, .„,, „,,,.-1 Ie. • r•11.,; s v_ .:11;.--''' . %. ....:. _,11,101, ol'I - -, 1,' o‘ v. - w •-• /...1a. ,'' ,,,- cy,of 10.0 \1,,IV _, , .01 ,;„,---- ', A 0, 016 „YOUR LAND AND .,1" ,Nil.„,,9 : 1; V.11" I, ,, 'ow ,, . 01, ; BY f•w•r-i-ti`I''' --:-— , --i-„‘," ."; ,,, r \, • • . O" ;._ . • N - .„t• .10 EDMUND W. VIGUERS 1 k , Iv' . • o': jrar.'!:, ..\ . , ...---1,4 s.., •-, 11"‘‘ 0 re 't' -----.V . ov1 .00 - II''',05‘ 410,1N ' --$A 01' 0' :•-..-•-• 1,,, lc -. ..00', 1 1 01 ,t,s1' . .01. ' . 113, ....-- 7-7. no". VI' • k‘"' .% ,00- IP' \i'l,ili, ,..., 1,'"° A1 "45 -,..., • N'' Ilt' ' 1 S' is 00,?' ill i 1, ,. R P• s.----,.. ,• , .10!..i01 , coil it 04,1 ' A ' .i ,N ‘ $v" ,. .‘i`‘ \\‘‘ 7,,.....111S \\ ‘i •• 71--. •--N.--.... •S'" fr. 101' • V . NNO . ft -• Iii‘...r1:;::::::11 ..., \''' • ' . 571:1:1)- . ''._;'' . •• A :::::::e 00c's:` ,,i i sCs•l‘ •`• ; ,,,Ai‘ •/ / ‘%5' S , Is i\ S' Y' , 6,•,,,y,,,.ib,,,, - /7 ()ME 111,7%W1: \\ 0" (..' \• 1' e...":;...... 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YOUR LAND AND MINE BY EDMUND W. VIGUERS, JR. Haverford Township Historical Society Collection To My friends and neighbors To The people who live and will live within the boundaries of these several old farms To Those who conduct their businesses or earn their daily bread thereon To Those who instruct in secularism or righteousness And to Our practicing physicians But most of all to Our children who know the area best and call it home 2 Haverford Township Historical Society Collection ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is impossible to name everyone who has contributed to the information herein contained. Many people have been helpful; most in a negative way. Among our elder citizens, it was rare to find one who knew anything of the information sought. Of those who helped positively were Mr. John Savage, who lent books and helped to verify certain portions. Mr. H. Gates Lloyd lent a book which was helpful. A long time friend, Arthur Brecht, contributed a couple of books which had belonged to his father, Samuel Kriebel Brecht, Ph.D., Historian and Genealcigist. In these last was first found a positive clue to the Davis family mentioned in a "blind" deed of 1823. Miss M. Emma Willis', a school teacher of the author's, was the only person who knew anything about the Davises and was otherwise helpful. Mr. Edwin Kessler, an electrical engineer who has also formally studied civil engineering, helped with the line, degree and measurement problems involved in plotting the descriptions found in some of the old deeds. The most important aid came from Miss Helen Moore* of Brookline who knows her way about the Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, where she spent days ferreting out material. Mrs. T. Carroll Davis of Mount Airy, Widow of Dr. T. Carroll Davis, was very cooperative. She contributed a copy of Dr. Davis' booklet, A Brief Genealogical History of the Davis Family and Allied Lines, which is on file at the Pennsylvania Genealogical Society and the Chester County Historical Society. The staff at these places was helpful, as was Mrs. Mayer, librarian of the Friends Historical Society. Much is owed to a descendant of Lewis and Florence David, Mrs. Mary Patterson, Genealogist and leading figure at the restored Friends of the Caleb Pusey House. She patiently listened to problems and made suggestions. Edmund W. Viguers (Old) Haverford, Pa. 1968 * Died since the beginning of this work 3 Haverford Township Historical Society Collection TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 INTRODUCTION 4 AN HISTORICAL SKETCH: YOUR LAND AND MINE 6 THE LARGER BACKGROUND 7 THE WELSH TRACT 9 INSERT NO. 1 10 A Collection of the Sufferings of the People Called Quakers, Joseph Besse 1753, p.747 10 INSERT NO. 2 10 INSERT NO. 3 10 Nom ON TITHES 11 A FANCIFUL PICTURE 12 LEWIS DAVID AND LEWIS DAVID 13 FARM NUMBER 1 16 The Chestnut Tree 19 The Worm Fence 19 Oxen 20 The Spring House 20 The Milk Route 21 Dates 22 A SUMMARY: DAVISES ON FARM NUMBER 1 26 FARM NUMBER 2 30 FARM NUMBER 3 44 FARM NUMBER 4 56 INDEX 67 4 Haverford Township Historical Society Collection Table of Plates: 6a Map of four farms 29a Photograph of Davis stone marker 29b Photograph of original