Here is an interesting tidbit. I found a record in the Chester Co. Orphan's Court from 1751. Mary Archer, d/o Jacob Archer, deceased, requested that Benjamin Ford be made her guardian, which was granted. As I understand it, if a "child" was of a certain age he or she could request her "guardian". It looks like Mary's older sister Margaret was the wife of Benjamin's son Philip Ford. The interesting question is whether this young lady went on to be the "Mary" listed as the last wife of Benjamin Ford, Sr ? There is a baptismal record for parents Benjamin and Mary Ford in 1756 at Old Swedes in New Castle, De. Benjamin Ford had six children deemed "younger" in his will of 1774. By the way, there were two or three women named "Mary Archer" in the Archer family. Bev W

I have to say, I really enjoy reading everyone's posts even when they don't relate to my family. I live in Rising Sun, Md- formerly West Nottingham. All of the locales we discuss are close to me and it just makes life so much richer thinking about the history you share. It really is a blessing. Barbara Russell Kelly Following the Houston, Montgomery, Mitchell, Doak, and Finley families Sent from my iPhone

I think the one pamphlet is about the Nowill [not Nowal] Knife as John Nowill and Sons have been Sheffield, Eng knifemakers since 1700. They made straight razors, hunting knives, combat knives - all kinds. Maybe this was a sort of sales catalog. When Penn was imprisoned he wrote pamphlets about the fundamentals of Quakerism - this could be one of those - perhaps not original but a reprint. It looks like an eclectic grouping so Mitchel was interested in a range of topics and perhaps picked these up at the local 'store.' Or bought them as a lot at an estate sale! But they were cheap to buy which was part of the attraction. Liane

>From THE 1693 CENSUS OF THE SWEDES ON THE DELAWARE, by Craig Olle Rosse (Rawson)... was among the soldiers arriving on the Eagle in 1654....known then as Olof Rase....and was stationed at Fort Trinity (New Castle) when the fort was surrendered to the Dutch in 1655. Born in Sweden, Olof or Olle was variously identified as Raesen, Rassen, Rase, Rason, Rawsa, Raws, Rawson and Rosen in 17 century records.....probably variants of resen, meaning the giant in Swedish. He died July 25, 1697. Brita was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Wilmington on 22 Aug, 1724. (Brita was the dau of Johan Gustafsson and Brita Mansdotter, probably the daughter of the freeman Mans Andersson.) Charles, one of the children of Olle and Britta, was born in 1660. I looked for wills but didn't find much of interest ...nothing for Benj or Reuben...no wills or adm papers. I'll send this along, in case you can use it. . DRUITT, JOHN. November 18, 1740. Adm. to Elizabeth Druitt.[He left issue, John and Mary Derritt. Widow married John Moore of Brandywine Hundredbefore October 2, 1744:daughter of Charles Rawson ofBrandywine Hundred. She had a 1/3 interest in a small estate.] Sandra " I have been doing a bit more "poking around" regarding the marriages of Benjamin Ford, b. circa 1702 to Reuben and Mary Druitt Ford. We know that Benjamin first married Sarah Rawson, d/o Charles Rawson and wife Mary. Charles Rawson was the son of Olla (Wolla William) Rawson and Britta Andersdotter. He died in 1708. Benjamin ultimately ended up with a great deal of the Rawson property, which included a grist mill. My confusion begins with looking at family trees that suggest that Benjamin was married three times. There seems to be no problem with assigning the first three daughters to wife Sarah. Hanna, Mary and Elizabeth Ford are reported as Sarah Rawson Ford's off spring. My fifth great grandmother, Jane who married 3 times by her early 20s and some of her brothers are attributed to a second spouse and finally, the last six of twelve children are attributed to a third wife "Mary". I for one would like to know how these assignments were made by other descendants. First, I have found no record for the death of Sarah Ford. Looking at the considerable court proceedings regarding her father's estate, even in 1744 when Ford was asked to support his claim to the property, she was listed as his wife. I see no mention of "deceased" in the record. Admittedly, Sarah was very young when Charles Rawson died and her inheritance was no doubt part of her dowry. It looks like she married Benjamin Ford around 1728. While his family appears to have been Quaker, I found him listed as a member of the Chester faction at Old Swedes of New Castle in 1730. Records and activity for Benjamin Ford and his family can be found in New Castle Co., De., Chester Co., Pa and Salem Co. Nj. Most surprisingly, I found an Orphan's Court Record from New Castle asking Benjamin Ford to resume guardianship of Jane Grubb, a widow and a minor in April of1755. Jane had married Peter Grub on 12/24/1754. Jane, who went on to marry a Williams...and became widowed again a year or two later, ultimately married my 5th ggrandfather John Golden of Delaware in 1761. >From what I can piece together, Jane might have been all of 22. It also appears that she was very close in age to her sisters, Hannah, who married Thomas Perkins in 1755, Mary who married a Derrickson, and Elizabeth who married Jacob Worrell. Looking at naming patterns of sons, it appears that many of the Ford sons carry the names of Benjamin's family. Benjamin appears to have named h is sons after several of his brothers. Reuben Ford had children: William, Benjamin, Joseph, John, David, Philip. Reuben and Mary. Frankly, thanks to these "naming patterns", I have a hard time trying to figure out which son married which wife. Did brother William Ford's son Benjamin marry Margaret Derrickson or was it Benjamin's Benjamin???? Which Benjamin married a Rebecca.? Of course there are children attributed to Benjamin and "Mary". Was this the last wife of Benjamin Sr? If so, how was the determination made? I am still working on all of this. I am trying to look at some of the Administration records associated with Benjamin Ford in Chester Co."

