BULLETIN HI^TORICAL50C1ETY MONTGOMERY COUNTY JVONmSTOWAT

S2MERY

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT 1T5 BUILDING )65<^ DEKALB STRBET NORRISTOWN.PA.

APRIL, 1955 VOL. IX NUMBER 4

PRICE ONE DOLLAR Historical Society of Montgomery County

OFFICERS

Donald A. Gallageb, Esq., President George K. Beecht, Esq., Vice-Presidmt Poster C. Hillegass, Vice-Presid&nt David B. Groshens, Esq., Vice-President Eva G. Davis, Recording Secretary Helen E. Richards, Corresponding Secretwry Mrs. LeRoy Bu^s, Financial Secretary and Librarian Lyman a. Kratz, Treasurer

TRUSTEES

Kirke Bryan, Esq. Harry L. Christman Mrs. H. H. Prancine 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 4

THE FOUNDERS OF A STATE, by Thomas Hovenden THE BULLETIN

of the

Historical Society of Montgomery County

Published Semi-Annually — October and Ap7i.l

Volume IX April, 1955 Number 4

CONTENTS

The New Indexes ."251

From Our Exhibits — The Last Painting of Thomas Hovenden 252 Jane Keplinger Burris The Turnpikes of Pennsylvania .-.Frederick C. Sweinhart 254 Deaths in the Skippack Region (Compiled) 263

The "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Merion 281 Charles R. Barker Reports 347

PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

Mrs. Leroy Burris Mrs. H. Donald Moll

Charu;s R. Barker, Chaii'man

249 The New Indexes As few persons who consult an index take the precaution to ex amine the head of the index, for possible explanatory notes, this notice is placed where it is not likely to be overlooked. The index to our Volume IX, now current, will represent a radical change in our indexing methods, inasmuch as reference will be made to su/mames only, instead of to complete personal names, as heretofore. A glance at the index to Volume VIII, which covers nearly 60 pages, doublecolumn, shows that the task of indexing has become monu mental. Because of the wealth of genealogical detail contained in several of the papers, almost a score of index references to the same page for one family has often become necessary! where one reference should suffice. According to a long-established practice of the Society, the number of the Bulletin which appears concurrently with the index to the preceding volume, is made a "short number," the object being, that the total of the two shall not exceed the 96 pages to which a single number is limited. But as a result of this rule, the Bulletin for October, 1953, was practically only a half-size number! Thus, space that could well be devoted to historical material is sacri ficed to the needs of a too-meticulous index; and as the 8-point type of the index is more expensive than the 10-point used elsewhere, retrench ment in labor and expense is plainly called for. While those doing research will thus find it a little more time- consuming, it will be a satisfaction to them to know that they are thus "doing their bit" towards getting out the Bulletin and its index. Such a contribution, small though it be, is much appreciated where labor is voluntary. Proper names other than surnames will now be found in a separate index. The Publication Committee

251 Prom Our Exhibits The Last Painting of Thomas Hovenden* On the north wall of the auditorium hangs the large oil painting The Founders Of A State. This handsomely framed picture captures the admiration and attention of all who behold it in its new location. It was the last work of Thomas Hovenden, famed artist of Plymouth Meeting, and was unfinished at the time of his death in X895. As its history is not generally known, it will be appropriate to relate the facts concerning it in this form. No attempt is made here to tell the whole story of Thomas Hovenden. The painting came to the Society after the death, in 1941, of Miss Martha Maulsby Hovenden, a sculptress of note, and daughter of the artist. It had hung in the Corson-Hovenden studio at Plymouth Meet ing from 1895 down to the time of its presentation to the Society, and had been unavoidably subjected to dampness and some consequent dam age. Several months before our moving to the new building, the condi tion of the Hovenden painting became a question of great concern to the Trustees. Although its condition had not worsened materially since being in the Society's custody, it was feared that moving it would be extremely hazardous, and likely to result in irreparable loss. Fortunately the blistering and peeling of the paint-film was confined to the fore ground, with the subject figures of the painting remaining intact. Upon the counsel and recommendation of George M. Harding, a Trustee of the Society, and painter of the historic murals in the Court House of Montgomery County, an arrangement of conservation and restoration was planned. The work was done by Theodor Siegl, Conservator and Technical Advisor of the Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts, , and Napoleon Gorski, artist, of Montgomery County. Both young artists had studied under Mr. Harding, and were recommended by him to do the work. Thomas Hovenden is termed an historical and genre painter, and this classification is apt of The Founders Of A State, depicting, as is does, the covered-wagon train and the opening of the West. Today, beyond the Rocky Mountain region of our country, this painting would be acclaimed a valuable example of Americana. Its being unfinished, in the light of time—changes in style and opinion, has not proved to be a detriment. It tells its story without the detail that the artist, judging from his finished works, had in mind for its completion.

*See frontispiece. 252 FROM OUR EXHIBITS 253

Helen Corson Hovenden, wife of Thomas Hovenden, was also a painter of great merit and talent in her own right. Several of her por traits, those of Dr. Louis Wernwag Read and Dr. William Corson, are among the Society's collection. Readers wishing to leam more about Thomas Hovenden are referred to The Historical Society of Montgomery County, SKETCHES, Volume IV, 1910, wherein appear three separate articles: one by his wife, Helen Corson Hovenden, one by Rev. E. P. Pfatteicher, and the other by Harrison S. Morris. Also see The Historical Society of Montgomery County Bulmjtin, October, 1942, Volume III, No. 3, in which appears a paper prepared and read before our Society by Walter A. Knerr. The Dictionary of American Biography also contoains a good synopsis. In addition tiie Society expects to publish in the Bulletin another paper on Thomas Hovenden in the near future. The results of the process of conservation have been most happy, and it is a great satisfaction to know that this fine painting has been preserved for the pleasure of other generations. Today, as one looks at The Pounders Of A State, its colors are as fresh and lovely as on that fateful day, August 14, 1895, when Thomas Hovenden laid down his paints and palette to go out and meet his untimely death.

JANE KEPLINGER BURRIS The Turnpikes of Pennsylvania; Precursors of Good Roads in America Frederick G. Sweinhart* At the time of the Revolutionary War, Lancaster, Pennsyl vania, was the largest inland town in America. The road from Philadelphia to Lancaster, the Lancaster Turnpike, was the first stone road in America. The builder of this road was the first turnpike company in America. The company was organ ized in 1792. Construction began in the Autumn of 1792, starting from Market Street and the Schuylkill River and was finished two years later in 1794. The total cost was $465,000, averaging $7,500 per mile. The road was praised as a "masterpiece of its kind, paved -with stone the whole way and overlaid with gravel so that it was never obstructed during the most severe sea sons." The total length was 62^ miles (now U. S. #30). Up until the close of the 18th Century this was the only stone road in America. In 1794 a company was chartered to build a road from Lancaster to the Susquehanna at Wrights Ferry, now Columbia —eight miles. They had financial difficulty—^the road was not started until 1801, was completed in 1803. This was the second turnpike in Pennsylvania. In 1796 two turnpike companies were chartered: the Lan caster, Middletown and Harrisburg, and the Gap, Newport and Wilmington. The former was divided into two companies, Lancaster-Elizabethtown and Middletown-Harrisburg. These Iroads were built in 1805 and 1815, respectively. They carried the turnpike to Harrisburg and again to the Susquehanna River (now U. S. #230); distance, 35 miles. At the present time, September 1954, it appears that but one milestone has survived.

* Read before the Society, November 20, 1954. For explanation of the milestones, see end of paper. 254

A770 -LJ7IJ \ THE TUKNPIKES OF PEtmSYLVANIA 255

The Gap, Newport and Wilmington Turnpike was depen dent on a similar act in Delaware. This was not forthcoming, and the company was 'rechartered as the Gap and Newport, which in 1809 began the construction of the road from Gap Tavern (now Gap) on Lancaster Pike to the Delaware line (now Penna. #41). In 1798 the Germantown and Reading Turnpike Company was incorporated to build a road from Philadelphia through Germantown, by the route of Chestnut Hill, to Reading. Work was not begun until 1801 when a rechartered company, the Germantown and Perkiomen, undertook the building of a stone surfaced road from 3rd and Vine Streets in Philadelphia, through Germantown to the Ten Mile Stone in Chestnut Hill, and then to the stone bridge over Perkiomen Creek in Mont gomery County,a distance of 25 miles. Montgomery countians know this bridge, built from funds raised by lotteries in 1797 and 1799. This road was opened in 1804, making it the third turnpike in Pennsylvania. No turnpikes were chartered in 1802, but in 1803, three were chartered. One, the Philadelphia-to-Trenton, via Frank- ford and Bristol Turnpike, ran from Front Street and the Germantown Road to the Morrisville Ferry opposite Trenton (now U. S. #13). Two, the Cheltenham—^Willow Grove—Old York Road (now U. S. #611), from Front and Wood Streets. And three, the Chestnut Hill—Springhouse Turnpike (now U. S. #309), opened in 1804 and 1805. At Springhouse begin Sumneytown Pike and Bethlehem Pike. Sumne3i:own Pike straight through, originally Bethlehem Pike, was a right-angle turn, at times causing confusion to travelers to Bethlehem. In 1803 the Easton—^Wilkes-Barre Turnpike Company was chartered, and construction began on a road to connect the two Boroughs. During the next ten years 47^ miles were improved (now Penna. #115). Also in 1803, another important turnpike, the Horseshoe Pike, was chartered, leaving Lancaster Pike at Downingtown, thence through Ephrata to Har'risburg via 256 bulletin op historical society of Montgomery county

Hummelstown (now U. S. #322), now a segment of the 28th Division Highway, Work was begun the same year. Completed in 1819, this was one of the best and longest, a total of 67% miles of crushed stone 12 to 18 inches deep. After 1803, assured of success, turnpike building grew apace, and now spread throughout the Commonwealth. Up to this time all the toll roads authorized were in the region east of the Susquehanna, chiefly routes leading out of Philadelphia. In 1804 a company was chartered to build a road from the village of Erie to Waterford, 14 miles south- (now U. S. #19). I traversed this in October, 1952, and found no existing mile stones. The Union and Cumberland Turnpike was authorized to build a road from near Uniontown, Fayette County, to the Maryland state line in the direction of Cumberland. This later was incorporated into the National Pike (now U. S. #40). Also in 1804, the Susquehanna and Lehigh was chartered to build a gravel and earth road from Lausanne—Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe, on the Lehigh, to Berwick on the Susquehanna (now Penna. #29). Also in 1804, the Ridge Pike was chartered, beginning at 8th and Vine Streets, Philadelphia, thence to Norristown and Reading. In 1805 the Berks and Dauphin was chartered to improve the road from Reading to Hummelstown on the Downingtown, Ephrata, Harrisburg Turnpike—the Horseshoe Pike (now U. S. #422), thus com pleting the Ridge Pike to Harrisburg. The Center Turnpike was to open a road by the nearest and best route from Reading to Sunbury, a distance of 75 miles (now U. S. #122), and the Springhouse branch of the Germantown Pike was extended to Bethlehem (now U.S. #309). In 1809-10 the Susquehanna- York Pike was built from Wrights Ferry (Wrightsville) to York. By 1806 privately owned turnpikes had proven to be going concerns and successes. In this year the Pennsylvania Legisla ture embarked on a plan of State aid to improve the roads in the less densely populated areas. At first aid was limited, but in. 1811 $825,000 was appropriated. These funds, with liberal Q.lw^^v;. 7i|4.w'. /= "^o r'^?=ATS

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THE TURNPIKES OF PENNSYLVANIA 257

Private subscriptions, caused the building of turnpikes to be pushed with zeal, and their number was legion. By the year 1821, 146 turnpikes had been authorized by law, and 84 had received letters patent. The mileage contemplated was 2,521 miles, 1,807" miles having been completed. By the end of an other decade, in 1880, the number of companies authorized was 220. The projected mileage was 3,000 miles, but by this time canals and the looming competition of railroads were demonstrating their superiority as a means of transportation, and by 1882 abandonment of turnpikes more than offset con struction. At this time the approximate 2,400 miles of toll roads represented the peak of turnpike mileage in Pennsyl vania. Not that no turnpikes were chartered after this date, for as late as mid-century short pikes to serve more or less local and rural areas were built, and tolls collected until well into the present century but the broad concept of turnpikes for the transportation of passengers and merchandise had succumbed to. the reality of traffic by rail. The building of canals was proposed co-incident with the turnpike movement in 1791, but owing, no doubt, to physical considerations, building of canals did not get under way in any large manner until the second decade of the past century. One of the early canals was the Schuylkill Navigation Com pany, using the course of the Schuylkill to carry anthracite coal to tide water in Philadelphia. Locks at Bridgeport, Laurel Locks, etc. were familiar landmarks. One of the most famed canals, the Union Canal, connecting the Susquehanna and the Schuylkill, and Harrisburg and Philadelphia, was completed in November, 1827. The first railroad locomotive to run in America was at Honesdale, county seat of Wayne County, on August 8th, 1829. This was used to haul anthracite coal out of Carbondale, Lack- awanna County, to Honesdale, and in conjunction with the Delaware and Hudson Canal, to reach the Hudson River and the New Yo'rk market. The locomotive, I assume, was an Eng lish importation. 258 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY In 1832, Matthias W. Baldwin, of Philadelphia, who had gained a reputation as a builder of stationary steam engines, was delegated by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Norris- town Railroad Company—whose short line of six miles to Germantown was operated by horse power—to build a steam locomotive. This was completed, christened "Old Ironsides" and successfully tried on the road, November 23, 1832. Sig nificant of the skepticism in which this means of motive power was held, is this advertisement in a Philadelphia newspaper of November 26, 1832: "Notice—the locomotive engine will depart daily when the weather is fair, with a train of passenger cars. Onrainy days horses will be attached." Notwithstanding, the Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown railroad reached Norristown in 1834, and is still going strong, leased in 1870 for 999 yea:rs to the Reading Company. Governor Wolf, in his annual message of December 7,1831, said, "We now have 2,500 miles of turnpike roads in Pennsyl vania, and within her limits internal improvements consisting of turnpike roads, canals, railways and bridges, all constructed since 1791—40 years—^for which has been disbursed from the public treasury of the state, and by corporations, a sum exceed ing $37,000,000." By 1850 the Commonwealth alone had in curred a debt of $40,000,000 on account of public works, mostly canals, but by now privately owned railroad transportation was outmoding both turnpikes and canals. The state en deavored, where possible, to sell out to the railroads. In 1857 the Pennsylvania Railroad paid $7,500,000 for portions of the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Canal and in 1859 $3,750,000 for branch lines. I would assume that after that date very little purchasing of canals was necessary, as competition gradually caused abandonment. Before the turn of the century (1900), turnpikes and canals were used less and less for the trans portation of passengers and merchandise, and were abandoned, succumbing to the superior facilities of the railroads, and, by this time, interurban electric lines. Because of their dilapidated condition, turnpikes were actually avoided by the public. At SlH : r«ijrK?5! p: •VllHd o± -•'v.'-. --.iTli Mm THE TURNPIKES OP PENNSYLVANIA 259 the time of their passing very few had yielded dividends suf ficient to remunerate their owners. A very substantial survival is that many of our State High ways and Pennsylvania Highways have adopted the original surveys and routes of these turnpikes. As an interesting result in relation to the city of Philadelphia as it expanded its early limits, the turnpikes emanating from there inadvertently formed, in and out, a system of diverging and converging avenues embracing the entire perimeter of the city, aside from the barrier of the Delaware River. Namely; 1) Germantown Avenue from 3rd and Vine Streets; 2) Frankford Avenue from Front Street and Germantown Road; 3) Old York Road from Germantown Avenue at Allegheny Avenue; 4) Ridge Avenue from 8th and Race Streets; 5) Lancaster Avenue from the Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River; 6) West Chester Pike by Market Street west; 7) Baltimore Avenue from Market Street bridge; 8) Chester Avenue from Baltimore Avenue via present Woodland Avenue. No other city in Amer ica except Washington, D. C., I believe, can match this. In the latter case they meant it that way. To Philadelphia, it just happened; to use an apt saying of my old ranch foreman in Colorado, "By guess and by God." Thus a cycle was completed from turnpike and canal to railroad and electric lines, all in little more than 100 years, 1790-1900. Now, by another mid-century (1950) interurban trolleys are gone, rail passenger traffic is passing. Automobiles and airplanes are carrying the passengers. What will another 50 years bring forth? Already the pattern is unfolding. Again Pennsylvania has pioneered. In the early decades of this century, revenue authorities were devised for providing traffic facilities, aside from general obligation taxation. Notably about the firsts I believe, was Port of New York Authority, and later, Delaware River Joint Bridge Commission, one of the early ones (now Delaware River Port Authority). Bridges and tunnels were built wholly financed by or from the collection of tolls. 260 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

In the early 1880's the Vanderbilts, together with Andrew Carnegie, jealous of the rich harvest of the Pennsylvania Rail road from the transportation wealth of this Commonwealth, projected and undertook to build the South Penn Railroad. This was to be practically an air line, following the course of no rivers, directly across Pennsylvania from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. Nine tunnels were bored through the Blue Ridge, Tuscarora, the Allegheny, Negro and Laurel Hill Mountains. The road bed was all but completed and bridges in place when the Pennsylvania Railroad settled with the Vanderbilts and the project was abandoned. It lay dormant for over 50 years, tunnels filled with water, great oaks grew in the road bed; both of which I have seen. Miles of the right of way went to tax deed. In the early 1930's an automobile super-highway was conceived to utilize the South Penn Railroad right of way, sur veys and tunnels. With Public Works Administration (PWA), funds and an RFC loan, the dream became a reality, and the first modem automobile super-highway toll road in America came into being. Opened for traffic in late 1940, the initial 160 miles became a complete success, despite gasoline rationing during the war years, and has set the pattern for extension to the Ohio line, then to King of Prussia, and now the recently completed Delaware River Extension, thus eventually spanning the entire Commonwealth, 360 miles.

This success paved the way for other such projects, namely the Maine Turnpike, the New Hampshire Turnpike and the New Jersey Turnpike, now completed. In process of building are the 330-mile Ohio Turnpike, the Indiana Turnpike, the West Virginia Turnpike, the New York State Thruway, the Connect icut Expressway, the Garden State Parkway, and the recently financed Kansas Turnpike, with many others in contemplation and on the drawing-boards. In 1940 when RFC began market ing their original turnpike bonds, I, as an investment banker, approached Mr. Freas Styer, remembered of many here, in an effort to sell him these bonds. He replied, "Young man, no turnpike bonds for me. I have spent years in freeing turnpikes

THE TURNPIKES OF PENNSYLVANIA 261 in Pennsylvania, and I do not propose to aid in starting* the whole system over again." The old turnpikes are gone, hut hundreds of milestones survive, silently standing guard along the highways of Penn sylvania. There was a time, as the pikes were beinggradually abandoned, from 1875 to the turn of the century, when these milestones were treated with little respect, torn out at random and destroyed. Now they are diligently preserved and oftep reset with attractive plantings. They tell a very interesting story. They varied greatly in size and shape on the various pikes, as you will see. Some were dated, occasionally a place name was inscribed, to me all are very interesting. Some were massive, weighing several hundred pounds, 5 to 6 feet long, 21/2 to 3 feet above ground. I like to think of these as historical markers. As you pass them on modern highways, pause in your thoughtsto contemplate the generations that have passed that way.

Addenda: The first turnpike in Pennsylvania and America, Lancaster Pike, 62% miles from Philadelphia to Lancaster, cost a total of $465,000—or an average cost of approximately $7,500 per mile. Theoriginal modern turnpike in Pennsylvania and America, Pennsyl vania Turnpike, 160 miles from Carlisle to Irwin, east of Pittsburgh, cost approximately $70,000,000, or $437,500 per mile. That's how far we have come in 150 years. This sum is an all time low for modem superhighways. $1,000,000 per mile is not unusual, probably near average cost. However the SS-mile Delaware River Extension of Penn sylvania Turnpike cost approximately $2,000,000 per mile. Tolls on early turnpikes were pennies for passenger vehicles. Shown is a schedule of tolls on the National Pike I assume was about standard. Some present have had experience, no doubt. Present tolls for passenger cars run about I4 per mile. This rate, together with a schedule of rates for commercial vehicles according to weights and axles, has up to now proven ample, liquidating interest and bond maturities. 262 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Explanation of the Milestones

1. At Broad Axe, on Skippack Pike. 2. At Blue Bell, on Skippack Pike. 3. At Center Square, on Skippack Pike. 4. At Belfry, on Skippack Pike. (Mr. Sweinhart direct attention to the fact that Nos. 2, 3 and 4 are consecutive stones; also, that Wash ington's army passed by these, after the battle of Germantown, 1777.) *5. In New Hanover to\vnship, on Swamp Pike. 6. At New Hanover Square, on Swamp Pike. (Nos. 5 and 6 are in the vicinity of the "Swamp Churches:" the Lutheran (1767) and the Reformed (1791). 7. In Gwynedd township, on Allentown road. 8. In Towamencin township, on Allentown road. (Nos. 7 and 8 are of an unusual type.) 9. On Bethlehem Pike, above Spring House. 10. At upper end of Roxborough, on Ridge Pike (Very unusual type.) 11. At lower end of Roxborough, on Ridge Pike. 12. At Pottstown (High st. bel. Charlotte) on Ridge Pike. 13. Near Chestnut Hill. 14. Between Ambler and Spring House, on Chestnut Hill-Spring House Turnpike. 15. Below Fairview, on Germantown Pike. Deaths in the Skippack Region (Continuedfrom page 2Uk)

No. 300. "ABRAHAM CASSEL died June 16, 1827." Born March 15, 1772, eldest son of Jacob Cassel (No. 471) and his wife Susanna Clemens (No. 625), he married October 15, 1806 Maria (Polly) Bean, bom April 9, 1785, died August 23,1862, probably the daughter of No. 349. He lived first in Bucks County, then in Skippack. Both buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Henry who married Anna Kratz, and Susannah wife of Jacob F. Kolb. (Montgy W Bk 6/425; Cassel p 92).

No. 301. "FREDRICH CONRAD died August 2, 1827." Ac cording to the Conrad family Bible now in the posses sion of the Historical Society as the gift of Mrs. E. J. Wanner, Frederick Conrad was bom near Center Point in 1759, son of Johann Heinrich Conrad who arrived in Philadelphia September 15, 1749 on the ship Edinburgh, James Russel, Master. Johann Hein rich was the son of Johann Daniel Conrad and grand son of Johannes Otto Conrad who was born in Rhenish Prussia, learned the baker's trade and moved to Zweibirticken where he married into the Welsch family. Henry Conrad, father of Frederick, and his wife Anna Magdalena (Hartman?) whom he probably married August 15, 1751, lived in Worcester on land Ullrich Hartman and Eve, his wife, sold Henry in 1761. Henry Conrad died in 1788 leaving issue the above Frederick, Maria, wife of Valentine Borneman, and Magdalena, wife of John Snyder. Another daugh ter Catharina had predeceased her father. Frederick

263 264 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

Conrad was a blacksmith in his youth, but entered public life in April 1786 when he was elected a Lieu tenant in the Montgomery County Militia. On August 1,1791 he was commissioned Justice of the Peace for Norriton, Worcester and Whitpain Townships, and on November 2,1792 was raised to Lieutenant-Colonel in the Second Battalion of the County Militia. He was elected to Congress in 1803 and re-elected in 1806. In 1804-5 he was paymaster of the 51st Regi ment of Pennsylvania Militia. He was appointed Pro- thonotary and Clerk of the Courts in February 1821, and re-appointed in 1824. In 1812 he sold his father's plantation in Worcester to his son Henry William and removed to Norristown where he lived on Main, or Egypt, Street at the time of his death. According to Moses Auge, he married first Catherine Schneider of Long Swamp; she died August 23,1811, aged 52 yrs. He married s^ondly Catherine Anslee, mother of the wife of his son Frederick. She died in 1846, aged 70 yrs. Issue: Elizabeth, wife of Jesse Weber; Mary, wife of Philip Hoover; Catherine, wife of Abraham Faust; Frederick who married Elizabeth Anslee; Henry William who married Elizabeth Kendall and removed to Schuylkill County; Susanna, wife of Abra ham Wanner, and Christianna, wife of John Kline. (Montgy Dd Bks 7/774, 9/378, 14/40, 30/320-22; OC Bks 1/116, 5/292, 322).

