sept. 1704

Abigail, b. 1701; d. 29 Sept. 1704.

Timothy, b. 1704; d. 19 Oct. 1704.

Alphonsus, b. 1705; d. 1731/32; m. 1730 Mary Nichols, widow, at Center meeting house; Alphonsus was a carpenter. They had only one child, a daughter Hannah, before his death.

Adam, b. 1707; d. 1774; m. 9 mo 1744 Phebe Mendenhall, daughter of Benjamin and  Ann, at Kennett Meeting. Phebe was 17 years younger than Adam. They settled in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, where he died in 1774. In his will he named Phebe and eight living children.15 After his death she married Joseph Pennock, a wealthy farmer. She died in 1818, a full 44 years after Adam. Children: Lydia, Hannah, Adam, Phebe, Abigail, Caleb, Deborah, Elizabeth, Joshua, William.

William, b. 1708; d. 1787; m. (1) in 1733 Mary Buckingham; m. (2) 1754 Sibilla Williams.16 William wrote a will, proved in 1790, naming his wife Sibilla and living children. Children of William and Mary: Caleb, Ruth, Tamer, Hannah, Othniel, Rebecca, Lydia, Mary, Sarah. Children of William and Sibilla: Isaiah, Elizabeth, Joshua, Ruth, Rachel, Adam, William, Sibilla.17 The daughter Rachel wrote a memoir about the family.18 The daughter Tamar moved to Georgia, where she was killed by the Indians, an incident that was an exception to their usually friendly relations with the Quakers.19

Timothy, b. 1711; d. 1786; m. 1734 at Goshen Meeting Sarah Williams. Moved to East Nantmeal, later to Warrington, York County. Sarah died in 1796. Children: Jacob, Alphonsus, Rachel, Adam, Joseph, Thomas, William, Timothy, Sarah, Ezekiel, Jonathan.

Adam Kirk was the son of Alphonsus Kirk and Abigail Sharpley of Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware. Alphonsus and Abigail were married in 1693 under the care of Newark Friends meeting. Adam was their ninth child, born in 1707, named for Abigail’s father Adam.

Adam’s father Alphonsus was not prosperous, leaving an inventory of only £31 at his death in 1745. Perhaps that explains why Adam waited so late to marry. When he married Phebe Mendenhall in 9^th month 1744, he was in his late thirties; she was 17 years younger than he was. Her family was quite well-to-do. Her father Benjamin Mendenhall was one of the wealthier men in Concord Township, Chester County.

Adam and Phebe settled in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, and had ten known children. He died in 1774. In his will he named Phebe and eight living children.1 He was “under Considerable pain and weakness of Body” at the time, but of sound mind. He left Phebe a one-third part of his estate and the use of the stone end of the house, “from the top to the bottom”, with the use of the garden and with firewood cut for her and with stabling for her mare. The son Adam received the west end of the plantation, about one hundred acres, plus a half share in the grist mill and saw mill. Caleb received the house, the south end of the plantation and the other half of the mill. William received the northeast part of the land, while Joshua received £100. The sons were to be educated, Joshua in particular, “he being weakly”. The four daughters, Lydia, Hannah, Abigail and Phebe, each received £50. In a very interesting bequest, Adam left his “Doctor Books or such Books as treat of Physick” to his son Joshua.2

After his death Phebe married Joseph Pennock, a wealthy farmer and member of the Assembly. She had no children with him. Phebe died in 1818, a full 44 years after her first husband. She wrote a will in 1811, naming five children and several grandchildren.3 The inventory of her property, taken on April 28, consisted of a bed and furniture for one room, including a bonnet box, looking glass, smoothing irons, and a bedpan. The bulk of her estate was a bond for $613 plus interest on it, for a total of $1357.

Children of Adam and Phebe:4

Lydia, born 1^st month 1746, died 2^nd month 1793, probably unmarried.

Hannah, born 5^th month 1747, d. 1829, married Benjamin Jones as his second wife. His first wife Alice Temple died around 1772. Hannah and Benjamin lived in Honeybrook, in the western edge of Chester County. They had nine known children, known of whom married as Friends. Children: Alice, Phebe, Cordelia, Hannah, John, Benjamin, Sarah, Samuel, Mary.

Adam, born 6^th month 1749, married at Center Meeting in 1774 Esther Wilson, daughter of Joseph. They moved to Wayne County, Indiana, where Adam died in 1821. He left a will, naming the children, but Esther must have died before him.5 Children: Isaiah, Hannah, Rebecca, Benjamin, Ann, Phebe.

Phebe, born 7^th month 1751, d. 1841, married Christopher Chandler, son of Swithen and Ann Chandler. Phebe was Christopher’s second wife; his first wife was Prudence Grubb. Phebe and Christopher were disowned by Kennett Meeting in 4^th month 1775 for accomplishing their marriage outside of the meeting.6 Children: Tamar, Caleb, William, Benjamin, Elihu, Jehu, David, Hiram.

Abigail, born 11^th month 1753, married 5^th month 1780, Daniel Windle of East Marlborough, son of Francis and Mary.7 According to some accounts they moved to Ohio. Children: Joseph, Benjamin, Caleb.

Prudence, b. 1754, died young.