I tried to mail this on Tuesday and nothing got through. Here goes again!! Bev W -----Original Message----- From: user917826 <user917826@aol.com> To: PA-OLD-CHESTER <PA-OLD-CHESTER@rootsweb.co> Sent: Tue, Aug 28, 2012 3:05 pm Subject: Benjamen Ford and family Hi all... I have been doing a bit more "poking around" regarding the marriages of Benjamin Ford, b. circa 1702 to Reuben and Mary Druitt Ford. We know that Benjamin first married Sarah Rawson, d/o Charles Rawson and wife Mary. Charles Rawson was the son of Olla (Wolla William) Rawson and Britta Andersdotter. He died in 1708. Benjamin ultimately ended up with a great deal of the Rawson property, which included a grist mill. My confusion begins with looking at family trees that suggest that Benjamin was married three times. There seems to be no problem with assigning the first three daughters to wife Sarah. Hanna, Mary and Elizabeth Ford are reported as Sarah Rawson Ford's off spring. My fifth great grandmother, Jane who married 3 times by her early 20s and some of her brothers are attributed to a second spouse and finally, the last six of twelve children are attributed to a third wife "Mary". I for one would like to know how these assignments were made by other descendants. First, I have found no record for the death of Sarah Ford. Looking at the considerable court proceedings regarding her father's estate, even in 1744 when Ford was asked to support his claim to the property, she was listed as his wife. I see no mention of "deceased" in the record. Admittedly, Sarah was very young when Charles Rawson died and her inheritance was no doubt part of her dowry. It looks like she married Benjamin Ford around 1728. While his family appears to have been Quaker, I found him listed as a member of the Chester faction at Old Swedes of New Castle in 1730. Records and activity for Benjamin Ford and his family can be found in New Castle Co., De., Chester Co., Pa and Salem Co. Nj. Most surprisingly, I found an Orphan's Court Record from New Castle asking Benjamin Ford to resume guardianship of Jane Grubb, a widow and a minor in April of1755. Jane had married Peter Grub on 12/24/1754. Jane, who went on to marry a Williams...and became widowed again a year or two later, ultimately married my 5th ggrandfather John Golden of Delaware in 1761. From what I can piece together, Jane might have been all of 22. It also appears that she was very close in age to her sisters, Hannah, who married Thomas Perkins in 1755, Mary who married a Derrickson, and Elizabeth who married Jacob Worrell. Looking at naming patterns of sons, it appears that many of the Ford sons carry the names of Benjamin's family. Benjamin appears to have named h is sons after several of his brothers. Reuben Ford had children: William, Benjamin, Joseph, John, David, Philip. Reuben and Mary. Frankly, thanks to these "naming patterns", I have a hard time trying to figure out which son married which wife. Did brother William Ford's son Benjamin marry Margaret Derrickson or was it Benjamin's Benjamin???? Which Benjamin married a Rebecca.? Of course there are children attributed to Benjamin and "Mary". Was this the last wife of Benjamin Sr? If so, how was the determination made? I am still working on all of this. I am trying to look at some of the Administration records associated with Benjamin Ford in Chester Co. If anyone wants to weigh in with information about these colonial wives, I would really appreciate it. Frankly, it appears to me as though Sarah Rawson might have been mother to at least half of this brood. Regards, Bev W