No. 302. "Rev. JACOB KOLB died August 9, 1827." Born in 1781, son of Nos. 35 and 250, brother of Nos. 78 and 138, and brother-in-law of No. 258, the Kulp Family History gives his wife's name as Elizabeth Bean. In his will he names her Mary; she may have been a daughter of John Bean of Worcester who died in 1800. Jacob Kolb and his wife lived in Limerick Township but their place of burial has not been ascertained. Issue: Dillman, Catherine, Hannah, Margaret and DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 265

Susanna, all of whom were bequeathed only twenty- five cents in their father's will, his estate going to his grandson Jacob Kolb. (Montg W Bk 6/430; Kulp #1253, pp 156, 184).

No. 303. "Rev. WILLIAM PREISS died August 31, 1827." Born February 10, 1787, son of Nos. 312 and 517, he married Sarah Hallman, daughter of Nos. 214 and 305. They lived until 1825 in Skippack. In that year he and his wife agreed to separate. After the dis position of his estate he moved to Lower Providence where he was living at the time of his death. Issue: Charles, Mary, James and Jesse, all minors when their father died. (Montgy OC 4/362, 5/331, 415; Misc. Bk 2/347).

No. 304. "Widow SWARTZLANDER died September 17, 1827." Widow of Gabriel Swartzlander of New Britain Township, Bucks County, she was Salome Stout, daughter of Jacob Stout of Rockhill, and mother of No. 228. Her husband, born March 31, 1747, died July 17, 1814, was the son of Johann Philip Schwartzlander of Steinhardt, Switzerland. Issue: Jacob, who married Elizabeth Cope; John; Magdalena who married Jacob Kratz; Margaret who married, 1st, John Stem, and 2nd, John Reiff; Cath erine (No. 228); Joseph, and David who married Barbara Walters. (Edwa'rd Mathews Scrapbooks 96/4, 97/109; Bucks Dd Bk 36/1161/2).

No. 305. "JACOB HALMAN his widow died September 20, 1827." Widow of No. 214, Maria Halman was bom May 22, 1757 and is buried at Lower Skippack Men- nonite Cemetery

No. 306. "PETER YOST died September 27, 1827." Bora January 28,1765, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Sperr) 266 bulletin op historical society of Montgomery county

Yost of Whitpain, he married April 3,1792 Elizabeth Ziegler, daughter of Michael and Barbara (Clemens) Ziegler. It is possible he married secondly his first wife's niece, Elizabeth Ziegler Kraus, widow of No. 88 and daughter of Michael and Barbara (Tyson) Ziegler. One of these two was born April 1772 and died September 14, 1823 and is buried beside Peter Yost in St. James (Limerick) Cemetery. As a jour neyman miller Peter Yost was in Skippack before his marriage, lived briefly in Lower Salford, then set tled permanently in Pottstown in 1797 on land his father Daniel purchased that year from Henry Bos- sert. Issue: Daniel, Jacob, Ann, wife of John Hun- sicker, Elizabeth, Abraham, Mary wife of Abraham Grubb, Michael, Catherine, Isaac, Sarah and Peter, the last four being minors at the time of their father's death. (Montg W Bk 6/26; DC Bk 5/261,352; Dd Bks 16/422,17/6, 20/35, 31/130). No. 307. "Young JACOB ZIEGLER died November 14,1827." Has not been positively identified. A resurvey of facts known about No. 201 Jacob Ziegler now seems to indicate he might have been a son of William and Hester (Clemens) Ziegler, and was in the 8th Class of Capt. Barney Hains' 3rd Company of the Lower District of Skippack Militia. "Young" Jacob Ziegler would therefore perhaps be the son of No. 527 Abra ham Ziegler, tanner of Skippack, and his wife No. 40. Young Jacob was listed in the Skippack tax returns for the first time in 1826, again in 1827, but his name was crossed off in 1828. No. 308. "YILLES KOLB his widow died November 24,1827." She was Catherine Savacool, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Oberholtzer) Savacool of Rockhill Town ship, Bucks County. Born in 1750, she was the widow of No. 257. (Bucks W Bk 4/169; Adm Bk B/113; Davis: History of Bucks Co Vol 3/290). DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 267

No. 309. "Rev. JOHN WISSEMER died November 25, 1827." Has not been identified.

No. 310. "JACOB HARLEY his daughter died December 26, 1827." Has not been identified, but was probably a daughter of No. 251.

No. 311. "Old ISAAC HUNSICKER died February 23, 1828." Born September 28,1738, son of Valentine and Eliza beth (Kolb) Hunsicker, he married Barbara Grater (No. 124) and was a brother of Nos. 98, 273 and 419. They lived in Skippack where he was enrolled in the Upper Skippack Militia Company during the Revolu tion. They are probably buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Valentine (No. 200); Maria, wife of Jacob Benner; Jacob who married Anna Ziegler; Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Detweiler; Catherine (No. 490); Sarah, wife of John Keyser; Hannah, wife of John Kolb; Barbara, wife of Henry Kulp (No. 487) ; Isaac who married Magdalena Cas- sel (No. 468); Esther and Hannah who both died young. (Montgy W Bk 6/476; HSL).

No. 312. "Old HEINRICH PREISS died February 25, 1828." Born March 10, 1757 he, and not No. 62, as stated in Volume VIII, page 104 of the Bulletin, was a son of No. 31 and brother of Nos. 38, 230, 333 and 343. He married Magdalena Lederach (No. 520) about 1778 and settled in Hilltown Township, Bucks County. In 1782 he moved to Rockhill Township where he lived until his family was grown. In 1810 he moved to Gwynedd Township, remaining there until 1817 when he purchased a "three-story Brick messuage and lot on the west side of Delaware 3rd Street, between Green and Coats" in the Northern Liberties of Phila delphia. The inventory of his estate, taken March 15, 1828, totalled $10,599.26. Issue: Maria, wife of Isaac 268 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

Schlichter; George, Jacob, Joseph, William (No. 303) and Catherine (No. 173) first wife of John Reiff (No. 383). (Phila Adm Bk N/185; Dd Bk MR-13/- 327; lH-6/637; GWR-29/622, 646; Montgy Dd Bks 28/308; 34/121; 43/69; W Bk 8/119). The identity of No. 62, referred to above, whose name was incorrectly translated Heinrich Preiss in stead of PREISSER, has now been established. Bom in 1757, he seems to have been the eldest son of Jo hannes Preuscher who arrived in Philadelphia on the Ship Edinburgh October 2, 1753, aged 22 years. He settled in Providence Township, was taxed in 1769 on 126 acres, and had died by 1774 when his widow Christina was taxed on 130 acres. Since there are no estate proceedings in Philadelphia under his name, nor deeds, it is assumed he was renting land and so had no. taxable property at the time of his death. From Falkner Swamp Reformed Church records, his known issue were: Johann Nicholay, b June 27,1761; sp Johan Nicholay Miiller, and Friedrich, b November 9, 1768 who is buried at Brownback's Reformed Church, Chester County (d 1823). Other issue, de duced from tax lists, seem to include Heinrich (No. 62), John, b July 4,1760; d February 3,1836 (bur at Trappe) and Daniel, born about 1767. Henry Prizer first appeared in Providence tax returns in 1779. He was a skin-dresser by trade and by 1801 was listed as a "dealer." In 1781 he purchased 7 acres from Jacob and Elizabeth Miller in Providence, in 1788,14 adjoining acres from William and Margaret (Welker) Rittenhouse of Roxborough, and in 1795, 35 acres additional which had formerly belonged to William Rittenhouse. At the time of his death on July 9,1809, he had 43 acres which his son John Prizer elected to take. Both Henry Prizer and his wife Ann, born in December 1750; died June 14, 1833, are buried at St. James (Perkiomen) Episcopal Cemetery. Issue: DEATHS IN THE SKIPPAOK REGION 269

John who married Margaret Place; Isaac, and Peter, who married Mary Lukens. (Montgy 0 CBk 2/280; Dd Bks 3/476, 8/851, 355; W Bk 3/430).

No. 313. "Old ISAAC KOLB died April 18, 1828." Born in 1750, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Cassel) Kolb, he married in 1778 Rachel Janssen, daughter of Ben jamin and Elizabeth (James) Johnson. Brother of Nos. 169, 257 and 487, he lived in Gwynedd Township. Issue: Benjamin who married Ellen Hoxworth; Eliz abeth wife of Joseph Yeakle; Catherine, Mary, Jacob, Sophia and John. (Montgy W Bk 6/484; Kulp Family #1240: Bean: History of MontgyCop 857).

No. 314. "Old HEINRICH SCHOTT died April 27,1828." Has not been identified positively, but was probably the son of Johan George Schott and his wife (No. 77) and is presumed to have married Susannah Kemper, daughter of Nos. 3 and 52. A weaver by trade, he first appeared in Skippack as a single man in 1779, was married by 1781, and seems to have removed to Charlestown Township, Chester County, by 1785. He is buried at Phoenixville Mennonite Cemetery. His birthdate on the tombstone, transcribed as August 1, 1768, should probably read 1758.

No. 315. "JACOB KLEIN his widow died July 16, 1828." She was Mary Cassel, born July 25, 1765, daughter of Abraham and Fiege (Grimley) Cassel, and sister of Nos. 272 and 471. Jacob Klein was born January 22, 1770 and died November 17, 1821, son of Gabriel Klein and his wife Elizabeth Dorothea Bitting. They lived on his father's plantation on the Sumneytown Pike; both are buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Jacob, Abraham, Elizabeth, wife of Elder Samuel Harley; Catherine, wife of John Har- 270 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

ley; Mary, wife of Jacob Shutt, and Sarah. (Heckler p 38, Cassel pp 55, 61; Gosh. Ref. Church Records).

No. 316. "MARIA KAMPFER died my mother-in-law July 25,1828." She was probably Mary Johnson, daughter of Nos. 7 and 13, and wife of Abraham Kampfer who was a son of Nos. 3 and 52. Only known issue of Abra ham and Maria Kampfer was Anne (No. 335) wife of Philip Markley (No. 634). (Montgy W Bks 1/366, 526; DdBk 57/416).

No. 317. "GEORGE HERR died September 10, 1828." Born in 1793 he married Catherine Ruth April 5, 1812. Although both his marriage and death a're recorded in the Tohickon Reformed Church records, he is buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. While the Herr family seems to have been early in Lancaster County, David Harr, an administrator of George Harr's estate, was of Rockhill, and was per haps a brother. Catherine Ruth Harr married a man by the name of Leister after her husband's death. Issue of George Herr: John, Margaret and Jonas, all minors in 1828. (Montgy OC Bk 5/395, 679; Dd Bk 53/470).

No. 318. "HEINRICH KASSEL his wife died September 19, 1828." Boirn June 13,1756, Sarah Kassel was the wife of Henry of Skippack who died August 17,1849, aged 95 yrs. 5 ms 27ds. Both are buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Henry Kassel was a son of John Cassel (1730-May 1803) and his wife Catherine John son. Only known issue was a son John (No. 597). (Heckler p 350; Montgy Dd Bks 42/216, 45/212).

No. 319. "DOROTHE HENRICH died October 5,1828." Born in 1763, she was a daughter of Peter Hendricks and his wife Anna Godshalk, and sister of Margaret, wife DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 271

of Jacob Wasser, Catherine, wife of Daniel Sham- baugh, Maria, wife of Henry Glemmer, and Joseph Hendricks. She lived in Towamenein at the time of her death. (Montgy W Bks 1/52, 6/512).

No. 320. "Old HENRICH BILGER his wife died October 7, 1828." Bom January 24, 1765 Margaret Bilger was the wife of No. 324 and is buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery.

No. 321. "RAHEL TRUCKENMILLER died October 11, 1828." Bom about 1750, she was the daughter of Joseph Pawling and his wife Elizabeth (No. 25), sister of No. 20 and widow of No. 286. She is burled at Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe.

No. 322. "HENRY MARKLEY died October 26, 1828." Born July 17,1759 son of Nos. 80 and 236, his wife, given as Elizabeth Ruhl in the Markley Freundschaft, was born September 2,1759 and died April 22,1845. Both are buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Sarah, wife of Abraham Benner (No. 330). (Markley Freundschaft pp 12,22).

No. 323. "Old JACOB BERGE died November 5, 1828." Bom December 29, 1760, son of John (No. 33) and his wife Anna (Clymer) Bergey, he married Elizabeth Godshalk, daughter of Godshalk (No. 153) and Sarah (Hunsicker) Godshalk, born March 30, 1767, died March 19,1846, and sister of No. 491. Her first husband had been Henry Brachtheiser, school-master of Lower Salford, who had died in 1788. By him she had Sarah, wife of Christian Freyer, and Magdalena, wife of Joseph Johnson (No. 601). Issue by Jacob Bergey: Nancy, wife of Jacob Freyer, John (No. 515), Godshalk who married Catherine Ziegler, and Rev. David Bergey who married, 1st Elizabeth Kulp, 272 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

widow of John Kulp, and 2nd, Anna Bergstresser Kramer. (Bergey p 19 ff; Montgy W Bk 5/134.) No. 324. "Old HENRICH BILGER died November 17, 1828." Bom January 5, 1759 son of Ludwig Bilger and his wife Magdalena Kunsert (No. 163), he was a mem ber of Gtpt. John Cope's Company of Militia during the Revolution. Married by 1782, he and his wife (Ni. 320) lived for a time in Franconia, then in Worcester, Germantown, Upper Providence, and fin ally in Skippack where he died. Buried at Lower Skip- pack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Ludwig, Margaret, wife of Abraham Teany, Mary wife of Adam Wagoner, Henry, Joseph and a daughter Elizabeth who predeceased her father. (Montgy W Bk 6/514; Dd Bks 24/204, 28/110, 43/301, 68/138, 367/135.)

No. 325. "Old JACOB KLEIN died March 13, 1829." Born December 20, 1746, son of John Klein and his wife Margaret of Upper Salford, he was a grandson of » the emigrant pioneer John Isaac Klein. He married March 17, 1761 Maria Gertraut Walwert; they made their home in Upper Salford on land which his grand father had sold to John Klein in 1758. Both buried at Old Goshenhoppen Union Cemetery. Issue: Jacob, John, Mary wife of John Hendricks, Catherine wife of Jacob Smith, and Susanna wife of John Kline. Montgy W Bk 6/546; Dd Bks 3/299, 47/416).

No. 326. "SAMUEL MARKLEY died March 25, 1829." Born November 1, 1787 son of John Markley (No. 388) and his first wife Elizabeth Schwenk, he married Mary Harper born September 27, 1797, of Chester County. A tanner, he lived in Pottstown where his tannery was located, but also owned three town lots in Norristown. Buried at St. John's Episcopal Church, No^ristown. Issue: John who married Elizabeth Holt; DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 273

Anna, wife of Samuel F. Hartman; Elizabeth, wife of Charles Lewis, and Hetty, wife of Isaac Lewis. (Montgy 00 Bk 5/521; Markley Freundschaft pp 20, 28)

No. 327. "Young JACOB GROFF died March 26, 1829." Son of Nos. 100 and 151, he was bom August 18, 1782 and married March 22, 1809 Catharina Underkofler. They lived in Upper Salford where he operated the grist, saw and oil mill which had belonged to his father Henry Groff. Buried at Goshenhoppen Union Cemetery. Issues: Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Frantz, Mary, Ann, Hannah, Charles, Catherine, Jesse, Susanna, Johnaa (sic) and Mary Ann, the last eight being still minors when their father died. (Montg OC Bk 3/141, 155; 5/663, 702).

No. 328. "Big JOSEPH TYSON died May 2, 1829." Born February 16, 1751, son of Cornelius Tyson and his wife Barbara Pennypacker, he married by license dated October 27, 1773 Elizabeth Robinson who was bom November 23,1753 and died November 23,1783. His second wife Barbara Wentz (No. 256) he mar ried September 30, 1784 at the 2nd Presbyteirian Church of Philadelphia. A carpenter by trade, he lived in Worcester where he also operated a tavem which he turned over to his son Cornelius in 1826 because of his- "advanced age and infirmities and bodily strength and debility." Buried at Wentz's Re formed Church. Of seven children, only four survived him: Mary wife of Leonard Styer and Cornelius who married Hannah Smith (both being children by his first wife); Barbara, widow of Charles Yocum and Charlotte, wife of Abraham Wentz, children by his second-wife. (Montgy W Bk 6/550; Misc Bk 2/456; Jordan: Colonial Families of Philadelphia p 396). 274 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

No. 329. "Old JACOB KROBP died July 25, 1829." Born in Lower Salford Township August 11,1743, son of the emigrant pioneer Jacob Krupp and his wife Mary Uplinger, he married about 1775 Anna Johnson (No. 292). He moved to Towamencin after his marriage and lived on a farm of 115 acres he bought from his father. Buried at Plain Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Abraham, husband of No. 271; John (No. 569); Mary wife of John Markley and Elizabeth (No. 251) wife of Jacob Harley. (Montgy W Bks 1/75, 6/560; Dd Bk 16/458).

No. 330. "Neighbor ABRAHAM BENNER died August 11, 1829." Born January 14, 1779, he appears to have been a son of John Benner, blacksmith, first of Rock- hill and later of Richland Township, Bucks County, and wife Elizabeth. Abraham first appeared in Rock- hill in 1801 as a single man, and was there through 1805. No record has been found of him until Novem ber 3, 1811 when he married Sarah Markley, born January 8,1778; died May 24,1847, daughter of No. 322. The following year Abraham was taxed in Lower Salford as a laborer, in 1813 he had acquired a horse, and in 1814 was listed as a farmer. He and his wife seem to have made their home with Henry Markley, for Abraham was taxed for no land until his father- in-law's death. Both are buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery, although the births of some of their children are recorded at Goshenhoppen Luth eran Church. Issue: Elias who married Mary Nees; Mary wife of Henry P. Reiff; Joseph (No. 298); Chairles who married Leanna Lederach; Elizabeth (No. 334); Sarah wife of Jacob J. Markley; Deborah Ann wife of Jacob 0. Bergey and Abraham who married Caroline S. Bergey. (Bucks W Bk 10/190; DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 275

Markley Freundschaft p 22; Bergey Family History; Tchickon and Goshenhoppen Lutheran Church Records).

No. 331. "HENRICH HUNSIGKER his wife died August 18, 1829." Born March 13,1751 she was Esther, daughter of Nos. 10 and 44. Sistet of Nos. 116,143, 213, 22, 347, she was wife of No. 419. Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery.

No. 332. "Young JACOB SCHUMACHER died August 30, 1829." Born October 5,1774 son of Michael (No. 469) and Anna (Hackman) Schumacher, he married Cath erine Clemens born August 16, 1780, died March 29, 1860, daughter of Nos. 165 and 273. Both buried at Lower Salford although they lived in Skippack. Issue: Catherine wife of Abraham Kolb; Garret who mar ried Somelia Ruth; Elizabeth wife of Henry Kolb; Sarah wife of John Swartley, and Anna wife of Philip Swartley. (Montgy W Bks 5/210, 6/566; Rosen- berger-Swartley Family).

No. 333. "Old JOHN PREISS died preacher September 7, 1829." Brother of Nos. 38, 230, 312 and 343, he was born December 5, 1751 son of No. 31 and his wife Hannah Weickert. He had married first in 1780 Elizabeth Weidner, daughter of Rev. Lazarus Weid- ner, who was born October 30,1749 and died April 10, 1793, and secondly the widow Barbara (Andrew) Overholtzer (No. 454). An elder in the Indian Creek Dunkard Church, he is buried at Price's Cemetery. Issue: Elizabeth who married George Nice; Daniel who married Mary Anderson; Rev. John who mar- iried Mary Detweiler; Rev. William who married Mary Reiff; George who moved to Ohio, and Susan nah, wife of Henry Meyer. (Montgy W Bk 6/568; Price Family #8). 276 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

No. 334. "ABRAHAM BENNER his daughter Elizabeth died August 13, 1829." Bom December 2, 1820 she was a daughter of No. 330. Buried at Lower Salford Men- nonite Cemetery.

No. 335. "My wife ANNA MARKLEY died September 19, 1829." Born February 3,1782, she was Anna Kemper, wife of No. 634 Philip Markley, and daughter of Abraham Kemper and his wife Mary Johnson (No. 316). Buried at Kemper-Markley Cemetery.

No. 336. "ABRAHAM MARKLEY died September 25, 1829." Brother of Nos. 121 and 322 he was born August 1, 1764, son of Nos. 80 and 236. His wife's name in the Markley Freundschaft is given as Elizabeth Boganer, but James Y. Heckler said she was Elizabeth Boger (No. 346), daughter of Nos. 34 and 41. A saddler by trade, he lived in Upper Salford and is buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Eliza beth, Sarah, Samuel, Martin, Isaac (No. 447), Mary, Eli (No. 443), Catherine who married a Kolb, Joel, Jonas and Abraham. The last two children were under 14 years of age, Catherine and Joel minors over 14, when their father died. (Montgy W Bk 6/576; OC Bk 5/786; Markley Freundschaft p 23).

No. 337. "JOHN CORNER his daughter died October 10, 1829." Born in 1802, Margaret Corner was a grand daughter of Nos. 10 and 44, her mother being Salome Detweiler, Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. (Montgy W Bk 2/569).

No. 338. "HENRICH OBERHOLTZER died October 17, 1829." Born February 10,1760 son of No. 97 and his second wife Elizabeth Clemmer, he married Hannah Detweiler (No. 403). Both buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Elizabeth wife of Rev. DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 277

John Bergey and Catherine wife of George Clemens (No. 586). (Bergey #36; Clemens Family p 16; Loomis: Dese. of Jacob Oberholtzer).

No. 339. "Old JOHN ZIEBER died November 23,1829." Born November 17, 1750 son of the emigrant pioneer Jo hannes Zieber and his second wife Barbara Reimer, and brother of No. 192, he married March 17, 1772 Elizabeth Markley (No. 178). They lived first in Frederick, then removed to Norriton about 1806. (Montgy W Bk 6/599; Dd Bks 2/448, 21/479).

No, 340. "Old JOSEPH ALDERFER his wife died November 25, 1829." Wife of Nd. 358, she was Maria Moyer, bom July 31, 1753, daughter of Christian Moyer and his wife Susanna Detweiler. The Moyer Family His tory gives her birth and death dates as July 21,1753- October 13,1823, while a transcript.of tombstones at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery, where she and her husband are both buried, reads: July 31, 1753- October 19, 1829. The discrepancy is probably due to the eroded condition of the stones. No issue. (Moyer p 62, HSL).

No. 341. "Young JACOB HORNING died November 27, 1829." Probably bom May 27, 1781, he is presumed to be the son of Nos. 30 and 249. He married October 9, 1804 Hannah Reiff bom April 17, 1788, died October 22, 1858. They lived in Skippack, but are both buried at Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe.. Issue: two daughters, Elizabeth and Deborah. (Montgy Dd Bk 46/510; German Reformed Church records).

No. 842. "JOSEPH REIFF died January 9, 1830." Born July 3, 1779 the youngest son of Nos. 49 and 134, and brother of No. 107, he and his wife Ann are both 278 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

buried at Lower Sklppack. She was born November 2,1780 and died June 7,1868. They lived in Skippack, but also owned property in Lower Salfo'rd. Issue: George, Elizabeth wife of Andrew Tyson, Susanna wife of Jacob Bechtel, and Mary. (Montgy OC Bk 5/603).

No. 343. "DANIEL PREISS died January 12, 1830." Bom January 14, 1767, son of No. 31 and brother of Nos. 38, 230, 312 and 333, he married Margaret Klein, born May 24,1773, died February 17, 1846, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Horneck) Klein. A saddler by trade, they lived in Towamencin Township. Issue: Rev. Jacob, of Lancaster County who married Mary Beard; John who married Sarah Swartley; Daniel who married Elizabeth Hunsberger and moved to Knox County, Ohio; George who married Mary Garges; Amos who married Sarah Bergey; Hannah wife of Christian Wierman; Elizabeth wife of John Wierman and Sarah wife of Henry Cassel. (Montgy W Bk 6/605; Price Family #15).

No. 344. "JACOB BROTZMAN died March 17, 1830." Son of Adam and Hannah Prutzman of Limerick, he was born October 23, 1752, twin brother of Johannes Prutzman. He married January 11, 1774 Hannah Markley born in 1752, daughter of Jacob Markley and his second wife Barbara Rausch, and sister of Nos. 18, 19 and 80. Buried at Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe. Issue; Joseph, Sarah, Hannah, Adam, Jacob, Abel, Elizabeth and Mary. (Montgy W Bk 7/3; Trappe Church records).

