User:BillFlis/sandbox

=William Biles, Jr.=

William Biles, Jr. (12 January 1671/72 – 1747) was a speaker of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly in 1724.

He was born 12 January 1671 at Dorchester, Dorset County, England, the son of William Biles and Johanna Hellard. On 4 April 1679, the family arrived by ship in what would become Pennsylvania; they settled near the falls in Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania and grew exceptionally prosperous and influential.

William, Jr., married Sarah Langhorne (born November 17, 1675), daughter of Reverend Thomas Langhorne (d. 6 Aug 1687, just two years after emigrating from England) and Grace (Whitehead) Langhorne, on 1 November 1695/March 11, 1694/95. On Biles Island, he built a home of bricks imported from England and opened it to other Quakers as a monthly meeting place on 2 May 1683.

Biles served as sheriff of Bucks County, 1705–11, and as coroner, 1718–19.

In 1726 Biles built a large brick residence aside the Delaware River about 3 miles south of Morrisville and opposite Biles Island, which he also owned.

According to various records, he died 1 September 1739 or in 1747.

Category:1671 births Category:1747 deaths Category:Members of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly Category:English emigrants

=Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson= Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson or Ferguson (February 3, 1737 – February 23, 1801) was an early American poet. As the wife of Henry Ferguson, a Tory, she was impoverished by the American Revolution and eventually came to live with Seneca Lukens, a clockmaker, in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth Graeme was born in Philadelphia on February 3, 1737, the youngest of nine children of Thomas Graeme, a physician, and Ann Diggs, stepdaughter of Sir William Keith. Elizabeth was the stepdaughter and heir of James Keith, Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania, who was also the 4th Baronet of Nova Scotia. Elizabeth was raised on the large estate of Graeme Park, where she was well-educated by her parents and tutors, and she composed poems, letters, songs, travel accounts, and impromptus. She wrote under a variety of pen names, frequently using the pseudonym Laura.

After a broken engagement with William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, Elizabeth's parents sent her to England and Scotland in 1764 to revive her poor health. There she composed a travel journal that was later circulated among her friends. Achieving some notoriety abroad, Elizabeth met members of the Penn family, novelist Laurence Sterne, King George III, and Dr. John Fothergill.

When her mother and her sister Jane Young died in 1765, Elizabeth returned to Philadelphia. Inspired by the French, she organized her acquaintances into a weekly literary salon, known as her "Attic Evenings". During these gatherings, Elizabeth entertained the intellectual and cultural leaders of Philadelphia society, including John Dickinson, Jacob Duché, Francis Hopkinson, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and Annis Boudinot Stockton. To divert her mind from her broken engagement, Elizabeth translated Abbé Francois Fénelon's The Adventures of Telemachus and paraphrased the Bible's book of Psalms in verse. Elizabeth also helped to raise Anna and John Young, the children of her deceased sister Jane. Like her Aunt Elizabeth, Anna Young also wrote poetry about politics, women, and courtship. She married Dr. William Smith in 1775. Elizabeth maintained a strong correspondence with her niece and mentee until Anna died in 1780 from complications of childbirth.

On April 21, 1772, Elizabeth married a Scottish immigrant, Henry Hugh Fergusson, ten years her junior, to whom she had been introduced by Dr. Benjamin Rush at one of her "Attic Evenings." The couple took possession of Graeme Park after her father's death in September 1772. In September 1775, Henry traveled to England. He returned two years later with General Howe's army in the midst of the Revolution. While her loyalty was under suspicion because of her husband's support of the British, Elizabeth gave generously to the American cause. She wrote about her separation from her husband during this time in a poem titled "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse," which is included under the title "County Mouse" on page 33 of this commonplace book. Persuaded by her husband to do so, Elizabeth also mediated two messages across war lines, one of which was a bribe attempt that triggered a scandal that stripped Elizabeth of her reputation as a patriot.

In the spring of 1778, Henry's property, including Graeme Park, was confiscated as punishment for his treason. He returned to England and separated from his wife permanently. Elizabeth attempted to regain her family's estate and her reputation. In 1791, the Pennsylvania court returned Graeme Park to her. She then lived a quiet life with her friend Eliza Stedman, publishing some of her writings in periodicals such as The Pennsylvania Magazine or American Monthly Museum, Columbian Magazine, and Pennsylvania Packet. She sold Graeme Park to her late niece Anna's husband, Dr. William Smith, who sold off parcels of the property through the 1790s. Elizabeth died on February 23, 1801, in Horsham, Pennsylvania, near Graeme Park, while tended by Dr. Rush.

Publications

 * Second Lecture, 1819
 * General Address of the Outinian Lecturer, 1822
 * Records of the origin and proceedings of the Outinian Society, 1822
 * A Proposal of the Outinian Society, 1823
 * Seventh Outinian Lecture, 1823

=Bohumir Kryl= Bohumir Kryl (Hořice, Bohemia, May 2, 1875 – 1961, Chicago, Illinois) was a circus acrobat, sculptor, and musician, most notably as a cornetist and band leader.

