Isaac was born about 1726 in Moreland, Philadelphia County, one of seven children of William and Esther Jeans. He was one of their younger children, and his older sister Mary probably helped take care of him. Isaac and the others grew up in Moreland, on land bought by their father William in 1732 and 1739. Isaac’s mother Esther died in 1737 and two years later William married again, to Esther Baker. William was a Quaker at this time, and he got a certificate from Abington meeting for the marriage. Most of the children, including Isaac, considered themselves Friends and married according to Quaker customs. In 1747 William died. He left his land to his three sons, Joseph, Isaac and Jacob. Isaac’s portion was 170 acres.
Two years later, in 1749, Isaac married Abigail Sands, daughter of Richard and Mary. She was a member of Middletown Monthly Meeting and Isaac got a certificate from Abington Meeting to show his clearness for the marriage.1 Isaac and Abigail probably lived on the land he had inherited, but their marriage was short-lived. Abigail died between 1750 and 1752, leaving Isaac with a baby daughter Mary. Isaac soon remarried, possibly as soon as the customary one-year mourning period allowed. His second wife was Mary Walton, daughter of Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Walmsley).2 They were married in 8th month (August) 1753 at Horsham Meeting, probably the closest meeting house to Isaac’s farm in Moreland.3 The marriage was witnessed by Isaac’s stepmother Elizabeth, several of Isaac and Mary’s brothers and sisters, his Sands in-laws Richard and Mary.4 Mary was one of nine children, two of whom had died young. The Waltons were a large, well-established Quaker family, so she had many relatives.
Isaac and Mary had two sons, William and Levi.5 But in 1757, Isaac died, leaving Mary with three small children.6 He left a will, written a month before his death.7 He left the plantation to Mary until his two sons reached the age of 21, to support and school them. After they reached the age of 21, they were to have the plantation in Moreland to share, paying £20 to their sister Mary as her inheritance. The inventory of the estate included typical household goods, farm tools, horses, cows, sheep, hogs and hives of bees.8
Four years later Mary married James Tyson, son of Henry and grandson of Rynear and Margaret.9 James became the stepfather of the three Jeanes children. Mary died a few years later and James married Sarah Harper in 1764. In a chain of parenthood, James and Sarah were now the stepparents of Isaac’s children, and they added more children of their own.
Child of Isaac and Abigail:
Mary, born about 1751, married in 1772 Timothy Roberts, son of William Roberts10. They were married at St. Michael’s Church in Philadelphia. Timothy was a farmer. They lived in Moreland, Philadelphia County, where he wrote his will on 11 Nov 1786.11 It was proved 2 weeks later. His wife Mary was to stay on the farm until their youngest son Timothy reached 21. A Negro man Ishmael was to have his freedom after ten years, and to be maintained by the estate if necessary after that.12 The sons Timothy and Williams were to be placed out as apprentices, in trades suitable to their abilities and with respectable men who would use them well. The daughters were Martha, Catherine, Abigail, Elizabeth. Mary was the executor.
William, born 7th month 1754, died in 1828, married Elizabeth McVaugh, probably in 1778, since he was disowned by Abington meeting in 11th month 1778 for going out in marriage.14 When William reached the age of 21, he inherited a tract of land, shared with his brother Levi. William bought out his brother Levi’s share in 1788. William died intestate in 1828, leaving his widow Elizabeth and children Edmund, Benjamin, Isaac, William, Isaiah, Hiram, Jonathan, Mary, Martha, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Rebecca and Keziah.15
Levi, born 3rd month 1757, died in 1807, m. Hannah —, no surviving children. He wrote his will on September 2, 1807 and died three days later. He was buried in the Quaker cemetery at Mulberry and 4th Streets, Philadelphia.16 His still-born daughter died the day after him and was probably buried on the same day, perhaps in the same plot.17 His will of 1807 named four of the daughters of his brother William: Mary, Martha, Elizabeth and Rebecca.18 (William had other children as well.) Levi lived in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia County when he made his will.
- Abington Monthly Meeting minutes. ↩
- At the wedding of Isaac and Mary, the certificate was signed by Elizabeth Jeanes (his step-mother), Elizabeth Walton (her mother), Richard and Mary Sands (parents of Isaac’s first wife), Joseph Jeanes (his brother), William and Phebe Walton (her brother and his wife), Thomas Walton (her brother), Thomas and Mary Carrington (his sister and her husband), two more of Mary’s brothers, and many of the large Walton family. ↩
- As of September 1752, the Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian one, making the year begin in January, instead of March. The Quakers still used the numbers for months instead of the names that they considered pagan. ↩
- Abington Monthly Meeting marriages 1745-1841. The certificate was signed by Isaac and Mary, Elizabeth Jeanes (Isaac’s stepmother), Elizabeth Walton (Mary’s mother), Richard and Mary Sands (parents of Isaac’s first wife), Joseph Jeans (Isaac’s brother), William Walton and Phebe Walton (not present, someone signed for them), Thomas Walton (Mary’s brother), Thomas and Mary Carrington (Isaac’s sister and her second husband), Jeremiah Walton (Mary’s brother), Jacob Walton (Mary’s brother), and many more. ↩
- Their births were recorded at Abington meeting. ↩
- He died on 12th 8th month 1757, according to Abington Monthly Meeting Records. ↩
- Philadelphia County wills, Book K, p. 564. The inventory is at City Hall, Philadelphia, will #349, 1757. ↩
- For some reason bees are rarely mentioned in inventories of the time, just like chickens and geese. Perhaps they were so ubiquitous that it was not worth counting them. ↩
- Mary died in 1762 or 1763, and in 1764 James Tyson married Sarah Harper at Oxford Meeting. Rebecca McVeagh was one of the witnesses. (Abington MM records) ↩
- She was named in her father’s will of 1757, and was named as a granddaughter by Richard Sands, Abigail’s father, in his will in 1758. ↩
- Philadelphia County wills, Book T, p. 418. It was proved two weeks later. ↩
- This is quite late for a Quaker to own a slave. After about 1765, Quakers were reported to their meeting for owning a slave, and by the 1770s some were disowned for refusing to free them. In 1779 the Yearly Meeting suggested that former slaves were due some compensation. ↩
- The births were recorded at Abington Meeting. ↩
- He had two cousins named William. William, son of Joseph, wrote his will in North Carolina in 1767; he was unmarried. (Philadelphia County deeds, book D14, p. 191). William, son of Jacob, was born in 1775, according to records of Abington Meeting. If this William was in fact the son of Isaac, one of the two men from the meeting appointed to give him the testimony was Samuel Lloyd. In a twist of circumstances, William’s daughter Mary married a Samuel Lloyd, possibly the son of this Samuel. ↩
- The births of the children were not recorded at Abington Meeting, since William had been disowned. The names are from Orphan’s Court records, the will of Levi Jeanes, and a Bible passed down in the Tyson family through descendants of Eleanor Jeanes Tyson, daughter of William and Elizabeth. ↩
- Mulberry Street is now called Arch Street. The grounds surrounding the Arch Street Meeting are the site of the oldest Quaker burying ground in Philadelphia, in use for interments until about 1848. ↩
- Philadelphia Monthly Meeting Northern District, Deaths of Members 1807-1885. The burials was shown in the records of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Grave Books 1806-1814. The cause of death is given for Levi, but it is unrecognizable. For Hannah to have a daughter born when Levi was 50, she must have been at least eight years younger than Levi. ↩
- Philadelphia County wills, Book 2, p 183, written on 2 Sep 1897, proved 7 Oct 1807. ↩