Davis marker 31a Photograph of 1240 Center Road 48a Photograph of stone marking 1799 school site 48b Bill of sale for stone marker 66a Map of early settlements of Delaware County 4a Haverford Township Historical Society Collection INTRODUCTION There are two principal reasons for writing this historical sketch. First, to record permanently under one cover the story of this small area as indicated on the diagrams herein contained, and to acquaint the people who presently own it or live on it with its history. The second reason grows out of the first: to help create more historical interest and to use this account as a means to facilitate teaming of the effect and acceptance of local history. It would require the efforts of many people to research all of the old farms of our respective townships and yet, it seems that it should be done before more and more material is forever lost. The question is, do enough of our people think that this is true? Each farmstead has its own story, all more or less interesting. Would it not, for instance, interest you to know that your "spot in the sun" was once owned by a man who lost his wife because he loved his slaves? Some of the land adjacent to Farm Number 1 was owned by such a man. Indeed, the portion of Farm Number 3 which had been part of the Richland Tract was trod by the feet of slaves! The Richland . tract was owned by the Willing family. It included part of present Llanerch and westward to about the line of the present N. Drexel Avenue. An account of the Richland tract may become available at some time in the future, since there is a family interested in it whose members have promised to undertake the research necessary to write its history. Would you not think it interesting to learn that your land was once owned by one of the greatest men that Delaware County ever produced? That many of us have shared and do share in the benefits of his greatest effort? This is true of one our farms. Ours is a rich heritage, the half of which is scarcely known. It is hoped that this booklet will inspire others to pursue the research of local history. With these thoughts in mind, I will attempt to put some "meat on the dry bones" of the history of our lands from before the days of the first settlements until the 1920's, the days of the real estate developers. In the following account, accuracy is diligently sought after, but the whole truth has ever been but a will o' the wisp. The human factor varies, points of view differ. We sometimes come up with strange accounts. Stories that have been told do not match the original documents. In some instances, the lack of documentation causes periods of times to pass without leaving a story to tell. An indispensable key to understanding the contents of this booklet is the plot plan of the several farms, numbered and generally indicating the area of each, found at the end of this introduction. 5 Haverford Township Historical Society Collection AN HISTORICAL SKETCH: YOUR LAND AND MINE Of your land and mine? Yes, the very ground on which our homes are built! .A question that frequently arises among us is this: can the ownership of this, my lot, be traced back to the times of the first settlers? The answer is yes; though, in some instances, it is with great difficulty. I have mentioned settlers. Settlers were people. A great and noble people! So, with the story of our land must go the story of our people. Generations have liOd here. They earned their livings by lumbering, farming, and milling. Some were businessmen; a few were professionals. In the area of Pennsylvania under consideration, there were farms, mills, tanneries, a small quarry, and schools. More animals were slaughtered on the farms than were needed for home consumption. The farmstead was often the headquarters for the milk route. These farming operations will be discussed later. Another thought that comes to mind is: why did these people not leave a record? But, in fact, they did. Although it is a somewhat obscure and spotty one. The record is in the form of wills, inventories, deeds, judgments and other court documents, maps, church records, and particularly records of the Friends Meetings, since most of the early settlers were Quakers.