BULLETIN HISTORICAL 50CIETY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA j\ro/^j^/srowjr

SOMERY

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT IT5 KOO^S IS EAST PENN STREET NORRISTOWN.PA.

APRIL, 1954

VOL IX NUMBER 2 [PRICE ONE DOLLAR Historical Society of Montgomery County

OFFICERS

Donald A. Gallager, Esq., President George K. Brecht, Esq., Vice-President Foster C. Hillegass, Vice-President David E. Geoshens, Esq., Vice-Presid&nt Eva G. Davis, Recording Secretary Helen E. Richards, Corresponding Secretary Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Financial Secretwry and Librarian Lyman a. Kratz, Treasurer

TRUSTEES

Kirke Bryan, Esq. Harry L. Christman Mrs. H. H. Francine Donald A. Gallager, Esq. Herbert H. Ganser Kenneth H. Hallman George M. Harding Nancy P. Highley Foster C. Hillegass Mrs. a. Conrad Jones Hon. Harold G. Knight Lyman A. Kratz Franklin A. Stickler Mrs, Franklin B. Wildman, Jr. Norris D. Wright KATHARINE PRESTON 1872 —1952 THE BULLETIN

of the

Historical Society of Montgomery County

Published Semi-Annually — October and A-pril

Volume IX April, 1954 Number 2

CONTENTS

In Memoriam: Katharine Preston 55 Jane Keplinger Burrls Early Land Transactions of Montgomery County 57 Charles R. Barker Nineteenth Century Real Estate Offerings .. (Compiled) 88 Deaths in the Skippack Region (Compiled) 95 Early Residents and Land Transfers in Pottstown 109 Rev. Carl T. Smith

Notes and Queries 144 Acquisitions 146

Editorial 150 Reports 151

Publication Committee

Mrs. LeRoy Burris Jean E. Gottshall Charles R. Barker, Chairman

53 Katharine Preston

1872 -1952 On December 31, 1952, there passed from our midst the last sur viving member of a distinguished family of Montgomery County, and one of prominence in the history of our Society. Katharine Preston was born in Norristown, April 7, 1872, the first of three children, to Dr. Mahlon Preston and Mary Krause. It is with deep regret that we record her loss. Miss Preston was one of the Society's most estimable and devoted members. A member since 1908, and a trustee for over thirty years, her interest never faltered. She seldom, if ever, missed a meeting or an outing in all the years of her membership. Her mother, Mary Krause Preston, had been a trustee before her, and her sister, Emily Krause Preston, who died in 1942, had been our librarian for many years. An article in memoriam of Miss Emily Krause Preston appears in the Society's pub lication, the Bulletin, (April, 1943, Volume III, No. 4, page 266.) Upon the death of her sister. Miss Katharine Preston was acting librarian in her place, assisted by Miss Annie B. Molony, from 1942 to 1945, when Rudolf P. Hommel was appointed to the post of librarian and curator of the Society. Miss Preston was an individual of no small talent. Her creative ability was manifest in several different mediums of endeavor. In her earlier years she delighted in painting china, a collection of which is a treas ured possession of the Society. Her finest effort and greatest joy, how ever, was in the painting of small water colors;— mostly marine scenes and landscapes. Many of them, also in the Society's custody, are of a wondrous delicacy, and reveal considerable imagination. From her pen we have several interesting and informative papers; one entitled "Our Curios" appeared in Volume VII, 1925 of the Sketches, and is an article written around the museum collections of the Society. Another, "Dames' Schools," appeared in Volume II, No. 4, of the Bulletin, April, 1941, and is an article on the private schools of the time, in Norristown, in which she and her sister were educated. In addition. Miss Preston was an excellent and capable homemaker, fine sewing and the making of her own clothes being also one of her accomplishments. She cared for her mother in the latter's declining years, assuming the cares of the house hold, making life comfortable and gracious for her brother and sister, her capabilities being of the kind that make for "greater responsibilities." Miss Preston was a faithful champion of and great believer in the Homeopathic School of Medicine. Her father, Dr. Mahlon Preston, prac ticed homeopathy with great success in Norristown and vicinity. So great was his admiration and esteem for Samuel Christian Friedrich Hahne-

55 56 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY mann, the German physician and founder of the new principle, "the law of similar," that he named his only son, Fredrick Hahnemann Preston, in honor of his predecessor in medical science. Her grandfather, Honorable David Krause, studied law in Pittsburgh, began his practice in Lebanon, subsequently removing to Harrisburg, and in 1845 was appointed by Governor David R. Porter to the bench of Montgomery and Bucks Counties. Judge Krause served in the first court house of Montgomery County until 1851. The first Krause homestead in Norristown was known as "Brag Hill," and once stood at the present site of Main Street and Hartranft Avenue. They later rebuilt and en larged a stone property adjoining the court house, which they occupied until it was purchased by Montgomery County for expansion purposes. Genealogically, in addition to the family lines of Krause and Preston, Miss Preston's ancestry reached back over ten generations into American history, embracing other early Pennsylvania families such as Bills, Deyn, Chesman, Coates, Gardner, Kucher, Mendenhall, On*, Orth, Price, Stalker and others. In the homestead of one of her Lebanon County ancestors, the Peter Kucher mansion at Hebron, were entertained at various peri ods of history, many missionaries, ministers, generals, governors and men of public note. Specifically to mention several. President Geoi'ge Wash ington, Robert Morris, Rev. Henry M. Muhlenberg, Conrad Weiser and others. Travel was a recreation very much enjoyed by the Prestons. The vacation months were spent at their cottage in the summer colony at Five Islands, Maine. Their many friends visiting them there will long re call the delightful sails around the islands in the "Nixie," the Preston launch. In her later years—alone and unable to travel far—travelogues were a chief form of entertainment, the local Audubon Society and the Burton Holmes lectures being favorites. Both the Krause and Preston families were affiliated with the Re formed and Episcopal churches of Norristown. In addition to a substantial monetary bequest, Miss Preston left the Society a valuable collection of antiques, in memory of her mother, Mary Krause Preston, her sister, Emily Krause Preston, and her aunt, Anne E. Krause. These include a lovely pair of Duncan Phyfe type card- tables, a fine chest-on-chest in original condition and with original brasses, a splendid eight-day grandfather clock, several Chippendale chairs, and numerous other examples of period furniture; as well as fine silverware, china, and other valuable articles. Particular mention should be made of the Krause family oil paintings, including a painting of Miss Preston's grandfather. Judge David Krause. We shall cherish these priceless heirlooms in the names of those presented — but above all we shall cherish the memory of the donor, Katharine Preston. JANE KEPLINGER BURRIS Early Land Transactions of Montgomery County

Charles R. Barker

(Continued from Volume VIII page 271)

1706-1708

82. DEED POLL. 16 May 1706. Jacob Coffing, late of city Philadelphia, weaver, but now of county Gloucester, West New Jersey, to Rice Peters, city and county of Philadelphia, cordwainer. £450. Whereas, William James, of Cheltenham, yeoman, by deed poll dated 21 April 1704, granted to said Jacob Coffing his plantation and tract in Cheltenham, adj. Everard Bolton, John Songhurst, John Day, William Brown; cont. 200 acres, part of 500 acres granted by one William Brown and John Bertles to Patrick Robinson, who sold same to Thomas Stanford, who sold same to William James, who sold same to Jacob Coffing, who now conveys said 200 acres. Wits.: William Heaverd [mark], Ffrancis Cook. Ack. 11-24-1706. Rec. 11-27-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 60.

83. DEED. 29 June 1706. William Trent and Isaac Norris, both of city Philadelphia, merchants, to Joseph Harvey, Darby, county Chester, wheelwright. Whereas, William Penn, Proprietary and Governor, by his present Commissioners of Property, by patent dated 2 October 1704, confirmed to his son William Penn a tract on river Schuylkill, in county Philadelphia, cont. 7480 acres. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 703].

57 5g BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

And said William Penn the younger, by deed poll dated 7 October 1704, conveyed said tract to said William Trent and Isaac Norris. Now witness that said William Trent and Isaac Norris, for £213, Pa. money, confirm to said Joseph Harvey a tract on east side of river Schuylkill, part of said 7480 acres, adj. other lands of said grantor, Stony creek, land sold to John Cook; cent. 710 acres. Wits.: David Loyd, David Powell, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-1-1706. Rec. 5-2-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 1.

84. DEED POLL. 6 mo. (August)-15-1706. Joseph Har vey, Darby, county Chester, wheelwright, to John Cartlidge, Plymouth, county Philadelphia, yeoman. £106 10 s. silver, Pa. money (to be paid to William Trent and Isaac Norris, city Philadelphia, merchants). One equal half of a certain tract (excepting 10 acres re served) on east side of Scullkill, in county Philadelphia, adj. William Trent and Isaac Norris, Stonie creek, land sold to John Cock; cont. 710 acres (said 10 acres excepted). Part of 7480 acres grented by William Penn, Proprietary and Governor, to his son William Penn, Jr., by warrant dated 13 September 1683, and by warrant from the Commissioners of Property to re-survey same, dated 2 May 1704, and con firmed by patent to said William Penn, Jr., dated 2 October 1704. [Book A 2, p. 703.] And said William Penn, Jr., sold said tract to William Trent and Isaac Norris, 7 October 1704, who sold 710 acres to said Joseph Harvey, 4 mo. (June)-29-1706. Wits.: Edmund Cartlidge, John Hood. Ack. 1 March 1706. Rec. 1 March 1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 78.

85. DEED. 8 mo. (October) - 2 -1706. Richard Morris [mark] "of the Township Comonly called Whitpain's Town- EAKLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 59 ship," husbandman, to Edward Endehave, same place, hus bandman. Whereas, William Penn, Proprietary and Governor, by deed of lease and release, dated 26/27 of 2d mo. 1682, conveyed to George Palmer 5000 acres in Pennsylvania, who by will dated 4-4-1682 devised to his son William Palmer a share of said 5000 acres. And whereas, William Penn, by patent dated -7-1702 granted to said William Palmer a parcell of said tract of 5000 acres, whereby said William Palmer became possessed of 832 acres in said township, and by deed dated 7 July 1703 conveyed said tract to Philip Prie of Upper Merion [?], who, on 5 Au gust 1703 conveyed to.Richard Morris 417 acres of said tract. Now witness, said Richard Morris, for £40, Pa. money, conveys to said Edward Endehave a part of said 417 acres, adj. William Thomas, said Edward Endehave, Charles Molen, said Richard Morris; cont. 100 acres. Wits.: John Humphreys [mark], Garrett Endehave [mark], David Powel. Ack. 3-17-1707. Rec. 3-17-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 107.

86. DEED POLL. 5 October 1706. John Cartlidge, Ply mouth, yeoman, and Joseph Harvey, Darby, county Chester, wheelwright, to David Thomas, Darby, county, Chester, black smith. £60 silver, Pa. money. Tract of land on east side of river Scoolkill in county Philadelphia, adj. William Trent and Isaac Norris, cont. 200 acres. Part of 710 acres sold to said Joseph Harvey by William Trent and Isaac Norris, both of city Philadelphia, merchants, 29 June 1706 [Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 12] ; and said Joseph Harvey sold one moiety of said 710 acres (excepting 10 acres) to said John Cartlidge, 6-15-1706. Said 710 acres being part of 7480 acres granted to William Penn, Jr., by patent from William Penn, Sr., 2 October 1704, go BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY who sold same to said William Trent and Isaac Norris, 7 Oct ober 1704. Wits.: John Redwitser, Hugh Jones [mark]. Ack. 1-1-1706. Rec. 3 March 1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 79,

87. DEED. 19 November 1706. Thomas Morris, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Thomas Davids [no location], bache lor. £141 silver. Pa. money. Piece of land in county Philadel phia, adj. Nicholas Moore, Southampton township; cont. 245 acres. Purchased by said Thomas Morris from Rees Prees, of Philadelphia, deed., 2 June 1702, and from John Prees, son of Rees Prees, 30 April 1706 [Book B, vol. 2, p. 417.] Wits.: Nathll. Toms, James Dennis, Griffith John. Ack. 11 December 1706. Rec. 10-16-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 28.

88. DEED POLL. 10-8-1706. Mathias Van Bebber, Sicel county, province of Maryland, merchant, to Garret Indenhoof and Herman Indenhoof, both of Whitpain, husbandmen. £88 silver. Pa. money. Tract in county Philadelphia, adj. Dirick Ramsbry, other land of said Van Bebber; cont. 420 acres. Part of 6166 acres which present Commissioners of William Penn, Proprietary and Governor, by patent 22 February 1702, granted to said Mathias Van Bebber. [Book A, vol. 2, p. 463] Wits.: George Lowther, Da: Powell, Henry Pannebeckers. Ack. 10-11-1706. Rec. 10-24-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 40.

89. DEED. 8 December 1706. Mathias Van Bebber, Sicel County, Maryland, to John Newbry, Philadelphia, husband man. £82 silver. Pa. money. Piece of land in county Philadelphia, adj. Edward Beers, EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 01 said Mathias Van Bebber,—Rambery; cont. 450 acres, part of 6166 acres. William Penn, by Lease and Release, 9/10 March 1682, granted to Dirick Sipman, "of Crevelt, in the County Meur- son, on the boarders of Germany," 500 acres to be laid out in Pennsylvania. And said William Penn, by Lease and Release, 10-11 June 1683, granted to Govert Ramkes, of Crevelt aforesaid 1000 acres to be laid out in said Province. Said Ramkes granted said 1000 acres, 14 January 1686, to said Dirick Sipman. who, by attornies Jacob Isaac Van Bebber and Henry Seellen (by letter of attorney from said Sipman dated 13 May 1698) by their deed dated 1 December 1702, granted said 6000 acres to Mathias Van Bebber. Said William Penn, by his present Commissioners, by pat ent dated 22 February 1702, granted to said Mathias Van Beb ber said 6000 acres, found by resurvey to contain 6166 acres [Book A, vol. 3, pp. 463, etc.] Wits.: Geo. Lowther, David Powell. Ack. 10-11-1706. Rec. 10-26-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 45.

90. DEED POLL. 9 December 1706. Mathias Van Bebber, late of Philadelphia, now of county Cecill, Province of Maryland, merchant, to Thomas Wiseman, of Germantown, county Philadelphia, husbandman. £38, Pa. money. Tract of land, part of 6000 acres, in county Philadelphia, adj. Claus Johnson, said Mathias Van Bebber, Edward Beers; cont. 190 acres. Dirick Sipman, by Lease and Release, 9/10 March 1682, from William Penn, Proprietary and Governor, became seized of 5000 acres of land, and sold same to said Mathias Van Bebber. And Govert Ramkes, by Lease and Release, 10/11 June 1683 from William Penn, became seized of 1000 acres of land. 02 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY and sold same to said Dirick Sipman, who sold same to said Mathias Van Bebber. Present Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 22 February 1702, granted to said Mathias Van Bebber the said 6000 acres as surveyed and laid out in county Philadel phia, together with 166 acres of over measure found in said tract upon a resurvey. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Wits.: John Krey, Dad. Lloyd, Richd. Heath. Ack. 10-12-1706. ' Rec. 10-13-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 24:

91. DEED. 9 December 1706. Mathias Van Bebber, of Bo hemia River, Maryland, merchant, to Dirk Renberg and Wil liam Rennberge, both of Mullheim upon the Scullkill, county Philadelphia, yeomen. £54 silver. Pa. money. Piece of land in Bebber's township, county Philadelphia, adj. John Newberry, said Mathias Van Bebber, "sd Van Beb ber's Great Tract;" cont. 300 acres. Part of 6166 acres confirmed to said Mathias Van Bebber by William Penn, Proprietary and Governor, by patent dated 22 February 1702. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Wits.: Henrietta Lowther, George Lowther, John New- berry [mark] Ack. 10-11-1706. Rec. 10-23-1706, Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 36.

92. DEED POLL. 9 December 1706. Mathias Van Bebber, late of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but now of county Cecill, Maryland, to Edward Beer, county Philadelphia, husbandman. £38, Pa. money. Tract in county Philadelphia (part of 6000 acres), adj. Thomas Wiseman, said Mathias Vanbebber, John Newberry; cont. 190 acres. Dirick Sipman conveyed to said Mathias Van Bebber 6000 acres to be laid out in Pennsylvania, and the Commissioners, of Wiliam Penn, by patent dated 22 February 1702, granted EAKLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY gg to said Mathias Van Bebber 6000 acres as laid out in county Philadelphia, together with 166 acres of overmeasure found in same tract. Under rent of 5 English silver shillings and 8d. (etc.) [Pat ent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Wits.: John Krey, Dad. Lloyd, Richd. Heath. Ack. 10-19-1706. Rec. . Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 32.

93. DEED. 10 December 1706. Thomas Wiseman [mark], Germantown, county Philadelphia, husbandman, to Mathias Van Bebber, county Cecill, Province of Maryland, merchant. .£38, Pa. money. Tract in county Philadelphia, adj. Glaus Johnson, said Mathias Van Bebber, Edward Beers; cont. 190 acres. Wits.: John Krey, David Lloyd, Rich'd Heath. Ack. 10-12-1706. Rec. 10-15-1706. Book B 3, vol. 6, p. 26.

94. DEED. 10 December 1706. Edward Beer [mark], •county Philadelphia, husbandman, to Mathias Van Bebber, co. Cecill, province of Maryland, merchant, £38, Pa. money. Tract of land in county Philadelphia, adj. Thomas Wiseman; cont. 130 acres. Wits.: John Krey, Dad. Lloyd, Richd. Heath. Ack. 10-12-1706. Rec. 10-20-1706. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 35.

95. DEED. 20 December 1706. Robert ap Evan [sig. ROB ERT EVAN] Gwynedd, yeoman, to John Davies [also DAVIS] .same place, carpenter. Piece of land adj. said Robert ap Evan, Cadwallader Rob erts, Owen Evan, Cadwallader Evan; cont. 200 acres. £90, Pa. money. Part of a tract of 1034 acres which the present Commis sioners of William Penn granted by patent, 15 March 1702/3, 64 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY to said Robert ap Evan, said land being in Gwynedd. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 477.] Wits.: Cadwallader Evan, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 3-24-1707. Rec. 3-29-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 121.

96. MORTGAGE. 8 March 1706/7, John Davis [mark] Gwynedd, carpenter, to Robert ap Evan, Gwynedd, yeoman. ^89, Pa. money. Tract of land in Gwynedd, adj. said Robert ap Evan, Cad wallader Evan; cent. 200 acres. Debt £103 4s 8d. Due March 25,1709. Wits.: Cadwallader Evan, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 3-24-1707. Rec. 3-30-1707. Satis. 23 August 1710. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 124.

97. DEED. 26 March 1707. Thomas Price [mark], city Philadelphia, tailor, and wife Elizabeth, sole execx. of Cor nelius Sturges, late of Philadelphia, afsd., felt maker, her for mer husband, deed., and Henry Fflower, of Phila., afsd., bar ber, to Edward Ffarmer, White Marsh, county Philadelphia, gent. Messuage and tract of land in Ffarmer's Town, "in or near White Marsh," county Philadelphia, adj. Thomas Millar, Cas per Stalls and John Roads; laid out for 150 acres. £100, Pa. money. Same premises of which said Cornelius Sturges became seized, and on 25 November 1703 conveyed same to said Henry Fflower by mortgage, which, with interest, has been fully paid. Said Cornelius Sturges, by will dated 2 mo. (April) 1704, devised to his wife Elizabeth "all my land & plantation at the White Marsh or thereby within the County of Philada." (etc.), and made his wife sole execx. Wits.: Daniel Radley, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Pro. 6-23-1707 by Daniel Radley and Richard Heath. Rec. 6-24-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 214. EAKLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY gg

98. MORTGAGE. 27 March 1707. Edward Ffarmer, White Marsh, county Philadelphia, gent., to Henry Fflower, city Phil adelphia, barber. £100, Pa. money. Messuage and tract of land in Ffarmar's Town, "in or near White Marsh;" adj. Thomas Millar, Casper Stalls and John Roades; "laid out for 150 acres." Wits.: Daniel Radley, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 6-23-1707. Rec. 7-12-1707. Satis. 16 December 1743, by Enoch Flower, surviving execr. of Henry Flower, mortgagee. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 216.

99. DEED. 29th of 1st mo. (March) 1707. John Cadwall- ader, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to John Morgan, Abbingr ton, county Philadelphia, tailor. £45, Pa. money. Tract of land in county Philadelphia, adj. sd. John Cad- wallader, the Manor of Moreland; cont. 70 acres, part of 192 acres which William Salsberry, late of Philadelphia, carpenter, by deed poll dated 27 December 1700, granted to said John Cadwallader.

[Signed] John Caddr. Wits.: David Lloyd, Edward Buzby, Henry Willis. Ack. 29 March 170—. Rec. . Book E 8, vol. 6, p. 93.

100. DEED. 12 April 1707. John Havard, county Philadel phia, yeoman, to David Powel, city of Philadelphia, yeoman. £200, Pa. money. Tract in Cheltenham township, adj. Rice Peters, Richard Hall, Everard Bolton; cont. 229 acres 40 perches. Granted to said John Havard by Commissioners of William Penn by patent dated 23 February 1701 [Book A, vol. 2, p. 303.] Wits.: Robert Williams [mark] William Havard, Richard Heath. gg BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Ack. 2-12-1707. Rec. . Book B 3, vol. 6, p. 99.

101. DEED. 16 May 1707, Alexander Edwards [mark], Gwynedd township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Alexander Edwards the Younger, same place, yeoman, one of the sons of said Alexander Edwards. "Natural Love and Affection." Tract near Gwynedd, "beginning at a Stake by a Sixteen foot Street left by the Sd. Alexander Dividing it from other land sold by him to Richard ap Hugh;" adj. Robert Ffairman, Job Bates, Thomas Edwards; cont. 200 acres. Part of 990 acres which Commissioners of William Penn granted, by patent dated 8-12-1702, to said Alexander Edwards the father. [Book A, vol. 2, p. 379.] Wits.: David Powell, Nathan Robinson. Pro. 5-12-1707, by David Powell and Mathew Robinson. Rec. 5-14-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 160.