I would think pamphlets could be anything from religious tracts to home medicine info or scientific essays. A pamphlet is simply an unbound printed work, usually on a current topic, so they could be anything at all. Sandra > > Caleb Hollingsworth 1 Book Royal History of London > Elijah Gatchel Author of Baptism > David Sheppard Kin and Progress of Penn & (?) Allentown > Thomas Bradway Life of Louis 14th > Thomas Brown Jr Nowal Knife > Thompson Harris Fundamentals of Quakerism > Lewis Brown Lot of pamphlets

http://www.delawarecountyhistory.com/chaddsfordtownship/documents/180thAnniversaryofBrandywineBaptistChurch.pdf > Sent from Sandra's iPod ????

John Mitchel died in 1829 in West Nottingham.  I am particularly interested in the "pamphlets" as detailed in the account of the sale of his estate, detailed in part, below.  What might those pamphlets be?  His wife was a Quaker (Ann Brown) before marriage to John.  What we know of grandchildren is that they were Methodists, although we can't find any church related records for John and his wife.  (Note: all of my "other" Mitchell ancestros seem to have become Methodist upon arrival to America.) Insight as to those pamphlets much appreciated! Mary Mitchell Guler Purchased by: Caleb Hollingsworth 1 Book Royal History of London Elijah Gatchel Author of Baptism David Sheppard Kin and Progress of Penn & (?) Allentown Thomas Bradway Life of Louis 14th Thomas Brown Jr Nowal Knife Thompson Harris Fundamentals of Quakerism Lewis Brown Lot of Pamphlets

Hello all, Recently, we were notified of a person we know that died recently.  Since the last name is Hollingshead...and I have seen that last name in Chester County info, was wondering if anyone would like a copy of the same?  If so, I will send it to the site... The had told me in the past that their family came from that area..how long ago, I don't know but they live in Pittsburg part of the year and the rest here in Florida. Please let me know one way or the other... Scottie

this data is from a lookup in the Warrington MM records, established in 1745; Wm Hutton m Deborah Todd 15-9-1750 in New Garden Mtg, Chester Co children; Levi b 5-6-1752, d 3-10-1753 Tamar b 3-2-1754 Susannah b 17-12-1753 Levi b 31-1-?? (I checked the marriage records of the Newgarden Meeting, and see that Wm Hutton was the son of Joseph Hutton, and Deborah Todd, the daughter of John Todd, of NewLondon.) Sandra

Just a guess .  I n the absence of solid banks and insurance, some wealthy 19th century citizens loaned money directly  to their neighbors.  The estate inventory of Ellis Lewis Pusey (d. 1851 in Chester Co.) lists 177 bonds with amounts ranging from tens of dollars to thousands and the names that I recognize are all farmers, craftsmen, and businesses in London Grove and adjacent townships . If someone borrowed money, presumably he would have had to provide some collateral.  If so, then if your John Riker was unable to repay a debt, he would have had to either cough up the collateral or sell something of value equal to the debt.  Perhaps the official bill of sale was part of some record that tied a $100 debt to a $100 sale of goods that settled accounts?  Rowland could have been the lender or just a go-to buyer of goods and chattel and the money may have gone directly to the lender with only the formal deed of sale  going to Riker? John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dora Smith" <tiggernut24@yahoo.com> To: pa-old-chester-l@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2012 10:45:00 AM Subject: [PaOldC] Question about Cecil County bill of sale This is a Cecil County question, but I bet there's more people around to answer it on the Chester County list. The land records have just one record on my ancestor JOhn Riker. Man lived there in the 1820 and 1830 census.  In mid 1830's he shows up in the tax records as having very little; the number 62 or so appears in the last four columns for each of two years, and only a couple of other people on the page had anything resembling that little.   In 1829 he had a child born who I suspect may have been  a child of a second wife, and way younger than his somewhat numerous other children.    Of course child is not named, but the name Riker was rare in Cecil and Chester Counties; seems only to have applied to this one family.   First family appears in Cecil County and then in 1850 in Chester County, by which time it consists of Elizabeth Riker, mother in law of Emeline Moore, and these two are the right ages to be John Riker's wife and youngest child in the earlier censuses.   In 1840 the family did not exist anywhere.   I've an idea they were quite poor and the Moores not much better off. In 1824 a bill of sale is recorded, in Cecil County..  It's a very formal bill of sale.  Of course, it does not tell us where in Cecil County John Riker lived; that would be far beyond anyone's capacity in Cecil County, on any document, at any time or for any reason. Even the tax records tell us he lived in good old E.D. 4, which is what the census says too!    ED 4 was the northwestern part of the county. For $100 he sold his brown cow  with a white face, two feather beds, four bedsteads, a cupboard and something else, and all other household and kitchen person in his possession or on his person, to Samuel Rowland "and Co.", who was a very rich local man who was constantly buying and selling property and that is all I could find out about him - and to all his heirs and assigns and so forth forever. What the ___? Did he go bankrupt, or have major depression when his first wife died and sell the household, or what?   What does it mean that a formal deed was filed of this transaction? Dora   ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PA-OLD-CHESTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