No. 345. "MARTIN KINDIG died April 5, 1830." Born No vember 27,1777, son of Martin Kindig of Franconia, he was a weaver by trade and lived until 1800 in Franconia Township. He moved to New Britain DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 279

Township, Bucks County, probably to his brother Henry's place, and may have married while there. He returned to Montgomery County in 1806 and settled with his wife Catherine in Uppelr Salford Township. Buried at Franconia Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: John, Martin, Samuel, Henry, Catherine, Joseph, Jonas, Jacob and Abraham, the last four being minors when their father died. (Montgy OC Bk 5/654; Dd Bks 11/522, 12/140, 20/233, 52/207).

No. 346. "ABRAHAM MARKLEY his widow died April 5, 1830." Widow of No. 336, she is presumed to be Eliz abeth Boger, born in August 1779, daughter of Nos. 34 and 41 and sister of No. 86. Buried at Lower Sal- ford. (Heckler p 36).

No. 347. "ABRAHAM GOTWALS his wife died October 29, 1830." Born February 3, 1764, she was Magdalena Detweiler, daughter of Nos. 10 and 44. Her husband, whom she married April 21, 1785 was bom January 14,1764, died October 20,1854, and was a son of the emigrant John Adam Gotwals and his wife Fronica. Both buried Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Abraham Gotwals married second, May 6, 1832 the widow Hendricks. Issue by first wife: Sarah, Anna, John, Adam, Veronica, Elizabeth, Abraham, Cath erine, Henry, Hannah. (Perk. Reg. Vol 7 (1929) p 54).

No. 348. "Same evening WILLIAM TYSON his wife died." She was Maria Kampfer, born in November 1764, daugh ter of Nos. 3 and 52. William Tyson of Worcester Township was born June 30, 1762, died March 22, 1848, probably son of No. 67. Both buried at Norriton Dunkard Cemetery. Issue: Jacob, John, William, 280 BXJLLETIN op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Jesse, Joseph, Mathias, David, Mary, Catherine, Isaac (No. 238), Abraham (No. 277), Daniel and Samuel. (Montgy OC Bks 5/96, 10/206, W Bk 6/188).

No. 349. "Old HENRICH BIEN died October 30, 1830." Bom in Worcester April 26, 1745, son of John Bean and his wife Catherine Cassel, he married Susanna Det- weiler, born January 1764, died April 1, 1816 (?), daughter of Henry Detweiler (No. 64) and his wife Sarah Kolb. He moved to Skippack where he bought land in 1795 from his brother-in-law Henry Detweiler and later from his father-in-law. Both buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: John, Catherine, Maria wife of No. 300; Henry who prob ably married Susanna Ziegler. (Montgy W Bk 2/151, 3/165; Dd Bks 11/244,15/521, 37/497, 48/42; Kulp pl57ff).

(To he continued) Views in Cemetery Above: Old Building, 1787. Below: Ancient Stones; oldest, 1765. The "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Merlon (St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ardmore, Pa.)

Charles R. Barker

(Continued from page 223)

Ministrations Of the threescore families that have thus, in the space of a generation, carved their names — many but faintly; a few deeply — on the past of this locality, perhaps a sprinkling may have been of Swiss or Hollandish origin; some were of faiths akin tothat of the Friends; butbyfar the greater number were of German blood, and held to the stern creed of Luther or of Zwingli. Truly, their creed had need to be stern, and their faith to be strong, to survive the prolonged discouragements of those early days. For the home land, rent by war and relig ious dissension, had taken no note of their going; and many a long year must drag by ere the arrival of ministers for outpost duty on the church frontiers of Pennsylvania. Being, in the meanwhile, without leadership, some were drawn to the plain sects — the Mennonites, Bunkards, and others — but large numbers, especially of the younger generation, became back sliders. All shades of belief and of unbelief lived side by side in Pennsylvania. "There are many hundreds of adult persons," wrote Mittelberger, "who have not been and do not wish to be baptized." Taking advantage of this condition of affairs, and playing upon the credulity of the unlettered masses, ignor ant and unworthy persons palmed themselves off as preachers, and so went about, drawing great clrowds and doing no little mischief. No wonder that the good who came to organ ize the first orthodox German congregations were shocked at the religious state of the province

281 282 bulletin op historical society of Montgomery county

Some of the early German settlers in and about Philadel phia had preceded Penn to the shores of the Delaware. Johan Printz, governor of the Swedish colony on the Delaware from 1643 to 1658, and himself a Holsteiner, had brought with him, it is said, some fifty German families. Pastorius, writing to in 1684 (the year after his arrival), says, "Concern ing the first cultivated foreigners, I will say ... that among them are found some Germans who have already been in this country twenty yeaVs and so have become, as it were, natural ized, namely, people from Schleswig, Brandenburg, Holstein, Switzerland, etc., also one from Nuremberg."^'^^ although lacking churches of their own, these pioneer Germans were not wholly without religious ministrations. "It is reported," says Dr. William J. Mann, "that blind old Fabricius, who had been of the Dutch (Hollandish) Luthehan church at New York, and from 1677 for fourteen years officiated for the Swedish Lutherans at Philadelphia, had also served in spiritual things the German Lutherans there." In the light of later events, it appears more than likely that the church of the Swedes would have been mindful of the spiritual wants of any considerable number of Germans who had settled in their midst. Between the German and Swedish Lutheran churches, there existed a close relationship; for the latter, while retain ing the episcopal form, had adopted the . Often, too, the Swedish pastor could speak several languages, and was able to preach to the Germans in their mother tongue."^

After the founding of Germantown, in 1683, by Pastorius and his fellow sectarians, that place became the objective of Germans of many faiths. Among them were some Lutherans and Reformed; but these, being at first few and scattered, did not at once get together. In 1694, Heinrich Bernard Koster, who had but recently arrived in this country, preached to the Lutherans in a private house in Germantown; and services were continued, more or less regularly, until his departure a few years later.^"'^ Meanwhile, the ministrations of the Swedish OLD DUTCH CHUKCH 283

Church had been extended to the Germans living in this vicin ity. Years before the coming of Penn, the Swedes, moving up along the Schuylkill, had settled all about the Falls, where they were probably made the object of pastoral visits from the ministe'rs of the Swedish Church on the Delaware. Indeed, there are traditions of early Swedish settlements and congre gations much higher up the Schuylkill. With the founding, in 1677, of Gloria Dei ("Old Swedes' ") church at Wicaco, within the present limits of Philadelphia, these pastoral journeys naturally became more regular; to extend them a couple of miles, to Germantown, was no great matter for the hardy pas tor of that day, who, if his duties called him still farther up the Schuylkill, might in any event follow that very route.^^® To most Germans, Swedish was an unknovm tongue, but some mastered it, so that they could join the congregation at Wicaco. Muhlenberg mentions a man who had done this, but whose wife had never been able to acquire the language. Daniel Falckner, of Germantown, in a letter written in 1702, says "my brother and I are members of the Swedish congregation, to gether with some poor people, who, however, because the church is far distant and the Swedish language is not under stood, should unite." The same letter shows clearly what the Swedish church was doing for its German brethren, for the letter goes on to say:— "Recently six children were baptized at the same time at my home by the Swedish preacher, M. Rudman (who has made some attainments in the German language but will next year again go to as he has been relieved by another) and, although there were Reformed among them, just as before at the Holy Supper, on this account no scruples were noted." The year before this letter was written. Rev. Rudman, with his Swedish associates, had founded a settlement on the Schuyl kill, at what is now Douglassville, Berks county, so it may be assumed that Germantown was already a regular stopping- place on his journey thither.^"^® While the Swedish church upon the Delaware was thus laboring among the German Lutherans, the Reformed Church 284 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY of Holland went zealously to work among the Germans of the Reformed faith. Some families of Hollanders, from New Jer sey, had settled along the Neshaminy, in Bucks county.^" Here, in the locality still known as Holland, they formed a congregation, which was organized by Paulas Van Vlecq, of the Reformed Church of Holland at New York, in the year 1710. This date is thereforeset down, bysome writers, as being that of the founding of a German Reformed church in Ger- mantown, because, in the opening pages of the Neshaminy church register, there is this entry in Dutch:— "On May20th, in the year of our LordJesus Christ, 1710, Mr. Paulus Van Vlecq has been installed pastor or shepherd and teacher in the church of Jesus Christ at Shamminie, Bensalem, Jermentouw and sur rounding villages."^" But the reference to Germantown was probably only an anticipation, for the following month. Van Vlecq organized a congregation at Wytmes (Whitemarsh), which met at the upper end of Germantown township, and was for the benefit of Germantown residents, several of whom became members. But the congregation was unable to support itself; perhaps the Dutch language, in which its services were presumably held, was an obstacle to its growth in a region which tended to become German. At any rate, when its pastor, within a year or two, was called to other fields, it fell away, and was finally lost sight of.^'® Shortly after the founding of Whitemarsh church. Rev. Samuel Guldin, a minister of the Reformed Church of Switzer land, came to make his home in Pennsylvania. He brought no credentials; but, having settled in Roxborough, he sometimes went to preach among those of his faith who lived in German- town — a proceeding which seems to have been reviewed with disapproval by the regularly accredited pastors of a later period.^®® The great Palatine immigration was now under way, and increasing so steadily in numbers that, in 1717, Governor Keith, in doubt as to this peaceful invasion, thought it neces- OLD DUTCH CHURCH 285 sary to warii the Provincial Council "that great numbers of foreigners from Germany, strangers in our language and con stitution, had lately been imported into the Province."^®^ Many of these immigrants were now finding homes, and, in most cases, masters also, in Philadelphia. Here, if Lutherans, they might avail themselves of the services of the Swedish church; if Reformed, however, they found a closer bond of sympathy with the Presbyterians, who were then worshipping in the First ("Buttonwood") church, at the comer of Market and Bank streets. Its pastor. Rev. Jedediah Andrews, writing some years later, had this to say of his German parishioners: — "There is, besides, in this Province, a vast number of Palatines, and they come in still, every year. Those yt have come of late years, are, mostly, Presbyt'n, or, as they call themselves, Reformed, the Palatinate, being about three-fifths of that sort of people; they did use to come to me, for of their children, and many have joined with us, in the other sacram't.""® Among the Germans arriving at about this time, was a Reformed schoolmaster, John Philip Boehm.^®® Although he had never been ordained as a preacher, his services were too badly needed to be dispensed with on this account; and so, like others of his calling, he began holding religious services among those of his faith who lived in the Schuylkill valley. Being finally prevailed upon to take pastoral charge, he organized his followers, in 1725, into three congregations, one of which was at Whitemarsh. This was successor to the earlier congre gation founded by Van Vecq; and, like that one, it never became strong enough to build its own church. Its members came together at the house of one of its officers, William Dewees, a paper-makeT living on the banks of the Wissahickon near Mount St. Joseph's Academy; and here they continued to hold their services for twenty years.^®^ There now came to Philadelphia George Michael Weiss, a regularly ordained preacher of the Reformed Church. Landing here in 1727, he soon brought together those of his faith living in the city, and in the same year organized them into a congre gation.^®" At the same time, he visited Germantown, where 286 bulletin of historical society op Montgomery county the Reformed had been holding services ttoice daily at the house of Johannes Beehtel, an unordained preacher.^®® Weiss now formally organized these; and in 1729, his charge of both the Germantown and Philadelphia congregations was con firmed by the Reformed Church of Holland at the city of New York. The care thus assumed by the Church of Holland was extended, in turn, to all the infant Ge'rman Reformed congre gations in Pennsylvania, until after the Revolution.^®"'

In 1732, there was conveyed to "the High Dutch Reformed Congregation" of Germantown (so the deed calls them) a piece of land on Market Square. On this, in 1733, a small church was built. It was of stone, and according to Watson, "it had an ancient shingle-roofed steeple after the Dutch manner, and was surmounted by a well-finished iron cock, being the Dutch sign of a church."^®®

Meantime, the development of the Lutheran church was keeping pace with that of the Reformed. "The whole period from 1702 to 1727," says Dr. Wolf, "was marked by large accessions to the Lutheran population." By the latter year, so many immigrants were arriving from Germany, that the Province began their systematic registration.^®® But, although looked upon askance by the authorities, these newcomers had none but the most peaceable intentions; in exchanging war- rent Germany for the tranquil colony of Penn, they had no motive more disturbing to the order of government than that of peacefully retaining their own possessions and their own form of religion. By 1730, the Lutherans of Germantown, who had already listened, several years earlier, to preaching by Rev. Gerhard Henkel, of Falckner's Swamp, were strong enough to organize a congregation of their own,^®® which they accord ing did, beginning in the same year, a small stone church building. This, however, they did not finish for some years; in the interval, they were permitted to make use of the Reformed church building at Market Square, which had been completed in the meanwhile.^®^ OLD DXJTOH CHURCH 287

These friendly relations between Lutheran and Reformed, everywhere maintained, show how well the tie of blood had bound together the religious differences of the two faiths. Throughout Pennsylvania today, the numerous church build ings in which both worship alternately are evidence enough that the ancient breach between Luther and Zwingli had been so far healed as to result in a union of effort in the direction of economy, if not in that of theology. A little later, it will be shown that the "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Merion was in tended by its founders to be just such a union church.

Congregational Traces At this time, a remarkably active and zealous preacher, John Casper Stoever (Jr.), came to Pennsylvania with his father, John Casper Stoever (Sr.), an ordained preacher. Although himself without orders on his arrival, the younger Stoever went earnestly to work, gradually extending his min istrations to nearly ail the settled portions of the Province. Dr. Sachse says of him: "None were so active in their ministra tions or as organizers of congregations as Johann Caspar Stoever. He not only disputed the field with the various Separatists, but entered their very strongholds and organized Lutheran congregations in their midst." For nearly half a cen tury, from 1730 to 1779, as his register shows, he performed and marriages in widely separated parts of Pennsyl- vania.^®^ His cha'rge was not a parish, but a province; and his pulpit was wherever a few Lutherans could be brought to gether inthe forest. He crossed the Blue Mountain on the north, and the Susquehanna on the west, even penetrating into Mary land. In 1733, he was ordained by Rev. J. C. Schultze, who, having remained in Pennsylvania for about a year, was now returning to Germany. In the same year, Stoever organized, among the German Lutherans of Philadelphia, some sort of congregation — or perhaps reorganized one already in exist ence. Dr. Schmauk says:— "It seems reasonable to conclude that the elder Stoever perhaps or- 288 bulletin op historical society of Montgomery county ganized the congregation of German Lutherans in Philadelphia in 1728, and certainly performed functions of his office there during the five years that he remained in Pennsylvania, while the younger, unordained Stoever confined himself to organizing congregations in the interior until after his ordination.""® In any event, he (the younger Stoever) opened a church register, which is now cherished as the earliest one known to exist, for this church and locality; and thereafter he per formed baptisms in Philadelphia, as well as in the surrounding counties. Some of these baptisms were at Germantown, Chest nut Hill and "The Riedge," in 1733-6, from' which it seems probable that he preached to the Lutherans of Germantown during the period when they were without a regular pastor.^®^ And here we find evidence that, some thirty years before the founding of the "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Me'rion, there was a small Lutheran congregation at a place called by Rev. Stoever, in his personal register, Merion. To this place, as his records show, he made seven visits — one each in 1738, 1734,1736 and 1737, two in 1739, and a last one in 1747.^®^ At each visit, he performed one or two baptisms. In the register, these are grouped according to families, but when rearranged in order of date, they appear as follows;— October 28, 1783. Peter, son of Nicolaus Roehben, b. Dee., 1732. Spon sor, Peter Riehter. March 30, 1734. Catarina Barbara, daughter of Nicolaus Roehben, b. Feb. 18, 1734. Sponsors, John Balthasar Steuber and wife Maria Barbara. Maria Gatharina Elizabetha, daughter of John Bal- thaser Stueber, b. Feb. 13, 1734. Sponsors, George Michael Meek and wife Maria Barbara. June 28, 1736. Anna Margaretha, daughter of Nicolaus Roehben, b. July 7, 1735. Sponsors, the pai*ents. Maria, Gatharina, daughter of John Balthaser Stue ber, b. Feb. 19, 1736. Sponsors, George Michael Meek and wife Maria Barbara. January 26, 1737. Nicolaus, son of Nicolaus Roehben, b. Jan. 24, 1737. Sponsors, the parents. OLD DUTCH CHURCH 289

March 23, 1739. Anna Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob Geiger, b. Feb. 23, 1738. Sponsors, Barbara Stueber and Eva Margaretha Gutmaennin. July 26, 1739. George Philipp, son of John Balthaser Stueber, b. July 28, 1738. Sponsors, George Michael Meek and Philipp Gutmann. November 22,1747. Johannes, son of Wilhelm Viel, b. October 27, 1747. Sponsors, Johannes Wildfang and wife. Was it in Upper Merion or in Lower Merion that pastor Stoever ministered to this little flock of half a dozen German families, to whom his coming must, indeed, have seemed as rare as angels' visits? The evidence, such as it is, is conflicting. To one inclined to support the Upper Merion theory, the follow ing facts will appeal:— In 1Y33, some families of Swedes, that had settled at Mat- zong (Matsunk), on the right bank of the Schuylkill, within the present limits of Upper Merion township, began to raise a small school building, which was also to be used for religious services, whenever a Swedish pastor should come that way. But by the time the building was finished, the departure of Rev. Falck, whose short pastorate ended abruptly in the latter part of 1733, had left vacant the pulpit of Wicaco."® Because of the difficulty of getting letters to Sweden, it was not until November, 1737, that Falck's successor arrived at Philadelphia. In the interval, the Swedes of Gloria Dei permitted the German Lutherans to worship in their church. Is it unreasonable to suppose that the Swedes of Mattzong, following this example, would offer the use of their little school-house to their German neighbors?^®' It will be noted that there is an interval of only a few months, at most, between the date when Falck left the Schuyl kill valley (about August, 1733) and that of Stoever's first "Merion" baptism (October, 1733).^®® Here is at least a coin cidence. But now for the facts supporting the Lower Merion theory: They are, briefly:— 1. "Merion" almost invariably meant Lower Merion, which 290 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY was supposed to extend as far northward as the Gulph Hills, north of which was "the Manor of Mount Joy."^®® 2. Swedish pastors always referred to the Swedish settle ment in Upper Merion as "Mattzong," or "Matz," and else where there is an occasional reference to it as "Mattson town ship." Neither of these names is to be found in Stoever's record.^"® 3. Nicholas Roehben who seems to have been a pillar of the little Merion congregation, was certainly identical with Nicholas Rapy, who was living in Lower MeWon at this time.^^^ 4. Eva Margaretha Gutmann and Philipp Gutmann, who were sponsors at some of Stoever's Merion baptisms, were probably related to Stephen Goodman, of Lower Merion, as we have already seen.^®^ 5. A German Lutheran church (the "Old Dutch Church") was afterwards founded in Lower Merion. None was ever founded in Upper Merion.^®® 6. In the archives of the "Old Dutch Church," there is an unsigned and undated paper, which is apparently the rough draft of an agreement between thefounders. This paper refers to earlier efforts of the community to found a cong^egation.^®^ About the year 1730, Richard Harrison set up on his plan tation, "Harriton," in Lower Merion, a small stone building for the use of nearby Friends who, because of the difficulties in the way of travel to Merion meeting-house in bad weather, had received permission to worship at "Harriton," instead. By his will, dated September 11, 1746, Harrison extended the use of this building to all worshippers, irrespective of sect.^®^ The late George Vaux, an authority on the subject, believed, never theless, that none butFriends held services here until long after Harrison's death—as when, under the name it then bore of "Thomson's school-house," the building became the cradle of the Baptist congregation of Lower Merion; but in view of the expressed provision of the will, it seems by no means improb able that the German settlers availed themselves of it, or that OLD DUTCH CHUECH 291

Rev. Stoever's later ministrations took place in the little stone meetingr-house in the woods, near what is now Bryn Mawr.^®® Some time before 1740, it appears, Stoever, finally relin quished his charge in Philadelphia, to devote himself to work among the remoter country people. In the meanwhile, the appeal of the Swedish church for a successor to Rev. Falck had borne fruit in the arrival, in 1737, of Rev. Joannes Dylander. Going to work without loss of time, this earnest minister, four days after landing at Philadelphia, preached his first sermon at Wicaco.-®^ Being of scholarly at tainments, and well versed in German, as well as in Swedish and English, he was soon called to the pastorate of the Luth eran congregation in Germantown, whose little stone church, then just completed and today known as St. Michael's, he con secrated in the year of his arrival in Pennsylvania,^®® In Philadelphia, his labors were extended among his breth ren ofthe English episcopal church on the one hand, and among those of the German Lutheran church, on the othe?r. For a time, he preached in Christ Church.^®® In July, 1738, he wrote:— "Once a month, I preach to the Lutheran Germans and four months later:— "I have to preach every other Sunday in German." Says Acrelius:—"No one can deny to Mr. Dy lander the honor which he gained f6r himself in his ministerial office, in that for more than a year he held morning service (at eight o'clock) in German, High Mass in Swedish, and Vespers in English, in the church at Wicacoa." "Besides this," adds Kalm, "he went all the week into the country and in structedthe Germans who lived separatelythereand Acrelius says that he frequently supplied the Germans in Lancaster.®^® To these labors must be added his pastoral visits to the Swedish Lutherans at Ammansland (now Amosland, Delaware county?) ; and Matzong (now Matsunk, Montgomery county); the latter place he visited "seven to eight times a year." At the end of April, 1740, Dylander himself wrote:—"In the past easter time I preached sixteen sermons within less time than a fortnight."^^^ 292 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

Little wonder that, eighteen months later, he should have to record:—"My strength cannot after this, bear so heavy a wolrk and so far journeys among the Germans and the Eng lish." Nine days after writing this, he died (November 2, 1741) .212 The death of Dylander was a loss no less to the Reformed than to the Lutherans, for many of the former had attended his German services at the Swedish church. But during (and before) his pastorate, it seems, a Reformed congregation had worshipped in a small rented building near the Friends' meet ing-house on Arch street ("in der Arch street bey dem Quaker kirchhof," says Schlatter's Journal),where Rev. John Philip Boehm, who had been ordained in 1729 by the Dutch Church in New York, preached to them, one Sabbath in each month. The use of this building they afterwards (in January, 1740-1) agreed to share with the German Lutherans; and it was here that Muhlenberg preached his first sermon in Philadelphia.^!^ Willis P. Hazard, in his enlarged edition of Watson's "An nals," expresses the belief that there was a small German Reformed church, probably built for Rev. George Michael Weiss, "in Fourth street, north of Race;" and in support of this, he refers to Du Simitiere's manuscripts and to some "old documents." At any rate, in 1741 a lot on Race street, east of Fourth, was bought by the Reformed congregation for church purposes, and within a few years, a building was erected there.^!"^ In 1746, Rev. Michael Schlatter, whom the Reformed Church of Holland had sent over in response to the appeals of the German Reformed congregation in Pennsylvania, arrived here. He found that the White Marsh congregation had but recently fallen to pieces, upon the death of its chief pillar, William Dewees.^^® The Germantown and Philadelphia con gregations were now united under Schlatter's pastorate, and on December 6, 1747, he (as his Journal declares) "for the first time preached in the new six-cornered Reformed Church, in the Race-place," although the church was "not yet plaistered OLD DUTCH CHUBCH 293 and had neither gallery nor window;" for the older building was not large enough to accommodate the people who came to hear the new pastor."®^*^

* Somewhat more than a year elapsed, after the death of Joannes Dylander, before a regular pastor came to take charge of the German Lutherans of Philadelphia. According to Thomp son Westcott, the Lutherans atthis time (and perhaps earlier) had a pastor—Valentine Kraft. In December, 1741, however, the eccentric Count Zinzendorf, who had given asylum to the Moravian sect in Germany, but who, in spite of having joined the Moravian church, believed himself still a Lutheran, arrived in Pennsylvania. He came with the intention of uniting under his leadership all German Protestants, but aside from his efforts in this direction (which proved futile) one of his acts was to bring together the German Lutherans of Philadelphia, whom he now proceeded to serve in the capacity of pastor.^i® Thus matters stood when, on November 25, 1742, there arrived in Philadelphia from Germany, Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg.219 Fully commissioned to organize and take charge of all the German Lutheran congregations of Pennsylvania, he hastened to repair the damage which, he naturally felt, had been wrought, not alone by the lack of regular pastors, but more, by the imposture of unordained and unauthorized preachers. The good Doctor, of course, viewed Zinzendorf as one of these; but in a debate since become historic, he overcame the opposition of the latter; and, being himself not only the accredited pastor, but as well a scholar and a broad-minded and sincere man, he soon rallied the wavering worshippers.^^© On December 5, 1742, Muhlenberg preached his first ser mons to the German Lutherans in Philadelphia.—one at their meeting-place in Arch street; the other in the Swedish church at Wicaco.221 By the following spring, they were enabled to buy a lot on Fifth street, between Arch and Race (extending from Appletree alley to Cherry lane) on April 5, the corner-stone of a church building was laid there; and on October 20, 1743, 294 BULLETIN OF HISTOEICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY the first servicewas held in the uncompleted structure, which, nearly five years later (August 25,1748) was to be dedicated as St. Michael's.223 Two generations have now passed since the coming of the first band of German settlers to Pennsylvania; and the German Lutherans and Reformed of Philadelphia—after long periods of irregular or infrequent services, conducted through the Reformed Churchof Holland, the Lutheran , the English Presbyterian Church, or what-not, by pastors of divers tongues andtoo oftenof uncertain authority, by school masters, and byself-styled preachers who were noministers at all—find themselves at last established, each congregation in a church building of its own, ministered to by an accredited pastor, in the language of the Fatherland—a language whose tenacity has too often proved an obstacle to union with other congregations. But during all this time, what has been done for the Germans ofthe townships to the westward—of Blockley and ,the Merions, in Philadelphia county; and of Haverford and Radnor, in Chester county? who has preached to them, and united them in marriage; in what church have their infant children been baptized; and what God's acre has given them burial?