102. DEED. 17 May 1707. Alexander Edwards the younger, Gwynedd, yeoman, to David Hugh Griffith, same place, yeo man. £52 silver, Pa. money. Piece of land near Gwynedd, adj. Richard ap Hugh, Robert Ffairman; cont. 100 acres. Part of 200 acres which Alexander Edwards, father of above said grantor, granted "the day next before the date of these presents," to said Alexander Edwards the younger. (Etc.) Wits.: David Powell, Owen Evan (mark). Ack. 16 May 1707. Rec. "nineteenth day of the [ ?] month." Book E 8, vol. 6, p. 199.

103. DEED POLL. 29 May 1707. I Mary Havard, Merion township, widow, in consideration of good will and affection towards my son William Havard of said Merion township, give EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 67 to him all that tract of land in Merion township, adj. Evan Harry, Evan Owen, James Thomas; cont. 155 acres. Wits.: John Powel, Gaynor John, John Havard. Ack. 14 August 1708. Rec. 14 August 1708. ^ BookE 5, vol. 7, p. 54.

104. DEED. 5 mo. (July)-29-1707. John Turner, Bibary township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Joseph Hall, same place, yeoman. £55 silver, Pa. money. Tract in "the reputed Manor of Moreland;" adj. Henry Comely's 300-acre tract, Hugh Morgan, Thomas Whitton, Thomas Scott; cont. 65 acres. Same which Thomas Walton, of Bibary aforesd., yeoman, conveyed to said John Turner, 17 February 1704/5. Wits.: William Biles, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 5-29-1707. Rec. 6-7-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 191.

105. DEED. 6-16-1707. John Cerrait [? mark], German- town, county Philadelphia, yeoman [1st part]; Robert Flet cher, formerly of said county, but now of county Bucks,' yeo man; and John Pennell, county Chester, yeoman [2d part;] and John Morgan, Abington, tailor [3rd part.] £8, Pa. money, paid to parties of 2d part by order of party of 1st part, by said John Morgan, and 10 shillings to said John . Tract of land in county Philadelphia, adj. John Roberts, Silas Crispin, (late) Philip Thleman, (late) John Sibley; cont. 135 acres. Wits.: Isaac Shoemaker, James Delaplaine, Thomas Ken- derdine, David Marple. Ack. 2-3-1708. Rec. 2-3-1708. Book E 5, vol. 7, p. 9.

106. DEED. 2 September-1707. John Chappell [mark], Hempsted, Queen's county, Nashaw Island, New York, to Thomas Elison, same place. £30, Pa. money. Qg BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Parcel of land near Manataway, county Philadelphia, on east side of river Schuylkill, adj. Mathias Natselious [?], va cant land, Mounce Justice; cont. 200 acres. Wits.: Isaac Smith, Samuel denton, William Willis. Ack. 15 June 1732, in Queen's county, N. Y. Rec. 28 June 1732. Book F 5, p. 541.

107. DEKD POLL. 12 September 1707. Samuel Carpenter, city Philadelphia, merchant, and James Logan, said city, gent., attornies (etc.) to John Hughes, county Chester, yeoman. William Penn, Esq., by Lease and Release dated 22 October , granted to his daughter, Laetitia Penn, 5000 acres of land, which by warrant were laid out in one tract "in or about" 1683, on west side of river Skuylkill, and by re-survey in 1701 were found to contain 7800 acres. By a mistake of the Surveyor General "divers parsells & quantities of land .... in possession of other purchasers & renters many years before & under the bounds & limits of the whole" [sentence unfinished] Said tract was confirmed by letters patent, 24 October 1701, to said Laetitia Penn under name of the Manner of Mountjoy. Said Laetitia Penn, since date of said patent, intermarried with William Aubrey of London, merchant, and said William and Laetitia Aubrey, by Lease and Release, 3/4 May 1703 [Book A, vol. 1, pp. 265-6] granted to Daniel Wharley, Samuel Waldenfield and Henry Goldney said 5000 acres of land, who, on 24 September 1703 [Book A, vol. 1, p. 268] appointed Sam uel Carpenter and James Logan attornies to sell said land (etc.) And whereas among other lands included by mistake in said patent was one tract which by warrant from said Proprie tary himself, dated 6-4-1684, was granted and surveyed to Peter Yocum, renter for 500 acres on west side of Schuylkill within bounds of said Manor under rental of ^ d. sterling per acre, of which said Peter Yocum, by deed [no date given] granted one moiety, or 250 acres, to John Hughes, county Chester, yeoman; EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY gg

And whereas, upon re-survey, same was found to be situate as follows: adj. widow Yocum, Gunner Ramboe, William David; cont. 257 acres; And whereas said tract, being wrongfully included in above-mentioned patent and granted thereupon to said Lae- titia Penn, necessity and justice require that the mistake be rectified according to the Proprietary's express orders at his last departure (etc.), therefore said attornies grant to said John Hughes said 257 acres, being part of said 7800 acres granted to said Laetitia Penn. Wits.: Edward Shippen, Samuel Cart.

INDORSEMENT. 22 September 1707. John Hughes [mark] party to within-written deed, covenants with said Daniel Wharley, Samuel Waldenfleld and Henry Goldney to pay within-mentioned rent of d. sterling per acre on first day of March annually, under penalty of their levying any rents in arrears, (etc.) Wits.: Edward Shippen, Samuel Cart. Ack. 22 September 1707. Rec. 8-13-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 244.

108. DEED POLL. 20 September 1707. Samuel Carpenter and James Logan, both of city Philadelphia, attornies, to Charles Yocum [mark] county Philadelphia, yeoman. [Same recital as in E 3, vol. 6, p. 244.] Said Peter Yocum, by will, granted 100 acres, part of said 250 acres, to his son, said Charles Yocum, situate on river Schuylkill, adj. said Manor and John Hughes. [Same.recital as before.] Ack. 22 September 1707. Rec. 8-14-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 247.

109. DEED. 9-8-1707. Hugh Griffith and Evan Griffith [mark] both of Gwynedd township, yeoman, to John Hump hrey, same place, yeoman. £48 silver. Pa. money. '70 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Piece of land in Gwynedd, part of a tract of 376 acres, adj. Robert Evan Prythrys, Robert Humphrey, John Hugh, other land of said Hugh and Evan Griffith; cont. 50 acres. (Men tions a road.) Said tract of 376 acres was granted by present Commis sioners of William Penn, by patent dated 1 mo. (March)-2- 1702 [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 496] to said Hugh Griffith and Evan Griffith. Wits.: Edward Cadwallader, Evan Owen, John Cadwall- ader. Ack. 9-18-1707. Rec. 9-27-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 281.

110. DEED. 9-8-1707. Hugh Griffith and Evan Griffith [mark] both of Gwynedd township, county Philadelphia, yeo men, to Robert Humphrey, same place, yeoman. £52 silver, Pa. money. Piece of land in Gwynedd, adj. Hugh Roberts, John Hugh, John Humphrey, other land of said grantors, and Robert Evan Prythry; cont. 115 acres. Part of a tract of 376 acres which the present Commis sioners of William Penn, by patent dated 1 mo. (March)-22- 1702, [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 496] granted to said Hugh Griffith and Evan Griffith. Wits.: Edward Cadwallader, Evan Owen, John Cadwall ader. Ack. 9-18-1707. Rec. 9-27-1707. Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 278.

111. DEED POLL. 15 November 1707. Henry Morris, city and county of Philadelphia, fishmonger, brother and heir of Joshua Morris, late of same place, deed., to Joshua Carpenter, Philadelphia, merchant. £70. William Powell, on 2 September 1686, granted to said Joshua Morris a tract in county Philadelphia, beginning at a post standing in a valley by Edge Hill, adj. Israel Hobbs; cont. EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 71

200 acres, being part of said William Powell's purchase of 500 acres. [Book E 1, vol. 5, p. 416.] Said Joshua Morris, on 18 November 1686, granted to said William Powell said 200 acres upon condition that if said Joshua Morris, upon 2d September 1688 should pay to said William Powell £6, then said sale should be void. And said William Powell, by assignment dated 27 Novem ber 1697 (endorsed on last recited deed of mortgage) granted to Joshua Carpenter, of Philadelphia, merchant, said 200 acres. Now said Henry Morris, in order to better settle the title, grants to said Joshua Carpenter (in his possession now being) said 200 acres. Wits.: John Plumly, Charles Plumley, Samuel Carpenter, Junr. Ack. 9-19-1707. Rec. 9-22-1707, Book E 3, vol. 6, p. 276.

112. DEED. 25 December 1707. Edward Evans, Abington township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Morris Morris, same place, yeoman. £55, Pa. money. Piece of land in Abington, adj. said Edward Evans, said Morris Morris, Susquehannah road, Joseph Phipps; cont. 51l^ acres. Part of a tract of 250 acres which Joseph Phipps, yeoman, conveyed, 12 October, 1686 [?] to said Edward Evans. [Book E 3, vol. 5, p. 219.] Wits.: Edward Cadwallader, Evan Roberts. Ack. 12-3-1707. Rec. 12-4-1707. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 11.

113. DEED POLL. 7 June 1706. Abdreas Rudman, city Philadelphia, to Thomas Andrews, city Philadelphia, barber surgeon. £35, Pa. money. 500 acres of land, which the Com missioners of William Penn, by patent dated 1 May 1705, granted to said Andreas Rudman, "neer the Sweeds new Settle- 72 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY mt. Manetewny upon the river Schuylkill;" adj; Mounce Jones, Justice Justice and said river. Wits.: Joseph Browne, Francis Allen. Ack. 11 June 1706. Rec. 6 September 1712. Book E 7, vol. 8, p. 227.

114. DEED POLL. 7 June 1706. Mathias Holston, Passy- unk, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Thomas Andrews, city Philadelphia, barber surgeon. Tract of 900 acres on east side of Schuylkill, adj. said river, Peter Boon, vacant land, Peter Cock, which Commissioners of William Penn, on 11 September, 1704, confirmed to said Mathias Holston. Wits.: Richard Rodes, Francis Allen. Ack. 11 June 1706. Rec. 9 January 1712. Book E 7, vol. 9, p. 45.

115. DEED POLL. 24 June 1706. Thomas Andrews, city Philadelphia, barber surgeon, to Samuel Willis, Jamaica, Queens county. New York, sadler. £100, Pa. money. Tract of 500 acres, "near the Sweeds New Settlement at Manatawny upon the River Schuylkill," adj. Mouns Jones, Justa Justice, and said river. Same which the Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 1 May 1705, granted to Andreas Rudman, of Philadel phia, who, on 7 June 1706, conveyed same to said Thomas An drews, party hereto. Wits.: Thomas Okley, James Clement, Sennzath Mills. Ack. 5-22-1712. Rec. 5-22-1712. Book E 7, vol. 9, p. 38.

116. DEED. 10 March 1706/7. Peter Peterson Yokum, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Andreas Sauples, said county, weaver. £40 silver. 50 acres of land in said county, on river Schuylkill, adj. the north branch of said river, Mounce Jones; also, 8 acres of marsh and cripple on Schuylkill. [Remainder of record indecipherable.] EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 73

Wits.: Thos. , Thos. Fairman. Ack. Ree. 28 July 1708. Book E 5, vol. 7, p. 50.

117. DEED. 10 June 1707. Matthias Van Bebber, Cecill county, Maryland, merchant, to Johannes Scholl, county Phila delphia, yeoman. £50, Pa. money. Tract of 200 acres in Beeber's township, in said county, adj. Hermans Kuster, Christopher Zimmerman; part of 6163 acres which William Penn, by his present Commissioners of Property, granted, 12-22-1702, to said Matthias Van Bebber. Wits.: Hermans Kuster, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-13-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 137.

118. DEED. 14 August 1707. William Howell, county Phil adelphia, yeoman; Edward Jones, township of Merrian, said county ; John Roberts, same township, malster; Griffith Owen, Philadelphia, in said county, practitioner in physic; and Daniel Humphreys, Haverford, in the Welsh Grant, yeoman; to John William, Merion aforesaid, yeoman. Whereas, Thomas Ellis, late of Haverford, aforesaid, yeo man, was seized of a tract of land containing by estimation 600 acres, lying between Rowland Ellis* land and Christopher Pennock's land in said township of Merion, and by will dated 11 mo. (January) -1-1688, ordered that said 600 acres, and also 30 acres with his dwelling house and plantation lying between Daniel Humphreys and Lewis David's, in said town of Haver ford West; also his house at Schulykill, and City Liberty, and all his lots in city of Philadelphia, and his land beyond Darby creek, in county Chester, be sold by his trustees, said William Howell, Edward Jones, John Roberts and Griffith Owen, to pay his debts. Said trustees were also made executors, but renounced, and administration was granted to Ellen Ellis, the widow, who made said Daniel Humphreys her executor, and died, leaving said debts unpaid. Y4 BULLETIN or HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY' COUNTY

Said Daniel Humphreys, on 5 September 1698, conveyed the land first above-mentioned to said John William. Said tract being upon re-survey found to contain 819 acres, and said John William having sold to John Evans 200 acres thereof, and to Robert Lloyd 4091/2 acres, he has retained residue, being about 2091/2 acres. Said Daniel Humphreys has paid said Thomas Ellis' debts, and managed his estate to the best advantage. Now said William Howell, Edward Jones, John Roberts and Griffith Owen, at the request of the said Daniel Humphreys [etc., etc.] confirm to said John Williams said tract, adj. Robert Lloyd, Rowland Ellis, John Evans. Wits.: Henry Paul, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 11 mo.-10-1707 and 11 mo.-31-1707. Rec. 12 mo.-5-1707. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 13.

119. 14 August 1707. [Same grantors as in preceding, and practically same recital] to Robert Lloyd. Parcel of land, adj. Rowland Ellis; cont. 4091/^ acres. Wits.: Henry Paul, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 11 mo.-10-1707/8 and 11 mo.-21-1707/8. Rec. 12 mo.-6-1707/8, Book E 4, vol., 7, p. 15.

120. 14 August 1707. [Same grantors as in preceding, and practically same recital] to John Evans. Parcel of land, laid out for 200 acres, adj. Rowland Ellis, John William, Morris Llewellyn, Edward Griffith. Wits.: Henry Paul, David Lloyd, Richard Heath. Ack. 11 mo.-10-1707/8, and 11 mo.-31-1707/8. Rec. 12 mo.-6-1707/8. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 17.

121. DEED POLL. 10 December 1707. Isaac Waterman, son and heir-at-law of Humphrey Waterman, deed., to Edmund McVeagh. £56 Is., silver. Tract of land in county Philadelphia, adj. Walter King, "a street or road;" cont. 95 acres. Same EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 75 which was granted by-patent from Commissioners of Property to said Humphrey Waterman, 26th of 7th month, 1689. Wits.: Peter Taylor, Francis Cooke. Ack. 11-21-1707. Rec. 11-23-1707. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 3.

122. DEED. 31 December 1707. Evan Owen, Merion township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, son and heir of Robert Owen, late of Merion aforesaid, deed., to Jonathan Jones, Merion aforesaid, yeoman. J3420 silver, Pa. money. Tract of 450 acres in Merion, adj. James Thomas, Thomas Howell, John Roberts, Thomas Jones & Co. and Robert Rob erts, Edward Reese, Mary Havard. By virtue of a deed poll dated 5 August 1691, or by virtue of conveyances by Thomas Lloyd, late of said Province, gent., deed., said Robert Owen became seized of said tract, reputed to contain 450 acres. And by an indenture dated 9-16-7 King William III, from Hugh Roberts of Merion, said Robert Owen became seized of a tract in Merion, adj. Edward Reese; cont. 7 acres, and after wards died seized of said tracts, which descended to said Evan Owen, his son and heir. And present Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 8 February 1705, confirmed to said Evan Owen said 450 acres. [Patent Book A, vol. 3, p. 241.] who now conveys said tract of 450 acres and also said 7 acres of meadow, with mes suage erected upon said tract. Wits.: Rowland Ellis, Robert Jones, John Roberts, Thomas Jones. Ack. 1-9-1707/8. Rec. 1-9-1707/8. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 40.

123. DEED. 19 January 1707/8. Hugh Jones, Plymouth township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, and Rowland Richard, Merion township, said county, yeoman (son-in-law of said 76 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COTOTY

Hugh Jones), to Cadwallader Morgan, Merrion, aforesaid, yeoman. The present Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 8 November 1703 [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 611] granted to said Hugh Jones a tract in Merion aforesaid, on river Schuylkill, adj. John Roberts, Griffith Jones, Cadwallader Morgan; cont. 92 acres. Said Hugh Jones, having built a messuage and made a plan tation thereon, gave one moiety of said premises to his said son-in-law Rowland Richard, and afterwards sold the other moiety to said Rowland Richard. As Hugh Jones hath not conveyed all the premises, he joins said Rowland Richard in this conveyance of said 92 acres. Wits.: John Kadwalader [mark], Richard Heath, Hugh Evans. Ack. 3-17-1708. Rec. 3-22-1708. Book E 4 vol. 7, p. 108.

124. DEED POLL. 11 February 1707/8. John Morgan, Abbington township, county Philadelphia, tailor, to David Marple, of Mannor of Moreland, county Philadelphia, yeoman. £150 silver. Pa. money. "One certain grant of land" in said Mannor of Moreland, adj. Robert Fletcher, Rebecca Wood, (late) Samuel Moore, Penapecka creek; cont. 120 acres. Part of 200 acres which Elias Keach and wife Mary, on 12-28-1691 [Book E, vol. 2, p. 220] granted to William Hunt- ley, who conveyed abovesaid premises to John Callow, 1 April 1697, who conveyed same to John Morgan, 16 May 1699. Wits.: Joseph Eaton, Henry Stirke. Ack. 1-2-1707/8. Rec. 1-3-1707/8. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 35.

125. DEED POLL. 11-24-1707/8. Margaret Jones, wife of John Jones the Elder, city Philadelphia, merchant, formerly EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 77

•wife of Humphrey Waterman, deed., to Edmund McVeagh, county Philadelphia, yeoman. Said Margaret Jones, according to a power reserved to her by an indenture tripartite dated 14 December 1696, be tween said John Jones [1st part]; Samuel Carpenter and Edward Bolton [2d part] ; and said Margaret Jones (by name of Margaret Waterman [3d part] grants to said Edmund Mc Veagh, (in his possession now being by virtue of a bargain and sale from Isaac Waterman, son and heir of Humphrey Waterman aforesaid, and son and heir apparent of said Mar garet, dated 10 December last past) a tract in county Phila delphia, adj. Walter King and "a street or road;" cont. 95 acres. Wits.: Peter Evans, John Blaney. Ack. 11-21-1707. Rec. 11-23-1707. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 4.

126. DEED. 23 March 1707/8. Alexander Edwards, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Humphrey Bate, same place, yeoman. £10 18s., Pa. money. Piece of land in county Philadel phia, adj. John Evan ap Edward, said Humphrey Bate, Alex ander Edwards the Younger, said Alexander Edwards the Elder; cont. 28 acres 140 perches. Part of 996 acres confirmed by patent from Commissioners of William Penn, 12 October 1702. Wits.: David Lloyd, Joseph Bate, Richard Heath. Ack. 3-17-1708. Rec. 3-21-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 105.

127. DEED. 29 January 1708. Nicholas Moore, city Phil adelphia, gentleman, surviving son of Nicholas Moore, late of county Philadelphia, doctor of physick, deed., and William Slubey [signature not recorded], Philadelphia, merchant, and wife Sarah, surviving daughter of said Nicholas Moore, deed., to Benjamin Duffield, county Philadelphia, yeoman. 5s., Pa. money, etc. 78 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Tract of land called the Irregular Slip, part of the Manor of Mooreland, on the Old Southampton road, adj. Richard Collet, John Hart, a branch of Potquessing creek, Dublin township, and other lands of said Manor. Said Nicholas Moore died intestate, indebted to sundry- persons in England and here "in great sums of money over and above the value of his personal estate" (etc.) Samuel Moore, son and heir of said Nicholas Moore, after reaching the age of 21 years, to wit, on 6 November 1694, made his will, naming his father-in-law, John Holme, sole executor. Said Samuel Moore and Mary, wife of said John Holme, died, after whose decease said John Holme, on 1 January 1694, sold above described tract to said Benjamin Duffield. And said John Holme, in performance of covenant speci fied, by his deed endorsed, dated 22 May 1702, confirmed said tract to said Benjamin Duffield. Wits. :"Wm. Trent, Richard Waker, John Budd. Ack. 5 February 1708. Rec. 13 February 1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 219.

128. DEED POLL. 17 April 1708. Samuel Scott, son of Thomas Scott, county Bucks, bachelor, to Joseph Hall, Manor of Moreland, yeoman. ^40 silver. Pa. money. Tract in said Manor, being the dividend of Nicholas, younger son of Nicholas Moore, deed., and among other landa granted, 3 June 1697, by John Holme, who married Mary, relict of said Nicholas Moore [etc.], adj. other land of said Joseph Hall, William Marshall, Old (?) Southampton road, Patrick Kelly; cont. 100 acres. Said John Holme conveyed said 100 acres to Thomas Groom, who sold same to said Thomas Scott, 3 June 1697, who- by will dated dated 7 January 1703/4 devised to said Samuel Scott. Wits.: Thomas Shelly, Harbert Corrie, Saml. Weaver. Ack. 2-17-1708. Rec. 2-17-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 72. EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY 79

129. DEED. 2-24-1708. David Powell, city Philadelphia, yeoman, to Everard Bolton, Abington township, said county, plover. £146, Pa. money. Tract in Cheltenham township, county Philadelphia, adj. ilice Peters, Richard Hall, Everard Bolton; cont. 229 acres 40 perches. Wits.: Thomas Story, Richard Newcomb. Ack. 24 April 1708. Rec. 3-20-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 100.

