Communicants in the year 1714: Jan. 1. Old John Gustaf's [Justice's] widow, Mrs. Brita(16); Jonas Walrawen [Walraven] and his wife Annika. Mårten Gustafsson and his wife Brita. Mrs. Maria Braun. Ingebord Stedham. Jan. 6. Jacob van der Wer, Cornelius' wife Maria. Jan. 14. Carl Springer and his wife Maria. Edward Robinsson. Walborg Osterson. Feb. 14. Peter Peter's [Peterson's] wife Karin, over Brandywine, in her illness. March 5. Edward Milsson's wife, Sara, in her illness. March 28. Lucas Stedham and his wife Karin, the son Lucas, and the daughter Ingebord. William Maslander and his wife, Helena. April 4. Anders Kock [Cock] and his wife, Sara. April 14. Thomas Jon's wife Anna, in her illness.(17) April 18. Mr. Biork and his wife Christina. Mag.[ister] Hesselius and his wife, Sara. Anders Gustafsson and his wife, [Brita]. April 25. Peter Meyer's wife Sa[ra]. May 2. Johan Goiding and his [wife Ann[ika]. May 9. Eric Ericksson (from Crane Hook), with his wife Annika, and the son Erik. Brita Clemmetssen's [Clementson's, Clements'] widow. May 10. Mag.[ister] Hesse;ius' wife Sara, in her illness. May 11. Erik Andersson's wife, in her illness. May 14. Robert Braun's widow, Mrs. Maria, in her illness. May 16. John William Lerchenzeiler, with his wife. Johan Didrich Elrod with his wife Maria Magdalena. Albertus Wolbach [Woolbough] and his wife Barbro (sic). Peter Petersson, over Brandywine, and his wife Karin. Olof Tossawa's widow, Mrs. Gertrud. Ingebord Stedham. Mary Moyer. May 30. Peter Petersson's wife Helena. May 31. Johan Andersson Kock's wife Catharina, in her illness. June 6. Philip Van de Wer. June 13. Brita, Lars Mårten's [Morton's] widow(18) June 20. Christiern Stilman [Steelman](19). Conrad Constantin and his wife Kerstin, with the daughter Maria. June 27. Mr. Biork and his wife Christina.(20) Johan van de Wer and his wife Maria.(21). Kerstin [Walrawen], Jesper's [Gilbert's] widow. Måns Gustafsson and his wife Catharine. Regner von Culen and his wife Ingrid.(22) Johan Culen and his wife Kerstin. Sven Colsberg's [Coleberry's] widow Elizabeth. Kerstin Conrad's [Conrad Constantine's] daughter. (16) "The venerable widow" Brita Justis and some of her children and grandchildren have so large a place in the records of Holy Trinity Church that it seems appropriate to include here brief notes on the family background. On Nov. 22, 1699, "Bridget Justis, the mother, and her seven sons, Justa, Mounce, Charles, Hance, John, Swan [Sven], and Andrew, conveyed to James Hunt part of a tract oif land in Kingkessing, Philadelphia County, which had by patent been granted by the Governor of New York on March 10. 1670, to John Justis, deceased. Since it is possible to establish the date of birth of the eldest son, Justa, as 1656, and since he, nor any of his brothers is listed in the 1693 census of the Swedish congregations as having been born in Sweden, it seems quite certain that John Justis, the father, was the Johan Gustafsson from Kinekulle, Sweden, who came here on the "Swan" in 1643 and "served as a soldier until 1653, when he probably became a freeman. No relationship between John Justis and Jon [Juns, James] Justis of Salem County, New Jersey, also Swedish born, has been established. Extracts from now lost parish records of Gloria Dei (Wicaco) Church, Philadelphia, by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Collin and found on a paper in his handwriting, include a subscription list, dated Aug. 10, 1684, containing the names of Brita Jostes, Josta Jostsson, and Mons Jostasson. According to a census taken of the Wicaco congregation, taken in 1697-8. Andrew, the youngest son, was born about 1681. The date of the father's death may be therefore be determined with some exactness. "Brigitta [Brita], daughter of Mouns" (the only clue we have to her parentage) and six of her sons, Justa, Mounce, Charles, John, Swan [Sven], and Andrew, appear in the Wicaco census. Also enrolled is her daughter Annika, wife of Mathias Morton of "Tennicum Creek," Chester Co., now Delaware County, PA. That Hance (a name not to be confused with the German Hans [John], though it is sometimes written so in error) Justis was living in New Castle County in 1697, is evidenced by his witnessing, on March 25th of that year, the will of Oliver Cope, who lived on Naaman's Creek, below the Delaware line. It is probable that Hance and his wife were members of Christina (Ft. Christina, now Wilmington. DE) congregation when pews were assigned in 1699, although the name is recorded as Hans [sic] Gostafsson. There is no one having a similar name, at that period, who cannot be