The Mother Churches in Germantown Nowhere in the region between the Delaware river and the Chester valley, from the Schuylkill to the western confines of the Delaware county of today—a region well supplied with Friends' meeting-houses — had any German congregation been formed, if we except Stoever's little following in Merion.^^* In 1745, Rev. Brunnholtz, of St. Michael's, Germantown, had preached at Chester to the Germans there, who "did not hear a German evangelical sermon in six yearsbut no organiza tion had resulted from his visit. Stoever's labors, too, had taken him more and more into the frontier counties; after July 26, 1739, his personal register makes no mention of Merion until November 22,1747, whenhe paid what must have beenhis last OLD DUTCH CHURCH 295 ministerial visit to the township. After this, nothing is learned of Merion, but it may be readily inferred (as later it will be shown) that, with the development of the Lutheran and Re formed churches in both Germantown and Philadelphia, the Germans west of the Schuylkill gradually became affiliated with one or another of these; and that the Germantown churches (particularly St. Michael's, for the Lutherans now outnumbered the Reformed, two to one) finally attracted most of the worshippers of those faiths living in Lower Merion, Radnor, Haverford and the townships even farther west. Muhlenberg's coming, too, had revived interest among the country people, for he was "an attractive preacher, whom men crowded to hear." "When we preach," said he, "the membei*s of the congregation do not easily neglect the opportunity. They come from afar. They fear no heat in summer, and no rough roads and weather in winter." On February 18, 1743, he de livered his first sermon in the "kirchlein" at Germantown (St. Michael's.) 225 years later, he was succeeded in the pastor ate of that church by his assistant. Rev. Peter Brunnholtz, recently arrived from Germany; and in 1751, Rev. Brunnholtz was succeeded by Rev. John Frederick Handschuch. The re ports made by these pastors afford a glimpse of the conditions of that day. "The members of the congregations," runs one of these reports, in 1750, "do not all live together; but many are scattered here and there, on plantations or fields cultivated by them, in partfrom twelve to sixteen English, ortwo to three German, miles from the cify.... On account of those who are the most remote, and cannot always come to church, or carry their children across the streams, they occasionally have divine service during the week, in some places nearer to them."226 "In Germantown," wrote Rev. Brunnholtz, "there is a school likewise, but there are more difficulties connected therewith, because the people are so much scattered, and the smaller number of the congregation live in Germantown." In 1748, Rev. Handschuch preached at Germantown to what was thought "an extraordinarily large congregation of Lutherans, 296 bulletin of histobical society of Montgomery county

Reformed, Mennonites, and six Negroes." Later, he wrote, "the members of the congregation are much scattered, and for the most part live out of town on the plantations, or on their cultivated property." In 1752, there were more than 100 Lutheran families in Germantown and vicinity To realize how much the people beyond the schuylkill re sorted to these busy pastors, and to their successors, not only before, but also long after, the founding of the "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Merion, one must turn the leaves of the quaint old registers, and decipher their antique German scripts. Here, for example, are some of the marriage records of St. Michael's, Germantown:— 1756, Aug. 17. Johannes, sohn des Baltasar Zirch in Ober Mergen Town Shlpp; & Catharina Mayerin von Luppingen aus dem Herren- berger amt Wurtenberg, geboren, 1757, Jan. 2. Henrich Leininger aus dem Elsass; & Barbara, tochter des Nicolaus Schultz, uber der Sehulkill. 1759, Feb. 1. Philipp Kolb; & Catharina Sorgin, uber der Schuylkill. 1766, Sep. 9. Wendel Konigsfeld von Loer Maryen Taun Phi Co.; Anna Margaretha Gutmenin von Loer Maryen Taun. Phi. Co. 1766, Nov. 25. Andreas Sommer von Lowar Marian Taun; & Eva Keller- in, von Lowar Marian Taun. 1771, Jan. 8. Caspar Spies aus Lower Merion T. Phil. Co.; & Magda- dalena Leidig aus Bloekly (?) T. Phil. Co. 1772, Mar. 31. Leonhard Schonlein aus Ober Merion T. Phila. Co.; & Anna Margarethe Fertigin aus Rocksburry T. Phila. Co. 1774, Feb. 22. Johannes Fomus (witman) aus Ober Merion Taunship, Phila. Co.; & Catharina Schlonleinin aus Ober Merion Taunship, Phila. Co. 1776, April 23. Henrich Michael Deemer, aus Nieder Merion T. Phila. Co.; & Maria Jacobina Hossin aus besagten T. 1777, Mar. 18. Elias Christman of Upper Merion T.; & Elizabeth Kohler of Upper Dublin T., Phila. Co. July 29. Stephen of Upper Merion T.; & Barbara Kohler of Upper Dublin T., Phila. Co. 1779, May 3. Wilhelm Schmidt aus Lower Merion T.; & Barbara Gross aus Northern Liberties, Phila. Jul. 13. Michael Schmidt aus Lower Merion T., Phila. Co.; & Maria Garterin aus besagten T. 1780, Mar. 14. Johannes Weitmann aus Nieder Merion T.; & Maria Hielerin aus besagten T. OLD DUTCH CHUBCH 297

1782, Jul. 29. Christoph Schubert aus Whitmarsh T.; & Elizabeth Bells aus Lower Merion T. 1783, Mar. 26. Philip Frite; & Elizabeth Reiss aus Lower Merion T. Phila. Co. Jul. 17. Georg Groh aus Lower Merion T.; & Elisabeth Schubertin aus Whitmarsh T., Phila. Co. 1783, Sep. 7. Johannes Fischer aus Lower Merion T. Phila. Co.; & Nancy Smith aus besagten T. 1784, May 11. Friedrich Bicking aus Nieder Merion T.; Dorothea Jarret aus Whitemarsh T., Phila. Co. Daselbst getraut. Aug. 31. Zacharias Lang aus Chester Co.; & Sara Ebrechtin aus Ober Merion T. Phila. Co. Nov. 25. Matthias Kalbfleisch aus Upper Merion T.; Philippine Trexler aus Lower Merion T. in Montgomery Co. Daselbst getraut. Nov. 25. Joseph Trexler aus Lower Merion T. in Montgomery Co.; Elisabeth Hornin aus besagten T. Daselbst getraut. 1785, Apr. 14. John Wentz of Whitpain T.; Hanna Nanna of Lower Merion T., Montgomery Co. Apr. 21. Johannes Allebach aus Charles T. Chester Co.; & Hannah Hofmann aus Lower Merion T., Montgomery Co. The marriage register of the Reformed Church at German- town has this entry:— 1756, Jan. 6. Philipp Krichbaum, ein wittwer in' Lomergen Township uber der Schul Line wohnhaft. EHsabetha, tochter des Nicolaus Schultz uber der Schul Line in Lomergen Township wohnaft. Here is one from St. Michael's, Philadelphia:— 1762, Jun. 10. Lochmann, Nicolaus and Schultzin, Anna. m. in Wilhelm Stadelmann's house in Merion Township. while the First Reformed Church, Philadelphia, has the fol lowing:— 1760, Mar. 25. Samuel Weiss (?), Widower, from Marien Township, Philad. County; Elisabeth Smith, young woman of the same place. Nor are these by any means all, for the search of the mar riage and baptismal registers also yields scores of other records which, while less definite as to locality, just as surely refer to persons who, at some time during this period (as we have seen) were living "beyond the Schuylkill," thus testifying to the pastoral care extended to the families of Litzenberg, Still- wagon and Ott—of Latch and Bealert, Scheetz and Sibley—of Fimple, Wise, Siter, Oberly and Effinger—by the German churches of Germantown and Philadelphia. 298 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

A Picture op Lower Merion Old customs linger, and primitive methods longest survive, in remote farming country, especially in newly or thinly set tled regions, where the smaller need for improvement may often be more than offset by its cost. It is here that one follows uncertain trails, through uncleared and unfenced land, where cattle range and game abounds, and here are seen the ox-team, the well-sweep, the open fire-place and the crane, while not a few of the processes of clearing, tilling, harvesting and dairying are necessarily found to be much the same as they were more than one hundred and sixty years ago. At that time—in the middle eighteenth century—Lower Merion township, which then extended from Blockley township to the Gulph Hills, and from the Schuylkill to the Chester county line, was farmland, of which about half still lay in woodland. Probably much of the original forest, such as yielded the massive timbers that still come to light when an ancient building is demolished, remained; but clearing was going steadily forward, and a sawmill had already been at work, for some years, by the mouth of Mill Creek.-^® Fencing was still enough of a luxury to be mentioned in descriptions of real estate. Through the open woods, here and there, ran bridle-paths, connecting the few public roads of the township. Other trails were beaten by cattle and horses, which roamed at will through unimproved land; or by hogs, Iranging the woods for acorns.^^® More than two hundred species of birds could be seen in the woods, about the fields and orchards, and along the river border, of Lower Merion. Among these were many aquatic fowl, which made their way up the valley of the Schuylkill, or along the banks of Cobbs creek. A description written in 1741 mentions "Clouds of Black-birds," which may well be credited by those who note the persistence of the purple grackles of today in roosting in thickly settled neighborhoods.^^® Twice a year, multitudes of wild pigeons passed through. Partridges abounded; and the pheasant, or ruffed grouse, could be snared OLD DUTCH CHURCH 299

by the hundred, every season; while the summer duck came regularly to the wooded ravines. Duck island, in the Schuylkill, below Flat Rock dam, was a favorite resort of wild fowl.^^i Geese did not breed in Pennsylvania, but in the spring their honking might be heard along the Schuylkill, or around the broad mill-ponds of Mill creek, as they tarried for a while on their journey northward. Wild turkeys were hunted in the woods; as late as 1817-18, during a hard winter, a flock of them, appearing on the hills opposite Manayunk, afforded great sportfor a brief time.^^^ Raccoons were plentiful. The flying squirrel was "rarely found; but fox squirrels were numerous enough to "do a great deal of mischief in the plantations," according to Peter Kalm, who goes on to explain, "They sometimes come by hundreds upon a maize-field, and then destroy the whole crop of a countryman in one night;" so that an act was passed author izing the payment of a bounty for their destruction. The gray fox made his home among the outcropping rocks along Stony lane, and in the cliffs of the Mill creek valley; fox-hunting was a popular sport, and the Lower Merion Hunt followed the hounds until comparatively recent years. Few bears were seen; but an occasional deer wandered down from the "hun dred-mile woods," which, tradition says, extended from the Schuylkill to the Susquehanna, along the ridges bordering the Chester valley.-^^ Lower Merion, from which the Schuylkill received a dozen or more streams, of which the largest. Mill creek, collected the waters of as many more; with Indian creek besides, draining its southward slope, was indeed, as it is still considered, a well- watered township. Real estate descriptions of that day seldom fail to speak of this advantage, and usually there is mention of a "good stream of water"—"large meadow"—"good stone spring-house"—or what-not.^^^ Levering's map of the town ship, published one hundred years later, shows a countryside thickly dotted with spring-houses; while William J. Buck, writing a generation after Levering's publication, says. 300 BULLETIN OP HISTOBICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY

"Scarcely a large farm can be found which does not contain one or more excellent springs of living water." But just as Peter Kalm, at the time of his visit, found Pennsylvania streams so diminished in volume that mills built sixty years earlier could no longer be run except at flood water, so, we must believe, are the rippling brooks of our own day but shrunken remnants of the busy streams whose fall turned the mill-wheels, and whose shaded pools furnished many a speckled prize for the anglers, of the middle eighteenth century. "Like all streams in the vicinity of Philadelphia," says Charles V. Hagner, speaking of Falls creek, "it has dwindled down to almost nothing. ... The Wissahickon is small to what it was, and I am satisfied the Schuylkill river has much diminished in size."^^^ A small stream, taking its rise in a spring near the inter section of Gulph and Conestoga roads, and emptying into Mill creek between the two Roberts mills, was noted for its trout fishing, and is known today as Trout run. But along the bank of the Schuylkill, where, every year, vast tides of migratory fish ebbed and flowed, the sport had become an industry, having been so since the days when a certain Captain Smyth had, according to Penn, drawn 600 or more "shades" at a draught.230 An agreement of partition of lands of Thomas and Cadwallader Jones, in Lower Merlon, dated in 1704, mentions "the Runn that Leads to the fishing Damm." Melchoir Ming, of Germantown, offered for sale in 1768 a lot "bounding on Schuylkill, -with a conveniency for a Shad Fishery, having a small Stone Fishing-house on it;" and John Melish's map of Philadelphia county, published in 1819, shows "Fishdam Falls" as one of the Lower Merion features of the Schuylkill. Not only shad, but choice catfish, sturgeon, herring and rock-fish came in great numbers into the river, which was then un obstructed by dams.®^^ Arriving in the spring, they made their way up stream to spawn, their moving mass often filling the river, at some places, so that persons crossing at the fords found the water all about them black with the darting forms OLD DUTCH CHURCH 301

of fish.2^® At such times, it was no unusual thing for a fisher man to take with a dip-net, in one night, 3000 catfish; while a single scoop of the net might yield as many as seven large shad. "So many are often caught," wrote Mittelberger, "that many a one salts a whole barrel or tub full of them enough for a year." Pickled sturgeon, in particular, was a great delicacy The species of catfish usually referred to was the black- backed, white-bellied kind, which was esteemed for it's fine flavor; but there was also a small blue species. The latter was caught in abundance at the Falls, which, being at the head of tidewater, was a favorite resort of fishermen. "At this part of the river," [wrote Sutcliffe, in 1811,] "the Shad Fishery is prosecuted with great spirit in the early part of summer. Almost every farmer who happens to have a field on the banks of the river, keeps a net for this purpose; and, Avith a little industry, may, in the course of two or three weeks, lay up a supply for the whole year. The fish are salted, and are brought out, through the winter, as a relish at breakfast and supper." which agrees so closely with what Mittelberger observed, that we believe the supply of fish had not appreciably diminished in two generations.^^® Fishing rights we're carefully guarded, and were sometimes made the subject of bequest, being handed down from father to son; or were leased or sold. An advertisement of 1766 reads:

TO BE LETT. A Shad and Herring Fishery, near the Mouth of Schuylkill. Any Person inclined to rent the same, may be further informed, by applying to JOSEPH BAKER, in Market-street, opposite the lower End of the Jersey Market, or JACOB WEISS, in Second-street, near Race street." In 1770, John Roberts, of Lower Merion, who owned the saw-mill property at the mouth of Mill creek, received from the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania a grant of an island and a sand bar in the Schuylkill.^^i He probably carried on a fishery there. Among the personal effects of this same John Roberts, which were seized and sold at the time of his attainder of treason, in 1778, there are listed, "A Net"—"29 fish hooks and 302 bulletin of historical society op MONTGOMERY COUNTY sneads"—"fishing tackle"—"hooks and lines"—"fish angler." In 1794, Jane, widow of John Roberts, sold to William Hagy, of Lower Merion (who had by this time acquired a part of the John Roberts properties on the river bank) the island and bar, which are described as

"A Certain Island situate in the River Schuylkill formerly in the County of Philadelphia now in the County of Montgomery aforesaid and opposite to land now or late belonging to Containing One Acre and Sixty perches and also a Sand Bar a little below the said Island containing twenty perches."-'" The land of Hugh Roberts fronted on the river, up-stream from William Hagy's. In 1801, Hugh Roberts bequeathed "my Plantation in Lower Merion Township Containing about 130 acres ... with the moiety of a fishery in the river Schuylkill adjoining the said lands, bounded by said river and Lands of William Hagy & others." Among a number of fisheries noted by Perry L. Andei-son, were "Hagy's at Mouth of Mill Greek & two others between that & Spring Mill Known as Roberts's."^^® He also mentions a fishery at Righter's ferry; Michael and Benjamin Tibben's, near Levering's ford, "where Pulp Works now are;" Levering's, "above present Manayunk bridge;" and Picking's, "between Flat Rock Dam & Bridge." Tibben's ex tensive shad fishery, at the island opposite Manayunk, was the only feature of the neighborhood considered worthy of note, one hundred years ago. In 1807, Conrad Krickbaum, of Lower Merion, and wife Mary, conveyed "one undivided half part of an island or sand bar and shad fishery in the Schuylkill opposite said Conrad Krickbaum's land in Lower Merion." Andrew Anderson, owner at one time of most of the site of West Laurel Hill Cemetery, had a shad fishery, which he afterwards leased to William and Tobias Miller. This may have been the same fishery of which Jacob Coleman, of German- town, advertised, in 1770:— "Likewise to be sold, another tract of land, of about 40 acres, situate in Merion township, bounded by lands of Melchior Myng and John House in which John Frederic Hartranft was born, December 16, 1830. OLD DUTCH CHURCH 303

Eoberts, with a large front on the river Schuylkill, on which there is a shad fishery, which with a little more improvement, may be made a very good one.;" etc.-" Fish being a staple article of food among the Indians, as well as the source of their supply of glue and other materials, the Falls was one of their favorite haunts. The same is true of Peters's island, near the present Columbia bridge. At each of these places, numerous arrow- and spear-heads, which were probably used in fishing, have been found, and may still be found at low water. Speaking of the Indian method of fishing, Campanius says, in his ":—" "They shoot deer, fowls and birds with the bow and arrow; they take the fishes in the same manner; when the waters are high the fish run up the creeks and return at ebb-tide, so that the Indians can easily shoot them at low water and drag them ashore."^'' After the lapse of seventy years, the treaty "never signed but always kept," yet held good, and the Delawares still lived at peace with their white neighbors. In Lower Merion, one of their most frequented resorts, up until the last century, was at the Black Rocks, above Dove Mill; in the waters of Mill creek, near by, stone implements have been found.-^'' Another resort was on the Hansell farm, near Libertyville, where the black earth, in which occur axes, arrow-heads and pottery, argues a succession of campfires extending back over a long period. That the name "Indian Fields," given by Morris Llewellyn to his plantation in the upper part of the township, was not a misnomer, is amply proven by the number and variety of Indian relics still turned up by the plow on the old Taylor farm, which was a part of the original plantation while the height near Indian Fields, now known as Prospect Hill, was the "Hill called Conshohoeken," named as one of the bounds in a deed from the Indians to William Penn. At the opposite end of the township is Indian creek.^^^ In a recent address before the Historical Society of Penn sylvania, Mr. George P. Donehoo stated that every turnpike and railroad in Pennsylvania followed the course of some former Indian trail; that the winter trails ran along the ridges. 304 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

to avoid the deep snow on the lower levels, while the summer trails followed the vallies. As summer was the fishing season, the Indians sought the streams then. In autumn, they traveled to Philadelphia, where they sold the skins and furs of the animals they had trapped, and drove a brisk trade in baskets of their own make. So it is not at all improbable that several of the roads of Lower Merion were at first Indian trails, which were later followed by hunters, travelers, surveyors, and finally by settlers, who afterwards had the rough paths "opened" and confirmed.-^® The best of roads in Lower Merion, eightscore and more years ago, were well-nigh impassable in winter. Streams were not bridged; rocks and stumps, hidden by snow, encumbered the way.260 Travel, at the most, was light, carts had not yet come into general use, and the horseback rider could avoid drifts by turning aside into field or wood, so, as no attempt was made to clear the highways, the snow lay almost as un broken there as over the unworked fields. Friends living near Bryn Mawr were permitted to meet at "Harriton," and so spare themselves the difficult journey to Merion meeting house! At night, the early darkness was unrelieved by any light other than that shed by the roaring hearth and the flicker ing tallow or bayberry "dips"; and the hard-working farmei', finishing his chores after nightfall, groped his way to the shelter of the house, where he afterwards went to bed in an unheated room.^si Thus, even the customary winter was bleak enough, while one of unusual severity was keenly felt and long remembered. Such must have been the winter when Paul Jones, Sr., turning his sleigh upon the ice-bound Schuylkill at Market street, drove all the way home on the frozen and snow-covered surface of the river.262 But the deepest impressions last longest; hence, the traditions of such rigorous seasons, reinforced by reminis cences of persons who have removed from country to town, where labor is easier and cold less severe, have brought about the popular belief in an "old-fashioned winter" and a change in climate. OLD DUTCH CHUKCH 305

But however hard the winter, all was changed when, in spring-time, the green of full meadows vied in vividness with the green of sprouting winter grain; when forests of oak, hickory and chestnut leaved out once more, orchards burst into bloom of pink and white, and the songs of robin and bluebird were heard about the house; while, with the approach of har vest, the plantations of Lower Merion, bristling with ranks of rustling maize, or awave with golden wheat, or with the blue-flowered flax, were a sight good to behold. The visitor from abroad, as he viewed the rolling fields through vistas of woodland, was struck by their fertility and productiveness. "The Lands hereabouts are called the Welsh Tract," wrote one of these travelers, " 'Tis thick of little Townships, as Haver- ford West, Merioneth and others. ... The Inhabitants have many large plantations of Corn and Bread, abundance of Cattle, insomuch that they are lookt upon to be in as thriving a Condition as any in the Province."^®® "Harriton," the estate of former justice-of-the-peace Rich ard Harrison, in which his widow, Hannah, held a life interest, was probably the largest acreage under a single ownership in 1750. It contained 700 acres, and stretched along Gulph road for more than a mile, near what is now Bryn Mawr.^®^ A few years earlier, however, the heirs of Robert Jones, who had for several terms represented Philadelphia county in the Provin cial Assembly, had divided his estate of more than 900 acres, extending back from the Schuylkill between Mill creek and West Manayunk, and including the plantations of "Glanrason" and "Mt. Ararat."2®®

At the northern end of the township, commanding a fine view of the valley of the Schuylkill, on which it bordered, was a tract of nearly 500 acres, belonging to the heirs of Morris Llewellyn the younger. The larger part of this estate was a plantation known as "Indian Fields." Between "Indian Fields" and Mill creek, Hugh Roberts held an inheritance of 200 acres fronting on the river.-®® gQg BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Rees Thomas owned 270 acres "bounded Southward with the Township of Haverfordand Westward by the Township of Radnor;" and Charles Bevan, 300 acres on the Haverford road east of Ardmore.257 At what is now Wynnewood, the 450-acre plantation of Jonathan Joneslay along bothsides of the Cones- toga road, which therefore came to be called, at this place, "Jones's lane." Just eastward of Merion meeting-house, there was a tract of 400 acres, adjoining the Conestoga road and the roads to Haverford and Darby; this was the property of Anthony Tunes, former constable of the township.-^^ Captain John Hughes, commander of the company of associatbrs raised in the Merions and Blockley in 1748, lived on his "Green Hill" farm of 200 acres, which overlapped the bounds of Blockley, closeto the present Overbrookstation; while atthe eastern cor ner of the township, the lands of Robert Roberts—some 200 acres or more—also lay partly in Lower Merion and partly in Blockley, along the Ford and township line roads. Farther westward along the Ford road, and adjoining the Roberts tract, was Robert Evans's plantation of 345 acres; and Evan Jones owned 300 acres touching the Conestoga road at Liberty"- ville.-^® Besides these, there were other large holdings; but already it is seenthat, with a third of the acreageof LowerMerion thus in the possession of no morethan a scoreof individuals, "large plantations of Corn and Bread" were easily practicable. The farm of Jacob Mellor, on the site of Ardmore, included "20 acres of winter grain." That of Joseph Tucker, near Merion Square, produced "large crops of wheat." On the same tract, a few years later, thirty acres were planted in corn. The estate of Joseph Williams, of the Gulph Mill, had "forty acres of com land, well cleared."^''® Besides wheat and Indian coi:n, rye and barley were raised. Flax was a staple crop on many farms; where it was "grown, rotted, swingled and spun," afterwards to be woven into a variety of articles of clothing and household linen,while the production of oilfrom its seed supported an oil mill in the township as early as Revolutionary times.^®® OLD DUTCH CHURCH 307