130. RELEASE. 3 mo. (May)-1-1708. Jonathan Hayes, Marple, county Chester, yeoman, to William Trent and Isaac Norris, both of city Philadelphia, merchants. 10s. 1000 acres and 100 acres granted to said Hayes in two contiguous tracts. William Penn, by lease and release, January 24/25, 1681, granted to Benjamin Chambers, of the Parish of Bearsted, county Kent, turner, 1000 acres of land in Pennsylvania. [Book A, vol. 1, p. 120.] Bywarrant from the Commissioners, dated 2-7-1680, there was laid out to said Benjamin Chambers as part of his pur chase a tract in county Philadelphia, on northeast side of Schoolkill, "near opposite to that called Barbadoes Island,"adj. John Chambers; cont. 610 acres. Said Benjamin Chambers, then of Philadelphia, yeoman, by deed poll, 4-29-1699, granted to said Jonathan Hayes said 610 acres. [Book E 3, vol. 5, p. 303.] Said Proprietary, by indenture "of even date" with that Tccited, granted to John Chambers, of Thurnheim, county Kent, turner, brother of Benjamin, 500 acres. [Book B, vol. 2, p. 222.] Said John Chambers died seized of said 500 acres, which fhen descended to Elizabeth Chambers, his sole daughter and heir, who by name of Elizabeth Chambers, of Philadelphia, .spinster, granted. 8-30-1680-, tcr said- Benjamin Chambers (then President of the Free Society of Traders of Pennsyl vania) 490 acres out of said 500 acres [Book E, vol. 5, p. 471] go BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

which said 490 acres had been laid out to said John Chambers as part of his purchase aforesaid. [Book B, vol. 2, p. 271.] Said Benjamin Chambers and Elizabeth (now Elizabeth Clemison, of Philadelphia, widow) , on 4-29-1699, granted said 490 acres to said Jonathan Hayes, adj. said Benjamin Cham bers' other land. [Book E, vol. 5, p. 302.] And whereas said Jonathan Hayes had applied to have his two tracts confirmed in one tract, and it was found that the greater part of them lay within the Manor of William Stadt, which had been laid out to William Penn, Jr., Esq., son and heir apparent of the Proprietary, some time before the survey of the tracts aforesaid, therefore said Proprietary ordered that a like quantity of land should be laid out elsewhere to said Hayes, whereupon there was laid out to him by warrant, 2-13- 1703, surveyed 1-1-1704, a tract in Hatfield township, adj. Proprietary land, Benjamin Furlow, John Morris; cont. 1210 acres. And at like instance of said Jonathan Hayes, the Proprie tary by patent, 3 December 1705, in consideration of a release by said Hayes of all said tracts of 1000 and 100 acres, granted to him the said 1210 acres. [Book A, vol. 3, p. 219.] And said Proprietary, by patent, 2 October 1704, granted to said William Penn the son a tract being the Manor of Wil liam Stadt, on river Schuylkill, adj. Plymouth and Whitpain townships, the Manner of Bibbers; cont. 7480 acres. And William Penn, Jr., by deed poll, 7 October 1704, granted to said William Trent and Isaac Norris, the said 7480 acres. [Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 203.] Wits.: Josh. Tittery, Samuel Cart, James Logan. Ack. 3 May 1708. Rec. 27 July 1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 163.

131. DEED. 3 mo.(May)-1708. Mathias Van Bebber, Sicele county, Maryland, merchant, to Claus Johnson, Bebber's township, county Philadelphia, husbandman. £12 silver, Pa. money. Piece of land in said to^ship, adj. lands of said Claus • EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Johnson (bought of said Van Bebber); cent. 50 acres. Part of 6166 acres granted by patent dated 22 February 1702. [Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] to said Mathias Van Bebber. Wits.: Hermanus Kusters, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-12-1708. Book E 5, vol. 7, p. 14.

132. DEED. 3-8-1708. Thomas Davids, county Philadel phia, yeoman, to Thomas Brown, city Philadelphia, cord- wainer. £300 silver, Pa. money. 250 acres in county Phila delphia. William Penn, by lease and release, 23/24 September 1683, granted to Joel Jelson, of Barton Regis, county Glocester, hab erdasher of small wares, 250 acres in Pennsylvania. [Book B, vol. 2, p. 255.] The Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 6-10-1687, confirmed said land to said Joel Jelson in two par cels, one of them in county Philadelphia, adj. Nicholas Moore and Southampton township, cont. 245 acres; the other in the Liberties of city Philadelphia, cont. 5 acres (etc.). Jane Jelson, county Philadelphia, spinster, only surviving daughter and heir of said Joel Jelson (together with William Dilwyn, attorney of said Joel), by deed poll, 12 December 1700, conveyed said 250 acres to Rees Prees, county Philadel phia, yeoman, who, by deed poll endorsed, 2 June 1702, con veyed said land to Thomas Morris, county Philadelphia. John Prees, city Philadelphia, carpenter, son and heir of said Rees Prees (after decease of his said father), by deed poll, 2-30-1706, quit-claimed to said Thomas Morris said 250 acres. [Book B, vol. 2, p. 417.] Said Thomas Morris, on 19 November 1706, conveyed said 250 acres to said Thomas Davids. Wits.: Nathaniel Walton, Thomas Story, Richard New- comb. Ack. 3-8-1708. Rec. 3-12-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 91. g2 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

133. DEED. 3-18-1708. Thomas Fairman, Shaxamaxon^ county Philadelphia, gent., to Ma"vraire (?) Edwards, county Philadelphia, laborer. £90 silver. Parcel of land,in county Philadelphia, adj. Gwynedd township, and lands of Richard Adams, Jonas Potts, Edioard Bolton, Thomas Lewis; cont. 162 acres. Part of 1100,acres which the Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 23 October 1702, granted to said Thomas Fairman. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 398.] Wits.: Henry Pannebeckers, George Beard. Ack. 3-18-1708. Rec. 3-23-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 110.

134. INDENTURE TRIPARTITE. 9 June 1708. Mat thias Van Bebber, late of city Philadelphia, merchant, but now of Cecil county, Maryland [1st part]; John Kosters [name recorded as GRAVER], Krisheim, Germantownship, county Philadelphia, yeoman [2d part]; and John Umstat, Bebber's township, county Philadelphia, yeoman [3d part.] Said Matthias Van Bebber, by deed poll dated 12-25-1702 granted to said John Kosters [name recorded as ROSTERS] a piece of land in county Philadelphia, adj. Edward Lane, said Matthias Van Bebber, Henry Pennebecker; cont. 204 acres; part of a tract of 6166 acres granted to said Matthias Van Bebber by patent dated 22 February "then current." [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Said John Kosters, by deed poll dated "with the said recited deed poll," conveyed said 204 acres back to said Matthias Van Bebber. [Evidently a mortgage.] Now, for £32 paid to Matthias Van Bebber, and £6 paid to said John Kosters, said Matthias Van Bebber, by direction of said John Kosters, grants to said John Umstat said 204 acres. Wits.: Richard Heath, Richard Newcomb, Peter Shoe maker.

Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-12-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 133. EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY §3

135. DEED. 10 June 1708. Matthias Van Bebber, Cecil county, Maryland, merchant, to Christopher Zimmerman, county Philadelphia, yeoman. £25, Pa. money. Tract in Beb- ber's township, county Philadelphia, adj. Daniel Tillman, John Newberry, said Tiseman; cont. 100 acres. Part of 6163 acres patented to said Matthias Van Bebber, 12-22-1702. Wits.: Hermans Custers, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-12-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 136.

136. DEED. 12 June 1708. Matthias Van Bebber, Cecil county, Maryland, merchant, to Thomas Wiseman, county Philadelphia, yeoman. £18, Pa. money. Tract in Bebber's township, county Philadelphia, adj. Claus Johnson, William and Cornelius Deweese; cont. 90 acres. Part of 6166 acres patented to said Matthias Van Bebber, 22 February 1702. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Wits.: Hermans Kusters, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-13-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 142.

137. DEED. 12 June 1708. Matthias Van Bebber, Cecil county, Maryland, merchant, to Daniel Desmont, county Phila- <3elphia, yeoman. £3710s., Pa. money. Tract in Bebber'stown ship, adj. John Newberry, Gerrard Endehoof; cont. 150 acres. Part of 6166 acres granted by patent, 12-22-1702, to said Mat thias Van Bebber. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Wits.: Harmanus Kusters, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-13-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 144.

138. DEED. 12 June 1708. Matthias Van Bebber, Cecil county, Maryland, merchant, to William Dee Wees and Cor nelius Dee Wees, Germantown'township, county Philadelphia, yeomen. £58, Pa. money. Tract in Bebber's township, county Philadelphia, adj. John Newberry, Thomas Wiseman; cont. 290 84 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY acres. Part of 6166 acres granted to said Matthias Van Beb- ber (etc.) Wits.: Hermanus Kusters, Richard Heath. Ack. 4-12-1708. Rec. 4-14-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 145.

139. DEED POLL. 12 June 1708. Matthias Van Bebber, Cecil county, Maryland, merchant, to Henry Pannenbecker, Bebber's township, county Philadelphia. £60 15s. silver. Pa. money. Piece of land in Bebber's township, adj. Johannes Kuster, said Matthias Van Bebber, John Krey; cont. 204 acres. Part of 6166 acres granted to said Matthias Van Bebber by patent, 22 February 1702. [Patent Book A, vol. 2, p. 463.] Wits.: Peter Shoemaker, Francis Daniel Pastorius. Ack. 4-12-1708, Rec. 4-15-1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 147.

140. DEED. 17 October 1708. Joseph Phippa. Abington township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to John Phipps, same place, yeoman, one of the sons of said Joseph Phipps; and Ann Phipps, wife of John Phipps. Natural Love and Affection. Messuage and plantation where said Joseph Phipps dwells in Abington township; adj. Isaiah Phipps, Daniel Thomas, Toby Leech, George Shoemaker, Edward Eaton; cont. 174 acres.

Part of two tracts of 250 acres each: One granted by Commissioners of William Penn, by patent dated 22 September 1686, to said Joseph Phipps. [Book A, p. 167.] The other, granted by said Commissioners, by patent dated 22 September 1686, to Robert Ewer, [same book, p. 168]. Said Robert Ewer conveyed last mentioned 250 acres to said Joseph Phipps, by deed poll dated 8-7-1690 (endorsed on last recited patent.) Wits.: William Routlige, Henry Bennett [mark]. Ack. 27 December 1708. Rec. 31 December 1708. -Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 202. EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY g5

141. DEED. 20, November 1708. , Henry Pannenbecker, Bebber's township, county Philadelphia, yeoman, to Peter Bon, said township, planter. £37 10s. silver, Pa. money. Tract in said Bebber's township, adj. Johannes Umstat, John Rey ( ?) ; cont. 100 acres. Part of 204 acres conveyed, to said Henry Pannenbecker by Matthias Van Bebber, 12 June "last past." [Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 188.] Wits.: Thones Kunders, Jan [rest of name omitted?] Ack. 23 November 1708. Rec. 27 November 1708. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 189.

142. DEED. 20 December 1708. Samuel Carpenter and James Logan, attornies for William Penn's Commissioners, to Peter Cock, county Philadelphia, yeoman. 404% acres. William Penn, by lease'and release, 22 October 1681, con veyed to his daughter, Letitia Penn, 5000 acres in Pennsyl vania, which was laid out in one tract in or about 1683 on the west side of river Skoolkill, and by a warrant of survey, in 1701, was found to contain 7800 acres, including by mistake of the surveyors divers quantities of land which had been sur veyed to and in possession of other purchasers and renters many years before. Said tract was patented,. 24 October 1701, to said Letitia Penn, and was erected into the Manor of Mount- joy. ;• Said Letitia, since the date of said patent, intermarried with William Aubrey, of London, merchant, who, with said wife Letitia, by lease and release dated 3/4 May 1703 [Book.A, vol.1-, pp.-265, 266] conveyed, said 5000 acres to .said Commis sioners of William Penn, who, 24 September 1703 [Book A, vol. 1, p. 268] made the said Samuel Carpenter and James Logan their attornies to convey whatever part of said 5000 acres re mained unsold (etc.) Among.the lands granted in mistake in said patent is a tract which by warrant, from the Proprietary dated in 1684 was laid out to Lasse Cock & Co. for 1000 acres, who granted 500 acres to Gunner Rambo, and by will devised 250 acres of the gg BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY remainder to his son John Cock, and 250 acres to his son Peter Cock, which last-mentioned' 250 acres being re-surveyed is found to be on river Schuylkill, adj. Gunner Rambo, the Manor land, John Rambo; cont. 404% acres, of which 154% acres are overplus which falling within said Manor, the Proprietary, on 28 October 1701, ordered said tract confirmed to said Peter (etc.; etc.) Wits.: Caleb Pusey, John Carpenter, Joshua Granger. Ack. 2-15-1709. Rec. 2-15-1709. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 284.

143. MORTGAGE. 24 December 1708. Thomas Brown, city Philadelphia, cordwainer, to Grace Parsons, same city, widow. £50 silver, Pa. money. Tract in county Philadelphia, adj. Ncholas Moore; cont, 245 acres. Wits.; Thomas Story, Wm. Wait, Rich'd Heath. Ack. 25 December 1708. Rec. 25 December 1708. Satis. 23 March 1713. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 195.

144. DEED. 30 December 1708. Edward Farmer, of Far- mar's Town, county Philadelphia, gent., to Sebis Bartleson, same place. £50, Pa. money. Piece of land in said Farmar's Town, adj. Wessahickon creek, Paul Clempes, John Roades; cont. 170 acres. Part of 3750 acres as follows: Major Jasper Farmer, deed., late father of said Edward Farmer, by patent from William Penn, dated 30 January 1683, [Book A, p. 3] became vested in 2500 acres in said Farmar's Town, and by will dated left his estate to his wife Mary Farmer and the said Edward Farmer his son, after whose decease said Mary entered upon said land, and by said will became seized of one moiety of said 2500 acres, and said Ed ward Farmer became seized of the other moiety thereof. Said Mary Farmer afterwards purchased 1250 acres ad joining her other land in Farmer's township from one Thomas Webb who had purchased it of Richard Farmer in said patent EARLY LAUD TRANSACTIONS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY g7 named. [Book E 1, vol. 5, pp. 156 and 174.] By virtue of which said Mary became seized of said 1250 acres and also the moiety of said 2500 acres, and by will dated 31 October 1686 gave all said land to her son the said Edward Farmer, who, with the moiety given him by his father, became seized of 3750 acres. Wits.: Henry Burkholtz, Henry Gastleberry [mark], David Lloyd. Ack. 18 June 1709. Rec. 18 June 1709. Book E 4, vol. 7, p. 261. (To be continued) Nineteenth Century Real Es^te Offerings (Compiled from Philadelphia Newspapers)

(Continuedfrom Volume VIII page 34^5)

A neck of land, containing 171% acres> at the junction of the Perkioraen creek and the Schuylkill, in Providence township, will be sold at the house of Jesse Roberts, Norris- town. Apply to Mr. Bakewell, of Fatland ford. [November 23, 1807]

John Smith, U.S. marshal, advertises sale of a tract of 151 acres, with stone dwelling, in Norristown [Norriton?] township, taken in execution as property of Daniel St. Glair. Lands of Andrew Knox, Solomon Stewart and James Shan non, deed., adjoin. [January 20, 1808]

The late property of Nehemiah Evans, deed., in Lower Merlon, is advertised for sale by John Evans. There are three tracts, each containing about 25 acres, with a never- failing spring. On one tract is a log dwelling, with frame bam, and an excellent orchard. Adjoining are the farms of Jacob Morris, William Stadelman and Jacob Jones. [February 22, 1808]

A tract of more than 80 acres, near the Friends' Meeting house in Abington township, and adjoining lands of George Williams, Thomas Phipps and George Hallowell, is offered for sale by Isaac Thomas. Inquire of Joseph Thomas, near the premises. [March 8, 1808]

John Smith, U. 8. marshal for the Pennsylvania District, advertises a group of properties in Whitemarsh, chief of which is a house, with over 11 acres of land, on the Mana- NINETEENTH CENTURY REAL ESTATE OFFERINGS gg tawny and Morristown [Norristown?] roads. The others comprise four tracts, containing- respectively 32, 110, 100 and 150 acres. [March 19, 1808] \Note: These properties appear to have been taken in execution as of Samuel P. Broome.]

William Thomas, of Lower Merion, will let a two-story dwelling, with lot and outbuildings, situate on the Lancaster Turnpike, ten miles from Philadelphia. "Late the residence of a Doctor." — Enquire at turnpike gate No. 3. [May 30, 1808]

The three-fourths' interest in a tract of 39 V2 acres in Lower Merion, on the Schuylkill, late the property of James Vaillant, deed., will be sold at public sale by John Smith, U. S. Marshal, It adjoins lands of Robert Roberts, "one Addudel" and Melchor Ming's division. [November 10, 1808]

A farm of 150 acres, in Cheltenham township, "in full view of the beatuiful village of Cheltenham (commonly called Shoemakertown)," with stone dwelling and bam, will be sold by Jacob Leech, "on the premises." Tacony creek passes through the property, which fronts on the road leading from the Cheltenham and Willow Grove Turnpike to Frankfort. [December 10, 1808]

The 219-acre plantation of Hugh Roberts, deed., situate on the Schuylkill, in Lower Merion, is advertised for sale by his executors, Algernon Roberts and Jonathan Robeson. It is adjacent to lands of William Hagy and William Holgate, and will be divided into four separate tracts, as follows: 1. 65 acres, with stone dwelling and barn, etc., and "the greatest bank of soapstone yet discovered in the state." 2. 70 acres, with log dwelling and barn; near the Schuylkill, "with the moiety of a valuable shad fishery." 90 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

3. 47 acres, nearly two-thirds woodland, on the Schuyl- kill. 4. 33 acres, all woodland, on the Schuylkill. Apply to Jonathan Robeson, near the premises. [January 9, 1809; see also, March 6]

There will be public sale, at the Merchants' Coffee House, Philadelphia, of a tract of 178 acres in Upper Dub lin, late the property of Jeremiah Warder. A stone dwelling and barn are on the property, which is near the Chestnut Hill and Spring House Turnpike. George Rooke, living on the premises, will give information. [February 23, 1809]

Edward Bonsall & Son, "at the office. No. 3 Carpenter Court near the Custom House, Philadelphia," have for sale a 50-acre plantation, with two-story stone dwelling, on the road connecting Newtown and Old York roads, in More- land township, two miles above Bustleton, and 4^ miles above Oxford Church. [March 11, 1809]

A tract of 171% acres of rich bottom land, at the junc tion of Perkiomen creek and the Schuylkill river, in Provi dence township, will be cried for sale at John Benjamin's Jefferson tavern, on the Ridge road, 19 miles from Phila delphia. "Exclusive of the fertility and beauty of this tract of land, on the three contiguous farms, have been discovered mines of lead, zinc and copper; and the rich lead vein of Mr. Dacasta is within 20 poles of this estate." Apply to Mr. Bakewell, of Fatland ford, near the premises. [March 16, 1809]

Public sale is advertised, at the house of Jesse Roberts, Norristown, of the following real estate: 1. Two-story Mansion House, lot and stables, 75' x 250', on Egypt street (the main street of Norristown), now oc- NINETEENTH CENTURY REAL ESTATE OFFERINGS 91 cupied by William Henderson. With "moiety of a grass lot extending into the Schuylkill." 2. Two-story Mansion House, lot, stables, etc., occupied by Thomas Potts, Esq., situate next to No. 1. "The above two houses and lots, extending from the. main street to Schuylkill, might be easily connected, so as to make a large and commodious Hotel." [May 1, 1809]

Silas E. Weir advertises public sale of 50 acres in More- land township, about 40 poles from the Willow Grove Turn pike, and "near the Mineral Spring and Bath House." [June 1, 1809]

Levi Lukens, "on the premises," offers for sale a 40- acre farm in Moreland, "one mile from the turnpiked part of York road," and "near Pennepack Mills." A stream passing through, supplies an adjoining grist mill. "N. B. The mineral spring might be an object of con siderable profit to any person who would accomodate with board and lodging those who would frequent the house for the benefit of its waters." [June 26, 1809]

The 95-acre plantation in Abington township, late of George Webster, deed., is shortly to be sold by his executors. It is but half a mile from Jenkintown, and adjoins the lands of Joseph Webster, Benjamin Shriver and others. [October 8, 1809]

John, Charles and Jesse Gilbert, executors of Jonathan Gilbert, deceased, announce the coming sale of his late residence, a stone house and more than 200 acres of land in Cheltenham, with stone shop, stone barn, etc. The loca tion is three miles from Germantown, and farms of Matthew Tyson, Dorothy Loller, Mary Ottinger and others adjoin. [November 3, 1809] 92 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Samuel Potts, of Willow Grove, is about to auction off a farm and a small lot, at the head of Cheltenham and Wil low Grove Turnpike. The farm contains 24 acres; the two- story house and bam are of stone. The quarter-acre lot fronts on Horsham road, as well as on the road leading from Willow Grove to the Welsh road, and has, besides the house, a stone work shop. [December 19, 1809] Sheriff David Dewees will be at George Weaver's tav ern, in Montgomery township, on date advertised, to auction off a moiety of a tract of 177 acres 54 perches in that town ship, taken in execution as property of Christian Wertz, Jr., deceased. The farm faces on the Bethlehem road, and on the road to North Wales Meeting-house. The adjoining lands are owned by Edward Bartholomew, Mordecai Moore, Jonathan Dickinson, Peter Martin and Robert Gordon. [December 21, 1809]

At the head of the Cheltenham and Willow Grove Turn pike are two lots which will be sold at the Merchants' Coffee House, one containing 10 acres 18 perches; the other, 22 square perches, with dwelling and two-story stone store, lately occupied by David Cummings, deceased. Also, entire stock of groceries, glass and queens ware, liquors, dry goods, horses, cows, etc. [December 23, 1809]

Thomas Conrad has kept a store for six years on the Old York road in Hatborough, but now wishes to sell. The prop erty comprises a two-story stone dwelling, frame store, barn, wagon house and chair house. [January 5, 1810.] "To Let, in the pleasant and healthy village of Norris- town, 17 miles from Philadelphia, a large and elegant Dwelling House, with a Large Garden, and Good Stables. It would suit a respectable Person, inclined to take in Board ers. Enquire of Levi Pawling, Esquire, at Norristown—or in Philadelphia, at No. 112 south Third street." [April 7, 1810] NINETEENTH CENTUBY REAL ESTATE OFFERINGS 93

