My emigrant ancestors, John and Isabella Smith, came from Ireland to London Britain township, via the port of New Castle, between 1787 and 1797. They are supposed to have arrived penniless, and to have worked for a period of time for John Whitten, a wealthy farmer and slave owner, in London Britain township. This farmer had a free man and woman servant on his farm in 1790, along with three slaves, no telling if these were the Smiths. John and Isabella, who were Presbyterian, had a baby who died on the ship, and their next child was born in 1797. They had another child in 1798, before October, and a total of seven children by 1810. John Smith is consistently referred to as a weaver by trade. I'm trying to see what clues I can get about when they got here and what resources they had to have gotten or were able to have gotten from where, from what I know of the details of their story. In October, 1798, John Smith, weaver, of London Britain township, bought 29 and a half acres of land in London Britain township, from Robert Roney, and his wife, who owned about 120 acres they had bought two years before from the widow Crawford now living in Maryland. The Smiths paid $65 in lawful cash money for this land. Excavation by the current owners of the house that contains their original log cabin, indicates that the Smiths with their two infants, lived in the half cellar of their cabin through the first winter, and used a temporary fireplace in the corner of the basement, while they were building their log cabin. They must not have had alot of resources. The house and property are now owned by Yvan Keller. You would get to it by going north on the road that leads to the town hall, and turning right by the town hall, then turning left in a lane you come to after a couple of houses. At the end of the lane is a large red barn. Next door, to the right, is the property of the town crank, I guess. In 1799, the London Britain Township tax list, shows John Smith, "wever", 29 and a third acres or something, assessed for $116. I don't know of the property doubled in value, the Smiths had gotten a break on the price, or there was inflation but possibly someone familiar with this period would know if there was radical inflation in 1798/99; that was during the difficult time between 1776 and 1821, so there could have been. Next tax record I have is for 1805, and I don't know when in 1805 this assessment was done. I also don't know if that is the next tax record available. John Smith - 29 acres $107. Buildings 50 1 horse 10 2 cattle 20 Trade 20 Total $207 Assessed: $127 Tax Not sure if $32 or $.32. In February, 1805, John Smith took out a mortgage for $200. There is a reference to a record of the mortgage but I don't at this point know what was the purpose of the mortgage, and it's part of the sixty four million dollar question. The 1805 tax record doesn't indicate what the man needed $200 for. Not even his land was worth that amount of money. 1808 tax list: John Smith Buildings $ 50 Land 29 acres @ 4 dolls or something 116 Horses 1 @ 10 10 Cattle 2 @ 12 24 weaver total $200 Assessed $160 Tax $ 64 The tax records continue in kind, no evidence of improvement or substantial loss in material welfare. The Smiths had seven children by about 1810, and it appears that all lived. In May, 1831, there is a deed transferring the land from John Smith to his son, George Smith in exchange for $600, plus George Smith taking on a judgement against John Smith, because the creditor's son had foreclosed on the mortgage, that was made in 1805. The judgement was made for the entire $200 plus interest, it seems as if John Smith, though as nearly as I can tell honest and hard working, was never able to pay on the mortgage. John Smith and his wife, Isabella, are believed to have both been born in 1769. So in 1831, they were in their early sixties. They both lived into the 1840's or 50's, family records conflict on when they died, and there is no corroboration on where they were buried. Only vague clues where they lived; there were senior citizens living on William Smith's farm in 1840, and not in 1850. One factor may be that about 1831, the first textile mills opened in the area, and the price of textile goods plummeted, and many small cottage weavers like John Smith were ruined. But what happened in 1831 does not explain what didn't happen since 1805. Since the creditor who foreclosed wears teh same last name as the original lender but a different first name, one can guess taht possibly the original lender, who was a Brinton (a prosperous family of the township), knowing that the family was struggling, let the loan go, and then his heir was of a different mindset, or even it somehow wasn't up to the heir, as for instance if he had been under age and accountants managed the estate, which I can see was fairly typical in London Britain township. George Smith, by his grandnephew's account, had been as successful in business as my direct ancestor, John's son William. William in 1838 bought a few hundred acres right on the point of land where Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania meet. George and William had been in business together. George lived only until 1840 something, supposedly died in Chester County, and is buried in the family plot on the Maryland border, in Franklin township, and I can't find where he lived. Census shows a George, could be him or a different George Smith, with four small children, the right age, in London Britain township in 1840, but if that was him he died leaving a widow and four small children and no probate records, because I sent for them and they don't exist. Well, in 1832, George Smith sold John Smith's farm to someone outside of the family, as far as anyone knows, for $600, plus the buyer assuming the judgement for the $200 plus the interest thereon. OK, now, in what way do the details of they came penniliess sometime between 1787 and 1797, they worked