Truck-raising, also, was carried on here, and possibly re sulted in bringing German skilled labor into the township, for Dr. Banjamin Rush, who gave the Germans credit for most of our knowledge of horticulture, also remarked their large and profitable vegetable gardens. Twice a week, when markets we're held in Philadelphia, truck-farmers jorneyed to town with their produce, which those from near by carried on pack ani- mals.2®3Fruit was abundant, every farm having, as a matter of course, a good-sized orchard. At Issachar Price's place (which he afterwards sold to John Hughes), there was a "large Orchard, with good bearing Apple Trees." "A cyder mill and press" are noticed at a sale in Peter Kalm wrote of the environs of Chichester that they "contain many gardens, which are full of apple trees sinking under the weight of innumerable apples." Captain Cruikshank had on his plantation in Haver- ford, "seven or eight acres of a fine bearing Orchard, out of which some Hundred Barrels of Cyder may be yearly made;" and connected with the "Prince of Wales" tavern there was "a large bearing Orchard, whereof has been made from 60 to 90 Barrels of Cyder a Year." On the Michael Wills estate, near Merion Square, there was "a fine young bearing orchard of very good fruit;" and Jacob Mellor had "near 300 Trees" set out, of which "a considerable part" were bearing well.^® Peaches flooded the market. "Every countryman," exclaimed Kalm, "had an orchard full of peach trees, which were covered with such quantities of fruit, that we could scarcely walk ... without treading upon those peaches which were fallen off ... this fine fruit was frequently given to the swine." But the thrifty German yeoman had discove^ a way of turning to account his surplus crop. "Most of the Dutch husbandmen," wrote Dr. William Douglass, who visited Pennsylvania not long after Kalm, "have stills, and draw a spirit from rye malted, from apples and peaches." Perhaps the German had communicated some of the mystery of this process to his neigh bors ; at any rate, it is known that on the Llewellyn plantation, north of Merion Square, there was an apple whiskey distillery, with cooper shop attached.^®® Here it may be noted that James 308 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY Trueman, a cooper,who had married a Llewellyn, was living in Lower Merlon during this period; as was also Robert Roberts, "Malster."267 Tobacco, too, was produced—notably at "Harriton," whose proprietor, Richard Harrison, had been a Maryland planter. The method of marketing the crop is thus described by Mr. George Vaux:— "The practice still in vogue in some parts of the South was adopted for taking the tobacco to market. It was packed in hogsheads, through the centre of which an axle was placed, and on the projecting parts on either side slabs were fitted in which the axle would revolve easily. These slabs suitably braced answered for shafts, and admitted of one or more horses being attached to the hogsheads, by which means they were rolled to Philadelphia with comparative ease."^ The fields of "Harriton" were worked by slave labor, the negro slaves having been brought from Maryland. Other plan tations employed slaves, butin much smallernumbers. In 1751, Richard Bevan, "living neat the Gulph-mill," offers two negroes for sale, "on reasonable terms." At this time, negro maid servants brought £ 60 and upwards, and negro men from £ 40 to £ 100.269 The required qualifications of a slave are sum med up in tbe following advertisement, which appeared in 1754:— "A Likely Negro man, about 22 years of age, and understands plan tation work; he hath had the small-pox and measles. Enquire of Thomas Wills, of Lower-merion, near John Roberta's mill." Another local item is also interesting:— "Clifton-Hall, Haverford Township, Chester County. The Subscriber, having left off farming, has some Negroe Men and Boys, to be sold; they are all sound and healthy, and very fit for farmers work;" etc. CHARLES CRUIKSHANK." Among the goods and chattels of John Righter is mentioned "A Negroe man, about 25 yeaVs of age, who understands mill ing and sawing."2^6 The "abundance of Cattle" here has already been remarked. As cattle were permitted to wander through field and wood OLD DUTCH CHURCH 309 both day and night, and often were not housed in winter, ad vertisements of lost and strayed animals were many. Here is a typical one:— "In the 9th Month last came to the Plantation of George George in Blackley Township in the County of Philadelphia, two stray'd Calves, one red, the other pyed. The Owner describing their Marks paying for their Wintering and other Charges, may have them again." In 1756, Conrad Schultz, paper maker, "living in Lower Merion," advertises for two milch cows, "strayed away from the subscriber about three weeks ago;" and offers ten shillings reward for each.^^i Horses, to ensure their recovery, were usually branded on shoulder or buttock. Lineal descendants of Isaac Taylor, of Lower Merion, who still own and occupy the farm which was his, have an old branding iron bearing the letters IT. In August, 1745, the following advertisement appeared:— "Came to the Plantation of Richard George, of Merion, Philadelphia County, the latter End of the Month called June last, a large red Roan Pacing Horse, branded, but not plain, having a Pair of Iron Hopples. The Owner, describing his other Marks, and paying Charges, is desired to take him away. RICHARD GEORGE." In 1748, Morris Eschullion (Llewellyn?), of Lower Merion, inquires for "a large grey mare, a natural pacer with a short switch tail, branded on the near shoulder T 0, five years old this spring;" and Thomas Murnahan, "living on the plantation of Anthony Tunis, in Merion," offers a reward of twenty shill ings for the return of "one black horse, branded on the shoul der with W, and on the buttock with Hand a young mare, "branded on the shoulder with a figure of three, and on the buttock with Whether or not the tracks beaten by this straying stock afterwards became (like the cow-paths of Boston) public thoroughfares, may not be known. On the other hand, it is certain that some of the early public roads were mere trails, developed by the necessities of the settlers, or were (as already remarked) Indian paths, which were afterwards confirmed by the Colonial authorities. The need for roads outran the sur- 310 BULLETIN OFHISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY veyor, and the central thoroughfares—like "Haverford street" and "Radnor street" — that had been planned for some of the townships, were never opened as laid down, probably because the settlers had forestalled them with more convenient routes.^"^® The chief highway, or "great road," through Lower Merion, was the Conestoga road, which got its name from its western terminus, now the city of Lancaster. Its eastern terminus was at the Market street ferry over Schuylkill, of which Captain James Coultas, noted as sheriff of the county of Philadelphia, was proprietor.^"^^ From the ferry to Lower Merion, this old road still exists as parts of highways—^MaVket street, Lancas ter avenue, 54th street—of the city of Philadelphia, except for a stretch near Fifth-second Street station, which has been vacated; while in Lower Merion it is known as Montgomery avenue as far westward as Gray's lane, then as Old Lancaster road to the Radnor township line, with a break where a section crossing a cotner of Haverford township has been aban doned.^'^ Refreshment for man and beast was being dispensed at well-established stands along the Conestoga (or Lancaster) road in 1754, when Thomas Pownall, journeying "to Wright's Ferry on the River Susquehanna," noted two of them in the course of his ride through Lower Merion. First was the "Black Horse," of which William Stadelman was proprieto'r, but this traveler, unfamiliar with German names, set it down as "Shad- ling's." The "Black Horse," which stood just across the line from Blockley township, continued a public house for a century, and an account of it, and of its proprietors, the Stadelman family, is given elsewhere. The next stopping-place was "Rich ard Hughes, the Three Tuns, two miles and a half, and fifty- three perches." Attached to this inn, there was a 45-acre farm, stretching along the north side of the road from Jonathan Jones's line (Lower Merion High School) to that of Morris Llewellyn (at about Bleddyn road). The house, which is pre cisely located by the report on the re-survey of the Lancaster OLD DIJTCH CHUKCH 311

road, in 1741, stood almost exactly opposite the end of Ander son avenue, and was without question the central part of the building which has been known to recent generations as the Anderson house.®'® Richard Hughes, proprietor of the "Three Tuns," was a man of prominence. He was a son-in-law of Peter Cox, of Passyunk, and had formerly lived in Blockley as a tailor.®" He had bought this Lower Merion property in 1718, and had probably established the inn; was now the owner, besides, of another farm elsewhere in the neighborhood; and had served as constable and overseer of roads. "The house of Richard Hughes" was the meeting-place of the countryside; public vendues were cried there; and such straggling hamlet as there may have been nearby, bore no name other than that of "Three Tuns." A description written in 1759 affords a bird's-eye view of this tavern stand:— "A Plantation, and Tract of good Land, in the Township of Lower- Merion, and County of Philadelphia, within 10 Miles of the City, joining the g^eat Road leading to Lancaster, well known by the Name of the Three Tuns Tavern, being a licensed House of Entertainment upwards of 30 Years past, containing 45 acres, five thereof good Meadow, about 26 cleared, the rest well timbered, with a good Stone Dwelling House, 30 Feet long, 20 wide, with a Cellar under Part of it, also a large Frame Kitchen, a fine Spring of Excellent Water, with a House over it, near the Dwelling House; a Frame Bam, with four Stables adjoining it, and other Out-houses; also a fine Orchard, which seldom fails bearing yearly;" (etc.)"® Occasional records gauge the ebb and flow of life along the "great road" at this point. "A strainger that Dyed at Richard Hughes," is the brief entry in the Merion Friends' burial-book, 6 mo. 21st. 1747. "Dropt," reads a 'Xost and Found" item of the following year, in the "Pennsylvania Gazette", "the 21st of this instant, in Mr. Hughes's yard, at the three tun tavern, or on the road to capt. Coultas's ferry, a silver watch, Herring, London, the maker, with a silver chain, one steel seal, another of stone, set in brass, and a key. Whoever returns said watch to capt. John Meas, in Front-street, Philadelphia, shall have Forty Shillings reward paid by him or PATRICK ALLISON." 312 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

"POUND" (runs another) "On Lancaster road, between the Three Tuns and Merion meeting-house, about the 11th of May last, several pairs of stockings. The owner, by applying to Robert Jones, near the gulf mill, may have them again, on paying charges." Here too, as elsewhere, the tavern was the logical place for transacting business and mine host an agent to whom, if desired, it could be entrusted; as see the announcement of David Davis, quoted elsewhere. In 1745-6, Jacob Mellor, whose farm faced that of Richard Hughes across the Conestoga road, advertised as follows:— "To be sold by Publick VENDUE, Some Lots of Land, to the Number of 20; 9 Miles from Philadelphia, near the 3 Tons, on the great Cones- togoe Road; being a pleasant and healthy Situation, adjoining which, are some Lots already taken up, and in all Probability, a Place for a Village or Town, it being near Merion Meeting House, within a Mile of 2 Grist Mills, Pulling Mills and Saw Mills; and a Place so publick and advantageousy situated in the Heart of a populous Country, and on one of the greatest Roads in the Province, that almost any Tradesman may reasonably expect Encouragement: There is on one Pai*t a pretty good Dwelling House, Out House, good fram'd Barn, and a large Smith's Shop, with two Hearths and Coal-house; also a large young Orchard, containing near 300 Tress; this Part will suit either for a Store-keeper, Tanner, Sadler or Smith." (Etc.)"™ No other public house is noted by Pownall before his arrival at the widow Miller's sign of the "Buck"—"Ann Millar's, the Buck, one mile and sixty-two perches"—^which was situated just over the line, in Haverford township; and possibly there was no other in Lower Merion, for ten years later only three taverns, including the "Black Horse" and the "Three Tuns" stands, were doing business here, and only once before the out break of the Revolution was their number increased to four.-®®- In 1750, there is notice of a sale to be held "at the house of Richard Peam, inthe township of Merion," but proof is lacking that this was a public house.^®^ Evan Griffith kept a store on Lancaster road near Merion Friends' meeting-house, in 1758, and in the same year William Frizel began driving a stage between Philadelphia and Lancas- ter.282 OLD DUTCH CHURCH

At what is now Merionville, the Ford road — sometimes called the "road leading to the lower Ford on Schuylkill"— connected with the Conestoga road, of which it formed an ex tension almost due eastward to the Schuylkill, where, besides the ford, there was a ferry.^®® On the eastern bank, a lane led up the bluff to the Wissahickon road (Ridge avenue), which it joined close to where Huntingdon street enters today.^®^ For perhaps a decade, or longer, Francis Garrigues kept this feriy, but evidently did not succeed, as witness the follow ing notice:— "Philadelphia, January 18, 1768. By Virtue of a Writ to me directed, on Saturday, the 25th day of February next, about 2 o'clock in the Afternoon, on the Premises,will be exposed to Sale by publiek Vendue, a commodious Stone Messuage or Tenement, and Lot of Ground, containing one Acre 3 Quarters, and 20 Perches, being the Ferry-house near the Falls of Schuylkill, to be con veyed to the Purchaser in Fee for ever. And likewise a certain Tract or Parcel of Land adjoining, containing 28 Acres and one Quarter of an Acre, on Lease for the Term of Ninety-nine Years, commencing the 16th Day of May, 1741, with Barn, Stables, Outhouses, a fine young Orchard, and about three Acres and a Quarter of choice Upland Meadow, late the Estate of Francis Garrigues, seized and taken in Execution by JAMES COULTAS, Sheriff. In 1760, a patent was granted to Reverend William Smith, Doctor of Divinity, for operating a ferry, from his plantation in Northern Liberties, across the Schuylkill "to a road on the South West side thereof leading thro' the lands of Phineas Roberts & others to the Lancaster road," to take the place of a ferry formerly kept by Francis Garrigues, but now laid aside. Reference to this ferry is found in the following notice:— "This is to give Notice, that James Coultas, Esq., one of the Com missioners for clearing Schuylkill, hath this Day made a Bett of One Hundred Pounds current Money of Pennsylvania, with Captain Oswald Eve, that he the said James Coultas, will, on Saturday the 3d of Novem ber inst., at Ten o'Clock in the morning, take up two Plat Loads of Hay, from the Lower Part of the Big Palls, in the said River Schuylkill, to the Ferry Wharff, adjoining the Land of the Reverand William Smith, in 30 Minutes from the Time the Word is given to Pull away," etc. JAMES COULTAS."^ 314 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Dr. Smith, who was Provost of the College of Philadelphia, (Later merged with the University of Pennsylvania,) lived near the Falls, and afterwards became owner of a house and more than 200 acres, abutting on this same Ford road, in Lower Merion. He was among those most prominent in establishing a system of English schools for the Germans, in 1755.2®"^ Going by the Ford road was the most convenient way of reaching the country north of Philadelphia city—that is, north of Vine street—and of connecting, not only with the Wissa- hickon, or Reading, road, but also, by way of Nicetown lane (which came nearly to the ferry) with the Germantown, York and Frankford roads. It was therefore a much-traveled high way, and for considerably more than a century was the basis of many property lines on the sites of Bala and Cynwyd. Much of it is still in use as the road between Cynwyd and Merion- ville, and the remainder connects Belmont avenue, at the filter beds, with Woodside Park.^®® In 1741, the persons ordered by the Colonial Council to lay out a road from Lancaster to the ferry at the west end of High streetin Philadelphia, filed their report, of which the following is an extract;— "... at 10 Pches Merion Meeting House, thence South 75° East 38 Pches, thence South 63%° East 72 ps at the fford Road, thence south 78° East 66 ps thence South 41%° East 58 ps at 48 Pches Richard George's Upper Line," etc. From Cynwyd to Belmont avenue—^perhaps three-quarters of a mile—the Ford road has been wiped out. Just where its line is cut by the Schuylkill Valley Railroad, the road to Righ- ier*s fen'y formerly turned off, following much the same course as today, although each of these old thoroughfares has been amended, from time to time, to suit private or public con venience. The extension of Righter's Ferry road along the line of Highland avenue, from Ford road to Lancaster road, as shown on Scull and Heap's map of 1750, is probably an eirror.^^^ A short distance east of Merion meeting-house, a road branched off from Conestoga road, leading westward. It was OLD DUTCH CHURCH 315 there called Haverford road, and is today officially known to the borough of Narberth as Haverford avenue; but it was more properly named Haverford-and-Merion road, and was merged, half-a-mile beyond the county line, with the original Haverford road—"the great road from Philadelphia to Goshen" — which crossed the southern corner of Lower Merion.^^® A mortgage of 1742, on a 66-acre farm in Lower Me'rion, describes it as being on "the Road leading from Merion to Haverford." This was the tract which was afterwards purchased for a German church and cemetery.^®^ West of Merion meeting-house, a road turned northward off Conestoga road, then descended into Mill creek vallay, through which it wound for several miles, crossing the stream twice by fords, until it reached the southwestern boundary of "Harriton" plantation, when it followed the direction of this line straight to the region knovni as "the Gulph."®^^ This thor oughfare, now generally known as "Old GuVph road," is be lieved by some writers to have been the first "high road" through Lower Merion. At the period of which we write, how ever, it was the way by which grist was carried down to the miller, and woolens to the fuller, and by which broadcloth and paper, felt and flour, were brought up to their destination — in short, the industrial street of the township. A deed drawn in 1725, for land on the straight stretch of this road, in Lower Merion, calls it the "Road leading from Upper Merion to Phil adelphia." In 1756, the Gulph mill property was advertised as "conveniently situated near a great road leading by it for constant business.'"^^^ The course of the Gulph road towards Upper Merion and the Chester valley leads strongly to the belief that it was at first used for bringing much-needed lime from the kilns. What was probably another lime road was laid out from Radnor through Lower Merion to the Schuylkill, and is now known as Spring Mill road. At the top of the hill, however, where it now begins its final plunge to the river, it then turned sharply northward instead, and after avoiding the present steep grades 316 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY by a tortuous route, reached the Schuylkill at a point opposite Spring' Mill, whence, by means of a ford known then or later as Reese ap Edward's, the way was open to the lime-kilns of Whitemarsh valley.^"^ It is a curious fact tiiat deeds make scant mention of Spring Mill road until late in the century. But traversing, as it did, remote country, perhaps lined with woods, unfenced, and with numerous turnouts made during bad weather or to avoid fallen trees, its true course was too much in doubt to warrant a ref erence of this kind, and so the descriptions clung to posts and abutting property lines. A deed of 1696-7, for land In Radnor, mentions "the road dividing the said Township and the land of John Eckley & Company," and the same road seems to be referred to in a deed of 1692, conveying some of the Eckley tract. This is now called County Line road, and it is possible a part of it may have been opened at that time. In the same way, two deeds of 1716 speak of "a Road layd out between the Townships of Blockley and Merion." Says Thomas Allen Glenn, "It is said that Haverford Township was in very early days reached from the settlement near Pencoyd by a bt-idle-path along the line of the Liberty Lands, north of Blockley, on the site of the present City Ave nue. This ... is said to have been originally an Indian trail, but it seems more plausible that it was the old Swede path, leading from the Delaware settlements to those on the Schuyl kill." But as late as 1851, according to Levering's Map of Lower Merion, some portions of City avenue (then called County Line road) including the important link between Ford road and the river, still remained unopened.-''-'^ Every year, without fail. Lower Merion elected two Over seers or Supervisors of Roads. In 1749 and 1750, they were David Evans and Matthias Foltz; in 1751, Anthony Tunis and Hugh Jones, blacksmith; in 1752, John Lloyd and Jacob Jones. The extent of their supervision is uncertain, but we may hazard a guess that reinforcement of the highways with sod from the OLD DtJTCH CHURCH 3^7 roadside was by no means the smallest part of it. A timely warning as to the consequences of neglect appeared in the newspapers of the day:— "Philadelphia, July 14, 1757. "To the Overseers of the several Townships in the County of Phila delphia. WHEREAS I have this Day received a Letter from Sir John St. Glair, Deputy Quarter-master General for North-America, setting forth, That the Commission which His Majesty has been pleased to en trust him with, obliges him to see that all the High-roads in the several Provinces are kept in good Repair; That heavy Complaints have been made to him, that the Roads of this Province have been much neglected, and the Laws made for that Purpose have not been duly executed; and requiring me to cause Notice to be given to all Overseers of Roads in my County, that with all convenient Speed they set about making them good and passable for Carriages, &c the Neglect of which may occasion great Inconvenience to the Inhabitants, by a Stoppage of His Majesty's Troops in the Townships so neglecting, and quartering them on such Townships until the Roads be made good and passable In Compli ance with which Letter, I have caused this publick Notice to be given. JAMES COULTAS, Sheriff."®® Bridges were dispensed with wherever possible; perhaps the ford by which Old Gulph road still crosses Mill creek is typical of conditions of that day. In 1774, it was "proposed to build a BRIDGE over the West branch of Brandywine, on the provincial road from Lancaster to Philadelphia; any persons, being willing and desirous to undertake the same, are requested to give their attendance at Caleb Way's Tavern, in West-Cain, on the 21st day of March next, where the Commissioners, &c have appointed to meet, in order to agree for the same."®' As late as 1788, a board appointed to view a part of Lancaster road, reported that "a few Perches next the Run (Goodman's) are the worst of any of the bad Road near it. There should be a Bridge over the Run which will not cost £20, is so much."^®® Milestones there were none. Those which have been credited to William Penn, because his arms are engraved upon them, were probably set up at a much later period; the one standing by the ford just spoken of, is dated 1770. Peter Kalm noted that "there are not yet any milestones put up in the country; the inhabitants compute the distance by guess"—a function now largely usurped by the finger-boards.^®® 318 bulletin op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Carts were few, but horses many, for everybody, whatever the distance or destination, rode on horseback, while by the same means, goods of every kind were carried over the heavy roads. These, on market days, teemed with mounted farmers and truckers, who thronged the tavern yards, watering their horses at the trough, and "wetting their whistles" at the bar, before continuing their dusty ride to the Philadelphia market with their freight of fruit, vegetables, butter and eggs. "Even down to the beginning of this century," wrote William J. Buck, in 1884, "much in the way of transportation was done on horseback; huge sacks, wallets and baskets, or panniers, were constructed and used for this especial purpose. In this way, nearly all produce was taken to Philadelphia, and horsemen would thus be seen nearly surrounded with poultry, pork, butter, flax, etc., and even live calves and sheep would be taken to market by such means."®"" On Sunday, a graver cavalcade—men, women and children —^wended its way to church or meeting, there dismounting at the "horse-block," and "tying up" to any available free or post. As Mittelberger expressed it, "many people have to go a jour ney of 2, 3, 4, 5 to 10 hours to get to church; but all people, men and women, ride to church on horseback, though they had only half an hour to walk." At Christ (Swedes') Church in Upper Merion, many attended service on horseback, and the practice was generally continued until 1830. A side-saddle, we are told, formed a portion of a bride's outfit. Edward Williams, who lived near Overbrook, owned a side-saddle of blue plush.®"^ The need for vehicles for long-distance transportation had already evolved the Conestoga wagon; and Dr. William Doug lass, the English traveler, writing in 1755, said "There may be from 7000 to 8000 Dutch wagons with four horses each, that from time to time bring their produce and traffick to Philadelphia from 10 to 100 miles distance." Five years later, the number of vehicles thus used was estimated at 8000 to 9000.®"- In Lower Merion, the proximity to the city, the con servatism of the inhabitants, and, perhaps, their opposition OLD DUTCH CHURCH 319 to road improvement, helped to delay the general introduction of carts or wagons until the close of the century. The earliest type in general use was a tongue-cart. In 1741, Mary Rees, of Lower Merion, offers for sale, among other effects of her late husband, Thomas Rees, "a Cart and Timber Wheels."^"^ Among the contributors towards erecting a schoolhouse at Merion meeting, in 1747, there was listed "John Thomas Smith to carting 3 days £1 . 10 . -Four years later, a Negro, adver tized for sale in Upper Merion, is declared "fit for town or country business" and "expert in driving a team." Among the farming equipment of Daniel Byles, of "Pennington, Hopewell township, county Hunterdon, Western New Jersey," who bought, in 1755, the Thomas Evans plantation near Cynwyd, there are mentioned, two years later, "waggon, cart, two plows, three harrows," and a "riding-chair;" the latter being an evi dence of luxury. There were but three chairs taxed in the whole of Lower Merion in 1780; and according to William J. Buck, "Gigs and chairs began to come into use just before the Revolution as vehicles for conveyance on business or pleas- ure."3o^ Before its obstruction by dams, the Schuylkill could be forded anywhere, although most conveniently, of course, where there were broad shallows, and where a small island offered a half-way foothold and resting-place.^'^® The backing up of water at the dams afterwards submerged most of these islands, which were quite numerous then. Levering's ford, below Manayunk bridge, was in very early use. Near the south end of Flat Rock tunnel was Mary Waters's ford, since know as Leedom's. Hagy's was at the mouth of Mill creek, and Reese ap Edward's at Spring Mill.®*^® Some of these may have borne earlier names. Matson's ford was at Conshohocken. Nearly every one of these fording-places is now recalled by a road of the same name, showing the importance in that day of the crossings, very few of which have ever been replaced by bridges. Mention has already been made of Righter's ferry, which was below Lever ing's ford.®®"^ 320 BUI'LETIN OP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Although the shallow places in Schuylkill made fording easy, they only partially obstructed navigation there, which, in fact, had been the earliest means of transportation. Freight canoes, each hewn from a single tree trunk, were in use until the Revoluntionary period, by which time they had been largely replaced by "long boats"—^narrow, sharp-prowed, and more easily controlled. Only light-draft boats could pass the shoals, so the heavily laden freighter had to await high water, and proceed p'romptly, floating with the swift current to its destin ation, while the boatmen kept a sharp lookout for hidden rocks or sand-bars, or skilfully threaded the rapids, which, from Flat Rock to the Falls, made the passage one of no small risk. On the return, the empty craft must be laboriously poled up stream. A news item of April 4,1765, says:— "Tuesday last a Boat coming down Schuylkill, overset at the Falls, four Miles from Town, when two Men were drowned."®®^ Rafts, at first built of logs, then of boards, were used for transporting the products of the saw-mills which had been set up along the river banks. In 1740, the estate of Thomas Rees offered for sale "A Certain Tract of Land in the Township of Merion, Within eight Miles of Philadelphia, containing Eighty eight Acres, with some Im provements, besides a good Saw Mill, with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging, fronting upon SeylkU, so that the said Mill may be cheaply supply'd with Timber," etc. A purchaser was found in Lewis David (o!p Davis) "of Har- ford, Couniy of Chester," who conveyed the property, in 1744, to David Davis, of Lower Merion. The latter described it as follows:— "A Saw mill and plantation in Merion, in good repair, and very convenient for water carriage, both for bringing loads to the mill, and rafting timber to Philadelphia, it being by the river Schuylkill, nine miles from Philadelphia."^ He sold the saw-mill and 30 acres, in 1751, to Jacob Simon, of Germantown, for whom it proved an unfortunate venture, ending in a sheriffs sale, in 1753, to James Benezet, of Phila- OLD DUTCH CHURCH 321