"A Valuable Paper Mill and Extensive Establishment" is advertised to be sold at the Merchants' Coffee House, Philadelphia, by John Dorsey, auctioneer. It is situated in Lower Merion, 1V2 niiles from the Schuylkill river, and may be reached via Wissahickon road and Righter's ferry, or by Old Lancaster road. The property consists of 20 acres of land — half wood land — "a one Vat stone Mill in complete order with water power sufficient for two vats during 9 months of the year," a stone dwelling, stabling for 8 head of cattle, etc. Labor is plentiful in the neighborhood. "An excellent situation for any one who would prefer the delights of industry in rural scenery, to a paltry and ennui in the city." [July 7, 1810] [No«e: On April 1, 1811, Elizabeth Helmbold, widow and executrix of George Helmbold, late of LowerMerion, paper maker, conveyed to George Helmbold, of the city of Philadelphia, paper maker, a house, paper mill and 19 acres 66 perches of land in Lower Merion. (Montg. Co. Deed Book27 p. 205.) This property was situated on Gully Run, which emptied into the Schuylkill at West Manayunk. Wissahickon road is now Ridge avenue. Righter's ferry was at the present Pencoyd; a road formerly leading to it still bears its name. The "missing word," indicated above, can only be conjectured.] Sale is advertised to take place, at the inn of George Savage, "near the side of the flat rock bridge (over the river Schuylkill)" in Lower Merion, of fifteen lots, late the estate of Frederick Bicking, deceased. Eight of them are wood land, bounding on the Schuylkill; the rest are on the road from Old Lancaster road to William Hagy's ford, and vary in size from 10% to 38 acres, the smallest having a log dwelling on it. A shad fishery adjoins the woodland; two of the other lots abut on the land of Dr. C. Heydrick. John Bicking, Joseph Bicking, Algernon Roberts and Sanuel Lehman are the executors. Apply to Frederick Bicking or David Bicking, living nearby. [July 24, 1810] 94 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

John Lloyd wishes to sell the 150-acre farm on which he lives in Horsham, half a mile from Horsham Friends' Meetingf-house, and IY2 from Hatborough, "otherwise called the Crooked-Billet," with two-story stone house and three- story stone barn. Apply to him, or to Joseph Lloyd, 28 Powell St., Philadelphia. [August 20, 1810]

(To he continued) Deaths in the Skippack Region (Continuedfrom Volume VllIpage 3S3) No. 201. "JACOB ZIEGLER died October 28, 1822." Has not been identified positively, but was probably the son of Nos. 40 and 527. He was a carpenter by trade when his name first appeared in 1818 in Lower Salford at which time he was taxed on one cow. In 1819 he had moved to Skippack where he was taxed for 21 acres which he held until 1823 when his name was crossed off the lists. There are no deeds on record, nor any estate proceedings relating to him. No. 202. "JOHN GRATER died October 29, 1822." Born July 13, 1765 the son of Nos. 63 and 144, he lived in Upper Providence on 93 acres of land bordering the Schuykill River. Issue: Abraham (deceased by 1822); Jacob who died young; Philip, John, David, Catherine wife of John Young; Elizabeth who died in infancy; Henry who died young, and Israel who died single. (Montgy OC Bk 4/328, 346, 472; The Crater Family) No. 203. "DAVID HESS and his wife died January 1 and 2, 1823." His name first appeared in Skippack tax lists in 1782 when his taxable estate was £50. In the 1790 Census for Skippack he and his wife are listed. From 1800 until his death they lived in Frederick township. There are no deeds or estate proceedings on record relating to him. No. 204. "ANDREAS WALDT died January 14, 1823." Son of No. 55 and his wife Anna Catharina Berndt (bom November 24, 1732 and died March 23,

95 96 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

1812, buried Goshenoppen Lutheran, daughter of Andreas Berndt) he married October 27, 1799 Elizabeth Schwenk, daughter of Abraham of Skip- pack. They lived in Limerick. Issue: Catherine, wife of Jacob Smith; Elizabeth, wife of D. Reif- sneider; Abram, Mary, wife of George Brandt; Henry who married Elizabeth Stouffer; Samuel, Fanny, wife of Abram Anderson, and Jacob. (Bean p 921; Montgy GO Bk 4/359, 474) No. 205. "JACOB CLEMENS died January 17, 1823." Born April 12,1749, son of Jacob Clemens and Barbara Clemmer of Lower Salford, he married by license dated September 14, 1770 Anna Updegraf, daugh ter of Edward, and lived in Worcester township at the time of his death. Issue: Jacob, Mary, wife of Henry Moser; Catherine, wife of Andrew Beyer; Ann who married a Detweiler; John who married first Margaret Clemmer and second Susan Wismer. (Montgy W Bks 1/29; 4/17; OC Bks 74/578; PMHB 41/244; Heckler p 220)

No. 206. "Old JOHN JANZS died January 22, 1823." Born November 18, 1751, son of Nicholas Johnson who died in 1760, and Magdalena Wisler who married second No. 94, he died in Skippack but owned a grist and oil mill in Marlborough which he devised to his son Jacob, and a plantation on "Deep Creek, Montgomery County where Michael Neidig re sides" to his son John. He is buried at L. Skippack Mennonite Cemetery, leaving a widow Barbara (No. 389) and issue: Jacob, John and Benjamin of Marlborough Township, Magdalena Zepp, Catherine, wife of Peter Wisler; Barbara, wife of Andrew Schrack and Ann, wife of Samuel Swartley. (Montgy W Bks 5/258, 6/115; Dd Bk 55/579) • DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 97

Ko. 207. "JACOB ZIEGLER died in the City of Philadel phia January 24, 1823." Born February 17, 1754, son of No. 191, he married February 2,1776 Sarah Margaret Mack, born December 23, 1753; died September 8, 1799. At his marriage to his second wife Ann an agreement was made whereby she was to share equally in all monies and property which Jacob and Ann should earn during their marriage; after his death such monies and prop erties were to be divided between their respective .heirs. He was a carpenter by trade and built several houses in the vicinity of St. John's Street in the Northern Liberties. He was a member of the Third Baptist Church of Philadelphia. Issue by his first wife: William, Polly, Ann who married a Robinson; Elizabeth who married a Cooper; Catherine who married a Dedaker; Jacob, and Rebecca who married a Mason. (Phila W Bk 7/603; Phila Dd Bk EF-28/425) No. 208. "JACOB JOHNSON died January 27,1823." Bom about 1788 possibly the son of William and Bar bara Johnson of Upper Providence, he was a miller in Lower Providence until 1813 when he moved to Skippack with his wife Sarah. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: John, Isaac, William, Jacob and Abraham, all minors at the time of his death. (Montgy OC Bk 4/325, 333; Dd Bks 39/475; 48/96) No. 209. "JOHN HAHN died February 26, 1823." Born October 30, 1776, son of Philip and Margaret (Heister) Hahn, he had married Margaret Swoyer, daughter of Henry and Margaret Swoyer, who had died November 6, 1810 aged 30 yrs., 3 mos., 21 da. He was a doctor and lived In New Hanover township. He and his wife are buried at Falkner Swamp. Issue: James, Judith and Rebecca, minors 98 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

over fourteen when he died. (Montgy OC Bk 4/329; Perk, Reg. Vol 1/180) No. 210. "Old JOHN LANDIS died March 4, 1823." The son of Jacob and Mary (Cassel) Landis, he was bom in April 1746 and married No. 213. He oper ated the saw mill his father sold him in 1775 in Franeonia and was enrolled in the Militia Com pany of the Township. He is buried at Help's. Issue: Jacob who married Sarah Moyer; Abra ham; John who married Mary Shoemaker, and Mary, wife of Christian Moyer. (Montgy W Bk 6/134; HSL) No. 211. "Old ISAAC TYSON died March 4, 1823." Born in October 1766 son of No. 67 and brother of No. 219, he and his wife Barbara lived in Skippack on land bounded by Joseph Tyson, Richard Jacobs, Michael Allebach, George Weaver, William.Cas- selberry and Henry Hunsicker. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Daniel, Susanna, Maria, and Isaac, Henry, Lydia, John and Barbara, minors, whose guardians were Henry Bean and Abraham Tyson. (Montgy OC Bk 4/361, 365, 439)

No. 212. "GEORGE ARTMAN his wife died March 17, 1823." Has not been identified. No. 213. "JOHN LANDIS his widow died March 24, 1823." Born in 1748 widow of No. 210 and daughter of Nos. 10 and 44, she was Mary Detweiler, sister of Nos. 87, 104, 116, 143, 213, 331 and 347. No. 214. "JACOB HALMAN died April 20, 1823." The son of Henry Hallman and his second wife Anna Maria Burson, he was born June 12, 1757 and was the husband of No. 305. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Henry, John, Jacob, DEATHS IN THE SKIFPACK REGION 90

Jesse, Isaac, Sarah, wife of William Price; Sus anna wife of George Snyder; Mary, wife of Christ ian Detterer, who predeceased her father, having died September 19, 1822. (Montgy OC Bk 4/362, 366) No. 215. "SAMUEL HARLEY his wife died July 17, 1823." Born February 25, 1761, the daughter of Christo pher Sower of Germantown and his wife Catherine Sharpneck, Catherine Harley was a sister of No. 146 and wife of No. 493. Buried at Klein's Ceme tery. (HSL) No. 216. "Young WILLIAM ZIEGLER died July 23, 1823." Said to be the son of Gerret Ziegler and Magda- lena Johnson, he was born March 5, 1790 and married Susanna Kraus (No. 235) about 1813. He took over the management of the inn in Skippack operated by his wife's father (No. 83) upon the letter's death. Buried Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Charles, Lydia, Seth and Wil liam, all minors under twelve when their father died. (Montgy OC Bk3/259;4/351;WBk6/349)

No. 217. "JOHANNES ALDERFER his widow died August 7, 1823." Widow of No. 176, she was Elizabeth Rosenberger, bom February 9, 1747, daughter of Benjamin and Helena Rosenberger. Buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. (HSL) No. 218. "JOHN KEPLER his wife died August 7, 1823." Wife of No. 296 she was Salome Kepler. (Montgy Dd Bk 17/339) No. 219. "Old JOHN TYSON died August 13, 1823." Bora in 1757, he is believed to be the son of No. 67 and his-wife-Alice^ Nash. He married Susanna Upde- graf (No. 276) and was the brother of Nos. 155, 211, 231, 234 and 255. Buried at Lower Skippack 100 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Abraham, William, Jacob who married Elizabeth Bergey; Mary, wife of Dillman Ziegler and Hannah (No. 132). (Montgy RW #16,958; OC Bk 4/378)

No. 220. "Old HEINRICH WISEMER died August 30, 1823." Born February 15, 1764, son of Henry and Barbara (Lederach) Wismer, he married May 19, 1785 Mary Fried, daughter of No. 149, who died November 13, 1833 aged 72 yrs., 7 da. They lived in Lower Providence and both are buried at Wor cester Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: John, Barbara, wife of Abraham Kolb; Mary, wife of David Lev- engood; Elizabeth; Nancy who married first David Schutt and second Jacob Schutt; Henry, and Susan, wife of John Clemance. (Montgy W Bk 6/148; Wismer Family p 183 ff)

No. 221. "Old ISAAC KASSEL died September 2, 1823." Born August 21, 1746, he was the last surviving child of the emigrant Yelles Cassel. He married, first, October 20, 1768 Barbara Detweiler, daugh ter of Nos. 10 and 44, who died January 7, 1801. On August 3, 1801 he married Magdalena Kolb, born May 23, 1746; died June 29, 1822, daughter of Dillman and Wilhelmina (Rittenhouse) Kolb. He was a Mennonite minister serving the Skippack circuit. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cem etery. Issue: John (No. 136); Jacob; Elizabeth wife of John Roosen (No. 616) ; Molly (No. 279) and Abraham who married Elizabeth Bean. (Wen- ger p 254; Montgy W Bk 6/152; Kulp p 19 ff)

No. 222. "JACOB SCHWENK died September 2, 1823." Possibly the son of Nos. 53 and 76, born June 12, 1761 who married January 13, 1778 Eva Krauh. No deeds or estate proceedings have been located DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION

relating to him. (Vide Goshenhoppen Lutheran Church records)

No. 223. "WILLIAM JOHNSON his widow died Septem ber 12, 1823." She was Barbara, a widow of William of Upper Providence who was a son of Nos. 7 and 13. He had died just a year earlier in September 1822 leaving issue: Jacob, John, Wil liam, Henry, Nancy wife of Nathan Spare; Maria wife of Samuel Buckwalter; Sarah, Elizabeth and Susanna. (Montgy W Bk 6/47)

No. 224. "Widow MARIA CLEMENS died September 11, 1823." Born November 15, 1761 she was Maria Steiner, widow of No. 57.

No. 225. "Rich DILLMAN KOLB died September 13, 1823." Bom April 16, 1746, son of Peter and Elizabeth Kolb, he married in 1795 Barbara Kas- sel (No. 445). They lived in Towamencin and are buried at Plain. Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Rev. Jacob who married Catherine Hunsicker; John who married first Anna Cassel and second Anna Kolb, and Elizabeth who had married, first. No. 184. Dillman Kolb left an estate totalling $31,916.62 of which $30,859 comprised bonds and notes due. (Montgy RW #12,624)

No. 226. "Old ISAAC KRATZ- died September 18, 1823." Born July 15, 1749 son of John Valentine and Anna (Clemens) Kratz, he married Mary Yellis (No. 361). They lived in Lower Salford where he was enrolled in the Militia Company of the Town ship during the Revolution. Both buried Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Valentine who married Mary Moyer; Fronica, wife of Isaac Fretz; Ann, wife of Henry Clemens; John who married Catherine Johnson (No. 567); Mary; 102 BULLETIN OF HISTCKICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Abraham who married Elizabeth Fretz; Philip who married Mary Hunsicker; Isaac who married Anna Alderfer; Elizabeth, wife of Henry Ziegler. (Kratz, p 234 ff; Montgy W Bk 6/159) No. 227. "GEORGE REIFF of Perkiomen died September 16, 1823." Born December 8, 1763, son of No. 118 he married April 7, 1784 Rachel Pawling, daugh ter of John and Elizabeth (Dehaven) Pawling, who was bom July 10, 1765. Issue: Catherine, wife of Jacob Groff, Nathan, Jacob and a daugh ter who had married John Beaver. (Montgy W Bk 6/157) No. 228. "GATARINA SWARTZLANDER died September 21, 1823." Born in March 1776 daughter of Ga briel Swartzlander and Salome Stout Freed, she is buried at Doylestown Mennonite Cemetery. She was apparently visiting her sister Margaret, widow of John Stem and second wife of John Reiff (husband of No. 173 and nephew of No. 227) when she was taken ill and died. (Bucks W Bk . 10/243) No. 229. "HEINRICH HARLEY his wife died August 20, 1823." She was Elizabeth Keely, bom about 1760, daughter of Henry of Skippack, She married Henry Harley born July 1, 1754, died August 13, 1840, son of Nos. 61 and 82. Both buried Lower Providence Brethren Cemetery. They lived in Lower Salford from 1784 to 1800, then removed to Worcester township. Said to have had sixteen children of whom are known: Rudolph, of Phila delphia; Henry who married Catherine Cassel; John who married a daughter of Henry Stong; Samuel; Mary, wife of Mathias Tyson; Catherine, wife of Jacob Bean; Sarah, wife of Jacob Det- weiler; Rachel, wife of Joseph Landis; Hannah; DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 103

Anna, wife of John Rosenberger; Margaret, wife of Henry Clymer. (Wenger Bk 1/101; Heckler, p 308) No. 230. "Old GEORGE PREISS, preacher, died Septem ber 25, 1823." Bom November 1, 1753, son of No. 31, he married Sarah Harley, daughter of No. 61, who was born June 20, 1756 and died September 25, 1799. They lived in Coventry town ship, Chester County, where he was a Dunkard preacher. Issue: Daniel who married Hannah Baugh; Mary, wife of John Baugh; Rev. John; George; Hannah, wife of Adam Reinwalt; Sarah, wife of Israel Urner; Jacob, Rudolph and Eliza beth. (HSL, Rev. Carl Smith) No. 281. "ANNA CASSELBERRY died September 26, 1823." The widow of Jacob Casselberry (1744- 1795), son of Paul and Margaret (Adams) Cas selberry, she was born in 1748 the daughter of No 67. Issue: Richard who married Sophia Wentz; William who married Catherine Wentz; Jacob who married Rebecca Davis; Benjamin who married Ann Davis; and Ann, wife of John Reese. (Montgy W Bk 6/175; Perk. Reg. Vol 12/88)

No. 232. "DANIEL SPRINGER his wife died September 26, 1823." She was Elizabeth Springer and is pro bably buried at Wentz's Church beside her hus band. According to Edward Mathews, Daniel Springer was bom in Earl Township, Lancaster County in 1744 and died in 1825, aged 81 yrs. Possibly a brother of William Springer who mar ried Maria Oberholser in 1764, Daniel was a Captain of Militia in Towamencin during the Rev olution, moving to Skippack in 1792. Issue: Cath erine, first wife of John Hiser (No. 633); Abra ham, and Maria who married Michael Stonebach. 104 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

(Montgy W Bks 1/265; 6/285; History of Towa- mencin) No. 233. "Old BENJAMIN JOHNSON died September 29, 1823." Grandson of Glaus Johnson and son of Peter Johnson and his wife Catherine Dock (No. 130), he and his wife Mary Johnson (No. 291) lived all their lives in Skippack on his father's 150-acre plantation. He was enrolled in the Sixth class of Captain John Harple's Company of Militia during the Revolution. Among his children it is probable were Catherine (No. 567) who married John Kratz; Margaret who married Abraham Bean and Elizabeth who married his brother Jacob Bean. There are no estate proceedings in the Montgomery County Court records. (Montgy Dd Bks 24/318, 33/405; Kratz Family History p 267; Pa Arch 2, Vol 14/19) No. 234. "ELISABETH FITTERS died September 30,1823." Daughter of No. 67, Elizabeth Peters had married first a Nice, by whom she had a son William Nice. Her second husband Henry Peters whom she mar ried May 24,1792, may have been a son of William and Ann Peters and grandson of Henry and Bern- dina Peters of Limerick. (Montgy W Bk 3/-180: Phila Adm Bk F/226, W Bk L/298) No. 235. "Widow SUSAN ZIEGLER died October 14, 1823." Born February 24, 1797, daughter of No. 83, she was the widow of No. 216. Buried Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. (Montgy OC Bk 3/259, 270) No. 236. "ISAAC MERCKLE his widow died December 7, 1823." Bom March 7, 1733, Sarah Markley was the widow of No. 80. Buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 105

No. 237. "Old JACOB HORNING died January 3, 1824." Born in 1762 the son of Nos. 14 and 23, he mar ried January 24, 1791 Anna North (No. 188). They lived in Skippack on land adjoining Henry and John Bean, Henry Detweiler, Jacob and Jo seph Landis, Abraham Crater and John Kepler. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Jesse, Nathan, Catherine, wife of Henry Bergstresser; Jeremiah and John, a minor at the time of his father's death. (Montgy OC Bk 4/475, 503, 529) No. 238. "Young ISAAC TYSON died January 11, 1824." Born January 1,1792 son of William of Worcester, he married Catherine Bergey, born October 16, 1796; died January 29, 1885, who was a daughter of Abraham Bergey (No. 589). Isaac Tyson set tled in Frederick township where he was a weaver by trade. He is buried at Herstein's Cemetery. Issue: Hannah, wife of Solomon Mills and Abra ham who married Elizabeth Keyser. (Montgy W Bk 6/188; OC Bk 10/206; Bergey p 55) No. 239. "Young ISAAC KOLB died February 2, 1824." Bom March 30, 1788, son of No. 258 he married Mollie Krout and lived in Upper Providence. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Anna, Catherine, Mary, Martin and Isaac, all minors when their father died. (Montgy OC Bk 4/476, 596) No. 240. "Young WILLIAM JOHNSON died March 6, 1824." Possibly the son of No. 223 and her hus band William Johnson, and brother of No. 208. There are no estate proceedings relating to him on record. No. 241. "JOHN HIESTAND his wife died April 10, 1824." She was Catherine Cassel born September 106 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

17, 1781, daughter of Hupert Cassel (No. 501). John Hiestand was a carpenter in Towamencin when he bought 22 acres in 1809 from Isaac Hun- sicker. He lived in Skippack from 1810 until 1829 when he disappeared from the township tax lists. Nothing further has been found relating to him. (Montg Dd Bk 34/38) No. 242. "HEINRICH LANDIS his widow died April 18, 1824." Widow of No. Ill she was Anna Maria Bergey, daughter of the emigrant Hans Ullrich Bergey and is buried at Delp's. (HSL) No. 243. "HEINRICH HENDRICKS died April 19, 1824." Born March 24, 1771, according to the record of his marriage by Frederick Conrad in 1795 to Bar bara, born April 17, 1770; died August 23, 1848, daughter of Benjamin Hendricks of Towamencin, Henry Hendricks was a son of John Hendricks of Lower Salford. Henry was a cordwainer by trade and lived first in Skippack on land purchased from Valentine Hunsicker in 1806. He sold this in 1813 to Abraham Ziegler and George Rawn, pur chasing 77 acres in Lower Salford the following year after his wife had received her legacy from her father Benjamin's estate. In 1821 Henry and his wife assigned their property to David Allebach and Jesse Lewis for the benefit of Henry's cred itors "as he had been unfortunate in business by reason of the pressure of the times." He continued to live in Salford on 42 acres, however, until his death. He and his wife are buried at Lower Skip- pack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Ann, wife of Daniel Biller (?Bilger) and possibly John. (Montgy Dd Bks 29/525; 30/350; 31/510; Misc Bk 1/297) No. 244. "Widow MARIA FRIEDIN died June 20, 1824." DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK BEGION 107