for a local farmer, they bought land and paid cash in 1797 but were too poor to then keep a roof over their heads while they built a log cabin, John Smith is listed as a weaver at the time when he bought the land and consistently thereafter, and apparently there is no indication of when he had what loom other than sometimes he was taxed for trade. I assume he wove on one of those large frame floor looms of the period. There is no evidence that the loom was powered by anything but his hands and feet. In 1805, he took out a mortgage for $200 for God knows what purpose; his property was already valued at $200 and did not increase in apparent real value. What was the real value of the $65 that they paid for this 29 acres of land in the center of a prosperous and well settled township in southastern Chester County? Was it the worth of the land, or did someone give them a break? Why was the property valued at $115 by the tax assessor a year and a half later? How long do we need to assume John and Isabella worked for this farmer, prior to 1798? How long did it take them to save $65, with and without the loom? How long would it have taken them to save $65 or how might they have come by it, if they were indentured servants? After all, the story is the farmer was waiting on the dock for someone to hire, at New Castle, and if tgeh Smiths had no money when they got here, how did they pay for the voyage? Is it reasonable to think John Smith needed the $200 to buy a loom though he was never assessed for anyting of taht value, his son's father in law, Jesse Dehaven, was separately assessed for his tavern, and John Smith was assessed $20 for trade. Did John Smith already have the loom when he bought the land? Should we assume that John Smith must have brought the loom with him from Ireland? After all, they had no money, and they worked their way out of servitude adn saved up enough to buy land in a fairly short time by any reckoning. If John Smith brought a loom on the ship, then he definitely had large and valuable baggage aboard, and there would be a record of it, from what people are telling me - atleast, there would if baggage left off in New Castle was on the papers filed in Philadelphia. Not records of John and Isabella Smith, which weren't kept back then; only of their baggage. Or is it absolutely impossible for John and Isabella Smith to have come by enough cash to have bought that farm when they did, in which case there must have been some sort of inheritance from family back in Ireland? Yours, Dora Smith __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

YEESH!!!! A thesis!!!!! In 1800 $65 was worth $617.96 in 1999 money. Barbara in Wilmington, NC Dora Smith wrote: > My emigrant ancestors, John and Isabella Smith, > came from Ireland to London Britain township, via > the port of New Castle, between 1787 and 1797. > They are supposed to have arrived penniless, and > to have worked for a period of time for John > Whitten, a wealthy farmer and slave owner, in > London Britain township. This farmer had a free > man and woman servant on his farm in 1790, along > with three slaves, no telling if these were the > Smiths. John and Isabella, who were > Presbyterian, had a baby who died on the ship, > and their next child was born in 1797. They had > another child in 1798, before October, and a > total of seven children by 1810. John Smith is > consistently referred to as a weaver by trade. > > I'm trying to see what clues I can get about when > they got here and what resources they had to have > gotten or were able to have gotten from where, > from what I know of the details of their story. > > In October, 1798, John Smith, weaver, of London > Britain township, bought 29 and a half acres of > land in London Britain township, from Robert > Roney, and his wife, who owned about 120 acres > they had bought two years before from the widow > Crawford now living in Maryland. The Smiths paid > $65 in lawful cash money for this land. > > Excavation by the current owners of the house > that contains their original log cabin, indicates > that the Smiths with their two infants, lived in > the half cellar of their cabin through the first > winter, and used a temporary fireplace in the > corner of the basement, while they were building > their log cabin. They must not have had alot of > resources. > > The house and property are now owned by Yvan > Keller. You would get to it by going north on > the road that leads to the town hall, and turning > right by the town hall, then turning left in a > lane you come to after a couple of houses. At the > end of the lane is a large red barn. Next door, > to the right, is the property of the town crank, > I guess. > > In 1799, the London Britain Township tax list, > shows John Smith, "wever", 29 and a third acres > or something, assessed for $116. I don't know of > the property doubled in value, the Smiths had > gotten a break on the price, or there was > inflation but possibly someone familiar with this > period would know if there was radical inflation > in 1798/99; that was during the difficult time > between 1776 and 1821, so there could have been. > > Next tax record I have is for 1805, and I don't > know when in 1805 this assessment was done. I > also don't know if that is the next tax record > available. > > John Smith - 29 acres $107. > Buildings 50 > 1 horse 10 > 2 cattle 20 > Trade 20 > Total $207 > Assessed: $127 > Tax Not sure if $32 or $.32. > > In February, 1805, John Smith took out a mortgage > for $200. There is a reference to a record of > the mortgage but I don't at this point know what > was the purpose of the mortgage, and it's part of > the sixty four million dollar question. The 1805 > tax record doesn't indicate what the man needed > $200 for. Not even his land was worth that > amount > of money. > > 1808 tax list: > John Smith Buildings $ 50 > Land 29 acres @ 4 dolls > or something 116 > Horses 1 @ 10 10 > Cattle 