This is a Cecil County question, but I bet there's more people around to answer it on the Chester County list. The land records have just one record on my ancestor JOhn Riker. Man lived there in the 1820 and 1830 census. In mid 1830's he shows up in the tax records as having very little; the number 62 or so appears in the last four columns for each of two years, and only a couple of other people on the page had anything resembling that little. In 1829 he had a child born who I suspect may have been a child of a second wife, and way younger than his somewhat numerous other children. Of course child is not named, but the name Riker was rare in Cecil and Chester Counties; seems only to have applied to this one family. First family appears in Cecil County and then in 1850 in Chester County, by which time it consists of Elizabeth Riker, mother in law of Emeline Moore, and these two are the right ages to be John Riker's wife and youngest child in the earlier censuses. In 1840 the family did not exist anywhere. I've an idea they were quite poor and the Moores not much better off. In 1824 a bill of sale is recorded, in Cecil County.. It's a very formal bill of sale. Of course, it does not tell us where in Cecil County John Riker lived; that would be far beyond anyone's capacity in Cecil County, on any document, at any time or for any reason. Even the tax records tell us he lived in good old E.D. 4, which is what the census says too! ED 4 was the northwestern part of the county. For $100 he sold his brown cow with a white face, two feather beds, four bedsteads, a cupboard and something else, and all other household and kitchen person in his possession or on his person, to Samuel Rowland "and Co.", who was a very rich local man who was constantly buying and selling property and that is all I could find out about him - and to all his heirs and assigns and so forth forever. What the ___? Did he go bankrupt, or have major depression when his first wife died and sell the household, or what? What does it mean that a formal deed was filed of this transaction? Dora

from a lookup in early court records; Abraham Beeks submitted a petition to the court....1700....for a road from his house to the road called Edgemont Rd...there are several entries in the records pertaining to this road, over a several year period. (However, what is interesting is that this surname is spelled, in the same records, Beeks, Beakes, Beaks, and Beecks.....so, be sure, when researching for this family, that you check all these spellings, and probably any other likely one you can think of). Sandra

I visited the Historical Society & tho the Society has some info on the schools, no old pictures were found.Thanks for the suggestion. Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 12:19:17 -0700 From: genestackhouse@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [PaOldC] West Pikeland/ Chester Springs schools To: snkgenealogy@hotmail.com Try the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester. Gene StackhouseAuthor: "Germantown in the Civil War"History Press http://www.historypress.net/Also available at the Germantown Historical Society5501 Germantown Ave.Phila., PA 19144 From: Sharon Kleinstuber <snkgenealogy@hotmail.com> To: Chester County old <pa-old-chester@rootsweb.com>; mailing list Chester County <pacheste@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 3, 2012 2:53 PM Subject: [PaOldC] West Pikeland/ Chester Springs schools Anyone know were I can get a copy of an OLD picture of the Pikeland Seminary School at Art School Road & Pikeland Road in Chester Springs? Or of the West Pikeland High School on Rt 113, Chester Springs, PA? I recently took photos of both buildings as they are today, but am interested in how the looked many years ago.Sharon snkgenealogy@hotmail.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PA-OLD-CHESTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Anyone know were I can get a copy of an OLD picture of the Pikeland Seminary School at Art School Road & Pikeland Road in Chester Springs? Or of the West Pikeland High School on Rt 113, Chester Springs, PA? I recently took photos of both buildings as they are today, but am interested in how the looked many years ago.Sharon snkgenealogy@hotmail.com