Born July 3, 1741, she was the widow of No. 149 and is buried at Schwenksville Cemetery. No. 245. "JOHANNES CLEMENS his wife died July 24, 1824." She was Hannah Price, born May 4, 1763, daughter of No. 31 and wife of No. 351. (HSL; Clemens p IS) No. 246. "JOHN FUNK died September 16, 1824." Son of No. 72, his wife Ann had died May 25, 1797 aged 34 yrs., 3 mos. He lived near Evansburg and after the death of his father became the head of the Funkites. Late in life he removed to Berks County where he died. By his first wife he is said to have had issue: Abraham, Magdalena, John and Cath erine. By a second wife, name unknown, he had four daughters. (HSL) No. 247. "Old JOHN RAHN died October 3, 1824." Born March 29, 1758, son of No. 119 he and his wife Catherine who had died October 3, 1822, aged 61 yrs. 2 das, are both buried at Trappe although they lived in Skippack. Issue: Joseph, George, Daniel, Abraham, Isaac, Elizabeth, wife of Char les Hall; Rachel wife of George Ried. (Montgy OC Bk 4/594) No. 248. "Young JOHN ZIEGLER died October 8, 1824." Born July 2, 1799, son of Dillman Ziegler and his wife Catherine, he is buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. He married about 1821 and lived in Frederick where he was half owner of a grist and oil mill which was sold after, his death to Henry Ziegler, son of Andrew. Issue: Joseph and John. (MontgyWBk9/33; OC Bk 4/570,592)

No. 249. "JOHANNES DETWEILER his second wife died October 16, 1824." Bom August 16, 1761 she was Elizabeth Hall, daughter of No. 68. She had mar- 108 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

ried first John Horning (No. 30), by whom she had issue: Jacob, Lewis, Catherine, wife of Michael Steerly; John; Mary, wife of Abraham Detweiler; Ann, wife of Samuel Derstine; William who married Hannah Price; Henry and Isaac. Her second husband was the widower of No. 56. She is buried at Help's. (Montgy Dd Bk 41/193)

(To be continued) Early Residents and Land Transfers in Pottstown

Rev. Carl T. Smith

The year 1752 is the usual date given for the founding of Pottstown, being the same year that John Potts built his mansion on the banks of the Manatawny Greek and over looking the Schuylkill River. There was, however, un doubtedly a small settlement already established at the mouth of the Manatawny for somg years previous to Potts' acquisition of the land. As early as 1700, Peter Bezalion, the French trader, had built a house in Chester County on the west bank of the River Schuylkill across from the mouth of the Manatawny. The Potts mansion and most of the original town lots oc cupied land that Potts had bought of the McCall brothers, but which originally was a part of a Penn Manor. As a great Manor tract it had been leased to settlers during the years the Penns owned it. In a letter dated the 16th of the second month, 1731, from James Steel to John Penn concerning Penn's Manor of Manatawny, Steel states that "the front on Schuylkill is tolerable good land, but that is settled by Ten- ants'.i In January, 1735, William Biddle submits to John Penn an accounting of the persons settled on the Manor by agreements made with Isaac Norris. Among the nine names mentioned as holding licenses to settle,^ I believe the first entry, dated 1725, refers to the settlements near the mouth of the Manatawny: "John Roads by lisc. for 21 yrs- at 80 bus. wheat per annum, pd. 200 bus. due 25 Mr. next 600 bus. The place now in possession of Jno. Road and Jno. Ball who will pay 100 bush the beginning of March." The earliest plan of the Town of Pottstown appears to

109 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY be an undated one found among the papers of Robert Enoch Hobart, a descendant of the Proprietor John Potts, and pub lished In the POTTSTOWN LEDGER, Feb. 25, 1901. It shows sixty-eight double lots measuring sixty feet by six hundred feet in depth. The streets are not named but the lots are on either side of the present High Street. In the cent er of the plan High Street is crossed by the present Hanover Street. The two secondary streets now known as York and Charlotte are shown. To the north the lots are bounded by the present Chestnut Street and to the south by the present South Street. The lots are made double by the bisection of the lots north of High Street by King and of the lots south of High by Queen. Penn Street is not indicated on the plan. All the land to the south and west of High and Hanover is devoted to the Forge and its race, running from a dam on Manatawny Creek just above where it is crossed by High Street to where the race emptied into the Schuylkill not far above the foot of Hanover Street. This plan was the nucleus of the later development of the town but various alterations and changes were made in this early plan. By the year 1762, lots numbered 69 to 112 were added between Chestnut and Walnut Streets and lots numbered 118 to 156 were added between Walnut and Beech Streets, and a row of single lots numbered 157 to 175 extended along High Street east to Hanover on the land that in the earlier draft had been reserved for the Forge. When the town lots were disposed of by John Potts' son Samuel, executor of the estate, some of these lots were in cluded in tracts of larger acreage and so lost their identity as numbered lots. The double lots numbered 35 to 44, and the single lots numbered 104 to 112, and 148 to 156, were included in a tract of ten acres and fifteen perches sold to Frederick Kleckner in 1777, and in the twelve acres and sixty-nine perches sold to Thomas Rutter, Esquire, in 1774. The lots 45 to 49, originally planned as double lots, were eventually sold as single lots. The double lots 50 to 68 were EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 111 included in the tracts of thirteen acres and seventy-six perches which the executor of John Potts sold to Thomas Kutter, Esquire, and the nineteen acres and seventy perches they sold to John Murray in 1778. Lots numbered 1, 2, and 3 were a part of forty-four acres and thirty-six perches the executor sold in 1772 to John Shultz. The first definite date for the occupation of the Potts- town lots is the year 1762. In the rear of a Ledger of the Pottsgrove Forge now in the Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania there is an account of the var ious lots leased by John Potts in the year 1762 for a four year period and the amount of quit-rent paid on each lot up to the year 1766. From this list we can arrive at a tentative census of the town of Pottstown in 1762. The list contains twenty-four names, but it is unlikely that every in dividual renting a lot erected a dwelling house. Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, writing in his Journal under date of August 12, 1764, states that on this Sunday he rode to the home of John Potts to confer at Potts' request regarding the establishment of a Lutheran Church in the new village and observes that "Nineteen houses have already been built there". ^ The Potts Memorial contains a copy of a blank form for the ground rent lease for the Pottstown lots dated 1762. The lots listed in the Forge Ledger must have been leased under the conditions mentioned in the form. The ground rent was to be paid every year on the first days of March and Sep tember in equal payments, the rent to be paid in "Spanish pieces of Eight or value thereof, in lawful money of Penn sylvania." The lots could be bought at any time within twenty years. The lease stated that a dwelling house of brick, stone, framed or squared logs must be built on the lot a,t least twenty feet square within two years of the first of March following the date of the lease. But if this condition should"not be complied with and no house built, the lot was to revert to the possession of John Potts. On the other hand, if the house was built within the stated two-year term. Potts 3^12 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

agreed to execute a proper deed for the lot. The double lots were subject to a ground rent of thirty shillings per year and single lots at fifteen shillings,' but a single front lot of one of the double lots was rented for twenty shillings. On the basis of John Potts' accounts of ground rent on the Pottstown lots and other entries in the Forge Books the Assessment lists for Douglass Township and New Han over Township, Philadelphia County, later Montgomery County and recorded deeds", let us make an imaginative visit to the infant village noting the lots and their occupants. On the north side of High Street Lot 4 was leased to Martin Glass from 1762 to 1765. This lot was later a part of a larger block sold by the executor of John Potts in 1791 to John Berns. At the north-west corner of High and York Streets lots numbered 8, 9, and 10 were leased in 1762 to William De- wees, the husband of John Potts' niece. William was mar ried to Sarah, the daughter of Thomas Potts and Rebecca Rutter; Thomas Dewees, William's brother, was married to her sister Hannah. The brothers were identified with the various business enterprises of the Potts family. In 1764 and 1765, Thomas Dewees was licensed to keep a tavern in Douglass Township, Philadelphia County (now Montgomery County), and in 1766, William Dewees was so licensed'. This tavern may have been situated on the Pottstown lots of Dewees. On Dec. 19, 1767, Thomas Dewees paid a year's rent for the Pottstown mill. Thomas was again licensed for a tavern in 1770. About the year 1771, Thomas moved to Philadelphia, where he had charge of the prison, and Wil liam removed to another Potts' enterprize, the Mt. Joy Forge, otherwise known as Valley Forge. William Dewees bought these three lots from John Potts on Oct. 31, 1765, and on Oct. 8,1773, sold them under a ground rent deed to John Bern (elsewhere given as Barnes and Berns.)® Berns was taxed as a shopkeeper in Pottstown from the years 1769 through 1798, when he moved to Caer- EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN ^13

narvon Township, Berks County, having sold lots 8 and 9, along with others, to Christian Willauer.® Berns had bought the adjacent lots numbered 4, 5, 6, and 7 from the Executor of John Potts, Sr., Sept. 15, 1791. Lots numbered 11 and 12 occupying the north-east comer of York and High Streets were leased by Jeremiah Boone. A bachelor son of George Boone and Deborah Ho- well of Exeter Township, Berks County, he was born Sept. 6, 1729, and died in Oley Township, Berks County, March, 1787^". Boone bought the two lots of John Potts, Oct. 1, 1765, and held them until June 8, 1772, when he sold them to Jeremiah Jordan." On Apr. 30, 1788, Jordan, then living in Shenandoah County, Virginia, and his wife Mary (for merly widow of Walter Lewis), sold the lots to Andrew Caldwell, a merchant of Philadelphia^^. Although Caldwell owned the lots, they were assessed in the name of John Mitchell, his step-son, from the year of the first assessment list in 1779 up through 1791. In the years 1780 and 1781, the property was rented to Thomas White, a taylor. White moved in 1782 to lots 139 and 140 on the north-east comer of Penn and Walnut Streets, which he presumably bought of George Gilbert. White lived here until 1799, when he moved to Coventry Township, Chester County. His children were baptized in St. Gabriel's Church, Douglassville, Berks County, namely: John, bora Aug. 1, 1786; Elizabeth, bora Jan. 7, 1790; Hannah, born Feb. 4, 1792; and George, bora Mar. 15, 1795^3. Mitchell probably conducted a store on this property during the years he was in Pottstown; it was also the site of the tavern known as the "Sign of the Golden Swan^^." Andrew Caldwell sold the property to Thomas Maybury, iron-master. May 24, 1791^®. In early deeds of adjoining property. Lot No. 13 is mentioned as the lot of Mary Cleaver. She was probably the single daughter mentioned in the will of Derrick Cleaver, of Douglass Township, Berks County, written Oct. 25, 1767, 114 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY and probated Feb. 26, 1768^®. Derrick Cleaver had married Mary Potts, the daughter of Thomas Potts, Sr., and Martha Keurlis. In the Forge Ledger, Lot 13 is charged to William Gillingham, or as probably pronounced according to a notation in the Ledger, "say Gilham", from the year 1762 to 1770. Lot 16 was held by John Lorish from 1762 to 1766, and the adjoining lot Number 17 was credited to Andrew Mer- shawn from 1762 to 1771. Gillingham, Lorish, and Mer- shawn appear on the books of the Forge as employees. Frederick Glecknor leased lot No. 18 from 1762 to 1769, when it was credited to George Gresh until the year 1771. Thomas Potts, son of John the Proprietor, paid the ground rent on Lot 19 from 1762 to 1766. None of these lots lying in the center of the block be tween the lots of Boone, at York and High and Lot 20 on the corner of Hanover and High, were sold outright by John Potts. His executor sold lots 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19, along with the block of lots numbered 79 to 88 bounded by Chest nut and Walnut and York and Hanover, and the block of lots numbered 123 to 132 bounded by Walnut and Beech and York and Hanover, to Issac Potts, son of John Potts, Sr., May 3, 1782, for the consideration of £50". A tan-yard was operated on the back square of this tract. It was sold by Isaac Potts, then living at Valley Forge, Apr. 25,1791, along with the front part of Lot No. 19 between High and King, to Edmund and Samuel Wells, of Coventry Township, Chester County for the sum of £200^^. Two years later the Wells brothers sold the tan-yard, messuage, and ten lots on which they were located, to Frederick Buck, a tanner of New Han over Township, for £160^®. Lot 19 they sold to General Francis Nichols in 1792 for £40'-'®. This lot,' along with No. 17 and 18 and a frame messuage, Nichols bequeathed in his will, dated Apr. 1, 1810, and probated Feb. 19, 1812, to his natural daughter Harriot Nichols^^ Isaac Potts collected ground rent from the various in dividuals that occupied his front lots. The assessment list of EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 115

1779 shows that he received rent from George Beakly, Michael Neiman, Peter Bastard (elsewhere Bastress), Henry Varly (elsewhere Werly and Warley), and David Short. Short, a founder, was married to Lydia Walker, the daugh ter of Joseph Walker and Elizabeth Potts, and hence was first cousin by marriage to Isaac Potts. In 1780, '81, and '82, Short rented Lot 24 from Jacob Miller, and from 1783 to '86, he was living in Andrew Caldwell's property, Lot 20, at the north-west comer of High and Hanover. Lot 17 was excluded from those sold to Isaac Potts as it had come into the possession of James Potts, another son of John Potts, Sr. James later also acquired title to the ad joining front lot No. 18. Isaac Potts sold Lot 13, in 1782, to Peter Bastress who had been occupying it for some years previous. He was the son of Philip Bastress (given as Baster and Basterer), who landed at Philadelphia aboard the Ship "Edinburgh", Sept. 30, 175422. According to the family Bible the son Peter was bom July 9,1758 in Nice Town, about five miles from Phila- delphia23. By 1767, Philip Bastress had moved to Hereford Township, Berks County, where he appears on the assess ment list. By the year 1779, his son Peter was married, for in that year he and his wife Elizabeth had their eldest son, Solomon, who was born Oct. 5, 1779, baptized at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown2^. Subsequently, three other sons were baptized: John, born Oct. 13, 1781; Peter, b. July 10, 1783; and Solomon, bom Jan. 20, 1788. Peter Bastress, Sr., died at Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1837. His wife Elizabeth, bom July 12, 1761, died Feb. 6, 1832. Bastress sold Lot 13 on Nov. 17, 1785 to Philip Leibenguth25 ^nd moved to lots 28 and 29, which he bought in 1787 of Peter Paul. Lot 14 was rented by James Thompson from Isaac Potts, -and- in 1805 it was sold ^by Potts' executor to William Thompson, son of James. William was named adminstrator of his father's estate on Jan. 8, I8OI2®. BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Isaac Potts sold the front part of Lot 15 to George Beeckly (otherwise given as Beakley), a sadler, in 1782-^. He lived here until his death in 1795 when letters of admin istration were issued to Frederick Mathew on his estate'^®. Potts sold the back part of Lot 15 to Henry Werly, tay- lor, in 1782. The Werly family Bible in the collections of the Historical Society of Montgomery County furnish pertinent dates concerning this family. George Henrich Werly, born Mar. 31,1755, married Barbara Herbstin. The births of their children are recorded as George Henrich, born Sept. 4, 1776; Johannes, born Nov. 25, 1778; Johan David, born Oct. 22, 1779, died June 19, 1818; Elizabeth, born Jan 20, 1782, died 1788; Samuel, born. Dec. 4, 1784, died July 19, 1795; Joseph, born Apr. 29, 1787; Catharina, born Apr. 29, 1787; Ludwig, born July 8, 1789; Rachel, bom Sept. 17, 1791 (married Joseph Bigoney) ; Anna Maria, born Jan. 8, 1794, died Apr. 1, 1832; Susanna, born Aug. 31, 1796, died July 5, 1797; and Jonas, born Apr. 27, 1798. Henry Werly, Sr., died in 1834^". Isaac Potts rented Lot 16 to Michael Neiman, a lock smith, who died in 1781. He mentions in his will his wife Rebecca and a brother Peter Neiman^^. His widow occupied the lot until the year-1786, when the front part of the lot was sold to Jacob Grubb. Grubb, a farmer of New Hanover Township (later Lower Pottsgrove Township), in his will written Dec. 6, 1792, probated, Dec. 11, 1797, bequeathed the property to the children of his son George Grubb, viz; Elizabeth Grubb, wife of Abraham, Shalcop, and Susan Grubb, wife of Daniel Shalcop^^. Jacob Baity, a cordwainer, occupied the back part of lots 16 and 17. He died in 1785, and in his will mentions his wife, Maria, a daughter of his first wife Catharine, and his children, Jacob, Hannah, and Maria®^. In 1796, Isaac Potts conveyed the lots to Jacob Shantz in trust for the purposes mentioned in the will of John Balty®^. Shantz was acting as the executor of the will of Valentine Crous, who had been EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN Uy the executor of the will of Baity, Shantz, six days after're ceiving the lots from Potts, sold them to John Taylor, of Douglass Township, Berks County^®. James Potts, son of John Potts, Sr., had title to front lots 17 and 18. After his death in 1788, Henry Schliech brought suit against his estate and his Pottstown lots were sold by the Sheriff to Jacob Witz in 1790^®. Witz sold them a year later to Francis Swaine, Esquire, of Providence Town ship, Montgomery County; he in turn sold them to General Francis Nichols in 1792®^. Nichols moved there from the Potts Mansion on the Manatawny, having bought it in 1783 from Thomas Potts, Jr., of Chester County, and sold it in 1791 to a rich planter from Santa Domingo, Simon Felix de Sibert®®. De Sibert's widow, Madame Anna Maria I. S. A. Bercy de Sibert, with her cousin John Baptist Hyacinth de Montulle, who had bought "Stowe" in 1792 from Christop her Shaner®®, moved to the French "Azilum" in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, at which time they disposed of their Pottsgrove properties'*®. Anna Walker, widow of Lewis, bought the back part of lots 18 and 19 between King and Chestnut Streets from Isaac Potts in 1786^^. In 1792, she sold them to her sori-in- law George Leonard. Isaac Potts sold to Michael Mauser, a cordwainer, lots 87 and 88 on the north-west comer of Hanover and Chest nut Streets, Apr. 7,1788^=^. His wife Anna Maria Lubold was bom Sept. 28, 1745 and died Dec. 31, 1809. She was buried in the burial ground of the German congregations across Hanover Street from her home^®. In 1763, Jeremiah Boone leased lot No. 20 on the north west comer of High and Hanover Streets; thus he was in possession of both ends of the block. By the year 1779, this lot was assessed in the name of Andrew Caldwell, a Phila delphia merchant, but seems to have been occupied by Martha Fullington until the year 1783, when David Short became tenant for the succeeding four years. Andrew Cald- BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

well died in 1794-*^ but the lot remained as a part of his estate until the year 1802, when the Sheriff sold it to General John Heister on the fieri facias action of Mary Fear- iss against Caldwell's executors^^, the lot and messuage hav ing been previously assigned to Heister on Aug. 21, 1801, by an agreement with Dominiek Cormyn (also given as Corney or Comyn)^®. George Bechtel bought the back part of lot 20 between King and Chestnut Streets, and occupied it until his death at the age of 74 in 1816. After his death, the lot was sold to Peter Acker, blacksmith, of Pottstown, for $800". Bechtel was the son of George Bechtel of New Hanover Township (later Lower Pottsgrove Township), and grandson of Hans Jacob Bechtel, the emigrant^^. His wife was Mary Bitting, born 1741, died 1818, a daughter of Justus Bitting. The three lots numbered 21, 22, and 23 at the north-east corner of Hanover and High Streets were not under lease in 1762. It is likely that they comprised "the house and lots in Pottsgrove wherein my son Samuel lately dwelt," men tioned in the will of John Potts. Sr., written Apr. 24, 1767, and which he bequeathed to his widow Ruth. The house apparently was built on Lot 23, for on Feb. 1, 1787, about a year after the death of Widow Potts, the executor of her husband sold this lot with a two story stone messuage to Ruth Potts, a daughter, for £ 400^^. She sold this lot and house to Sarah May, July 27, 1794°®. > In 1774, John Potts' executor sold lots 21 and 22 to Thomas Rutter, Esquire, the husband of Martha, daughter of John Potts, Sr. It is doubtful if there was a dwelling on these lots until they were bought by Robert McClintock in 1797 from John Clement Stocker, Esquire, of the city of Philadelphia, and his wife Mary Katherine, a daughter of Thomas Rutter, and Ruth Anna Rutter, of Pottstown, an other daughter®^. A month later McClintock sold No. 22 to Sarah, the widow of his uncle Thomas May, who owned the adjacent lot No. 23^^; he retained the corner lot No. 21 until Apr. 2, 1816, when he sold it for $3,800 to Adam Gilbert of EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN Hg

Douglass Township, Berks County^®. Before Butter bought the two lots of the Potts' executor in 1774, Lot No. 22 had been in the possession of Caleb Jones, along with lot 47 directly across High Street. Jones, a Philadelphia merchant, assigned these two lots with other property in Pennsylvania and Maryland to his creditors Jeremiah Warder, William West, David Potts, and William Pollard, merchants of Philadelphia, July 14, 1767"^. It is not clear from the records available how the lot reverted to the Potts' estate. The front part of Lot No. 24 was leased to Edward Park er of Chester County in the year 1762, but it appears that he had an interest in it before this date, for in an entry in a Forge Ledger dated Feb. 14, 1758, Jeremiah Warder is credited with a year's ground rent of Parker's lot. About the year 1765, Parker-purchased it outright. Its subsequent his tory for a number of years is uncertain. It was owned for a period by Jacob Beekell. The assessment lists indicate that for the three year period from 1780 to 1783 it was owned by Jacob Miller but occupied by David Short, founder. In 1783, Philip Hittle (also given as Hettle), a skinner, occupied the lot. He bought it of Jacob Miller and his wife Elizabeth, Apr. 26, 1785. It was sold at Sheriff's sale in 1787 to John Berns, the Pottstown storekeeper®'^. The back part of lot No. 24, between King and Chestnut Streets, was leased to Henry Ramstone (otherwiseRamstein) in 1762. He also assumed obligation for the ground rent of the adjacent back lot No. 23 on March, 1771. By the year 1780, these back lots were in the possession of Philip Witz, a locksmith. The marriage of John Henrich Ramstein on March 1, 1763, to Elisabeth Schmid is found in the New Hanover Lutheran Church records. Their first two children were baptized in the same church: Joh. Henrich, born Oct. 29, 1763, and Joh. Friederick, born Feb. 20, 1765®®. Three of their children were baptizedinthe Reformed Congregation of Pottstown: namely, Anna Maria, born Aug. 5, 1769; Catharine, born Sept. 14,1771; and John Jacob, born March 120 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