delphia. At this time, the property was officially listed as "about 30 acres of land, with a good saw-mill thereon, in Merion township," etc. Benezet disposed of it, in less than three months, to John Johnson, of Germantown, who conveyed it, in 1754, to Christopher Robins, of Whitemarsh. From the latter, it was bought, in 1768, by John Roberts, miller, of Lower Merion, in whose family it remained nearly twenty-five years. Another saw-mill was established at the base of the wooded ridge at the northerly limits of Lower Merion, where the creek then known as the "Gulph stream" propelled the wheel of a grist-mill commonly known as the "Gulph mill." When this property, embracing 100 acres, was purchased by Joseph Williams, in 1746, there seems to have been no saw-mill on the land, but Williams presumablybuilt one, for after his decease, the estate was put up for sale by his administrators, and was then described as "One certain tract or piece of land, situate and being in the township of Lower Merion, about 13 miles from Philadelphia, containing 100 acres, with a large convenient dwelling-house, barn, stable, spring-house, &c thereon erected. Also, a saw-mill, a large overshot grist-mill, with two pair of stones, three boulting-cloths, and is conveniently situated" etc.®" A few months later, house, mills and land were bought by Robert Jones, of Lower Merlon, thereafter sometimes called "Robert Jones, of the Gulph, Miller." He remained the owner until his death, about 1770, just previous to which he signed an agreement to convey to Charles Jolly, of Whitpain, the house, grist-mill and 50 acres of land—an agreement which was ful filled by his executor.^12 The saw-mill was afterwards run by John Jones, son of Robert Jones, and the lands belonging to it—about 50 acres— came to be called "the saw-mill lands." There is mention of a saw-mill within about a mile of the site of Ardmore; this was probably the Humphreys mill, on Cobbs creek. 222 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY Older than the Gulph grist-mill was that generally known as "John Roberts's" mill, one of that name having built it, and another being now its proprietor.®^^ Since early colonial times, it had stood on the left bank of Mill creek, just where McClen- achan's Mill (Old Gulph) road crosses, and had become a land mark, as well as a point of reference for the neighborhood, access to a grist-mill beingthen of no smallmoment to a farm ing community.315 Thus, in 1745-6, a property on which much of Ardmore has since been built was said to be "well situated ... within a mile or little more of a meeting, and of 2 grist and fulling mills." One of these grist-mills was the Roberts mill; the other was probably Humphreys's mill, in Haverford to^vnship. The Michael Wills farm was located, in 1752, as "11 milesfrom Philadelphia, within two miles of two merchant- mills, viz. The Gulph-mill, and John Roberts's milland later as "near to Mr. John Roberts's mill." In 1754, Richard Lloyd, "living in Darby, Chester county," offered for sale "a planta tion, situated in Merion Township ... lying convenient to several mills, about a mile from John Roberts s mill, and ten from Philadelphia."®^® Both the Gulph and the Roberts grist-mills were also flour mills; both supplied flour to the patriot army during the Revolutionary struggle, and the most stirring record of both, achieved during that period, belongs to the history of the Revolution.®^"^ In 1738, Thomas Thomas and wife sold David Davis 100 acres of land in Mill creek valley, at the locality now known as the Black Rocks. Here Davis, who was a fuller, plied his tTade. Seven years after his purchase of land, he opened what may be called a branch office in Philadelphia, announcing the new departure in this way:— "Notice is hereby given, that David Davis, of Lower Merion, Phila delphia County, Fuller, designs to take in Work in Philadelphia, at Thomas Wooley's, at the Sign of the White Horse, opposite to the Presbyterian Meeting-house; where any Person may have all Sorts of Woolen Cloths or Drugget mill'd and dy'd, sheer'd and press'd; also, Tameys and Duroys, or any other Stuffs, or old Garments, dy'd and OLD DUTCH CHURCH 323

press'd, and Linen or Yarn dy'd blue, after the best Manner, and at reasonable Hates. Said Davis likewise proposes to take in Work at Richard Hughs's, at the Three Tuns, by the Conestoga Road, to oblige his former Customers. DAVID DAVIS N.B. Attendance will be given at said Houses once a Week if need ful, and the Goods returned with Care." At this time, there was probably another fulling-mill on Cobbs creek in Haverford township, which would naturally have divided the business with Davis. In 1748, he found a purchaser in Conrad Schultz (Scheetz), a Germantown paper- maker, and the fulling business was discontinued at this place. Joseph Williams owned, in 1747, a house, fulling-mill and 200 acres in Lower Merion adjoining lands of Peter Jones, Hugh Jones, widow Griffith and Thomas David, and was pro prietor until his death, about 1756, when Barnabas Coulston, of Plymouth, bought the property.^^® Before 1758, John Roberts was operating two paper mills on Mill creek, where the Gulph road runs beside it. One of these was probably the building, now in ruins, whose date stone is inscribed "J. R. J. 1746." Today, this ruin wears a placard reading, "Ye Olde Grist Mill," but it probably never served such a purpose; the Roberts grist mill, as just shown, was farther east, at the place where Gulph road crosses the stream. There was a paper mill on the Roberts tract in 1780.®^® Adjoining the Roberts lands on the northwest was the David Davis property, bought in 1748 by Conrad Scheetz, who here established the business of paper-making that continued in his family for more than a hundred years. At a period later than the one of which we write, the manufacture of paper be came a leading industry of the township, reaching its highest development, perhaps, early in the nineteenth century. A re view of the names of Lower Merion's paper-makers shows how completely the list is dominated by those of German origin — Scheetz, Robins (Rap), Bicking, Class, Hagy, Helmbold, Stettekorn, Righter, Wallover, Bechtel—thus fully confirming Dr. Rush's statement that paper-making was one of the arts in which the German immigrant excelled.®'^® 324 BULLETIN OP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY In those days of laborious hand work, and clumsy and ponderous machinery, of a long day's labor and a small day's pay, there was the usual sprinkling of what may be called floating artisans — the village weaver and shoemaker, the house carpenter and the stone mason — those who must go whither their work called them. Thomas Rees, the saw-mill owner, was a stonecutter, from Roxborough. Both building stone and lime being plentiful, the houses of the well-to-do, and often their bams and other outbuildings, were of stone. Some of these homesteads dated from the first settlement, and a few were massive in character. The house of Morris Llewellyn, built just over the line in Haverford township, in 1699, had some walls four feet thick and timbers heavy in proportion. The Llewellyn house in Lower Merion had been built in 1716 on the same scale of permanence, with thick walls and great open fireplace; in the front wall were two arches, each six feet wide and six feet high, which can have been intended only for the passage of loaded wagons, after the ancient fashion — probably in connection -with the distillery here. An addition to this house was built by John Llewellyn in 1750.®^^ The house of Jonathan Jones had been built in 1695; that of Robert Roberts had been commenced in 1684. The mansion of "Hairiton" dated back at least to 1714, possibly to 1704. Robert Evans owned "a large well-built stone house" and "a good stone spring house," Richard Lloyd, "a large stone dwell ing-house;" the Merion meeting-house, supplanting an earlier structure of logs, was also of stone; and for the school house built there, Edward Price was credited with "Hailing 84 Loads of stone and finding plaistering Laths for the same.''^- Log houses were still being raised, however, and some were built as late as the end of the century; several afterwards faced on the Lancaster turnpike, which was not laid out until 1792-4. A barn on the Llewellyn farm, in Haverford township, contained chestnut logs 30 feet long. John Price, in 1760, offered for sale a plantation with "a Log Dwelling house;" and Joseph Tunis "a Log-barn and Stables" in 1765. A deed of 1797 OLD DUTCH CHURCH 025

conveys a "log messuage" in Lower Marion. Griffith Griffiths had "a new frame house two story high" — quite a novelty! John Frees was a house carpenter during this period, and John •Roberts, Joseph Tucker and Isaac Taylor, carpenters also.®^® Jacob Mellor, blacksmith, had "a large Smith's Shop, with two Hearths and Coal-house" conveniently situated on the Conestoga road, where he was succeeded by Dennis Conrade. Hugh Jones, John Thomas and John Robinson also wielded the sledge. Robert Roberts and David Davis were coopers. John Cook, of Lowei: Merion, and Rudolph Latch, of Blockley, were shoemakers, or, as usually called, cordwainers.®^^ Evan Grif fith, a weaver, married a weaver's daughter; the Griffiths lived by Conestoga road, "near the Quaker Meeting-house," and farther west on the same thoroughfare, Stephen Goodman, another weaver, had his shop. Daniel Humphreys was a "slay- maker," and probably fashioned sleds of the kind employed before wagons came into general use. John Roberts appears to have been an engineer, for "A list of" the Contributors towards Erecting a School House" at Merion meeting-house includes "John Roberts Carptr. Surveyg the ground & wWting ye Deed."®^®

The Site of Ardmore in 1765 In 1765, not even a village was to be found on the site of what is now the busy town of Ardmore; there was no turnpike, and the only thoroughfares near at hand were the Conestoga, or Lancaster, road, and the Haverford-and-Merion road. Six fa'rms covered practically all of the present site of Ardmore. Their boundaries, which atthattime remained nearly the same as those of the original plantations, have now partly or wholly vanished, making description awkward; but it is an aid in understanding the lay of the land in 1765, to remember that the lines of the original farms ran, generally speaking, either at right angles to the county line, or parallel to it.®®® To the north and west of Ardmore station lay the planta tion of John Jones, blacksmith, of Bethlehem township. North- 326 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county ampton county. Describing" it today, one might say that it extended from the grounds of Haverford College almost to Ardmore avenue, and from "Duncantown" nearly to Wister's (then Jonathan Jones's) woods. It had originally been sur-' veyed for 100 acres, but an acre or two, comprising two small lots on its northwestern side, on Conestoga road, had been cut off some years since, when (it appears) there had been thought of laying out a town here.®-''^ The house, a stone one, which has since been torn down, stood north of Conestoga road. John Jones himself probably did not live there, but may have leased the plantation to George Horn, the younger, who afterwards (in 1775) became his son-in-law and the owner of the property.®^® Three fa'rms adjoined John Jones's, on its south-east side. The first of these (beginning at the line of Jonathan Jones) was the 45-acre property already described as Richard Hughes's; this was now owned by Francis Holton, late tax collector of Lower Merion, who had bought it from Hughes in 1760, and now conducted the inn there under the name of "The Prince of Wales." The second was Staphen Goodman's planta tion of 100 acres, bounded by Conestoga road and, roughly speaking, by the lines of Church road, and Linwood and Athens avenues. The third extended from Athens avenue to the county line, and from John Jones's line towards the Haverford-and- Merion road, which it touched at the corner of the present Lutheran cemetery. This farm, formerly Owen Thomas's, was now, it appears, the property of Joshua Humphreys; the house was probably the stone homestead, now somewhat altered but still standing, at the corner of Spring and Sheldon avenues, and numbered 15 East Spring, avenue.®®® Across Athens avenue from the Humphreys plantation, and southeastward from Goodman's, was what had been known as the "Atkinson place." It had lately become the property of John Hughes, and comprised 66% acres abutting on the Haver- fbrd-and-Merion road, whence a lane, following the line of Argyle road of today, ran back to the farm house, which, it is believed, stood on the site of the Lesher homestead of a later OLD DTJTCH CHURCH 327 day. Enclosed by the Atkinson place, the Goodman and Jona than Jones plantations, and the Haverford-and-Merion road, was the last of the six farms already alluded to. It had been bought in 1737 by Richard Hughes, and contained somewhat more than 67 acres, extending from what we know as Knox's woods to the "red bridge," or from Wynnewood school house to a point nea:r the Lower Merion High School.®®^ These properties, together with a bit of land lying between John Jones's farm and the county line (which appears to have belonged to Robert Wharton), made up a single tract which had been laid out at the settlement of the province. Situated on the water-shed between the Schuylkill and the Delaware, it was, as we know it today, high and well-drained, and had already been regarded as a favorable place for a town. There were several good spHngs in the neighborhood. One of these was in the rear of Francis Holton's tavern; another, on Stephen Goodman's land, gave rise to a little stream — prob ably the one known as "Goodman's run" — which flowed across Conestoga road at what is now Thompson avenue; both of these helped to swell the waters of Mill creek.®®® Two others, near the present Kent road, were feeders for Indian creek, as was that one (now carefully housed) close to the intersection of Argyle and Church roads. Not far from where the trolley railway crosses Spring avenue, there was another, whose outflow, uniting with a small stream coming down through what was known, in recent years, as Stark's woods, finally reached Cobbs creek. Another branch of this stream, rising near the present Red Lion Hotel, flowed diagonally across the line of Ardmore avenue, passing in the rear of Masonic Hall, and forming a little meadow at what is now avenue — hence the names of "Mud lane" and "Frog hollow," which attached to this locality forty years ago.®®® Across the ridge of the watershed, extending from the present railroad station almost to the Lutheran cemetery, there was a bed of quicksand, which only the persistent efforts of generations have succeeded in subduing. Several tracts of 328 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county woods, preventing an extended view in almost every direction, made what was already a remote farming region seem still more secluded.^®^

The "Old Dutch Church" Begins Such was our neighborhood in the middle eighteenth cen tury, in the midst of the German immigration to Pennsylvania. But while, in 1750, with German servants doing menial work on the plantations, German mechanics manning the mills, and German farm-hands and tenants making the township to blossom as the rose, not more than two or three hundred acres in Lower Merion were actually owned by persons of German origin, yet in 1765, these had possessed themselves of four or five times that quantity of land, as well as of several mills on Mill creek, while one of their number owned and conducted an inn which stood, like a kind of custom house, at the portal of the township, collecting both impost and excise. In the adjoining townships, their number and prosperity had in creased proportionately; in Haverford, Radnor, Blockley and Upper Darby, several owned or leased farms of from 50 to 100 acres each. Reckon with these the much larger number owning no land, and there were perhaps fifty German families living within a radius of four or five miles of what is now the most thickly settled part of Lower Merion.^^® It was in this community of dwellers "beyond the Schuyl- kill"—a community not so much of place as of common origin, native patois and religious belief—^that plans had now taken shape for the purchase of land for a church and burying- ground. What religious organization may have been effected at this time, is open to question. But that at least a congreg ation existed in the neighborhood as early as Octobel* 17,1765, is known, for on that date three infants were baptized. The record is found on the first of a sheaf of loose leaves containing baptismal records from 1765 to 1771, inclusive, and evidently forming part of the earliest church register. As these precious fragments remained, for years, tucked between the leaves of OLD DDTOH CHURCH 320

the book labeled "Kirchen Register No. 1" (which they ante date), their discolored and crumbled edges make reading of some portions difficult, but attentive study of the faded, an tique script renders it in this way:— Johann Leeks' (?) und fr: Anna (?) Sohne Jacob gebohren den 20® April 1765 getauft den 17® October 1765. ipsi parentes 2) Jacob Sehlonhans' und fr: Margaretha Sohne Jacob gebohren den 8* Dec. 1764 getauft den 17 October 1765. Gevatten (?) wen Tobias Taumiiller & fr: Barbara. 3) Johannes Leicks' und fr: Catharina Sohne Johannes gebohren im Januar 1766 getauft den 17® October 1765 Gevattem Johannes Guth- man und Elisabeth Statelmann.®® These entries, as will be noted, were made nearly two weeks before the deed was signed which finally conveyed to the con gregation a tract of land "for a church and burial-place." Says Rev. Timothy T. Titus, writing in 1860, "This rite was, no doubt, performed in a private house, as there is no evidence that any church edifice existed here at the time." For it was not until October 29,1765, that six men—^William Stadelman, Frederick Grow, Stephen Goodman, Christopher Goetzelman, George Bassler and Simon Litzenberger, acting as trustees for the congregation—bought from one John Hughes, for £273 and 12 shillings, a farm of 66% acres in Lower Merion, fronting on the Haverford-and-Me'rion road. This land, which had remained in the Havard family for more than fifty years, had been sold, in 1752, to satisfy a mortgage debt, and had been bid in by Charles Meredith, holder of the mortgage, who had deeded it, in 1760, to John Atkinson, victualler. As one of the farms covering the site of Ardmore, the "Atkinson place" has already been located and bounded. This is the way the oivner advertised it in 1764:— "To be Sold by the Subscriber hereof. A Plantation, containing 70 Acres of Land, situate in the Township of Lower Merion, in the County of Philadelphia, 7 miles distant from the abovesaid City, and Half a Mile from the Sign of the Prince of Wales, on Lancaster Road; there is on it a neat well-finished Frame House, two Stories high, two Rooms on a Floor, and Fire Places in each, 330 bulletin of historical society op MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Cellars, and a commodious Kitchen joining, a good Spring near the Door, a young Orchard, consisting of 50 Trees, with sundry other Fruit Trees, about 10 Acres now cleared of good Meadow, and a considerable Quan tity more may be made and watered; the Premises well wooded and fenced, and beautifully watered by Springs and Runs of Water. There is a laid out Road by the Door of the said House, which renders it suit able for a Store, or a Gentleman's Country Seat. There is on the Land a clear Prospect to the River Delaware off of an Eminence, perhaps as pleasant and healthy as any in the Province. The Terms of Sale may be known by applying to John Atkinson, living on the Premises."®®® Unfortunately for Atkinson (but fortunately, perhapw, for his German neighbors), no one inclined to purchase. With autumn came the Stamp Act agitation, business stagnation came with it, and his farm, seized by the sheriff, was sold to John Hughes. The notice of the She^riff's sale is worth quoting Infull:— "By Virtue of a Writ to me directed, will be sold by public Vendue, on Friday, the 16th Instant, at Francis Holton's, on Lancaster Road, known by the Sign of the Prince of Wales, at Pour o'Clock in the Afternoon, a certain Tract of Land, situate in the Township of Merion, in the County of Philadelphia, beginning at a Corner Whiteoak Tree, and thence extending by the Road leading form Merion to Haverford North 88 Deg. West, 120 Perches to a Stake; thence by Land late of Joshua Humphreys, N.N.W. 76 Perches to a Stake, by Lands of George Emlen, junior, E.N.E. 92 Perches to a Stone, by Lands of Richard Hughes; thence S. 37 Deg. E. 70 Perches and a Half; to a Black-oak- Tree, and thence by Evan Reese's Land S. 25 Deg. 30 min. E. 60 Perches to the Place of Beginning, containing 66 Acres, be the same more or less; with a good two Story Frame Dwelling-house, Stables, &c thereon erected; late the Estate of John Atkinson, seized and taken in Execution by WILLIAM PARR, Sheriff."®®® Several facts seem to point to an understanding between Hughes and the church trustees, regarding the purchase of this land. The original subscription paper, by means of which, it was expected, the purchase money would be raised, is dated "Den 16 Dag August" (year indecipherable)—the very date advertised for the crying of the sale by Sheriff Parr. Further more, the preamble of this curious old "Pennsylvania Dutch" document distinctly says that "the undersigned, William Sta- delman, Stephen Goodman, George Horn, George Baseller, OLD DUTCH CHURCH 33]^

Christopher Gotzolman, George Frederick Grow, have bought a place (haben Einen platz gekaufft) for a church and burial- place." Now, as title to the Atkinson place did not pass from Hughes to the church trustees until October 29,1765, the latter cannot have bought that property on August 16, 1765, except through an agent. As they evidently did not buy any other property, it must be assumed, either that the subscription was not started before the summer of 1766 (a most unlikely sup position), or that Hughes, in purchasing the land, was acting in the interests of the congregation. The latter theory would account for his very brief owner ship—somewhat less than two months. And it would also ex plain the baptisms (already cited) of October 17, by showing the congregation, at that date, already in possession of the Atkinson farm, with Atkinson's former home—^the "Frame House, two Stories high"—as their church building. As Rev. Titus remarks, "In some house, therefore, then standing on this farm, the founders of the church probably worshipped from 1765 to 1769."3^'' It is noticeable that George Horn, who, according to the subscription paper, was one of the purchasers, was not a party to the deed, he having been replaced, in the interval, by Simon Litzenberg. The names and pledges of the subscribers follow:— Wilhelm stadelman 5- 0- 0 stephanus gutman 5- 0- 0 gorg horen 3-10- 0 christofel gotzelman 2-0-0 gorg baseller 1-10- 0 gorg fritrih groh 1-15- 0 philib Kolb 2- 0- 0 Jacob bauman 0-10- 0 Walter waiters 1- 0- 0 matteis fols 1- 5- 0 wilhelm pfeil 1-10- 0 Frietrich bucking 3-10- 0 Johannes pfeil 0- 5- 0 Johan albert starck 1- 0- 0 332 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

Jacob negele 0-10- 0 Hennrich Kalebfleish -1-2 simon litzenberger 2- 0- 0 Phillipp Supper 1- 0- 0 Willim Weis 1- 0- 0 Jacob carel Jacob Knol 1-10- 0 Johannes kauer (?) 2- 0- 0 Tobias Daumiller 1-10- 0 george grauer 7- 6 Jo George Horn 10- Michael gotzelman 7- 6 Joseph david grauer 7- 6 Jostly Geyer 1-10- Windel Kiningsfeld Henry Shoester 0- 7- 6 ? 10- Hansz Schlayer - 5- Bavid Deschler 4 s vor Ein thor schlosz Jacob Wagner 15 s Joseph Dauid Honsel 7- 6 Catarina rosel (?) 5- Georg k berned kreid 4- Georg fimbel 5- Peter Meye 10 s Hennrig liniger 10 s®"