Bohumir Kryl was born in Bohemia on May 2, 1875. In 1889 he traveled to America, supplementing his passage playing cornet and violin with the cruise orchestra. Ten years later he had established himself as a fine soloist, initially based in Indianapolis playing with the When Clothing Company Band and latterly with the famous Sousa Band. After two years with the Chicago Marine Band he accepted the solo cornet seat with the Duss Band located at Madison Square Garden. Although not as well known as some bands the Duss Band’s extensive touring regime provided Kryl with an ideal opportunity to display his virtuosity to a wider audience. He was paid $800 a month, enjoyed thrilling the crowds, often playing two solos per concert, and was given the role of assistant conductor in 1903. His departure to form his own band in 1906, which flourished through 1931, was reluctantly accepted. Herman Bellstedt, who took over from Kryl, although a very fine soloist, was never able to produce the charismatic performances established by Bohumir Kryl. It was during this later period that he made numerous recordings; one of his favorites, “The Carnival of Venice”, is featured on Track 23 of CD3BM3 "Vintage Gems". His wonderful range, including the use of pedal-notes in the lower register, crisp articulation, pure tone and individual phrasing give his recordings their great attraction. He was the master of the cornet, even able to produce multiphonic effects by playing a low note and humming a higher one, producing a "difference note" often of a greater volume than the hum itself. He was able to perform well into his sixties and died in Chicago in 1961 ending an incredible musical career.

During the time of the “Golden Age of Bands 1865-1915,” (a period when nearly every town had a band), one of the greatest figures was the cornet virtuoso and bandleader Bohumir Kryl, a Czech born in Hořice near Hradec Králové. At the age of ten he began the study of the violin. “When Kryl was eleven years of age, he ran away with the circus where he became a tumbler, also doubling on the high trapeze. He started practicing on the cornet while traveling with the circus and was good enough in a few weeks to play in street parades. In 1889, at the age of fourteen, he sailed for America, working his way by playing both violin and cornet in the ship’s orchestra.”

Before Kryl became known to audiences throughout America as a cornet soloist, he had a career as a professional sculptor. He worked on both the study in the home of General Lew Wallace in Crawfordsville, Indiana and on the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Indianapolis, Indiana. From an article dated July 11, 1907 we can learn of Kryl’s activities before he became associated with the most famous American bandsman, John Philip Sousa.

“Sculptor Who Worked for Gen. Wallace is Now Band Master at Fairbank.”

Those who have had the pleasure of a visit to the study of the late Gen. Lew Wallace will recall the statue of Ben-Hur which occupies a prominent place there and also other busts and ornaments in stone and plaster. It is of interest to know that the designer of those is now a band master and directing the music at the well known Indianapolis resort called Fairbank. His name is Bohumir Kryl, and he is a Bohemian by birth, born in Prague on the Moldau, thirty-two years ago. ‘I came to the United States when fourteen years old,’ said Mr. Kryl, ‘and settled at Chicago, where I studied sculpture under H. R. Saunders, the English sculptor, and music under different teachers. I came to Indianapolis four years later and worked under Mr. Saunders on the groups placed on the Soldiers' Monument. During this time I went over to Crawfordsville and worked on busts and ornaments that were placed in Gen. Lew Wallace's studio. Some of these were figures representing characters in the ‘Prince of India’ and in ‘Ben-Hur’. A statue of Ben-Hur was the largest figure I made at that time. Though I liked sculpture and had a measure of success in it, I never thought as much of it as I did of music and I gave it up altogether. Sousa, when here, heard me play on the cornet and engaged me at once. I made a tour with him and have continued in music as my chosen profession ever since.’

Today the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument in Indianapolis and General Wallace’s study in Crawfordsville where Kryl is credited with creating the frieze may be visited. The statue of Ben-Hur referred to in the article is apparently lost, but the figures representing Ben-Hur and the Prince of India on the exterior of the building are in a very good state of preservation.

To continue the story about Kryl’s association with the band of John Philip Sousa:

In 1894, Sousa's band came to Indianapolis for two concerts. Following the afternoon concert, Kryl took his cornet and went to Musician's Hall, where Sousa's musicians were having lunch. He was interested in taking a lesson from Albert Bode, who was then first chair cornetist in Sousa's band, as Mr. Clarke had left to rejoin the reorganized Gilmore band.

As was usually the case when a young fellow came to a traveling band, he was considered an amateur, or just a plain rube, particularly so if he wanted to take lessons from the star performer, in this instance Al Bode. Kryl was a persistent young man, not about to give up too easily. He was finally introduced to Mr. Bode. The two men retired to the locker room, where Bode asked Kryl to play something. Kryl started in playing parts from solos which he knew. Outside the musicians were waiting to have their usual fun, when someone said: "My God, that can't be Bode playing, he never played like that in his life!

Bode finally appeared in the hall to say ‘that boy wants to take lessons from me, but "Hell" I can't teach him anything, he's better than I am.’ We understand Kryl did take a few lessons from Mr. Bode, especially coached in band routine, after joining Sousa's band. He studied a few years later with Mr. A. F. Weldon in Chicago.