19,1774®'^. A son Johannes, bom Aug. 27,1778, was baptized in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown. The family may have moved out of Pottstown soon after the birth of this son for by 1780 his back lots were in the possession of Philip Witz, who had moved into Pottstown from Douglass Township, Berks County, where he had been taxed in 1779. Presumably, Witz was the son of Carl (or Charles) Witz, likewise a locksmith of Douglass Township, Berks County, who later moved to Reading. At the age of 28, the elder Witz landed in Philadelphia on Oct. 2, 1741, from the ship "St. Andrew®®." Three of his children were baptized at the Falkner Swamp Reformed Church; Johannes, born Mar. 15, 1752; George Michael, born June 25,1755, and Margaretha, bom July 29, 1757®®. About the year 1764, he married Mar garet, the widow of Charles Newman of Berks County®®. The records of the Reformed Congregation of Pottstown contain the baptismal entries for a number of Witz children, but unfortunately the names of the parents of these children are not given. Elizabeth Witz was baptized Aug. 29, 1774, born July 22, 1773, with her grandfather Carl Witz as sponsor; Catherine Witz, bom Apr. 25, 1775; Margaretta Witz, bom Aug. 13, 1776; Carl Witz, born Nov. 16, 1777; Maria Witz, born Sept. 10, 1779; Rebecca Witz, born May 2, 1781, for whom the sponsors were the parents. Hannah Witz, born Dec. 18, 1782, and Jacob Witz, born Oct. 27, 1784, had as sponsors George Bechtel and his wife; and John Witz, bom Apr. 5,1786, had as sponsors, John Schoon er and his wife. In a court action of 1834 instituted by Peter Bastress, Jr., acting as executor of the estate of Peter Acker against the heirs of Philip Witz, the names given are' Christiana Hiltman, late Witz; Elizabeth Anderson, late Witz; Catherine, late Witz, wife of John Yeager; Rebecca, late Witz, wife of John Levan; and William Witz. Pursuant to this suit, the property of Philip Witz, deceased, was sold by the Sheriff to Samuel Ovenshine for $260®^. Lot No. 25 remained unsold as a part of the Potts estate EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 121 until 1812, when the executors of Samuel Potts sold it to David Potts, iron-master of Chester County. The back part of the lot between King and Chestnut Streets, however, was the site of the Friends Meeting House and the Potts Family Cemetery. On the ninth of the Fourth Month, 1787, the executor of John Potts, Sr., sold the part of the lot that the brick Meeting House was built on, to Samuel Lee, Edward Bonsall, and Thomas Lightfoot, all of Berks County, as trustees of the Friends Meeting, for the sum of £70®^. This was the Meeting that left such an unfavorable im pression on Mrs. Ann Warder, a Pottstown visitor in 1786. In recording her impression in a diary after attendance at a First Day Meeting, she states: "It was as usual very short. I returned not much benefited and very low from a serious refiection on the little thought and care to provide for a better Inheritance. A very small meeting several not attend ing that could with the greatest convenience. This would destroy every wish in me for a residence at this place. The few that are zealous, I truly pitty, well knowing they must find hard work and small encouragement from example®®." In those days the strength of the Meeting depended principally upon the Potts and Rutter families, and as there was no general infiux of Friends into the town through the years, the Meeting never flourished. The opposite was true, however, of "the German Church" whose establishment was encouraged by Potts. In 1764 John Potts requested that the Reverend Henry Mel- chior Muhlenberg, pastor of the New Hanover Lutheran Church, confer with him regarding the founding of a "Ger man Evangelical church" in his town. Muhlenberg read an ulterior motive into the town Proprietor's interest in the Germans' religious life, but inasihuch as "an exceedingly large number of German Protestants . .. live within a circle of several miles of the place" and Muhlenberg thought that "a very large congregation could be gathered there," he agreed to set a date for a Sunday service for the Lutherans, 2^22 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county after which the matter might be discussed and a subscrip tion taken up®^. It is likely that Potts had a similar con ference with the Reverend John Philip Leydich, pastor of the Falkner Swamp Reformed Church. The baptismal entries in the records of the Evangelical Reformed Congregation of Pottstown (the present Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church) begin in the year 1769, the same year that Leydich reports Pottstown as one of his congregations, to the Re formed Coetus. The baptismal records of the Lutheran con gregation (the present Emmanuel Lutheran Church) do not begin, however, until the year 1777, although the congre gation was organized before this date. Potts gave to the "German Church," consisting of two separate congregations, the Lutheran and the Reformed, Lot No. 89 on the north-east corner of High and Chestnut Streets running through to Walnut, for the purposes of a Church and Burial Ground. The deed for this transaction is not on record. John Fritz, blacksmith, and John Shiner, yeo man, both of Douglass Township, Montgomery County, on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Potts town, bought for the nominal consideration of five shillings from George Gilbert and his wife Solomy, Aug. 24, 1784, Lot 95 at the north-east comer of Chestnut and Penn Streets with the purpose of "promoting Christianity and divine services and the instruction of youth®^." The congregations prospered to such an extent by the influx of German resi dents into Pottstown and the neighborhood that it was found necessary in 1796 to supplant the original building with a handsome brick Georgian Colonial building which is still being used by the Zion Evangelical and Reformed congregation, although unfortunately both the exterior and interior have been altered®®. Lot 26 was rented from March 1761, to September 1762, to Frederick Wambach, a German immigrant who had ar rived on board the Ship "Queen of Denmark" at Philadel phia,Sept. ll,1753®Mn 1763 Wambach bought land in what EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 123 became Upper Pottsgrove Township. At his death his property descended to his only son Bartholomew Wam- bach®®. Frederick's tombstone in the Union Church Cemetery states that he was bom May 6,1718, and died Sept. 7,1784®®. Adam Clecknor (also given as Klegner and Kleckner), by trade a mason, succeeded Wambach in 1762 as the renter of Lot 26. Presumably he was a brother of Frederick Kleck ner, also a mason of Pottstown. Adam had two children, Lydia and Joseph, baptized in 1778 in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown. On Oct. 21, 1765, he bought this lot at the north-west comer of High and Penn Streets from John Potts, and on Aug. 15, 1769, sold it to William Dewees. Dewees and his wife Sarah sold it Dec. 9, 1770, to George Gilbert^®. The lot on the north-east corner of Penn and High, No. 27, was leased to Jacob Canouse, a Forge worker, from the years 1762 to 1774. Seven lots intervene before we come to the next lot leased in ,1762, it being Lot No. 34, leased to Michael Anderly, another Forge worker, from 1762 through 1771. Lot 35 was leased to Henry Prower (otherwise Brower), of Coventry Township, Chester County, in 1762; he bought the lot outright from John Potts, Feb. 15, 1765. Prower and his wife Barbara sold the lot to Edward Bonsall, of Phil adelphia, Mar. 28, 1777. Bonsall and his wife Hannah, in turn, sold the lot, Apr. 23, the same year, to Rebecca Pat rick, a widow. She retained ownership of the lot until Apr. 13, 1795, when, then living in Philadelphia, she sold it for £150 to Samuel Ruth of Pottstown". Caleb Hewes (other wise Hughes), the husband of Deborah Pyewell, who had been the second wife and widow of Thomas Potts, brother of John Potts, Sr., rented the Widow Patrick property from 1793 through 1795, moving there from the property of Anna Walker. As we have noted, the executor of John Potts disposed of the estate's interest in a large block of unsold lots west 124 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

of Hanover and north of High Street, in 1782, to Isaac Potts. Prior to 1778, the executor agreed to convey to George Gilbert and John Paul forty-three unsold lots east of Han over and north of High Street, but no proper conveyance was made before the death of John Paul; hence on Sept. 3, 1778, the executor executed a deed for these lots, consisting of double lots numbered 26'2,27, 28, 29, and 32, 33, 34, the single lots numbered 90 to 103 between Chestnut and Wal nut Streets and lots numbered 133 to 147 between Walnut and Beech Streets, to George Gilbert and Mary Paul, widow of John Paul. Aug. 23, 1784, the heirs of John Paul released their half interest in these lots to George Gilbert of New Hanover Township, Montgomery County'". The heirs were Peter Paul of Coventry Township, Chester County, yeoman, and his wife Catherine; Benjamin Paul of the same place, yeoman, and his wife Judith; Abraham Paul, sadler, and his wife Elizabeth; Jacob Paul, yeoman, both of Vincent Town ship, Chester County; Hannah Keyser, late Hannah Paul (the widow of Nicholas Keyser, Jr.); Henry Brownbach and Benjamin Brownbach, both of Vincent Township, late sons-in-law of John Paul, deceased; and John Brownbach of Coventry Township, and his wife Nelly; Henry Brownbach, and Edward Brownbach, children of the said Benjamin Brownbach and his late wife Elizabeth, formerly Elizabeth Paul; and John, Peter, Hannah, Benjamin, and Susannah Brownbach, children of the said Henry Brownbach and his late wife Magdalena, formerly Magdalena Paul; the said Peter, Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Magdalena, being children of John Paul, deceased. George Gilbert and his wife Salome reconveyed some of the lots back to the individual heirs of John Paul. The front part of Lot No. 27, lying between High and King, was designated for the use of Mary Seifert, late widow of John Paul, deceased, during her natural life, and after her decease it descended to the representatives of John Paul'^ From the year 1791 to 1801 it was occupied by a Negro variously given in the assessment lists as Negro Ginn, EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 125

Pleck Kinn, and Gin Ginny. Up Penn Street on the north west corner of Chestnut, another Negro, Peter Sebastian, a shoemaker, had bought Lot 94 from Jacob Paul in 1791". He lived here until his death in 1827. In his will he mentions his wife Jane Sebastian, and his four children, Henry, James, Charles, and Eleanor'®. The back part of the double lot No. 27 fell to Jacob Paul, sadler, of Vincent Township, Chester County. In 1793 he disposed of it to John Ruth, plasterer"'^. Ruth bought the adjoining back lots Nos. 28 and 29 from the heirs of George Gilbert in 1810'®. The front section of Lots 28 and 29 fell to Peter Paul, son of John Paul, who disposed of them to Peter Bastress, blue-dyer, in 1787". The back part of these two lots was in possession of George Gilbert, and after his death descended to his four children, George Gilbert of Harrisburg (wife. Barbara); Jacob Gilbert of City of Philadelphia, taylor (wife Rebecca) ; Salome (wife of John Schock of Harris burg, Dauphin County), and Mary Hookey, widow, of Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Patrick Hanley (also given as Henly), a shoemaker, who had settled in Pottstown about 1766, paid ground rent to the Potts* estate for a lot in 1774. This lot for which he was assessed through 1789 probably was either No. 28 or 29. By 1791, he had moved a few lots up High Street to No. 32 to the property of Abraham Matthews, and in 1793 he moved across High Street to the house of the Widow Walker. Peter Henly, born Apr. 15, 1771, and baptized June 23, 1771, in the Evangelical Reformed Congregation of Pottstown, was probably a son of Patrick, although the parents' names are not given in the record. The sponsors for the child were Michael Neuman and wife. Patrick Hanley died in Potts town, Oct. 31, 1826, aged 80 years. The newspaper notice of his death states that he had been a resident of Pottstown for upwards of sixty years, being "a humble though active assistant during the Revolution®®." Lots No. 30 and 31 were not included in the purchase of 126 bulletin of historical society or Montgomery county

Gilbert and Paul, apparently having been sold previously to Barnabas Hart, a wagoner. Hart appears on the assessment lists up to the year 1783. In 1784, the Sheriff sold these lots to Sebastian Root, although Hart may still have been living here as he was listed again in the assessment roll for 1787. In 1788 and '89, Thomas Wilson was tenant, and in 1792 and '98, Gabriel Gasho. Root, himself, lived across the Schuylkill in Coventry Township, Chester County, where he had moved in 1773 from Bern Township, Berks County, buying tracts of 139 acres and 175 acres of John Light®^ He" died in 1792, mentioning in his will his sons Yost, John, Daniel, Sebastian, and Jacob. His executors sold the front part of lots 30 and 31 to Philip Yerger®^ and the back lots to John Mauger, mason, of Douglass Township, Montgomery County®®. By an article of agreement, George Gilbert granted the double lot No. 82 to Frederick Mathew (also given as Matt hew, Mattai, and Mattei), stone-mason. May 20, 1776 sub ject to the annual payment of ground rent. Frederick was presumably the son of Dietrich Mathew of District Town ship, Berks County. Dietrich is mentioned in the will of his father-in-law, Jacob Hill, of District Township, written in 1767 and probated in 1770®^. In 1771, Dietrich Mathew, by trade a taylor, bought four tracts in New Hanover Town ship (now Lower Pottsgrove) from Jeremiah Jordan upon which was located an inn®®. This he conducted until 1782, when he sold the property to John Missimer of New Hanover Township®®. In 1778, Dietrich Mathew bought property in Pottstown consisting of lots 159 to 165 lying to the south of High Street and the west of York Street, and the tract of land lying between the Pottstown lots and Manatawny Creek on which was located the old Tavern property near the bridge across the Creek. He purchased it from Col. Henry Emanuel Lutterloh, Deputy Quarter-Master General with the Continental Army, Oct. 16, 1778. Lutterloh, a profes sional German soldier who had offered his services to the American cause, had bought the property on May 16th, of EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN the same year, from John Shultz, tavernkeeper. Shultz had held forty-four acres of the tract since 1772, which he had bought from the executor of John Potts®'; and the lots since 1775, when he had bought them from the same party®®. Mathew also bought a block of lots between Walnut and Chestnut Streets, west of York, numbered 71 to 78, from General Arthur St. Glair, in 1780. St. Clair had bought these lots of Frederick Cleckner, who had purchased them of the Potts Estate in 1777. In 1787, Dietrich Mathew and his wife Catharine sold five of these lots to Frederick Mathew, but in a suit entered by John and George Nyce, the administrators of the estate of George Nyce, deceased, against Frederick and Dietrich Mathew, the lots were sold by the Sheriff to Peter Swayer in 1793®''. By 1790 Mathews apparently had overextended himself financially and run into reverses, for his Pottstown property was sold at Sheriff's sale. The various records indicate that Dietrich Mathew had the following sons: Frederick, Jacob, John, and Abraham. Jacob Mathew married, Dec. 6, 1784, Rachel Jones"®. John Mathew married, June 25, 1775, Catharine Wendel,®', and a daughter Catharine was bom in 1780®^. Frederick Mathew and his wife Elizabeth had children: David, born Aug. 26, 1784, Elizabeth, born Nov. 29,1786, and Susanna, born Sept. 29, 1793"®. Abraham Mathew married Catherine Sheiner (also given as Schoener, Shaner, and Shiner), born 1766, a daughter of Christopher Sheiner of Colebrookdale Town ship, Berks County. Their children, baptized in the Em manuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown, were: Anna Maria, bora Nov. 24,1786; Catharine, bora May 10, 1789; Hannah, born Sept. 11, 1793; a child, born Feb. 26, 1796; Rachel, bom Mar. 24, 1800, and Abraham, born Feb. 7, 1803. In 1798 and '99, Abraham Mathew operated the Swan Tavern in what is now Kenilworth, Coventry Township, Chester County. To return to Lot No. 23, it was occupied by John Mat hew, taylor, from 1774 through 1786; from 1788 to 1789, his 128 bulletin op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

brother Abraham was living there. The property was rented to Patrick Hanley for the years 1791 and '92. After the Sheriff's sale of Dietrich Mathew's property, he moved here to his son Frederick's lot and lived here until his death which presumably occurred about 1795, for after that year his widow Catharine was assessed for the lot up through the year 1801, even though Frederick Mathew had sold the lot to Peter Bastress, dyer and weaver, in 1796®^. Lot 34 was sold to Henry Keppele, a German Lutheran merchant of Philadelphia. John Philips, a laborer, occupied it as a tenant in 1779 and '80, and John Short in 1783. Wil liam Wallace, a mason, rented the property from 1788 through 1792, after which it was assessed in his name alone. In 1802 it was sold by the Sheriff pursuant to a suit entered by Frederick Smith, assignee of Amos Jones, against Eliza beth Wallace and Amos Jones, administrators of the estate of William Wallace"^. In the year 1762, the tract of land bounded on the north by High Street, on the east by Hanover Street, on the south by the Schuylkill River, and on the west by Manatawny Creek, was devoted to various business activities ofthe Potts family. Until a few years after the death of John Potts, Sr., in 1768, Pottstown may be regarded as the private enter prise of the Potts family. Business revolved around the Forge, the Store, the Tavern, the old Mill and the new Mill, the Tannery, the Brew House, and a brick yard, all under control of the family. From the extant references, it is not possible to get a complete picture of the development of these various activ ities; but from deeds and the account books of the family we do get some glimpses into the business of the infant village. The tavern, which probably was on the south side of High Street near where it crosses the Manatawny, was rented to James Keemer from April, 1754, to April, 1756. Conrad Longe tended the mill from March, 1756, to April, 1758, and Charles Laypole (otherwise Lubold) from June, EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN ^29

1766, to June, 17,68. The mill seems to have been rented by John Potts to his sons Joseph and Samuel before the year 1765, when Samuel Potts became the sole renter for a short time. In 1776 and 1767, William Dewees was renting it. The year after John Potts' death, his executor sold thirteen acres and one hundred and twenty-two perches to the south-west of High and Hanover, to David Potts, a son. This property on which the Hobart plan shows the forge to have been situated was at this time known as "the mill seat®®." Ten years later, in 1779, David Potts and his wife and the ex ecutor of John Potts sold this mill tract to John Murray®'. The Brew House situated on the west side of Hanover Street near the present site of the railroad tracks seems to have been operated by Samuel Potts in 1764, but from 1765 to 1768, Samuel Chesnut was renting and operating it. It was not sold by Potts' executor until the year 1778, when John Murray became the owner of the property along with nineteen acres and seventy perches to the south and east of High and Hanover Streets, excepting from this area lots 45 to 49 along High Street, which had already been sold and built on, and a lot of Joseph Potts at the corner of Queen and Hanover Streets®®. In 1780, John Murray, merchant of Philadelphia, and his wife Elizabeth sold to Thomas May- bury, proprietor of the Green Lane Forge, the messuage, grist mill, and ruins of a saw mill located on the thirteen acres he had bought of David Potts, and a log dwelling house and lot on the east side of Hanover Street south of Joseph Potts' lot on the tract of nineteen acres, the Brew House lot, and a Mansion House on the south-west corner of High and Hanover, being lot No. 175. The purchase price was £7,000®®. Thomas Maybury, born about 1740, was the son of Thomas Maybury who died Mar. 10, 1747, possessed of a forge in Marlborough Township, Philadelphia County (later Montgomery), leaving as his heirs, Catharine (mar ried about 1755, Charles Jolly); William (died 1764, of Marlborough Township); Dorothy (probably wife ofRobert 130 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

McKenzie), and Thomas. Thomas, Jr., married in Philadel phia, Dec. 8, 1766, Rebecca Warder, the daughter of Jere miah Warder, of Philadelphia. For many years he operated the Green Lane Forge on Perkiomen Creek, but in 1780 bought property in Pottstown, where he died in April or May of 1797. He was survived by his widow and nine chil dren; William, Mary, Willoughby; Sophia, wife of Charles Jolly; Rebecca wife of John Jolly; Lydia Ann, Thomas, and Jeremiah^®®. In order to secure money to pay outstanding debts against his estate, the administrators found it necessary to sell most of his Pottstown properties. Lot 175 was sold, Apr. 2, 1798, to William Thompson, house-carpenter of Potts town, son of James Thompson, for the sum of £155^*^^ A tract of sixteen acres, being the largest part of the nineteen acres bought of John Murray, was sold to Devault Beaver and John Frick^®'^. The grist mill tract of seven and a half acres, part of the thirteen acre tract bought of Murray, along with a log dwelling and lot on the east side of Han over Street, was sold to Jesse Ives, a miller of Pottstown^®^. Lots 11 and 12 at the north-east corner of High and York Streets with a brick messuage, which Maybury had bought of Andrew Caldwell and his wife Jane in 1791^°^, was sold for £506 to Andreas Schwenk, a butcher of Douglass Town ship, Montgomery County^"®. A tract of one hundred and fifty acres immediately to the north of Pottstown was sold for £2,900 to Amos Jones, a shop-keeper of Pottstown^"®. The Widow Mayburry continued living at the Mansion House on Lot 175, at the south-east corner of High and Hanover. After her death in 1805, this property along with Lot 176, the Brew House lot, and three acres adjoining, was sold a year later by her heirs, William Mayberry of Marlborough Township; Charles Jolly and wife Sophia,-of the City of Philadelphia; Willoughby Mayberry, Esquire, and his wife Susanna, of Marlborough Township; Rebecca Jolly; Francis Richardson Potts and his wife Lydia, of Douglass Township; Anne Mayberry; Thomas Mayberry; Jeremiah ' EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 131