That the founders of the church entered into a written agreement, seems to be established by a paper (already re ferred to), which, although unsigned and undated, bears all the evidences of age, and of having been a rough draft, or a copy, of some such covenant. A translation reads:— "In as much, as for several years well meaning men desired, that we in charity to ourselves should purchase a tract of land for church and burial ground, such nevertheless did not come to pass. When one attempted to begin the work, the one said this, the other that, and nothing was accomplished in that direction, because the community could never be brought into unity, until our late preacher left the same. When upon this another movement to that effect was made in the community by both religions, Lutheran and Reformed, several men of the community took the matter in hand and agreed to buy the handsome OLD DUTCH CHUBCE 333

Atkinson place proposing the said place to the community as befitting for church and burial place, subject to the approval of the community. We called a meeting together in which a majority declared their satis- faction and both Lutheran as well as Reformed promised to aid the work. Upon this the several men took it upon themselves and bought the place for 200 and 73 pounds and 12 shillings—the land for burial ground, the house to be devoted to divine service until the community be able to build a church. The community is expected to contribute per share to buy place and house and finally pay for it. Should the com munity fail to do so, or be compelled to sell it again, then she shall retain six acres for church and burial place forever, from children to children's children, as long as sun and moon do shine. And since we are willing to maintain order we agree to several articles, which govern the same, namely: First. It is bought and dedicated to an Evangelic-Lutheran church, to hold divine service therein. Second. The Reformed shall hold their service therein, when our service has closed, if they contribute until they are enabled to build for themselves. The Church offerings shall be kept up by both. Third. The burial place shall be for both communities without reserve to bury therein their dead. Fourth. Every year a record shall be kept of income and expenditures. In the name of Jesus, Amen. We, the undersigned, declare, that we dedicate the house to a church, that is an Evangelic-Lutheran church, as long as sun and moon do shine. Should the community be able to build a church, then it shall be considered a house, as heretofore. So we agree mutually that if the community supports us by contributions sufficient to buy the place, then the same shall remain the church's property, as mentioned before. Six acres shall be exempt from sale absolutely."®*® That the "Old Dutch Church" of Lower Merion is not today one of the numerous "union churches" of eastern Pennsyl vania—a place of worship for Lutheran and Reformed in common—may be laid to the failure of the Reformed sect to effect an organization, a failure not surprising when the struggles of their more numerous Lutheran brethren are con sidered. The families of Latch, Scheetz, Foltz and Bicking, which appear to have been connected with the Reformed churches in Germantown and Philadelphia, were probably 334 BULLETIN OPHISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY among those interested in forming a congregation nearer home—as witness the names "matteis fols" and "Frietrich bucking/' appended to the foregoing subscription paper.®^^ In his "Historical Sketch," Rev. Titus gives the names of those who participated in what he believes was the first com munion service, on September 22,1767. The printed list shows several variations from the original, which perhaps need not be considered here, since there was, it appears, an earlier com munion. Unfortunately, the date cannot be made out, but as the record is in the same hand that set down the baptisms of the early part of 1766, it is supposed that the communion took place in that year—perhaps on Christmas Day, when there was regular service. Twelve of the 53 names on this list are also found on the list of September 22,1767, but it is presumed there were other duplications, for the writer of the 1767 list, in every instance where man and wife attended communion together, has indicated the presence of the latter merely by writing "fr:" after her husband's name! The supposed list of 1766 is:— Wilhelm (?) Stapleman (?) Catharina Seyne Frau Christopher Kitzelman Elisabeth Catharina Ehe Pr. Johannes Grauer. Anna Maria Ehe Fr. Jacob Rever Anna Barbara Ehe Fr. Wendel Konigsfeld Jacob Bauman Anna Ehe Fr. Johannes Slei Johannes Grauer Anna Maria E. Fr. Henrich Calfleish Hans George Reinthaler Margreta E. F. Joseph Hiller Anna Maria Johannes Huss Catarina E. F. Jacobina Tochter Von Selbigen Jacob Brentz. Anna Barbara E. F. Martin Schulder. Regina E. F. Tobias Taubmiller Barbarah E. F. Johan Christopher Sohn Conrad Ludvic OLD DUTCH CHURCH 335

Johannes Bauer Rosina Hans George Cohler Rosina Hans Jacob Fetzensteiner Eva Margreta Sommer Anna Graurin Christina dito Anna Margr. Gudmannin Rosina Barbara Noll Wittwe Sophia Schwaig Friedrich Grow Barbarah E. Fr. Nicholas Schultz Maria E. Fr. Jacob Carl Barbara E. Fr. Henrich Lininger Barbarah E. P. George Soreh Magdalena E. Fr. Andreas Schneider."* Preaching at the "Dutch^" Church" was probably infre quent at first. Quoting Rev. Titus again, "It is probable, that during this period there was stated preaching once a month in private houses, or perhaps, in bams, or in the open air in summer, as there is a tradition extant to that effect, by the minister at Germantown, or in Philadelphia." Dr. Sachse says, "the sister congregation at Lower Merion was supplied from St. Michael's at Germantownbut this applies more strictly to a later period. Dissensions had weakened the Germantown church; one element, going apart, had built St. Peter's church, at Barren Hill, in 1761; and if we read aright a sentence from the covenant lately given in full—"the community could never be brought into unity, until our late preacher left the same"— the Lower Merion congregation was an indirect result of the same controversy.®^® Congregations thus multiplied faster than preachers; and in 1762, "more than one hundred Lutheran families of Germantown and vicinity petitioned for a pastor and regular services." Another matter which troubled the German churches was the natural preference of the younger generation for services in English; this, the conservative element being yet strong enough to refuse, there was a steadily growing movement toward other churches, particularly the Swedish Lutheran, where the English-speaking element was now in control. Of 336 BUI-LETIN of histoeical society of montgomeey county these, Christ Church, in Upper Merion, organized in 1758-60, and St. James, at Kingsessing, in 1762, held only English services. The deed for the land for Kingsessing church had stipulated "a. Lutheran church, thereafter to be erected and to be officiated and served in the English tongue by the Swed ish Episcopal Lutheran ministers at Wicaco, near the city of Philadelphia forever."®^® Raising money under these conditions was up-hill work. And it is worthy of note that, at a time when the lottery was considered a legitimate means of building churches every where in Pennsylvania—as at Barren Hill—^the Lower Merion Congregation never resorted to it. If this was because their principles forbade it, then surely they were far in advance of their period, and certainly they shared the misfortunes of all such, in being unable to secure support for their project. For the subscription which had been expected to pay for the farm, failed to realize the needed amount, or anything like it, the list (already given in full) totaling little mote than £46. Meanwhile, the burden of the property rested upon the shoul ders of the trustees, who, being doubtless far-sighted men, must have been appalled at the gathering storm-clouds. Four years of suspense evidently decided them; for on April 22, 1769, Stephen Goodman bought out the interest of his five associates.®" Two days later, he executed a deed of trust to Frederick Grow, Simon Litzenberger and Christopher Goetzelman, as trustees, for a lot lying in the angle between the "road leading from Haverfo'rd to Merrion" and "a lane" (now recognizable as Argyle road), the whole containing 133 perches. For this they paid him £3 13 s., and bound themselves "or each of them who shall commune and be in unity and Religious Fellowship with the Lutherian Church or people called Lutherians and remain members of the religious meeting of the said People belonging to Merrion aforesaid" to hold the premises "for the use and benefit of the said religious society called Lutherians belonging to Merrion aforesaid and the adjacent Townships OLD DUTCH CHURCH 337 for them to build erect and maintain one or more Churches or places of Religious Worship as the members of the said religi ous society.,. shall order and direct and also to be and remain a place for burying or interring all such persons as the mem bers of the said religious socieiy may allow." On this lot, in the same year, the congregation built itself a small church of logs. The raising of this building, marking the establishment in its own home, of the "Old Dutch Church," also brings to an end our narrative—a tale imperfectly told, because half-forgotten. The Lower Merion worshippers broke away, perhaps, too soon, from the mother church of German- town. The "Old Dutch Church" was founded in the dark days of colonial history. Ten years later came the Revolution, in whose fires many a better-established institution melted away, and while the church survived, the ordeal hastened a change in its language and character. A German church could notlong survive in a community whose hitherto diverse elements were being so rapidly fused into a new national character. Today, nothing about either church or community suggests the Ger man character which, in many another part of Pennsylvania, is so inseparable from both. But in the prosperity of his num erous descendants, the homely virtues and patient toil of the pioneer have borne good fruit, while his antique German name, still occasionally met with, serves to keep alive the memory of the old founder.®^®

Footnotes {continued) Archivum Americanum; MS, Hist. See. ofPa.; II.2 {Arch. Amer.) —WiUiam K. Frick: Life of Muhlenberg; 45-6, 63 (Fncfc) —Gottlieb Mittelberger: Journey to Pennsylvania; 32 {Mittelberger) — Hallische Nachrichten {HaXle) Barr Ferree: Pennsylvania, A Primer; 132 {Fer}-ee) — Isaac Sharpless: Two Centuries ofPennsylvania History {Skwrpless) —Frank R. Diffenderfer: German Immigration into Pennsylvania; Pub. S Pa- German Soc.; X. 10-11 {Diffenderfer; German Mm.)—Samuel W. Pennypacker; Settlement of Germantown; Pubs. Pa.-German Soc.; IX {Pennypaeker) '' 338 bulletin op historical society op Montgomery county

^''William J. Mann: Life and Times of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg; 112-3 (Mann) — Julius F. Sachse, in "Lutheran Church Review" (Lwtfe. Jtev.)—Thompson Westcott: History of Philadelphia; clippings, Hist. Soc. of Pa.; chap. X (Westcott) — Samuel Hazard: Register of Penn sylvania; XV. 202 (Hazard) — Peter Kalm: Travels in North America; I. 38 (Kalm) — Pennsylvania Gazette; advt. Rev. Nesman, Jan. 8, 1750- 1 (Pa. Gaz.) — ; History of New Sweden; Memoirs Hist. Soc. of Pa.; XI. 237-8 (Acrelius) — S. F. -Hotchkin; Early Clergy of Pennsylvania; 44-5, 53-4, 88 (Hotchkin) S. A. Ziegenfuss: History of St. Michael's Church, Germantown, Philadelphia; 6-7 (Ziegenfuss)—Naava&n H. Keyser: Old Historic Germantown; Pubs. Pa.-German Soc.; XV. 61 (Keyser, Pa.-Germ. Soc.) ""Records of the Court at Upland; Memoirs Hist. Soc. of Pa. (Up- land) — Publications, Historical Society of Berks County; paper by I. D. Heber Plank (H. S. Berks) — Thomas Allen Glenn: Merion in the Welsh Tract; 103 (Glenn) — William J. Buck; History of Montgomery County; 20 (Buck) iTO Halle Frick; 103—Publications, Pennsylvania-German Society; XVin. 7; letter of Daniel Falckner (Pa. Germ.) — Theodore W. Bean: History of Montgomery County, Pa.; 1127 (Bean) D. K. Turner: History of Neshaminy Presbyterian Church; 5 (Turner) —Charles Collins: Norriton Presbyterian Church, Montgomery County; 12 (Collins) — William W. H. Davis: History of Bucks County, Pa. (Davis) Collins (compare Davis) — William J. Hinke: Records of Nesham iny Presbyterian Church; Jour. Presb. Hist. Soc.; May, 1901, p. 8 (Hinke) — James I. Good: History of the Reformed Church in the United States; 64-6 (Good) Hinke; 8 Henry S. Dotterer: Church at Market Square; reprint from "The Perkiomen Region"; 8 (Dotterer)—G. W. Schaeffer: Early History of the Lutheran Church in America; 64-6 (Schaeffer) 180 Keyser; 65-6 —Dotterer; 10 — Minutes and Lettersof the Coetus of Pennsylvania; 7 (Coetus) 181 Theodore E. Schmauk: Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania; 218 (Schmauk) — Schaeffer; 71, 75 — Samuel S. Schmucker: American Lutheran Church; 16-20 (Schmucker) — I. Daniel Rupp: Religious De nominations in the United States; 380 (Rupp, Ret. Den.) John F. Watson: Annals of Philadelphia; III. 312 (Watson) —. Joseph Jackson: History of Market Street (Jackson) — Hazard; XV, 201. '«Bean; 135, 1109, 1167 —Good; 102-7, 269—Dotterer; 12. OLD DUTCH CHURCH 339

*** Henry S. Dotterer: The Whiteraarsh Reformed Congregation in the Holland Archives; Sketches, Hist. Soc. Montg. Co.; II. 189 (Dotterer, Whitemarsh) — Dotterer; 8-9 — Joseph H. Dubbs: The Reformed Church in Pennsylvania; Pubs. Pa.-German Soc.; XI. pt. 2. 81 (Dubbs) — Keyser, Pa.-German Soc.; 65-6. "'Good; 113-4 — Bean; 953, 1109 — Dubbs; 85 — Dotterer; 12; compare Watson & Hazard: Annals of Philadelphia; III. 315 (Watson- Hazard); also, Westcott; chap. 112; David Van Home: History of the Re formed Church in Philadelphia; 15-6 (Van Home.) '®*ICeyser, Pa.-Germ. Soc. 65-6— Westcott; chap. 112—Henry Har- baugh: Life of Schlatter; 50 (Harhaugh); compare Dubbs; 66; Keyser, Pa.-Germ. Soc.; 65-6. ""Dotterer; 12 —Harbough; 37-8 —Good; 133 —Watson; II. 24. "" Dotterer; 13— Keyser, Pa.-Germ. Soc.; 65-6 — Westcott; chap. 112 — Watson-Hazard; II. 24. ""Edward Wolf: Lutherans in America (Wolf) — Schmauk; 220 — Schmucker; 16-20 — Diffenderfer; Germ. Imm.; 34-9. ""Sydney George Fisher: Making of Pennsylvania; 100 (Fisher) — Keyser, Pa.-Germ. Soc.; 64—Ziegenfuss; 10 (quoting Schmauk) — Acrelius; 237-8. ""Ziegenfuss; 10 — Keyser; Pa.-Germ. Soc.; 64—Coetus; 7. ""Julius P. Sachse: German Sectarians of Pennsylvania; 211-2 (Sachse; Germ. Sect.) — Records of Rev. John Caspar Stoever; Bap tisms and Marriages (Stoever). ""Mann; 112-3 — Luth. Rev.; XVII. 440-1 — Schmauk; I. 246-7. Stoever. Stoever. Sketches, Historical Society of Montgomery County; I. 242-3; Rev. A. A. Marple (H.S. Montg.)—Bean; 81, 1127 —Jehu C. Clay: Annals of the Swedes, 3d ed.; 99-100 (Clay) — Arch. Amer.; II. 68. Clay; 99-100 — Luth. Rev.; XVII. No. 4. 625. ""Arch. Amer.; II. 68 — Stoever; 6. ""Philadelphia Deeds Books (Phila. Deeds) — Montgomery County Deed Books (Montg. Deeds). ^'Arch. Amer.; I. 425 and app. II. 69 — H. S. Montg.; I. 242.3; Rev. AA Marple — Montg Deeds; 4; 200 "" Stoever Stoever. 340 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Timothy T. Titus; Historical Sketch of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Tiius)—Westcott; chap. 189. Records of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lower Merion; MS copy by writer; I. insert (St. Paul's). Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography; XIII. 451; XV. 213. (Pa. Mag.) — Philadelphia Will Books (Phila. Wills). ®®Pa. Mag.; XIII. 452 — Horatio Gates Jones: History of the Lower Merion Baptist Church (Jones) — Schmauk; 253-5. Westcott; chap. 106 — Clay; 99-100. ®®Acrelius; 237-8 — Ziegenfuss; 11 — Westcott; chap. 113 — Keyser, Pa.-Germ. Soc.; 64. Watson-Hazard; I. 451-2—Kalm; 38-9 —Luth. Rev.; XVII. No. 4. 625 — Acrelius; 237-8. '""Arch. Amer.; II. 39, 68—Acrelius; 237-8—Kalm; 38-9—Frick; 86. ^Arch. Amer.; II. 69, 80 (compare Watson-Hazard; I. 451-2). ®®Arch. Amer.; II. 98—Clay; 101 — Ziegenfuss; 11 — Kalm; 38-9. ®"Kalm; I. 41 — Henry Harbaugh: History of the Reformed Church; 278 (Harbaugh, Ref. Ch.) —Good; 266-7—Van Home; 19-20 —West cott; chap. 112— Schmucker; 16-20; compare Watson-Hazard; I. 451-2; III. 312 — Harbaugh; 48-9. ^*Good; 129-30, 266-7—Van Home; 19-20—Luth. Rev.; XVII. No. 4. 526-7 — Westcott; chap. 119—Schaeffer; 27. Watson-Hazard; III. 314-5—Van Home; 19-20. ="«Kalm; I. 41 —Westcott; chap. 112 —Good; 269 —H. S. Montg.; II. 189; H. S. Dotterer. ^'Westcott; chap. 112 — Van Home; 23-4 — Good; 345-6; compare Watson-Hazard; I. 452. =»Westcott; chap. 112 —Frick; 53, et seq. —Fisher; 146-8 —Good; 225—Mann; 112-3. Schmucker; 16-20 — Schaeffer; 27— Frick; 42; compare Ernest L. Hazelius: History of the American Lutheran Church; 50 (Haselius). Schmucker; 16-20 — Frick; 59. ^^Westcott; chap. 113 — Frick; 56—Wolf; 248— William J. Finck; Lutheran Landmarks and Pioneers in America; 67 (Finck) — Schaeffer; 27. ^ Frick; 68 — Westcott; chap. 113. Hazelius; 51-2— Frick; 70 — Halle; I. 151; compare Frick; 118. =* Halle; 1.115-6; ibid.. New Ed., 1882; 168 —Stoever; — Wolf; 202. OLD DUTCH CHURCH 341 ^ Prick; 68, 92_HaUe; I. 338. Prick; 74, 77—Halle; L 91, et seq. Halle; 1. 199, 234; II. 404— Ziegenfuss; 20. ®®Montg. Deeds; 2; 619 —American Weekly Mercury (Mercury) and Pa. Gaz., 1741-54; average of 12 advts.—Mercury; 1740 Sep. 4; 1741 May 7 — Bean; 127. ®®Pa. Gaz.; 1746 May 8 and 15; 1762 Nov. 23; advts. — George Smith: History of Delaware County, Pa.; 258 (Smith) — Glenn; 367— Scull & Heap: Map of Philadelphia, 1750 (Scull)—"P. J. P. Schantz; Dramatic Life and Characteristics of the Pennsylvania German Pioneer; 34 (Schantz)—Kalm; 312. ®®®Bean; 437 —Puthey & Cope: History of Chester County, Pa.; 446 (Futhey)—John Oldmixon: British Empire in America; 2d ed.; I. 306. ^Mittelberger; 79—Kalm; I. 210—Watson-Hazard; 11. 577— Bean; 437. ®®Kalm; I. 210; II. 209— Charles V. Hagner: Early History of the Palls of Schuylkill; 70 (Hagner). ®®Kalm; I. 95-7, 117, 282, 321— Smith; 259— Papers of Perry An derson, Esq. (originals) (Anderson)—Bean; 1126-6. ®*Bean; 924—Pa. Gaz.; advts., 1743-4 Mar. 9; 1749 Mar. 21; 1754 Feb. 12. ^John Levering; Map of Lower Merion, 1851 (Levering) — Bean; 924 — Kalm; I. 134 — Hagner; 232-3 (compare Glenn; 196). Hopkins & Co.: Atlas of Montgomery County, 1871; map of Lower Merion (Hopkins, Montg.) — Bean', 924—Hagner; 23-4— Watson-Haz ard; I. 176. ^'Phila. Deeds; G5; 496—Pa. Gaz.; 1768 Jan. 7 —History of the Schuylkill Fishing Company; 29 (Schuyl. Fish.)—Hagner; 23-4— Bean; 123, 127. Schuyl. Fish.;-43 — Hagner; 28-4—Comm., Luther C. Parsons. Schuyl. Pish.; 29—Hagner; 23-4—Mittelberger; 79—Pa. Gaz.; advts. Hagner; 31 — Robert Sutcliffe: Diary; 252 (Sutcliffe). ="Pa. Gaz.; 1766 Feb. 27— Montg. Deeds; 7; vol. I. 399; vol. II. 905 — Phila. Deeds; "I" 5; 222. Pennsylvania Archives; 6th Ser. XII. 710, 716, 719 (Pa. Arch) Montg. Deeds; 7; vol. I. 399-405; vol. II. 905. Phila. Deeds; "I" 5; 222— Montg. Deeds; 7; vol. I. 403 — Montg. Wills; 3; 22 — Anderson; 61, 64—Hagner 53-5— Sherman Day: His torical Collections of Pennsylvania; 592 (Day). 342 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

"*Montg. Deeds; 23; 296 —Comm., Edmn MUler, 1914 —Pa. Gaz'.; 1770 May 3. ®*®Beaii; 39, 43, 127 — Hagner; 31 — Comm., Horace H. Platt. "®Mrs. Herbert A. Arnold: Historical Paper; MS (A-i-nold)—Pro ceedings Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia; XXVIII. 235; paper of Allen Evans (Numis.) — Comm. Dr. Herbert A. Arnold. Phila. Deeds — Montg. Deeds — Comm., Harvey Taylor. ®'*Bean; 40 — Pa. Arch.; 1st Ser. I. 65, 92. ^Bean; 40, 45 (quoting Campanius) —Mittelberger; 84. ^'Bean; 457— Pa. Arch, (see Goodman history) —Pa. Gaz.; 1772 Mar. 12. ®^Pa. Mag.; XIII. 451—Bean; 106—Kalra; I. 193—Comm., Dr. Joseph Anderson. Hagner; 70. ®®01dmixon; 2d ed.; I. 103. Phila. Deeds; D8; 232 (etc.) —Pa. Mag.; XIII. 448— Levering. ^Phila. Deeds; H7; 499; D9; 367 —Montg. Deeds; 3; 301; 4; 315 — Glenn; 302 —Mercury; 1741; 1742 Sep. 23, Oct. 7—Pa. Gaz.; 1743 Oct. 6; 1744 Oct. 4; 1745 Oct. 3. ^Phila. Deeds; Hll; 76, 79; H13; 194; "I" 6; 248; "I" 13; 240. Phila. Deeds "I" 15; 454 —Montg. Deeds; 5; 17; 7; 640; 12; 41 — Glenn; 165 —Pa. Gaz.; 1754 Dec. 26. ^Glenn; 320 —Phila. Deeds; H 6; 90; "I" 12; 433; "I" 13; 328 — Montg. Deeds; 9; 134 — Anderson; 27. ®*Pa, Gaz.; 1747 Dec. 27; 1747-8 Jan. 26, May 26—Montg. Deeds; 11; 365; 15; 179-81 —Glenn; 106—Phila. Deeds; "I" 3; 242; "I" 12; 52. ^Pa. Gaz.; 1745-6Mar. 11, May 1; 1746 May 15; 1752 Nov. 23; 1756 May 13. ®"Sutcliffe; 253— Comm., Dr. Joseph W. Anderson — Catalog, Mer- ion Chapter, D. A.R.; 13(D.A.E.;—Bean; 105, 340—Schantz; 25-6,29. =®Buck; 113 — Pa. Arch., 6th Ser.; XII. 793 — Bean; 933. ®»Pa. Mag.; XIII. 449— Benjamin Rush: Account of the Manners of the German Inhabitants of Pennsylvania; 11-35 (Rmh)—Kalm; I. 64, etc. — Bean; 457. Mercury and Pa. Gaz.; advts. — Montg. Deeds; 15, 179— Pa. Gaz.; 1753-4 Mar. 9; 1757 Mar. 3. ««Smith; 258—Pa. Gaz.; 1752 Nov. 23; 1763 Oct. 13; 1765 Sep. 26. ®"Kalm; I. 72—Dr. William Douglass: A Summary, historical and political, of the first planting, progressive improvements, &. present state OLD DUTCH CHURCH 343 of the British Settlements in North America; 11. 333 (Douglass) — Comm., John Carter — Arnold. ®"Phila. Deeds; HI8; 442—Pa. Gaz.; 1744 Sep. 13. ^"'Pa. Mag.; XIII. 450. S. Montg.; I. 148; M. B. Harvey — Pa. Gaz.; 1751 Aug. 22 — Glenn; 198 — Smith; 261. ^®Pa. Gaz.; 1754 May 2; 1769 Sep. 7, Dec. 7. '"Kalm; 102, 185 —Pa. Gaz.; 1744 Jun. 21; 1756 Jul. 8. ®"Comm., Taylor family—Pa. Gaz.; 1745 May 10, Aug. 8; 1748 May 5. Thomas Holme: Map of Pennsylvania (Holme) — Glenn; 367. ^^Pa. Gaz.; 1746 May 1; 1748 Nov. 10 —Scull —Pa. Mag.; XIII. 304. Sameul L. Smedley; Map of Philadelphia, 1861 (Smedley) — Barnes: Map of Philadelphia, 1854 (Bames)—Samuel L. Smedley: Atlas of Philadelphia, 1862 (Smedley, Atlas). '"^Pa. Mag.; XIII. 304—Phila. Deeds; HIO; 628—Colonial Records of Pennsylvania; IV. 503-5 (GoL Recs.). ^Phila. Deeds; H 6; 188; H 10; 628; "I" 12; 157; "I" 13; 220. ®^Pa. Gaz.; 1759 Mar. 15; same, advts., 1750-55 —Phila. Deeds; P9; 284 — Anderson; 12, 27. Records, Merion Friends' Meeting (Merion Fr.) — Pa. Gaz.; 1746 Aug. 1; 1745-6 Mar. 11; 1746 May 1; 1748 Nov. 10; 1760 Jun. 12 — Phila. Deeds; G3; 544. ^'Pa. Gaz.; 1757 Apr. 21— Ledgers A and B Secretary's Office (MSS Div., Hist. Soc. of Pa.) (Secy's Off.) — Phila. Deeds; "I" 12; 40. ^Pa. Gaz.; 1750 Nov, 1; 1761 Feb. 12, Apr. 23; 1762 Mar. 25; 1763 Mar. 31 — Phila. Deeds; ^T" 13; 386. ®2Pa. Gaz.; 1758 Mar. 30, Aug. 24. ^Phila. Deeds; H8; 302; D8; 301—Montg. Deeds; 5; 182; 9; 134 — Levering— Scull. ^ Bames — Smedley, Atlas. Scull —Pa. Gaz. 1758 Feb. 16. Records, Quarter Sessions Court, Philadelphia, Road Docket 3; 253, 259, 261; also original petitions (Qxiart. Sess., Phila.) — Philadelphia Exemplification Records; 3; 317 (Exemp.)—Pa. Gaz.; 1764 Nov. 1. ^Ferree; 188, 229-30—Address, Dr. Chas. K. Mills, bef. City His tory Society—Phila. Deeds; "I" 15; 555; "I" 17, 64— Pa. Gaz.; 1774 Mar. 16—Fisher; 116-7 —Frick; 151-2—Samuel E. Weber: The Char ity School Movement in Colonial Pennsylvania (Weber). Scull — Mueller: Main Line Atlas, 1913 (Mueller). 344 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