According to Hinshaw's Encyclopedia, William Reynolds, his wife Mary (or perhaps his 2nd wife Rachel) and children joined the Cane Creek, NC MM 1751,10,7 and were received on certificate from East Nottingham, PA dated 1751,2,20. Does anyone have access to the minutes of the East Nottingham MM? I'd like to know who William and Mary's (or Rachel's) parents were and if there were any other children who did not move to NC. I am particularly interested to know if there were a son named Isham and a daughter named Catherine. I believe this William was descended from Henry Reynolds of Chichester, England. but have not been able to prove it. Thanks John Reynolds

I am searching for evidence of the marriage of Amos and Christiana AND for proof of her parents' marriage. Any leads will be much appreciated. Amos Evans b 1733 was a son of Philip of Aston Twp Chester Co Pennsylvania. Christiana b 1733-1735 is thought to be a daughter of William and Johanna Smith of Concord Twp[as of 1728]. Philip Evans (1705-1780)was a member of the Society of Friends. His children were Amos, Joshua, Elizabeth, Samuel, Hannah, and John. Who was Philip's wife? Known children of Amos and Christiana were: Ruth, Susanna, Philip, and Joshua. Amos remained a Friend for at least several years after settling in what is now Lancaster County. Thank you in advance for anything you can offer. Anna