Warder Mayberry, and Samuel Richards, merchant, of the City of Philadelphia, assignee of Charles Jolly. The property was purchased by Aaron Allison, of Pikeland Township, Chester County, for the sum of £1,252^®'. A tavern conducted by Jacob Witz was located at the south-east corner of York and Hanover Streets on Lot 166. Jacob had bought this lot from Charles Witz and his wife Margaret, presumably Jacob's parents, Oct. 24, 1778^"®. In 1784, he bought the two lots numbered 164 and 165 to the west of York Street from Dietrich Mathew^"^, and in 1787, he bought lots 167 to 173 from the creditors of Thomas Cullen. Cullen had bought these lots from the executor of Potts in 1775"^ but as a shop-keeper he ran into financial difficulties and assigned his Pottstown property in 1785 to the Philadelphia merchants, Charles Gilchrist, John Gar den, Thomas Franklin, Thomas Frazer, and Herman I. Lom- bart, who conveyed the lots to Witz. Jacob Witz died in 1798. In his will he named his wife Mary and appointed as his executor his friend, Christopher Shaner of Colebrook- dale, Berks County"^ Lot 174, which in 1762 was leased to Nathaniel Chestnut, by 1779 was in the possession of Archibald McCall, a mer chant of Philadelphia.McCall was the son of Samuel McCall, the former Proprietor of McCall's Manor upon which the greater part of Pottstown was located. In 1780, James May was assessed as a tenant of this property. As a "Dealer" he was taxed for 400 pounds of Indigo, 120 bushels of salt, one ton of bar iron, a half dozen silver table spoons, a half dozen silver tea spoons, and 20 gallons of rum. Thomas Vanderpool rented the property in 1782. In 1784, McCall sold it to John Knowles, a watchmaker of Philadelphia^^^, who transferred his place of business to Pottstown until 1786, when he sold the premises to Lewis Nicholas (other wise Nichola), of Philadelphia. Nicholas, commissioned as a-Colonel in the Invalid Corps of the Continental Army in 1777, and elevated to the rank of Brigadier-General in 1783, kept a tavern here in 1786, '87, and '88. In 1792, he sold 132 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY the property to his daughter Charlotte, the widow of Dr. Matthew Maus, who had died in Pottstown in 1787^^^. We now turn our attention to the block of lots lying to the south of High Street and to the east of Hanover Street. In 1762, the single lot No, 45 at the corner of High and Hanover was leased to Samuel Potts, son of John Potts, Sr. He paid ground rent on it through the year 1766. In the year 1778, it was sold by the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania as the.confiscated property of the Tory mem ber of the Potts family, John Potts, Jr., to General Arthur St, Clair. In 1797, while Governor of the Territory of the United States North-west of the Ohio River, St. Clair sold the house and lot to William Nicholas, (elsewhere given as Nichols), then Marshal of the State of Pennsylvania, for the sum of £1,000^^^. Lot 46 was leased to Thomas Rutter, Esquire, son-in-law of John Potts, Sr., from 1762 to 1766. Some time subsequent Rutter sold the lot to John Childs, (sometimes given as Child), a hat-maker from Amity Township, Berks County. John Childs, a son of Nathaniel Childs and his wife Faith, born Dec. 14, 1726, was baptized Dec. 16, 1754, at St. GabrieTs Church, Douglassville, Berks County. His children were also baptized here: twins John and Nicholas, born May 4,1755; William, bom Aug. 2,1757; Rebecca, baptized June 26,1760, and Thomas, born July 24, 1762. John Childs had died by the year 1779, when his widow and sons John, Nicholas, and William appear on the assessment lists of Douglass Township, Philadelphia County. Thomas Rutter brought suit against the Childs estate and the lot was sold back to Rutter at Sheriff's sale, Oct. 2, 1789^^,®. Lot 47 in 1762 was in the tenancy of Caleb Jones, a merchant of Philadelphia. It is probable that a store occu pied the site. He assigned it on July 14, 1767, to his cred itors, Jeremiah Warder, William West, David Potts, and William Pollard, likewise merchants at Philadelphia^^®. These creditors conveyed their interest in the lot and mes- EARLY RESIDENTS .^D LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN ^33 suage to Joseph Potts, another merchant of Philadelphia. He, in turn, on June 19, 1777, sold the property to John Philips, also a Philadelphia merchant^". Philips in 1779 transferred the lot to John Mitchell, a gentleman from Philadelphia^^®, who reconveyed it to Philips in 1782"®. At this time there was on the lot a building erected for the pub lic, and the deed reserved the right of removal of this build ing. This may be the stable referred to in the following docu ment published in the Feb. 25, 1901, issue of the Pottstown Ledger: "By virtue of power in me vested and in consid eration of £30 sold to Samuel Potts a certain public building in Pottsgrove formerly occupied as a stable. Signed: James Hodgson, Assistant Quartermaster, Pottsgrove, Mar. 15, 1780." Philips sold the property the following year to Samuel Beard (otherwise Baird) of Pottstown, a merchant in partnership with John Butter, a relative of his wife Ke- becca Potts. The partnership was dissolved in 1785, and on June 19, 1786, the property was assigned to the firm's creditors, Henry Toland, William Morris, and Richard Adams, merchants of Philadelphia^^o^ Israel Potts leased Lot 48 from the year 1762 through 1771. Potts, a potter by trade, does not appear to have an immediate relationship with John Potts, the Proprietor. The lot reverted to the Potts estate, but came into the pos session of Amos Jones, a Pottstown merchant, in 1797^^^.

Lot 49 was leased as a double lot to Anna Walker in 1762, and was sold outright to her by John Potts, Oct. 1, 1765122. ghg widow of Lewis Walker and was con nected to the Potts family, as her husband was also. Their marriage is recorded in the Falkner Swamp Reformed Church under date of Dec. 16, 1750. Anna Walker, the daughter of Samuel Savage, Jr. and his wife Anna Taylor, was the niece of Ruth, wife of John Potts, Sr., the Propri etor. Her husband, Lewis Walker, was the son of Joseph Walker and his wife Elizabeth Potts, a sister of the Propri etor. Michael Anderly paid the ground rent on the lot from 134 bulletin of historical society op MONTGOMERY COUNTY

1762 to Mar. 1, 1765. Anna's son-in-law, George Leonard, a shopkeeper, occupied the lot in 1782 and '83. Caleb Hughes rented the site from 1780 through 1792. Hughes moving away to the Widow Patrick's lot, No. 49 was rented to Patrick Hanley, who moved there from Abraham Mathew's lot. Anna Walker died in 1794, and her executors sold this lot to Amos Jones, storekeeper, Apr. 1, 1796^^^. On the same side of Hanover Street as the Widow Walker's lot lay Lot 66 which was leased to John Hawn, a shoemaker, through 1762 to 1771. This lot was included in the large tract of thirteen acres which Thomas Rutter, Es quire, bought of the executor of John Potts in 1774. We have yet to mention five lots located to the rear of the double front lots, all of them being west of Hanover and north of High Streets. All but Lot 124 were in the two blocks of lots which the Potts' executor sold to Frederick Cleckner, June 18, 1777. Cleckner's wife Elizabeth was a daughter of the Daniel Roadermel (otherwise Rothermel) who died in 1765 on a farm to the north-east of Potts- town^^^. One of the five lots within the blocks later sold to Cleck ner was No. 72 located between Chestnut and Walnut Streets and leased in 1762 to Sebastian Baker. He was the brother of Henry Baker, a taylor of New Hanover Township, who in his will, written Nov. 18, 1761, appointed his brother Sebastian and his sister Gertraud as executors of his estate. Shortly after, Henry Baker departed for Germany and died on the journey"®. The sister Gertraud renouncing the executorship, Sebastian undertook the settlement of his brother's estate. The ground rent payments for the Baker lot were finally paid in 1774 by Conrad Specht, of Douglass Township, Montgomery County, with whom Baker had had other land transactions in New Hanover Township. Almost behind the lot of Sebastian Baker was Lot 117 between Walnut and Beech Streets, leased by Frederick Peeler (otherwise Bealer) between the years 1762 and 1774. EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN I35

Ten days after Kleckner had purchased the two blocks of lots in 1777, he sold Lots 114, 115 and 116 to Frederick Peeler for the sum of £25, on June 28, 1777"®. Peeler re mained in possession of these lots until Aug. 6, 1803, when he sold them to two negro forgemen, George Adley and Isaiah Hews (otherwise given as Hazael Hughes)"'^.

Lots 121 and 122 at the York Street end of the block were leased by Cassamore Mesmor (otherwise Casimer Mis- simer) for four years from 1762 to 1766. Missimer.owned a farm in that part of New Hanover Township that later be came Lower Pottsgrove Township. He was the son of Michael Missimer (given as Missamer), who came to Amer ica in 1749, and was buried Mar. 15, 1753, aged 55 years, in New Hanover Township. Cassimer Missimer (given as Meisheimer), Lutheran, married, Nov. 19, 1751, Margaret Brand, Reformed, the daughter of Philip Brand"®. Their children were John (born July 11, 1752, d. Dec. 10, 1807, married Elizabeth Yost, born Sept. 16, 1754, died Nov. 18, 1839, daughter of Philip Yost); Henry (born Aug. 16, 1754, died May 16, 1837, married Susannah Schultze, born Nov. 18, 1763, died July 12, 1833, daughter of John Schultze); Jacob (born Jan. 10, 1757, died Nov. 9, 1812 — his first wife Magdalena was probably a daughter of Philip Yost); Benjamin, (born Sept. 16, 1764, died Sept. 16, 1840; his wife Elizabeth, bom'.July 9, 1769, died Feb. 12, 1833); Frederick (married Elizabeth Krei- der) ; George (born May 30,1777, d. Apr. 13,1831, married, Dec. 31, 1779, Elizabeth Thomas, born Sept. 10, 1781, died Jan. 17, 1853); Margaret (probably died unmarried); Elizabeth, Hannah, and Catharine (married, Dec. 26, 1793, Johannes Leidner, son of Michael) Cassimer Missimer died July 9, 1812, aged 90 years, 2 months, and 4 days; his wife Margaret was born Dec. 20, 1730 and died Oct. 26, 1806. Kleckner conveyed the two lots leased by Missimer to Christian Hetzel, June 8, 1777, along with the adjoining 136 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY lots numbered 119 and 120. Christian Hetzel and his wife Barbara sold these lots to Andrew Geyer, Jan. 10, 1783, for the use of Mary Bidding (otherwise Bitting), the wife of Anthony Bitting. Through a transfer of the lots by Geyer and Mary Bitting in 1790 to Christopher Shaner, and by Shaner to Elizabeth Hunter, the mother of Mary Bitting, these four lots along with lots No. 117 and 118, which Elizabeth Hunter had bought on Aug. 6, 1777, from Fred erick Cleckner, became a part of the estate of Elizabeth Hunter, which she bequeathed to her son Christian Hunter in her will written Mar. 1, 1792, and probated Jan. 15, 1798130. s}ie was predeceased by her daughter Mary, who in writing her will, Dec. 21, 1790, which was probated, Jan. 7, 1791, mentions a son John Bitting, a daughter Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Levergood, and grandchildren, Mary, Jacob, and John Levergood^^^ Elizabeth Hunter was the widow of John Hunter of Oley Township, Berks County, who died in 1772132. In the assessment lists the name Hunter is sometimes given in its original German form of Yeager or Yager. Lot 124 east of York Street was leased by Michael Reeleyfrom 1762 through 1774; however, Michael Anderly was charged with the rent for the years 1764 to 1766. Except for the lots sold to Dewees, Boone, Parker, Brower, Ramstein, Jones, and possibly one or two others, the town of Pottstown before the year 1775 still remained in the ownership of various members of the Potts family, most of it yet belonging to the estate of John Potts, Sr. For this reason a group of Irish gentlemen from St. Croix who were in Philadelphia in the Fall of 1774, looking for a place to settle because of the unhealthy climate of the Island, became interested in Pottstown. One of these wealthy Irish men, a Mr. Bigges, carried a letter of introduction from Edward Burd of Reading to Jasper Yeates, Esquire, of Lan caster. The letter, dated Oct. 7, 1774, states that Mr. Bigges and Mr. Supple had been at Pottstown the day preceding "and are much charmed with the situation, being a proper EARLY RESIDENTSANDLAND TRANSFERSIN POTTSTOWN 13^

distance from Philadelphia." He thought they might pur chase the Town if it were for sale, especially as "the houses being all built and ready for them and near to one another and yet no incommoding each other" made a favorable impression on the party^®^. The project fell through and up until the coming of the Railroad to Pottstown, it had only a scattering of Irish population. The executor of John Potts, however, did dispose, within a few years after the visit of the Irish party, of almost all of the Pottstown property remaining in his custody. Thus we come to the end of our survey of the early years of Pottstown's history. The first period of its existence was characterized by the manorial proprietorship of John Potts, and after his death in 1768, his children and relatives dom inated the town. The forge, mills, brew house, tannery, tavern, and store of the Potts enterprises controlled the business of the village. Its earliest residents were almost all in the employ of Potts. Gradually through the years, how ever, artisans settled in the village who pursued such trades as those of locksmith, cordwainer, sadler, hatter, tailor, blue-dyer, butcher, cobbler, joiner, tanner, and mason. Most of these were either German immigrants or sons of such im migrants. Several competing taverns and inns were main tained, and several merchants opened stores to supply the needs of villagers and neighboring farmers. But through it all Pottstown did not outgrow its character of a quiet coun try village until well after the years here under considera tion. It was not until the shipping advantages offered by the Canal and the Railroad encouraged the development of manufacturing that Pottstown slowly began to lose its rural atmosphere. But that is another story, since we have been concerned only with its birth and gradual growth under the patronage of the Potts family. •138 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Footnotes; [I wish to express here my appreciation of the co-operation in the research necessary for the preparation of this article extended by Mrs. James I. Wendell, of Pottstown, a descendant of John Potts, the Potts- town Proprietor. She graciously arranged for me to examine the Collec tion of the Pottstown Historical Society as well as personal family records and documents.] ^Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, James Steel Letter Book 1730-1741. ®In addition to the entry cited, the following names are also included in the report: "1728, John Sheffer (the Improvement sold to Jno. Baker, now is in possession of George Gees); 1728/9, Jacob Stalnaker (run away and nothing on ye premises); 1728/9, Adam Wink; 1728/9, Michl Tuthrer; 1728/9, Jacob Harman (has sold his Improvement to Conrad Schermer); 1731, Peter George; 1732, John Frickeland; John Yokeum. The following five individuals had no license for settlement: Martin Cablinger has been for one year, Adam Wallman has been for two years, Frederick Mear has been for one year, Adam Mace has been for two years. Garret Miller has been for two years." Collection of the Histor ical Society of Pennsylvania, Berks and Montgomery Counties, Miscel laneous Manuscripts, 1693-1869, p. 157. ®The Journals of Henry Melchior Muhlbnberg, Translated by Theodore G. Tapper and John W. Doberstein; Muhlenberg Pr-ess, 1942; Vol. 11, p. 107. *Forges and Furnances Account Books, Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; see particularly the Pottsgrove Forge Ledger, 1757-1776; No. 6882, Vol. XLIV. ®The Assessment Lists for New Hanover Township and Douglass Township, Philadelphia County, for the years 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783, are in the Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The Lists beginning with the year 1785 and continuing through suc ceeding years (with the exception of the years 1790, 1792, and 1794), are in the "Old Records Room" of the Montgomery County Court House, Norristown. ®The deeds recorded in Philadelphia City Hall will be given in the references throughout this article in the abbreviated form "Phila. D.B.". The deeds recorded in Montgomery County Court House will be given in the form "Montg. D.B." 'Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Licenses for Marriages, Taverns, and Pedlars, Book "A". *Recited in Montg. D.B. Vol. 348, p. 420. ' EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN ^39

' Recited in Montg. D.B. Vol. 17, p. 314. " The Boone Genealogy, compiled by Hazel Atterbury. Spraker; Tuttle Co., publisher, Rutland, Vt., 1922. " Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 6, p. 128. « Montg. D.B. Vol. 6, p. 126. "Copy of the Church Register of St. Gabriel's Church (Episcopal), Douglassville, Amity Township, Berks County,, in the Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. " See description in Montgomery County Sheriff's Deed Book Vol. B, p. ,105. "Montg. D.B. Vol. 6, p. 128. "Abstracts of Berks County Wills and Administrations in the Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. ••• : "Montg. D.B. Vol. 17, p. 236. - "Montg. D.B. Vol. 16, p. 509. • " Montg. D.B. Vol. 16, p. 510. Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 159. Montgomery County Will Book Vol. 3, p. 355. Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Strassburger-Hinke, published by the Pennsylvania German Society, Norristown, Pennsylvania, 1934, Lists 220 A, B and C. ^ Bible Records, Berks County, Pa.; Vol. Ill, in Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. " Records of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown, Pa., as tran scribed out of the German by Othniel Bliem•Lessig, 1935; in custody of the Church. Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 3, p. 354. Abstracts of Montgomery County Wills and Administrations; Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Montg. D.B. Vol. 4, p. 171. ®Abstracts of Montgomery County Wills and Administrations. Montg. D.B. Vol. 23, p. 1. ^ Montgomery County Will Book Vol. 7, p. 334. Philadelphia County Will Book, Vol. R, p. 404. Abstracts of Montgomery County Wills and Administrations; Vol. 2, p. 26. " Ibid, Vol. 1, p. 23. Montg. D.B. Vol. 378, p. 296. Montg. D.B. Vol. 12, p. 242. 140 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

™Montgomery County Sheriff Deed Book Vol. A, p. 71. Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 158. Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 18, p. 912. Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 11, p. 310. "The Story of Some French Refugees and Their "Azilum," 1793-1800, by Louise Willes Murray, 1930. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 4, p. 380. "Montg. D.B. Vol. 9, p. 48. " Burials and Inscriptions in the Graveyard adjoining the present Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown, located on the east side of Hanover Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, the site of the original "Union Church" of Pottstown, prepared by Rev. Carl T. Smith from the manuscript record compiled by 0. B. Lessig in the possession of Zion Reformed Church. A copy is in the collections of the Historical Society of Montgomery County. " Philadelphia County Will Book Vol. X, p. 51. " Montgomery County Sheriff Deed Book Vol. B, p. 127. "Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 50, p. 9. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 42, p. 369. " See Bulletin op the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; Vol. VIII, No. 2, April 1952, p. 92. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 139. Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 139. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 8, p. 678. Montg. D.B. Vol. 17, p. 518. '•® Montg. D.B. Vol. 39, p. 388. ^ Phila. D.B. Vol. 1-7, p. 104. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 581. ^The records of the New Hanover Lutheran Church are published in Vol. 20 of the Publications of the Pennsylvania-German Society, Norristown, Pa., 1911. " The church record of the Evangelical Reformed Congregation of Pottstown; copies may be found in the collections of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Norristown, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. ^ Pennsylvania-German Pioneers; List 85 A, B and C. ^'Records of the Reformed Church, Falkner Swamp, Pennsylvania; transcript in the collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. EABLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN

** Abstracts of Berks County Wills and Administrations, op. cit. " Montgomery County Sheriff Deed Book Vol. D, p. 200. «Montg. D.B. Vol. 2, p. 227. Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Journals of Mrs. Ann Warder, under date of 3rd, 8th month, 1786. Journals of Henry Melchior Muhlbnberg, op. cit.; Vol. II, p. 107. ® Montg. D.B. Vol. 38, p. 175. * A Brief History of The Old Brick or Union Church Now Occupied By Zion's Reformed Congmigation, Pottstown, Pennsyl vania, by Howard A. Kosman, Pastor; 1936. " Pennsylvania German Pioneers, op. cit, List 198 A, B and C. Montg. D.B. Vol. 756, p. 311. ^ Burials and Inscriptions in the Graveyard of the "Union Church," op. cit. ™Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 3, p. 353. Montg. D.B. Vol. 12, p. 87. " Lot 26 was included in this deed inasmuch as George Gilbert had purchased it, Dec. 9, 1770,from William Dewees, who in turn had bought it of Kleckner, in 1769, who had bought it of Potts in 1765. George Gilbert and his wife Solmy sold the lot, Apr. 12, 1781, to Francis Swaine, son- in-law of Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. Swaine and his wife Mary sold it, Nov. 21, 1782, to John Sackman, who attempted to open a tavern- stand here, but as objections were made by the neighbors, his license was revoked. Sackman sold the lot two days after he had purchased it to Samuel Rhoads. Montg. D.B. Vol. 3, p. 353. Montg. D.B. Vol. 1, p. 498. Montg. D.B. Vol. 15, p. 71. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 8, p. 409. " Abstracts of Montgomery County Wills and Administrations, op. cit. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 116, p. 491. Montg. D.B. Vol. 116, p. 493. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 217. Lafayette Aurora, Pottstown, issue of Nov. 2, 1826; Newspaper File of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Norristown. See George F. P. Wanger Collection in the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Norristown, notes on the "Ruth-Root" Family. Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 12, p. 359. Montg. D.B. Vol. 29, p. 454. *• Abstracts of Berks County Wills and Administrations, op. ciL J42 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

«^Montg. D.B. Vol. 72, p. 486. Montg. D.B. Vol. 72, p. 489. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 39, p. 182. ®Montg. D.B. Vol. 39, p. 186. Montg. D.B. Vol. 14, p. 54, and Montg. Sheriff D.B. Vol. B, p. 30. •'Records of the New Hanover Lutheran Church, op. cit. •^Ibid. Records of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown, op. cit. "Ibid. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 9, p. 381. " Montg. Sheriff D.B. Vol. B, p. 128. " Phila. D.B. Vol. 1-6, p. 215. Montg. D.B. Vol. 2, p. 551. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 2, p. 553. " Montg. D.B. Vol. 2, p. 555. • For records of the family see the Family File Cases in the collec tions of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania under the name "May-: burry"; also PebKiomen Region, Vol. 3, No. 2, Dec. l, 1924. Montg. D.B. Vol. 11, p. 186. Montg. D.B. Vol. 8,, p. 731. Montg. D.B. Vol.. 11, p. 190. Montg. D.B. Vol. 6, p. 128. , i'' Montg. D.B. Vol. 11, p. 183. Montg. D.B. Vol. 11, p. 288. Montg. D.B. Vol. 25, p. 453. Montg. D.B. Vol. 3, p. 82. Montg. D.B. Vol. 4, p. 26. ' Montg. D.B. Vol. 4, p. 170. Montgomery County Will Book Vol. 2, p. 241. Montg. D.B. Vol. 468, p. 312. ^"Will of Michael Maus; see Abstracts of Montgomery County Wills and Administrations, pp. cit., Vol. 1, p. 124; also "Notes and Queries" in The Pennsylvania Magazine; Vol. IV, -p.'255. — Montg. D.B.-Vol. 468, p. 313. Montg. D.B. Vol. 11, p. 109. Montg. Sheriff Deed Book Vol. A, p. 63. Phila. D.B. Vol. 1-7, p. 104. EARLY RESIDENTS AND LAND TRANSFERS IN POTTSTOWN 143

"^Phila. D.B. Vol. 1-17, p. 222. "^Phila. D.B. Vol. 1-17, p. 224. ^ Phila. D.B. Vol. D'-6, p. 156. ^Recited Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 251. Montg. D.B. Vol. 15, p. 70. Montg. D.B. Vol. 7, p. 757. Montg. D.B. Vol. 24, p. 404. The will of Daniel Roadermel, recorded in Philadelphia Will Book Vol. N, p. 451. See also Philadelphia Orphans' Court petition under date of Sept. 9,1771. Philadelphia Will Book Vol. M, p. 293. Montg. D.B. Vol. 34, p. 17. Montg. D.B. Vol. 34, p. 19. Records of Marriages, Confirmations, and Burials of the Augustus Ev. Lutheran Church, Trappe, Pa., published in The Pennsylvania- German Society, Proceedings and Addresses, Vol. VII. For records of the Missimer family, see Burials and Inscriptions in the Graveyard of the "Union Church," op. eit., records of the Palkner Swamp Reformed Church, op. cit., records of Augustus Ev. Lutheran Church, op. cit., Family File Case in the collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, under the name "Missimer." Montg. D.B. Vol. 125, p. 420. The will of Elizabeth Hunter is in the Abstracts of Montgomery County Wills and Administrations, op. cit., Vol. 2, p. 35. Abstracts of Montg. Co. Wills and Adms., op. cit. Vol. 1, p. 236. ^Abstracts of Berks County Wills and Administrations, op. cit.. Vol. 2, p. 102. Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Ferdinand J. Dreer Collection; Letters of Edward Burd. Notes and Queries

In Volume VIII of the Bulletin (April 1953) page 346, mention was made of Frederick Aldorfer, aged 25 years, who qualified at Phila delphia August 11, 1732, having arrived on the Ship Samuel, Hugh Percy, Master. This Frederick Aldorfer is believed to have settled in Lebanon Town ship, Lancaster County, where he and his wife joined the Conestoga Church of the Brethern under the Eldership of Michael Frantz (1784- 1748). February 28, 1745 Letters of Administration were granted to Mar garet, widow and relict of Fredrick Aldorfer, late of Lebanon Township, Lancaster County, on Aldorfer's estate (recorded in Lancaster County Administration Book F).

