Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 18:06:48 -0600 From: "The Prough's" <[email protected]> Subject: Merion Meeting Burial Records. Since I started entering the data from this work, I have had several emails about the source. Here is the introduction from the Transcribed copy of the hand written books. Personally I do not have any ancestors who were Welsh and no particular knowledge of them. I merely transcribed Miss Harvey's work from her handwritten composition books to a typed copy and indexed the typed copy. The puncuation, parenthesis etc. are Miss Harvey's. All conclusions are hers. My hope was that this work could guide others to their roots. As with all data it must be proven to your own satisfaction. Here is the introduction. The Incompleted Burial Records of Merion Meeting Grave-yard 1682-1848, as compiled by Margaret B. Harvey, A.M. distinguished Genealogist and Writer, born 1855 died 1912. Transcribed from Miss Harvey's Original Records in the year 1982, Indexed 1983. Following is an exerpt from a paper, written by Miss Harvey, entitled "Lower Merion Friends Meetinghouse. The History of Lower Merion Friends Meetinghouse" Published in the "American Monthly Magazine". Washington D.C. 1895. "The history of Merion Friends Meeting house is the history of the Welsh in Pennsylvania. The history of th Welsh in Pennsylvania is the history of Pennsylvania and of the United States." Dr. Edward Jones, son-in-law of Dr. Thomas Wynne, kinsman and partner of John ap Thomas, set out with his company from Bala early in the summer of 1682, embarking from Liverpool in the ship "Lyon", John Compton "Master." After a voyage of several weeks the vessel arrived at Upland, a Sweedish town on the Delaware, (now known as Chester,) in August of the same year. The original records are deposited with the Montgomery Historical Society, Norristown, PA. These records are in long hand, and wanted information must be ferreted out. By actual count of the Merion Meeting Graveyard 1935, there were 253 graves stones, mostly of Marble and of a later period than Miss Harvey's records cover. There are about 25 old field stones without names or date. The famous John Dickinson, who on or about 1785 owned a large tract of ground just East of Merion Meeting deeded to the society at that time some acres of ground to take care of future needs. Owing to the indifference of the various Boards of Trustees this ground has not been used for burial purposes but the "Merry Old Custom" of burying bodies on top of bodies has been kept up to this date. Perhaps the following extract is explanatory. "It is the sense of this meeting, that no monuments, either of wood or stone be affixed to graves in any of our burial grounds; and if any yet remain therein, that these be forthwith removed - so that no cause of uneasiness on this account may exist, or partiality by justly chargeavle upon us." 1706, 1733. From Rules of Disipline of the Yearly Meeting of Friends, for Penna. New Jersey, Delaware, and the Eastern parts of Maryland.