　Anna, I'm including what I find in case it might fit later... Berks co.....-EVANS, JOSEPH. December 29, 1756. February 7, 1757.All bonds, book accounts, &c. that I have against my son in law John HINTEN to be made void. Remainder of effects to be equally divided between my sister, Sarah BRUMFIELD, my bros. David and Amos and my friend, Margrat DAVIS, which I intend to have made my wife. Adm. to David EVANS, Jr. and Amos EVANS, bros. of December'd. the father David EVANS, having renounced.Wit: Caleb DAVIS and Thomas PAINE. Chester Co..ROBERTS, MARY, widow of Roger. Widow 1st of Abel Roberts.Radnor. May 21, 1748. December 8, 1750. C. 251.To granddaughter Ruth Taylor £5. To granddaughters Hannah and Mary Evans £3 each. To granddaughters Rachel and Lea Evans £2 each. To grandsons John and Amos Evans £2 each. To granddaughter May Lewis, alias David, £5. To granddaughter Rachel Lewis £3. To granddaughter Elizabeth Lewis £1-10. To grandsons Abel Lewis £10, Samuel Lewis £2-10,John and Evan Lewis 30 shillings each. To cousin Joan, wife of William Williams of Uwchlan, wearing apparel. Remainder to 2 daughters Katherine and Rachel including tract of 100 acres of land bequeathed me by late husband. Katherine to pay 1/2 value thereof to Rachel.Executors: Daughters Katherine Lewis and Rachel Evans.it: Thomas Thomas, Thamar Thomas, Margret Ellis. Chester.....EVANS, AMOS. April 24, 1764. Radnor. Adm. to Elizabeth Evans. (adm papers, no will) Lanc. Co..May 13, 1771 June 12, 1775 EDWARDS, EVANWife. Elizabeth Edwards. Children: Thomas, John and Elizabeth.Ex. John Edwards and Amos Evans. Earl Twp. Here's Amos' will.....this is very interesting as it seem the children were Ruth Susanna and Joshua...and Philip was a grandson, parent's unnamed .Lanc. Co.. May 25, 1793 March 23, 1796 EVANS, AMOS Wife. Christiana Evans. Children: Ruth, Susanna and Joshua. Grandchild: Philip Evans (parents' name not given).Ex. Joshua Evans. Salsbury Twp. HEre is Philip's will...naming all the children; you're short a few I think... Chester Co EVANS, PHILIP. Aston.April 13, 1779. No date of probate.Provides for wife Elizabeth. To son Samuel plantation, etc. where I now dwell in Aston, containing 116 acres, paying following legacies: To daughter Ruth 133 1/3 sp. dollars. To daughter Hannah 133 1/3 sp. dollars. To son John messuage, etc. containing 156 acres in Earl Township, Lancaster Co., where he now dwells, paying legacies to daughters Ruth and Hannah, 266 2/3 sp. dollars, each and to sons Joshua and Amos 53 1/3 sp. dollars each, and to daughter Elizabeth 26 2/3 sp. dollars, and to grandson John Butler, 2 sp. dollars. To grandson Philip,son of John, saddle and bridle.Executors: Wife and son Samuel.Wit: Mordecai Cloud, Jacob Richards, H. H. Graham. I looked in the Concord MM marriage records and neither Philip or Amos were married at that meeting....nor Wm, either. There was also nothing on them in CONCORD TWP, PA, by Case. The only thing I found was not the right dates.....Elizabeth Lewis, dau Lewis Lewis and wife Mary, m at Goshen M Amos Evans, 1745.l6.8 There is no mention of Amos or Philip in Futhey and Cope. S. I am searching for evidence of the marriage of Amos and Christiana AND for proof of her parents' marriage. Any leads will be much appreciated. Amos Evans b 1733 was a son of Philip of Aston Twp Chester Co Pennsylvania. Christiana b 1733-1735 is thought to be a daughter of William and Johanna Smith of Concord Twp[as of 1728]. Philip Evans (1705-1780)was a member of the Society of Friends. His children were Amos, Joshua, Elizabeth, Samuel, Hannah, and John. Who was Philip's wife? Known children of Amos and Christiana were: Ruth, Susanna, Philip, and Joshua. Amos remained a Friend for at least several years after settling in what is now Lancaster County. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great history and informative story John. It causes me to ask ...why would they tear down such a historic old house??? Alan -----Original Message----- From: pa-old-chester-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:pa-old-chester-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of johnmichen@comcast.net Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2012 11:36 PM To: PA-OLD-CHESTER-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [PaOldC] Where did the children sleep? A few years back I was a guest in a house near New London. From the outside all seemed normal, an ordinary Chester County stone farmhouse. Upon entering the front door, however. I found myself in a hallway that ran along the front of the house. I was led across the hallway into the main room of the house. It was a large room, about 25-30 feet square that served as a living room, a dining room, a fine place to have guests. The original log construction was plainly visible. I was told the original farmhouse was a log cabin, dating from the 1700's. At one time the owners had simply built a stone house around and above it. Maybe not typical but there it was. Going back a bit further, when I was real young I lived in an old farm house in New Castle County. It had been built in three stages. First, a log cabin, about 20-25 feet square. One room, with a huge fireplace. A closet next to the fireplace contained a narrow winding staircase that went to a second story. There were two very small rooms, one with a small fireplace. Second, a stone addition added to the rear of the log cabin. It was three floors with a roof that covered the log cabin also. There were fireplaces in each room. Third, a frame addition on one side of the original log part. No fireplaces. Two floors and a narrow stairway in a closet. A small room was added in the angle of the ell, that was the kitchen. The bathroom was at the end of an upstairs hallway, between the original log section and the stone wing. I do not know the timeline for the different stages of construction. There was a basement under all three sections. The house was built on the side of a hill. The ground floor of the stone wing was the level for the basement of the other two parts. The joists for the main floor were logs, bark still adhering. Under the log section was a huge structure that I always assumed was a fireplace. I found out later it was the base of the chimney. The frame wing basement was divided into small rooms for a laundry and miscellaneous storage. The ground floor of the stone wing was basement, workshop , etc. The builder used flax straw and horse hair as binders in the mortar in the basement walls. The original owner bought over 900 acres of land from Letitia Penn in 1740. Why he built his house in that spot is anybodies guess. Maybe he dug a cave in the hillside and later expanded it. An archaeologist from the U of DEL told me the flax and horsehair were typical building materials for tha! t time period. C. A. Weslager, a local historian, was invited to inspect it before it was torn down, but he declined. He said he was familiar with the house and it was typical for the time and place. My goal has not been to explain where the children slept, but to describe two examples of local building techniques. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PA-OLD-CHESTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

This is not your ordinary Smith given names Daniel Americus Vespucius Broomall Smith (signs as A.V.B Smith),b.8-13-1840,teacher,son of Joshua Smith and Hannah W Broomall. m.Lizzie Attmore.