"To all to whom these presents shall come: Whereas I, Jacob D. Custer of Montgomery County in the State of Pennsylvania have obtained Letters Patent from Andrew Jackson, Pres ident of the United States and duly signed and executed 24 November 1830, granting to me, the said Jacob D. Custer, my administrators and assigns the full and exclusive right and privilege of making, construct ing, using and vending to others to be used, a Patent Improved Clock, invented by me the said Jacob D. Custer. Now therefore for and in consideration of the sum of fourteen hundred dollars current money of the United States in hand paid before the Sealing and delivery of these presents, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, I have given, granted, bargained, sold, assigned and con veyed and by these presents do give, grant, bargain, sell, assign and con vey unto Isaac Custer of the Boro of Norristown in the County of Mont gomery and State aforesaid, his executors, administrators and assigns for and during the term of fourteen years from and after 24 November 1830, the exclusive right and privilege of making, using and vending to others to be sold the said Patent Right' of-said Clock in the States of Pennsylvania and Ohio, except in the City of Philadelphia, and except also in the Counties of Montgomery, Chester, Lancaster, Northampton and Bucks in said State of Pennsylvania.

144 NOTES AND QUERIES 145

To Have to Hold the said right and privilege of making, using and vending the aforesaid Clock within the Territory aforesaid unto the said Isaac Ouster, his heirs, executors and administrators and assigns for the term aforesaid. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this 23 June in the year of our Lord 1832. "Wit: B. T. Hancock Wm. Powel /s/ Jacob D. Ouster {Extracted from Montgomery County Miscellaneous Book, Vol. 3, page 415.] Acquisitions

Mrs. John Shaffer: Two parchment deeds, Henry Potts to Benneville Bertolette, New Hanover township, 1830; Martin Beightle to George Beightle, Lower Hanover, 1750. George Wollrath, W. M.: Anniversary publication, A History of Cassia Lodge No. 273, Free and Accepted Masons, Ardmore, Pennsylvania, The First Hundred Years, 1853-1953.

William Holstein Ellis: Three Hundred Years With The Corson Families In America, two volumes, by Orville Corson, 1939, Ohio.

Miss Gertrude Eagle: Four sterling teaspoons marked "J. Shoemaker." Two daguerreotypes. Revolutionary War gun carried by George Eagle of Lancaster. Shaving stand, candle-snuffer, slipware pie plate, almanac and other items. Mrs. Daniel S. Johnson: Tole deed box, hand painted. Harold Stanley Gilbert: Mimeographed history, Gilberts of Pennsylvania and Allied Families, compiled and arranged by the donor, June 1953. Joseph Shrawder: Anniversary publication, Warren Lodge, No. 310, Free and Accepted Masons, Collegeville, 1857-1907. Newspaper clip pings of historical articles by the donor currently appearing in the Phoenixville Republican. George K. Brecht, Esq.: Paper book. Trial of John H. Surratt, Conspir ator, for the Murder of Abraham Lincoln. Collection of almanacs, dating from 1855 to 1897. Norristown Choral Society, Cash Book 1910-1918; and other papers, letters and receipts of this organization. Several issues of Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Press, dated 1865, 1866. Joseph K. Fornance, Esq.: Montgomery County Legal Directories, 1940 to 1952. Other Items.

Lillian I. Halberstadt: Manuscript history of The Ladies Auxiliary of the Center Square Fire Company, 1913-1953.

Edward Pinkowski: Two books from the authorship of the donor, Wash ington's Officers Slept Here, and Forgotten Fathers.

146 • ACQUISITIONS 147

Friends Historical Society: Book, Slavery and "The Woman Question," edited by Frederick B. Tolles. Frederick B. Tolles: Book, George Logan of Philadelphia, by the donor. Arthur F. Lefferts: Leedom Genealogy, the Descendants of John Leedom and Elizabeth Potts of Pennsylvania, from 1824 to 1953, being a chart copyrighted and prepared by the donor. John Joseph Stoudt, D.D.: The Life and Times of Dr. George de Benne- ville, 1703-1793, by Albert D. Bell. ]Vlrs. A. Conrad Jones: Manuscript history, Volume II, compiled by, and from the estate of, the late Henry D. Cranor, on the Cranor, Pritch- ett, Jones and Conrad Families. Two marriage certificates, Ellis Roberts and Mary Jones; John Roberts and Rachel Shoemaker. Rev. J. M. Corum, Jr. :• Material pertaining to the Reunion Association of Treemount Seminary. Rev. Floyd G. Sorenson: Program of Dedication, newspaper clippings, historical sketch and annual reports of The Plymouth Valley Com munity Baptist Church.

James deM. Hunsicker: Souvenir map and ticket—last Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train to Reading—Sunday, October 4, 1953. Norris D. Wright: Framed photographs of the octagonal school house near Conshohocken, and "Sandy Run," the Radcliffe Cheston house at Oreland. Thanksgiving Proclamation of George H. Earle, Gov ernor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 1937. Deed Poll, and other odd items.

Willis W. Eisenhart: A History of Abbottstown, by the donor. Kirke Bryan, Esq.: Joseph Henry Taylor, a biographical sketch by the donor, Christmas, 1953.

Mrs. Edgar S. Buyers: Three bills of tuition to Edmund Kite for his son William A. Kite from Treemount Seminary, 1852 and 1853. Hand bills, membership list, rules and regulations and other papers per taining to the Amateur Military Dramatic Association, Fort McPherson, Nebraska, organized September 1, 1867; of which Ed mund Kite was a member. Pictures and newspaper clippings of Kite family interest.

Mrs. Thomas Biddle Ellis: Copies of the wills of: Thomas Hughes, 1747; William Atkinson, 1754; Samuel Davis, 1778; Atkinson Hughs, Sr., 1813; Atkinson Hughs, Jr., 1857. 148 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Mrs. William F. Moyer: Original bill, Philadelphia, dated 1803, of Andrew Burkhard, Inspector of the Port of Philadelphia, to Peter Muhlenberg, Esquire, Collector for the district of Philadelphia, with names of ships attended during January, February and March. George L. Harrison: Original contract and other papers for erecting a stone mansion for Edward Wain, in 1855, called "Waltham" near Mill-town, Cheltenham township. Brief of Title, 1682-1854, to the property on which "Waltham" was built. Copy of the Charter By laws of the Independent Mutual Insurance Company, 1862; also a receipt from the same company to Edward Wain, 1863. Edward Wain was the grandfather of the donor. Harry E. Pitch: An old sword with an interesting history.

Mrs. Mabelle M. Kirkbride: Framed pen used by the Honorable John S. Fisher, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in sign ing House Bill No. 121, Act No. 8, entitled "An Act to provide for an additional law judge of the court of common pleas of the thirty- eighth judicial district," composed of Montgomery County, Penn sylvania. The Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 5, 1929, by Honorable Mabelle M. Kirkbride, the first woman from Montgomery County to serve in the House of Represen tatives. The bill passed finally in the House February 12, 1929; passed the Senate finally February 25, 1929, and became a law by the signature of the Governor March 6, 1929.

Honorable George C. Corson was the additional law judge ap pointed; Charles Johnson in his capacity of Secretary of the Com monwealth signed the certificate.

Honorable Harold G. Knight: Naturalization court proceedings of Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, December 23, 1953, pub lished in booklet form by the American Citizenship Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as a splendid example of the conduct of Naturalization Court Proceedings.

A. Mae Gougler Estate: Two family photograph albums. Original draft of tract of land conveyed to Charles Gouldy, Worcester township, 1826. Brief of Title to Charles Norris's tract, Worcester township, 1682-1741. Fables of Esop together with his life, adorned with cuts, printed and sold by John M'Cullough, Philadelphia, 1793. Robert E. Lamb: Deed, Albert Crawford to Jacob Culp, Lower Provi dence, 1847; Lease, from Jacob Culp to Michael Ryan for mining privileges for twenty-five years, 1849. ACQUISITIONS X49

Clement C. Parker: Five books on archery, Compendium of Works on Archery, by Clement C. Parker; Art of Archery by an Unknown Archer, edited by Clement C. Parker; Archery Books, new, old and rare. List No, 15, issued December 1953 by Clement C. Parker, Calvin M. DeLong, D.D,: Brochure, "Labourers Together With God" for fifty years at New Goshenhoppen Reformed Church, East Green ville, Pennsylvania. Mrs, Harwood R. Stanton: Antique hand-loomed rug, approximately 9 by 12 feet, in two pieces, brought from family homestead in Orange County, New York, This carpet belonged to "Aunt Kate Linderman" who died in 1890. According to tradition the New York Linderman branch came from the Pennsylvania Linderman family. Narberth Community Library: The Converse and Allied Families, by Charles Allen Converse, in two volumes, Boston, 1905. University of Pennsylvania Press; Books of biography, John Alfred Brashear, by Harriet A, Gaul and Ruby Eiseman, 1940; John White Geary, by Harry Marlin Tinkcom, 1940; William Smith, by Albert F. Gegenheimer, 1943; Johann Conrad Beissel, by Walter C. Klein, 1942; Alexander James Dallas, by Raymond Walters, Jr., 1943; Richard Rush, by J, H. Powell, 1942; Alexander Dallas Bache, by Merle M. Odgers, 1947; John and William Bartram, by Ernest Ear nest, 1940; Richard Peters, by Hubertis Cummings, 1944; James Burd, by Lily Lee Nixon, 1941; Muhlenbergs of Pennsylvania, by Paul A. W. Wallace, 1950; Conrad Weiser, 1696-1760, by Paul A. W, Wallace, 1945; Pennsylvania Songs and Legends, 1949; Bring Out Your Dead, by J. H, Powell, 1949, Acquired by purchase: Dictionary of American Biography, 22 volumes, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York; American Antique Furniture, two volumes, by Edgar G. Miller, Jr.; Handbook of American Silver and Pewter Marks, by C. Jordan Thorn; American Potters and Pottery, by John Ramsay; Furniture of the Olden Time, by Fran ces Clary Morse; Pennsylvania German Folklore Society, Volume VII, 1942; The Jacobs Family, as descended from "John Jacobs of Perkiomen," compiled by Richard Wistar Davids, 1894; Journals and Papers of David Schultz, two volumes, translated and edited by Andrew S. Berky, 1953. Other donors to whom we extend our sincere appreciation are: Miss Elizabeth Feaster Baker, Miss Ella S. Mitchell, Mrs. Amy Shunk Sykes, Ralph L. Gamier, Frederick R. Walte, Norristown Public Library, Sehwenkfelder Library, Chester County Historical Society, Edward J. Dybics, Historical Society of York County. JANE KEPLINGER BURRIS, Librarian In Editorial Vein

One of our members, a part of whose letter we take the liberty to quote, thus expresses her satisfaction with the Bullbtin : "Besides being a scholarly publication, of excellent format, the "Bulletin's" material is well chosen and well edited, offering the mem bership continuous interest in the history of our county. For this reader it does what any publication worth its print should do: makes one wish one knew a great deal more of the subject or information offered."

The demand for several of the papers published in the Bulletin has been so great that the Society has been obliged to decline to fill further orders for the numbers in which they appeared. Can any of our readers help us out? We particularly need Nos. 2, 3 and 4, of Vol. VI; No. 4, of Vol. VII; and No. 1, of Vol. VIII, these numbers containing the papers on Lucretia Mott and John F. Hartranft, and on the Charcoal Iron Industry, In general, the Society will be very grateful for the return of any numbers, by members who do not feel disposed to maintain files of the Bulletin.

None of our readers seems to have questioned the word question- marks, which appears at the end of paragraph 5, on page 848, of our April, 1953, number. Nevertheless, we feel urged to confess, though late, that this puzzling word should be quotation, marks!

We are also asked to make the following correction on page 347 of our April, 1953, number: In 4th line from top, 1805 should read 1801.

160 Report on Membership

NEW MEMBERS (Elected November 21, 1953) Miss Alice H. Ambler Frederick Wm. Grimison Nelson Mills Baird, Jr. Colonel Asa M. Lehman Kensil Bell George Gordon Meade Max Berg, Jr. Harold S. McCuen Edward M. Bernard P. James Moore Miss Helen A. Bomberger Richard F. Refsnyder Miss Anna W. Chambers John R. Scholl, Esq. Mrs. Horace 0. Coleman, Sr. Jesse L. Stetler Miss Marie R. Cresson Homer T. Welker Samuel Ouster Detwiler Barbara A. Yocum TRANSFERRED TO LIFE MEMBERSHIP Mrs. James deMasson Hunsicker James deMasson Hunsicker NEW MEMBERS (Elected February 22, 1954) Mrs. Ernest Brodine Mrs. George Lambert, Jr. Robert 0. Bucher George A. Ludwig Oliver Lewis Christman Mrs. Harold H. Mowday Dr. Daniel L. Flad Edgar D. Paul Anthony N. B. Garvan Mrs. Darrah Ribble Miss Helen A. Ganser Mrs. Victor Rohlin Theodore Heske Joseph Shrawder ELECTED TO LIFE MEMBERSHIP Irving Hoffman TRANSFERRED TO LIFE MEMBERSHIP Mrs. Russel L. Campman

DEATHS Dr. J. E. B. Buckenham Rev. Howard H. Krauss Mrs. Herbert P. Clements J. Walton Lysinger J. Edward Fauser Miss Helen M. Moyer Status of Membership Honorary 5 Life 35 Annual 546

Total 586 HELEN E. RICHARDS, Corresponding Secretary

161 November Meeting

The regular meeting of the Historical Society of Montgomery County was convened at 2 P.M. on November 21, 1953 at the building of the Society, with President Gallager presiding. The minutes of the April meeting were read and approved. President Gallager reported on the progress of the DeKalb Street building, and stated that the contracts had been let to General Contractor Kershner, of Norristown, and that work had been started promptly. The demolition had been completed, the ground had been prepared for the foundations, and samples of brick work had been set up and approved. Handmade brick of the American colonial type is to be used. To carry out our building program there must be a sale of our present building, and action by the members of the Society is required in this matter. Five different appraisals have been made of this property at 18 East Penn Street, two of them within the last week. On this basis the President has been instructed by the Board of Trustees to report that forty thousand dollars was the highest amount of any of these appraisals. The Board of Trustees recommended to the. members that the most feasible way to secure a definite offer and committment is through the authorization of the Trustees to proceed on the basis of the appraisal of forty thousand dollars, and for this purpose a resolution has been framed. David Groshens, Esq., read the resolution: RESOLVED: that the Trustees of the Historical Society of Mont gomery County be and they are hereby authorized to negotiate and contract for and to conclude a sale of the premises 18 East Penn Street, Norristown, Pennsylvania, for the best price obtain able, not less than Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00). The resolution was moved and seconded, and a discussion followed. Mrs. Rogers moved that the Historical Society of Montgomery County keep the present hall at 18 East Penn Street, to be used as our library, with the other building to be used as a meeting room and a museum, and requested the appointment of Judge Knight to raise the funds to complete the building at 1654 DeKalb Street. Mrs. Moyer stated that she felt the two buildings could be used, and questioned the amount of space which the new building would provide. Mrs. Roach stated that no mention had been made of the amounts of the final contract for the new building. In reply to this. President Gallager gave the following amounts: Lloyd Kershner, General Contractor, $44,425.00 Delaware Pipe Fabricators, Heating, 3,290.00 Histand Brothers, Roofing, Black slate, 3,598.00

162 REPORTS 153

Kirke Bryan, Esq., brought to the attention of the members the fact that it was necessary to sell the present building in order to realize the amount necessary for the completion of the new building. Mrs. Rogers asked why a mortgage could not be used to finance these expenditures. Judge Knight moved the question. David Groshens, Esq., .read the resolution: RESOLVED: that the Trustees of the Historical Society of Mont gomery County be and they are hereby authorized to negotiate and contract for and to conclude a sale of the premises 18 East Fenn Street, Norristown, Pennsylvania, for the best price obtainable, not less than Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00). The question was moved, and carried by a show of hands. President Gallager introduced Earl J. Haydinger, the Assistant Director of the Historical Society of Berks County, who spoke on The ScHUYLKiLL River Beforb 1825. The discussion was illustrated with a varied and interesting collection of slides. At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served tea. EVA G. DAVIS, Recording Secretary February Meeting

The annual meeting of the Historical Society of Montgomery County was convened at 2 P. M. on February 22, 1954, at the building of the Society, with President Gallager presiding. In honor of the birthday anniversaries of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, President Gallager read two appropriate selections. In the absence of the recording secretary, Eva G. Davis, Jean E. Gottshall served as secretary pro-tem and read the minutes of the November meeting. The'minutes were approved as read. Lyman A. Kratz, Treasurer, read his report for the year 1963. This showed an annual income of $6,793.11, and expenditures of $6,417.00, which left a balance of $3,100.41 on December 31, 1963. The report had been audited by Messrs. Dettre and Hallman, and on a motion duly seconded and passed, it was received and filed. The report of the Nominating Committee, of which Joseph K. For- nance was chairman, was read by Daniel S. Johnson with the following nominations:

PRESIDENT TRUSTEES

Donald A. Gallager, Esq. Kirke Bryan, Esq. VICE-PRESIDENTS Harry Leroy Christman George K. Brecht, Esq. Mrs. H. H. Francine Foster C. Hillegass Donald A. Gallager, Esq. David E. Groshens, Esq. H. H. Ganser RECORDING SECRETARY Kenneth H. Hallman Eva G. Davis George M. Harding Nancy P. Highley CORRESPONDING SECREATRY Foster C. Hillegass Helen E. Richards Mrs. A. Conrad Jones FINANCIAL SECRETARY Hon. Harold G. Knight Mrs. LeRoy Burris Lyman A. Kratz TREASURER Franklin A. Stickler Lyman A. Kratz Mrs. F. B. Wildman, Jr. Norris D. Wright- Vice-president Brecht took the chair during the election. There being no further nominations from the floor, it was moved and seconded that the report of the Nominating Committee be adopted, and the nominations

164 REPORTS 155

•were dedared closed. On a motion duly seconded and passed, the Secre tary was directed to cast a collective ballot for the nominees. This being done, the nominees were declared duly elected for the ensuing year. President Gallager, in accepting his election for 1954, remarked upon the privilege it was to be associated with the Society and its current work in the historical field. Thanks and commendation were extended to Mr. Brecht by President Gallager for his services in the chair during the election period. A motion was made and duly seconded that the Secretary include the selected quotations on Washington and Lincoln, which President Gallager had read, in the minutes. The motion was passed and the se lections were duly recorded.* The speaker of the day, Miss Frances Lichten, of Philadelphia, was introduced by President Gallager. She talked on the Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania, supplementing her interesting account with colorful designs and examples of early arts and crafts of Pennsylvania. Before the meeting adjourned, President Gallager invited those members and the guests present at the meeting to view the Society's new building under construction on DeKalb Street. At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served tea. JEAN E. GOTTSHALL, Secretary Pro-tern. *The following are the selections which were read by President Gallager: Tolstoy on Lincoln: "Of all great national heroes and statesmen of history, Lincoln is the only real giant—no other national hero was his equal in depth of feeling and in certain moral power. Lincoln was a man of whom a nation has a right to be proud ... a saint of humanity whose name will live thousands of years in the legends of future generations. We are still too near his greatness, and so can hardly appreciate his divine power . . . his genius is still too strong and powerful for a common understanding ... ." Marshall on Washington: "His example ... will teach vrisdom and virtue to magistrates, citizens and men, not only in the present age, but in future generations, as long as our history shall be read." The Eistorieal Society of Montgomery County has for its I object the preservation of the civil, political and religious history of the county, as well as the promotion of the study of history. The building up of a library for historical research has been materially aided in the past by donations of family, church and graveyard records; letters, diaries and other manuscript material. Valuable files of newspapers have also been contributed. This public-spirited support has been highly appreciated and is earnestly desired for the future.

Membership in the Society is open to all interested persons, whether residents of the county or not, and all such persons are invited to have their names proposed at any meeting. The annual dues are $4.00; life membership, $50.00. Every mem ber is entitled to a copy of each issue of The Bulletin, free. Additional Copies, One Dollar Each.

Historical Hall, 18 East Penn Street, Norristovm, with its library and museum, is open for visitors each week day from 10 A.M. to 12 M. and 1 to 4 P.M., except Saturday afternoon. The material in the library may be freely consulted during these hours, but no book may be taken from the building.

To Our Friends

Our Society needs funds for the furthering of its work, its expansion, its growth and development. This can very nicely be done through bequests from members and friends in the disposition of their estates. The Society needs more funds in investments placed at interest; the income arising therefrom would give the Society an annual return to meet its needs. Following is a form that could he used in the making of \rills:

I HEREBY GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO THE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY,

PENNSYLVANIA, THE SUM OF

DOLLARS ($ )