accounted for elsewhere. In 1701 Hance Justis, then a resident of Chichester (Marcus Hook), signed a petition which is to be found in "Documents of the Provincial Council", Logan Papers. On Nov. 16, 1710, Lydia, daughter of Hans [sic] Giostason [sic] of Cecil County, MD, was married by Eric Biork to Mr, Jonas Auren. Andreas Sandel, pastor at Wicaco, journeyed to Maryland for the wedding and recorded the event in his diary. Although the entire family had close ties to the Christina congregation, and at least three of the sons (other than Hance) had land in New Castle County, (DE) Andrew is the only to appear as a communicant during the period covered by this current work. John, Mans, Gustaf, and Morton Justis, whose names appear so frequently in Holy Trinity records, were sons of Justa and Anna (Morton) Justis of Philadelphia Co.; hence, grandsons of John and Brita Justis. Probate records show that Justa, Mounce, Charles, John, Swan [Sven] died in or near Philadelphia. Andrew removed from Wilmington after the death of his wife in 1737, and died in Salem Co., NJ in 1740. At least one daughter of John and Brita Justis became a member of the Christina congregation. There was almost certainly another, and perhaps more of whom we do not know. Annika (Justis) Morton, second wife of Jonas Walraven, Sr., was the widow of Mathias Morton of Chester Co. Later, as the wide of Jonas Walraven, she married Charles Springer, Sr., whose first wife, Maria Hendrickson, died in 1727. The aged Brita Justis died at Christina, and was buried in the Old Swedes churchyard there on Aug. 22, 1724. (17) Anna was buried a week later, in Christina churchyard, and on Sept. 7 following, Thomas Jones married "Mrs. Margareta, Samuel's daughter." Margareta, daughter of Samuel Peterson, was the widow of Asmund Stedham, one of the sons of Tymen Stedham. Confirmation of Margareta's identity as Asmund Stedham's widow is given by a comparison of communicant and baptismal sponsor lists with Asmund's will and deeds. (18) Will of Laurence Morton, Chester Co., PA, dated Apr. 5, 1713, probated June 16, 1713 with bequests to wife Bridget, and child Tobias. (19) Records of the New Castle Court of Common Pleas for the period Nov. 16, 1708 to Feb. 15, 1709. (DE Archives, Dover, DE) mention Christian Steelman of New Castle, cordwainer (shoemaker), and his wife Mary, administrix of James Claypoole of New Castle, deceased. James Claypoole was clerk of the New Castle Court as early as July 30, 1690, when the Proviincial Council of Philadelphia "understanding that James Claypoole, clerk of New Castle County, was in Towne," sent for him. On Oct. 22, 1695, James Claypoole and Mary his wife, were among the friends named in the will of Mary William, of the Town of New Castle. A somewhat unexpected reference to Christian Steelman appears in the minutes of Chester Monthly Meeting for Nov. 27, 1710 and again on Dec. 25, 1710, when he is spoken of, not as a member, but as having been on the Queen's Road "between New Castle and Christeen Ferry." (20) This is the final record of Eric Biork's presence as a Communicate at Holy Trinity Church. Two days later, he and his wife, their five children and a foster child, and his wife's sister Maria, with her husband John Vandever, set out for Bohemia Landing in Maryland, to take ship. Many friends made this first part of the journey with them. Mr. Sandel and others had come from Philaldelphia, and Mr. Lidenius from New Jersey; others waited for them at the "Christina Bridge". The general feeling about Biork's departure is expredded in a letter to Bishop Swedberg by the Christina and Wicaco congregations: "By his edifying sermons, and exalted virtuous life, [he] acquired and leaves after him such great renown that both Swedes and English lament his going away with many tears." (21) John Vandever "Cornelius' son" died in Sweden before May 3, 1720, and his widow married Hans George Smith with whom, and her daughter Christina Vandever, she returned to the Delaware. (22) Census of the Wicaco congregation 1697-98 were "Culen's children", livimg at Crum Creek (Chester, now Delaware County) are listed as Jacob, Reiner, Gregory, and Maria. There were pther Culen and van Culen families also, in Chester Co. at this time. The possibility that an earlier Reigner Vanderculen, Von der Coolen, frequently mentioned in New Castle County records, who appears in Holy Trinity, was the father if the Reiner who appears im Holy Trinity records, seems to be ruled out by his will, dated April 2, 1695, and the subsequent administration in whicch four daughters, but no sons are listed.