Caleb, born 3^rd month 1756, d. 1831, married 4^th month 1779, at Centre Meeting, Sarah, daughter of Swithen and Ann Chandler. They were disowned for having a child born too soon after their marriage.8 Children: Joshua, Phebe, Samuel, Caleb, Abigail, Ann, Caleb, Sarah, Lydia, Hannah.9

Deborah, born 1758, died young

Betty, born 1761, died 1764.

Joshua, born 1763, died 1777.

William, born 1764, d. 1841 in Ohio, m. 1 July 1789 Edith Shortlidge at New Garden, Chester County. They moved to Belmont, Ohio before 1820. Children: Isaac, Robert, Phebe, William, possibly others.

Moses was the son of Benjamin Mendenhall and Ann Pennell.1 He was born in 1694 in Concord, Chester County. The Mendenhalls were prominent in Concord meeting and Moses grew up in a strong Quaker tradition. His father was active in the meeting and Moses’ older brother Benjamin later became a traveling Friend, one who visited meetings as an approved minister. Moses would eventually join his brother on a list of Eminent Friends.2 The Mendenhalls were also prosperous. Benjamin was one of the wealthiest landowners in Concord township, surpassed only by his brother-in-law Nathaniel Newlin.3

Alice was the daughter of John and Francis Bowater. Like Moses, she grew up in a strong Quaker tradition. Her grandfather, John Bowater senior, was a minister, imprisoned for his teachings. Her father John had died in 1705 and she probably lived with her mother and four sisters until in 1713 she married Jacob Pyle. Jacob was the son of Robert and Ann Pyle. Robert was a malster who grew barley and processed it into malt for beer-making. He was from Bishops Canning, Wiltshire, the same area as the Mendenhall family (known as Mildenhall in England). The families may have known each other before Robert and Benjamin immigrated. Robert served in the Assembly and in 1698 he proposed that monthly meetings should have the power to free slaves held by Friends, a radical proposal for that time. Jacob and Alice lived in Concord and had two sons before Jacob died in 1717.4 The younger son, James, died before 1719, leaving her with Samuel, who was five years old when she married Moses.

Moses and Alice were married on the 18^th of April 1719, at Concord Meeting House.5 The meeting house was built on land sold to the meeting in 1697 by John Mendenhall, Moses’ uncle, for a meeting house and burying ground. A few years after their marriage Moses and Alice moved to Kennett, about twelve miles west of Concord, settling on Brandywine Creek and becoming members of the meeting there.6 He was recommended as a minister in 1726 and was chosen as clerk of the meeting the following year. By then they had four children of their own.

Moses made a will in September 1731, when he was already ailing. His sons Caleb and Moses were each to receive half of the land, as they arrived at age 21. The daughters Alice and Phebe were each to receive £30 at age 18. Alice was to “bring them up and teach them to read and write legiably”, as well as to place Moses as an apprentice when he reached 15.7 Moses died in 9^th month (November) 1731. A testimonial to his ministry was written in the minutes of Newark meeting.8

“… in his youth he was religiously inclined, loving the conversation of such and choosing places of retirement to wait upon God. .. As he grew in years he grew in religious experience, and in 1724 appeared in the Ministry: first in a few words, but continuing faithful he increased in his gift, and in time had a Seasonable refreshing testimony, which often affected the minds of the hearers. He visited the meetings in Maryland, New Jersey, and sometimes those near home: being also rightly gifted for the discipline and serviceable therein. … Being sensible in his last sickness that his end was near, he signified ‘He was thankful to the Lord that he was like to be taken from the troubles of this world’, exhorting friends to faithfulness and died in a resigned frame, in the ninth month, 1731, aged about thirty eight years, and a minister about seven years, and was interred in Kennett burying ground.”

Children of Moses and Alice:9

Alice, b. 16th of 2nd mo, 1720, d. 1780, m. 1739 William Pennock at Kennett Mtg, son of Joseph and Mary Pennock of Marlborough Twp10. William died intestate in Marlborough in 10^th month 1763. Alice was the administrator for his estate, along with their son Moses.11 Children: Moses, Joseph, Hannah, Phebe, William, Caleb, Samuel, Joshua, Alice.12

Caleb, b. 22nd of 7th mo, 1721, d. 1746, m. Ann Pierce, daughter of Joshua and Ann, in Feb 1742/3 at Concord Mtg. They had sons Moses and Caleb, before the death of the older Caleb in 1746. Ann later married Adam Redd at Kennett Meeting.13

Phebe, b. 2nd of 5th mo, 1724, d. 1818, m. Adam Kirk of Christiana Hundred, son of Alphonsus and Abigail. Adam was born in 1707, quite a bit older than Phebe. They had 10 children. Adam died in 1774, and Phebe married second, in 1778, Joseph Pennock, son of Joseph and Mary.14 Joseph had been previously married, to Sarah Taylor, and he had ten children with her.15 Joseph wrote his will in September 1799, provided for Phebe, “Including all that she hath by virtue of the Will of Adam Kirk”. He named some of his children and grandchildren, and left £200 to Londongrove Meeting for the poor and for a school. Phebe wrote her own will in November 1811, naming her grandson Joseph Pennock as her executor.16

Moses, b. 23rd of 2nd mo. 1727, died unmarried.

Children of Alice and Jacob (surname Pyle):

Samuel, b. 1714, m. Sarah Pringle at Kennett Meeting in 2^nd month 1739, lived in  Kennett.17 Possible children: James, Phebe, Jacob.18

James, b. 1716, died before spring 1719.