2 @ 12 24 > weaver total $200 > Assessed $160 > Tax $ 64 > > The tax records continue in kind, no evidence > of improvement or substantial loss in material > welfare. The Smiths had seven children by about > 1810, and it appears that all lived. > > In May, 1831, there is a deed transferring the > land from John Smith to his son, George Smith > in exchange for $600, plus George Smith taking on > a judgement against John Smith, because the > creditor's son had foreclosed on the mortgage, > that was made in 1805. The judgement was made > for the entire $200 plus interest, it seems as if > John Smith, though as nearly as I can tell honest > and hard working, was never able to pay on the > mortgage. > > John Smith and his wife, Isabella, are believed > to have both been born in 1769. So in 1831, they > were in their early sixties. They both lived > into the 1840's or 50's, family records conflict > on when they died, and there is no corroboration > on where they were buried. Only vague clues > where they lived; there were senior citizens > living on William Smith's farm in 1840, and not > in 1850. > > One factor may be that about 1831, the first > textile mills opened in the area, and the price > of textile goods plummeted, and many small > cottage > weavers like John Smith were ruined. But what > happened in 1831 does not explain what didn't > happen since 1805. > > Since the creditor who foreclosed > wears teh same last name as the original lender > but a different first name, one can guess taht > possibly the original lender, who was a Brinton > (a prosperous family of the township), knowing > that the > family was struggling, let the loan go, and then > his heir was of a different mindset, or even it > somehow wasn't up to the heir, as for instance if > he had been under age and accountants managed the > estate, which I can see was fairly typical in > London Britain township. > > George Smith, by his grandnephew's account, had > been as successful in business as my direct > ancestor, John's son William. William in 1838 > bought a few hundred acres right on the point of > land where Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania > meet. George and William had been in business > together. George lived only until 1840 > something, supposedly died in Chester County, and > is buried in the family plot on the Maryland > border, in Franklin township, and I can't find > where he lived. Census shows a George, could be > him or a different George Smith, with four small > children, the right age, in London Britain > township in 1840, but if that was him he died > leaving a widow and four small children and no > probate records, because I sent for them and they > don't exist. > > Well, in 1832, George Smith sold John Smith's > farm to someone outside of the family, as far as > anyone knows, for $600, plus the buyer assuming > the judgement for the $200 plus the interest > thereon. > > OK, now, in what way do the details of they came > penniliess sometime between 1787 and 1797, they > worked for a local farmer, they bought land and > paid cash in 1797 but were too poor to then keep > a roof over their heads while they built a log > cabin, John Smith is listed as a weaver at the > time when he bought the land and consistently > thereafter, and apparently there is no indication > of when he had what loom other than sometimes he > was taxed for trade. I assume he wove on one of > those large frame floor looms of the period. > There is no evidence that the loom was powered by > anything but his hands and feet. In 1805, he > took out a mortgage for $200 for God knows what > purpose; his property was already valued at $200 > and did not increase in apparent real value. > > What was the real value of the $65 that they paid > for this 29 acres of land in the center of a > prosperous and well settled township in > southastern Chester County? Was it the worth of > the land, or did someone give them a break? Why > was the property valued at $115 by the tax > assessor a year and a half later? > > How long do we need to assume John and Isabella > worked for this farmer, prior to 1798? How long > did it take them to save $65, with and without > the loom? How long would it have taken them to > save $65 or how might they have come by it, if > they were indentured servants? After all, the > story is the farmer was waiting on the dock for > someone to hire, at New Castle, and if tgeh > Smiths had no money when they got here, how did > they pay for the voyage? > > Is it reasonable to think John Smith needed the > $200 to buy a loom though he was never assessed > for anyting of taht value, his son's father in > law, Jesse Dehaven, was separately assessed for > his tavern, and John Smith was assessed $20 for > trade. Did John Smith already have the loom when > he bought the land? Should we assume that John > Smith must have brought the loom with him from > Ireland? After all, they had no money, and they > worked their way out of servitude adn saved up > enough to buy land in a fairly short time by any > reckoning. If John Smith brought a loom on the > ship, then he definitely had large and valuable > baggage aboard, and there would be a record of > it, from what people are telling me - atleast, > there would if baggage left off in New Castle was > on the papers filed in Philadelphia. Not records > of John and Isabella Smith, which weren't kept > back then; only of their baggage. > > Or is it absolutely impossible for John and > Isabella Smith to have come by enough cash to > have bought that farm when they did, in which > case there must have been some sort of > inheritance from family back in Ireland? > > Yours, > Dora Smith > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! > http://mail.yahoo.com/ > > ==== PACHESTE Mailing List ==== > Stop by our associated website for Chester County Genealogy at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~pacheste/chester.htm