^Col. Rees.—Phila. Deeds; "I" 16; 3. ®°PhiIa. Deeds; E 5 vol. 7; 217; H6; 90 — Montg. Deeds; 9; 134 — Mueller—Glenn; 367-8 — Pa. Gaz.; 1747 Apr. 23. ^Phila. Deeds; G3; 283; "I" U; 198. Scull—-Pa. Mag.; XIII. 448; Vaux — Levering — Numis.; XXVII. 227; Allen Evans. »Mueller—Pa. Mag.; XIII. 450; Vaux—Glenn; 367 —Pa. Gaz.; 1756 May 13, and advts. — Phila. Deeds; H 7; 68 — Montg. Deeds. ®*Bean; 33, 932—Glenn; 367 — Levering — Personal visit, 1913 — Pa. Arch.; 1st Ser.; V. 709. ®®Exemp.; 7; 9, 36 — Phila. Deeds; E7; 9; 381, 384 — Glenn; 368-9 — Samuel H. Kneass: Map, 1852, showing D'Invilliers estate; owned by Chas. E. D'Invilliers. Anderson—Pa. Gaz.; 1767 Jul. 21. ="Bean; 454, 456, 457 —Ferree; 210—Pa. Gaz.; 1772 Mar. 12. »»Col..Recs.; XV. 448, 494, 526; XVI. 10, 52, 98, 120, 139, 143 —Pa. Arch.; 1st Ser.; XI. 335, 572. ®"Bean; 456, 932 — Glenn; 51 — Personal investigations, 1920. Arnold; compare Glenn; 195 — Kalm; I. 154 — H. S. Montg.; IV. 23; W. W. Potts — Bean; 457. ««Mittelberger; 57 —Bean; 1129; Wm. J.'Buck — Glenn; 194. Douglass; 11. 333 — Ferree; 210; cut — Bean; 454; Wm. J. Buck. Arnold; from Mrs. Jesse Vandegrift — Bean; 457; Wm. J. Buck— Mercury; 1741 May 7. Phila. Deeds; "I" 3; 207, 242; "I" 7; 80-1; "I" 12; 52 —Pa. Gaz.; 1751 Aug. 22; 1757 Mar. 3 —Bean; 457; 933. Arnold; comm. of Asa Jones. **H. Pennypacker: Survey of Islands in the Schuylkill; MS, Hist. Soc. of Pa. (Schuyl. Isls.)—Exemp. — Phila. Deeds — Bean; 932— H. G. Jones: History of Roxborough and Manayunk; clippings (Roxb.) — Anderson; 61 — Hopkins, Montg. — Arnold; comm. of Asa Jones—• Montg. Deeds; 4; 144; 7; 212. ®"Bean; 926 — Mueller. ^Bean; 122-6—Glenn; 195-6 —Pa. Gaz. «®Bean; 126 —Mercury; 1740 Sep. 4-11 —Phila. Deeds; "I" 5; 61, 64 —Pa. Gaz.; 1748-9 Feb. 28. Phila. Deeds; 'T' 4; 81; "I" 5; 56, 63, 222—Pa. Gaz.; 1753 Feb. 13 —Montg. Deeds; 7; 399, 401—Pa. Arch., 6th Ser.; XII. 793. OLD DUTCH CHDBCH 345

«"Phila. Deeds; 'T' 7; 359, 366 —Montg. Deeds; 8; 338 —Pa. Gaz.; 1756 May 13. '"Phila. Deeds; "I" 7; 862. 364, 366; HIO; 304 —Pa. Gaz.; 1761 June 11. Montg. Deeds; 2; 401-2; 9; 81 —Phila. Deeds; "I" 7; 366 —Pa. Gaz.; 1746 May 1. ^'^Bean; 1118; Wm. J. Buck — Arnold. Glenn; 31, 355 — Bean; 618; Wm. J. Buck — Reading Howell; Map of Pennsylvania, 1792 (Howell) —Levering— Comm.; Ralph N. Warner, Jr., 1909; Chas. C. Knox, 1911; Mrs. Jesse Vandegrift (through Mrs. Herbert A. Arnold); Wm. Haley (through Dr. Herbert A. Arnold) — Numis.; XXVIII, 233; Allen Evans. '"Pa. Gaz.; 1746 May 1; 1752 Nov. 23; 1754 Mar. 19, Jul. 4 (see also, Glenn; 375-6) —Henry G. Ashmead: History of Delaware Coimty, Pa.; 669 (Ashmead). ®^*Pa. Gaz.; 1756 May 13 — Pa. Arch.; 6th Ser. Phila. Deeds; H 12; 197; G8; 395 —Pa. Gaz.; 1745 Aug. 1; 1746 May 1; 1756 Nov. 4. «"Bean; 924, 930 —Phila. Deeds; D3; 72. '="Phila. Deeds; H12; 197 —Rush; 9-10. Phila. Deeds; "I" 3; 59 —Mercury; 1741 May 7 —Comm., ab. 1910 — H. S. Montg.; III. 210; Smyth — Comm., S. L. Stadelman (through Mrs. H. A. Arnold) —cfomm., John Carter, 1913—Date stone Glenn; 127, 195, 365, 369, 389 —Pa. Mag.; XHI. 448; Vaux —Pa. Gaz.; 1754 Feb. 12, Mar. 19 —Phila. Deeds; "I" 7; 80. '^Bean; 456 — Comm. — Pa. Gaz.; 1746 Feb. 17; 1760 May 8; 1765 Feb. 14 — Montg. Deeds; 8, 705 — Phila. Deeds; H 6; 33; H 13; 194; "I" 7; 80; G 7; 426 — Anderson; 13, 65. '''Pa. Gaz.; 1745-6 Mar. 11; 1755 Oct. 16 —Phila. Deeds; G8; 271, 483; "I" 10; 84, 386; "I" 7; 80; H 21; 97; H 13; 194 —Anderson; 13. "^Phila. Deeds; G9; 223; H6; 263, 267; "I" 7; 80 —Scull —Pa. Gaz.; 1758 Mar. 30 — Montg. Deeds; 8; 612; 10; 128 —Bean; 457. Deeds — Holme. Montg. Deeds; 8; 613; 11; 460; brief of title —Pa. Gaz.; 1745-6 Mar. 11; advt. of J. Mellor. Montg. Deeds; 10; 226 — Philadelphia Orphans' Court Records; 2; 336 (0. C. Recs.)—Josiah S. Pearce: Early Recollections of Ardmore, Pa.; Bulletin of Hist. Soc. of Montg. Co.; IV Nos. 2, 3 and 4 (Pearce) — Levering—Phila. Deeds; "I" 17; 266 —Pa. Mag.; IV. 209-17; Rev. J. H. Dubbs, D. D.—John W. Jordan: Historic Houses and Institutions of the ; 11. (Jordan, Lehigh)'. 346 bulletin of histoeical society of Montgomery county

Accounts of Provincial Tax for Philadelphia; MSS Div., Hist. Soe. of Pa. (Frov. Tax) — Phila. Deeds; "I" 12; 40 — Secy's Off. — Pa. Gaz.; 1764 Mar. 8; 1765 Aug. 1; 1766 Feb. 6. ^Phila. Deeds; H12; 138—Pa. Gaz.; 1751 Sep. 26; 1760 Jan. 10 — Anderson; 65 — Civic Association Map of Ardmore; 65 (Civic Map) ®^St. Paul's —Phila. Deeds; H13; 265; "I" 14; 198; F9; 284 —Pa. Gaz.; 1752 Jan. 7, Mar. 10 — Levering. Deeds, adj. properties — Phila. Deeds; E 2, vol. 5; 266 — Lever ing—Pa. Gaz.; 1759 Mar. 15; 1769 Mar. 9 — Pa. Arch., 1st Ser.; XI, 335-6. Pearce — Comm.; Samuel Duncan. ""Comm. Dr. Joseph Anderson — Comm.; Miss Henrietta Hoffman. Estimate from deed records — Pa. Arch, 3d Ser.; XIV. ="St. Paul's. Phila. Deeds; "I" 14; 198—St. Paul's —Titus; 5, 7. «®Exemp.; 7; 365—Phila. Deeds; E 5; 54; G 3; 283; G 6; 526; H 13; 265 — Pa. Gaz.; 1752 Jan. 7, Mar. 10; 1764 Mar.'8. Pa. Gaz., during the period; notably 1765 Aug. 1 — Phila. Deeds; "I" 14; 198. "'St. Paul's —Titus; 8. ""Titus; 7 —St. Paul's. ""Titus; 7-8—St. Paul's, ""Ref., Gtn.—Ref., Phila. "'Titus; 6 —St, Paul's. "®Titus; 6 — Henry Pleasants: History of Old Eagle School; 31 (Pleasanta)—Westcott; chap. 176 — Watson-Hazard; II. 26 — St. Paul's. Ziegenfuss; 20—Titus; 11 — Bean; 1127 — Westcott; chap. 176. "'Pa. Gaz.; advts. —St. Paul's—Titus; 7 —Phila. Deeds; "I" 14; 198. Titus; 8 — Westcott; chap. 176. Acquisitions Mrs. C. W. Emery: Photostatic copies of the will of Catharine Jones, widow, Gwynedd, 1754; and Orphans' Court petition in the estate of Humphrey Jones, 1752. Kensil Bell: His own book, Jersey Rebel, (Dodd Mead & Co., 1951.) A story written for older boys based on little-known facts of the Revolutionary War in and around' Philadelphia. Clinton W. Morgan: Wooden grain ladle, grain sickle, hand-wrought shears, candle holder, a small sieve and a miller's measure. All items once owned by Benjamin Morgan, miller, of Upper Moreland Town ship. Also many fine specimens of Indian artifacts found in that

area. Mrs. Edgar S. Buyers: Papers of Edmund A. Kite, Army of the United States, showing promotions, discharge and letters of reference dur ing the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. Montgomery Norristown Bank and Trust Company: Replica of the Houdon bust of Washing^ton made at the time of the bi-centennial of the birth of George Washington, 1732-1932. Dr. Edward F. Corson: Original Minutes of meetings of Anti-Slavery Society of Montgomery County, 1838 and 1839. Letters to Alan W. Corson on anti-slavery. Pamphlet, Platfonn of the American Anti- Slavery Society, (New York, 1853.) An Essay on the policy of the government of the United States for purchasing, and liberating the slaves thereof, (printed by Benjamin Lundy, Baltimore, 1826.) Diary of Dr. Edward P. Corson, Jr., 1859, with later entries by the donor. Newspapers and other items. Mrs. LeRoy Burris: A book, Diamond Rock, by Clifton Lisle, 1920. A tale, partly truth, partly fiction, of Valley Forge and •vicinity dur ing the Revolution. Dr. H. B. Shearer: Daguerreotype of Lydia A. Shearer. Wells' English Grammar, 1850. Mrs. John M. Taylor: Typescript histories. Volumes I and II, The Krau- ses and the Witmans, written by her sister, Caroline Witman Gil- fiUan. Frank C. Roberts, Jr.: The Houstons of Philadelphia, by Frank C. Roberts, Jr., 1954.

347 348 bulletin of historical society op Montgomery county

Mrs. Bayard Corson: Eight photographs in one frame of Gertrude Rennyson in her famous operatic roles. Several photographs of Captain William Rennyson. Miss Frances W. Pennypacker: Circular and Catalogue of Cottage Seminary for Young Ladies, Pottstown, Pennsylvania, 1859. Miss Elsie Mancil; Advertising pictorial double-sheet of the Presidential candidates of 1856, as given to the subscribers of Brother Jona^ than, (New York.) Issue of The Madisonian, February 13, 1841, (Washington City) Copy of the Semi-annual Pictorial Saturday Courier, July 4, 1849. Mrs. Joseph L. Rapp: Discharge, 1866, of Philip R. Kirk, Company H, 7th Pennsylvania Regiment. Framed lithograph of Andersonville Prison.

Miss Nellie Loeser Smith: Lovely, handpainted tea-set of translucent bone china, consisting of thirty-five pieces. Known in the family as "The Loeser China" for more than four generations. Miss Jane W. Pugh: Silk print grenadine worn by Martha Pugh, born in 1836. Piratical and Tragical Almanac, 1846. Pour large greeting- cards with silk-fringed edges, circa 1883. Edmund B. Middleton: Typescript history, with charts, of the Middleton and Bathurst Families, compiled by the donor. Mrs. Slingluff White: Masonic apron and badge of silk worn by Samuel H. Slingluff at the banquet in Philadelphia, 1824, on the occasion of Marquis de Lafayette's last visit to America. Donald A. Gallager, Esq.: Two volumes, copies Nos. 1, typescript records of the Members of the Bar of Montgomery County, 1784-1954, as compiled by the Biographical and Historical Committee of Mont gomery Bar Association. Joseph Shrawder: The Family Christian Almanac, 1841. Several issues of New York and Philadelphia newspapers of 1872. Four photo graphs: Mont Clare School, Pencoyd Iron Works, Wooden bridge of Reading Railroad over the Wissahickon at Ridge Avenue, and the skew-arch stone bridge of the Reading Railroad over the Schuylkill below Wissahickon. Anniversary booklet of Plymouth Township School, 1940. Silk campaign ribbon, Harrison and Tyler, Columbia County Delegation. Miss Margaret J. Hort: Circular and Catalogue of Treemount Seminary, 1877-78, and a small ledger, the expense account of Henry Archer ACQUISITIONS 349

Janvier while a student at Treemount Seminary, 1875-76. (These two items brought in through the courtesy of Dr. Edward F. Corson.) George D. Widener: Three autograph albums of considerable historical and political significance. One, of Honorable Jehu Glancy Jones, clergyman and lawyer, most widely known Congressional Mem ber ever sent from Berks County to Washington, 1851-1858. Two, of Charles Henry Jones, also of Reading. Both albums' contain famous autographs some of which are: James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, Daniel Webster, Winfield Scott. James K. Polk, and members of the United States Senate and House of .. Representatives for the years, 1852, 1855. Acquired by purchase: The Pennsylvania Magazine, Index to Volumes 1-75, edited by Eugene E. Doll, 1954; The Leibensperger Genealogy, compiled by Elmer J. Leibensperger; (Baltimore, Maryland, 1943;) Our Rifles, by Charles W. Sawyer, 1946; Early Americcm Wooderv- ware, by Mary E. Gould, 1948; Victorian Jewellery, by Margaret Flower; Decorative Art of Victoria's Era, by Frandes Lichten; Memoii's of Herbert Hoover, 1920-1933, (1952;) Practitioner in Physick, by Andrew S. Berky, 1954.

Other donors to whom we extend our sincere appreciation are: Mrs. A. Irvin Supplee, Mrs. Wilmer H. Long, David E. Groshens, Esq., Pennsylvania Hotel Association, Mrs. Walter A. Knerr, R. Ronald Dettre, Miss Rachel K. Essiek, Genealogical Society of Pennsyl vania, The Schwenkfelder Library, Mrs. Percy P. Teal, George M. Harding, Louis Speilberg, Mary Dotterer Harbison, Edward Dybicz, Mrs. Arthur Iliff, John J. Gutjahr, Norris D. Wright, John S. Wurts, John H. Knerr, George C. Fox, Prentice-Hall, Inc., and Leon T. Lewis.

JANE KEPLINGER BURRIS, Librarian Report on Membership NEW MEMBERS (Elected November 20, 1954) Henry K. Alderfer Lloyd P. Kershner, Sr., Mrs. Albert Banham, Sr., Mrs. Mabelle M. Kirkbride Mrs. Stewart A. Bright Mrs. Lyman A. Kratz Mrs. Eugene A. Cox W. A. Landis Mrs. Ralph Lionel Cox Leon T. Lewis Mrs. Herbert W. Frankenfield Mrs. Henry T. MacNeill John L. Pretz Howard E. Rohlin Mrs. Marion Gordy Mrs. Robert J. Snyder Shandy Hill Lylburn H. Steele Mrs. Raymond M. Jaunich Mrs. Slingluff White Jay V. Kershner Mrs. P. W. Worthington Mrs. Norris D. Wright

TRANSFERRED TO LIFE MEMBERSHIP Mrs. Kirke Bryan Kirke Bryan, Esq. NEW MEMBERS (Elected February 22, 1955) Karl J. Boehringer Mrs. Emilie M. Lynch H. Stanley Drake Isaac J. Sheppard J. Blverson Hough Miss Nellie Loeser Smith Stanley B. Kitzelman Roy E. Smith Mrs, C. Raymond Lukens, Jr., Mrs. Percy P. Teal Mrs. Howard R. Watt

TRANSFERRED TO LIFE MEMBERSHIP Mrs. LeRoy Burris

DEATHS Stanley S. Anders Abram M. Kulp Mrs. Ellie C. Buckman Mrs. J. Walton Lysinger John J. M. Clark Henry W. Mathieu Hon. J. Burnett Holland George W. Shearer Mrs. John Y. Huber Harold D. Steinbright Mrs. William Taggart

STATUS OF MEMBERSHIP Honorary 5 Life 37 Annual 569

Total 611 HELEN E. RICHARDS, Con'esponding Secretary

850 November Meeting

The regular meeting of the Historical Society of Montgomery Coun- ty was convened at 2 p.m. on November 20, 1954, at the new building of the Society. President Gallager presided. The minutes of the April meeting were read and approved. President Gallager spoke of the October dedication ceremony and the pleasure of being in the new building, as well as the great work en tailed in the transfer of the collections. The devoted service of the Special Building Committee was noted. To those of its members present, Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Lyman A. Kratz, and Kirke Bryan, Esq., he presented framed copies of the photograph of the dedication ceremony. President Gallager introduced Fred C. Swinehart who spoke on The Turnpikes Of Pennsylvania, Precursors Of Good Roads In America. Mr. Swinehart illustrated his very interesting talk with a variety of photographs and maps, and with anecdotes. At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served tea.

EVA G. DAVIS, Reeordmg Seeretary

361 February Meeting

The annual meeting of the Historical Society of Montgomery Coun ty was convened at 2:15 p.m., February 22, 1955, at the building of the Society, with President Gallager presiding. The minutes of the Novem ber meeting were read and approved. Lsrman A. Kratz, Treasurer, read his report for the year 1954. This showed an annual income of $7,636.87, and annual expenditures of $7,427.98, and a balance of $3,309.30 on December 31, 1954. The report had been duly audited by Rebecca R. Shelly and R. Ronald Dettre, and on a motion duly seconded and passed it was received and ordered filed. Upon a motion by Kenneth H, Hallman the following Resolution was placed before the Society: Whereas, from Midsummer of 1952 to the late Fall of 1954 the formulation and consummation of the new building program of the Historical Society of Montgomery County have placed countless ex traordinary duties upon the Financial Secretary and Librarian of the Society, and Whereas, the planning and much of the actual work involved in the task of moving to the new building were capably and cheerfully assumed by the Financial Secretary and Librarian, and Whereas, the Board of Trustees of the Historical Society of Mont gomery County, deeply sensible to the extraordinary tasks performed by the Financial Secretary and Librarian, wish to indicate and record in some special fashion their appreciation of her special services. Now, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees propose to the members of the Society assembled in the first Annual Meeting in the new building, on February 22, 1955, that they elect to Life Mem bership in this Society Jane Keplinger Bubris, Financial Secretary and Librarian, and Be it further resolved that the Life Membership fee therefor be paid out of the general funds of the Society. It was moved, seconded and carried, and President Gallager wel comed Mrs. Burris to life membership. President Gallager commented on the two grreat presidents whose birth anniversaries are celebrated in February, and on the exhibit of appropriate Lincoln items from our collection in the case in the hall.

352 FEBRTJARY MEETING 353

In the absence of Norris D. Wright, President Gallager spoke of the protrait of Dr. Louis W. Read which we had received from the Valley Forge Historical Society. Daniel S. Johnson, as Chairman, read the report of the Nominating Committee with the following nominations: PRESIDENT TRUSTEES Donald A. Gallager, Esq. Kirke Bryan, Esq., VICE-PRESIDENT Har^ L. Christman George K. Brecht, Esq. Mrs. H. H. Prancine Foster C. Hillegass Donald A. Gallager, Esq., David E. Groshens, Esq. Herbert H. Ganser RECORDING SECRETARY Kenneth H. Hallman Eva G. Davis George M. Harding CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Nancy P. Highley Helen E. Richards Foster C. Hillegass FINANCIAL SECRETARY Mrs. A. Conrad Jones Mrs. LeRoy Burris Hon. Harold G. Knight TREASURER Lyman A. Kratz Lyman A. Kratz Franklin A. Stickler Mrs. Franklin 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 Nomination Committee he adopted, and the nominations were declared 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 list of the nominees was read by the Secretary, and the nominees were declared duly elected for the ensuing year. In accepting the election for 1955 President Gallager remarked upon the privilege of being associated with the work of the Society. Thanks and commendations were extended to Mr. Brecht for his services in the chair during the election. The speaker of the day, Frederick M. Harden, the first president of the Lincoln-Civil War Society of Philadelphia, was introduced by President Gallager. Mr. Barden's subject was Peijnsylvania, Too, Has a Claim to Lincoln. He discussed the several visits which Lincoln had made to Pennsylvania, and the surrounding incidents, with interest. At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served tea. EVA G. DAVIS, Recording Secretary The Historical Society of Montgomery County has for its 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 couniy 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 Building, 1654 DeKalb Street, Norristown, 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 after noon. The material in the library may be freely consulted dur ing these hours, but no book may be taken from the building.

To Out Friends Our Society needs funds for the furthering of its work, its ex pansion, 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 be used in the making of wills:

I HEREBY GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO THE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,

PENNSYLVANIA, THE SUM OF

DOLLARS ($ )