Kryl played with Sousa's band throughout the nineties, leaving the band during the summer of 1898. He played with T. P. Brooke's Band during the seasons of 1899 and 1900. In 1901, Kryl was special soloist with the Duss Band of New York. In 1902, Kryl joined Innes’ Band as cornet soloist and assistant conductor. He claimed to have played some 600 solos during that year. He remained with Innes’ Band until 1906, when he organized his own concert band.

Kryl was a showman and a shrewd businessman and was even called by some who knew him well the “robber baron of the music field.” Through his live performances, recordings and self promotion, he was certainly became a personality that loomed large. The following quote is from some promotional material distributed by the C.G. Conn Company:

Mr. Kryl first became prominent as a soloist of Sousa’s Band. That was a great many years ago. He later became associated with Mr. Innes and was a soloist and assistant director of this band for several seasons. He then organized his own band and achieved such success that if he were not remarkably well balanced in all respects he would have been justified in losing his mental equilibrium, but he still wears the same sized hat that he did when he was a modest Cornet player, doing regular professional business before he joined Sousa’s Band. By the way, that hat, surmounting his flaxen hued chrysanthemum shaped coiffure has done not a little to make Kryl famous.

He is one of the greatest living exponents of the wonderful resources of Conn Cornets that exists, and there is nothing that gives him greater satisfaction or more genuine pleasure that to see the Conn instruments used by the members of his band. He sets them a fine example, and while he does not wish it persuade a man against his will, it does not take him long to prove to anybody who expresses a doubt just how much more can be done on a Conn Cornet than any other in existence.

Even more laudatory comments and comparisons from newspaper reviews were made available by the Conn Company in their promotional material:

“Kryl A Musical Wonder”: About Kryl there is no question – even without his wonderful mass of tangled flaxen hair he would be a musical wonder. He is both and artist and magician. Caruso of the golden voice might almost envy Kryl his artificial golden throat, for Kryl sings through his cornet with a rich, clean-cut tone that carries no suggestion of metal with it – Los Angeles Examiner, May 16.

“Kryl The Eccentric”: Kryl is a wonder – an instrumental freak. He played a lot of things on the cornet – began, as you’ll see, by the book-programme, ‘Kryl’s King Carnival,’ but the people wouldn’t let him go at that – had to keep on, winding up with a sky-scraping note of a minute duration in ‘Killarney,’ the ever popular.

In triple-tongueing, in attainment of very high notes and in terrific colorature work, Kryl is probably unexcelled in the world. When he had shown off high notes, the people were startled at a tremendous low tone coming from somewhere – down, down, down it went, all the time coming, as you finally knew, from Kryl’s magical cornet, until the notes would have registered bass on the scale, absolutely of deep trombone character. How Kryl effects these notes he himself does not know – they are a startling quality to anyone understanding the nature and limitations of a brass instrument. – Los Angeles Daily Times, May 16.

A certain model of Conn cornet called the “Conn-queror” was popularly known among musicians of the time as the “Kryl Model,” while never actually advertised as such. A letter by Theodore J. Vincentz of Newark, New Jersey to the Conn Company dated April 2, 1904 states: “Dear Sir: I hope you will pardon me for my seeming tardiness in informing you of my opinion of the Kryl Model Cornet, No. 62716, you made for me....I think I have won over more than one ‘doubting Thomas’ and feel certain that you will get several orders in the near future.”

In addition to performing many times throughout the country with various bands, Kryl was able to keep in contact with his countrymen by performing on tours with his two daughters, Josephine on the violin, and Marie on the piano. The following review from the Bon Homme Independent published in Tabor, South Dakota (Tabor, at the time being the closest thing to a “Little Bohemia” in South Dakota) reads:

A very large crowd had attended the grand concert given by Bohumir Kryl and his Company last Thursday evening in the Society Hall. Every member of the musical quartet was a finished artist. What appealed most to the audience was the violin solos of Josephine Kryl, the 14-years old daughter of Mr. Kryl. She has the expression and fullness of tone of a true artist and it seems that despite her age she can be placed side by side with the first class violinist of the day. Her technique was also delightful. As for Mr. Kryl, who is considered the greatest living cornetist, we can only say that the violin-like notes and his magnificent triple tonguing must he heard to be appreciated.

Later, in November of the same year, Kryl returned to Tabor with Josephine, this time bringing his wife and daughter Marie.

The attendance at the Kryl concert given here last Sunday evening was a very large crowd and the music appreciated by all. Mr. Kryl, no doubt, justly deserves the honor of being one of the best cornet virtuosos in the country. His daughter Josephine has made remarkable advancement in violin playing since last heard here in March for she played with precision and feeling. Her tone had more depth and roundness and the young Miss can easily pass as an artist despite her age. The younger girl Marie however surprised all with her masterly playing at the piano. It is hard to believe that such a force is hidden in the small hands of a mere child; and she played no easy music either. Think of a child scarcely above 13 years of age rendering a Liszt rhapsody or something as difficult, and playing it with the touch and force of a matured artist. Mr. Kryl informed us that next spring the young Misses will go to Europe to continue studies for three years under masters of national repute and promised to visit tabor after that period. Mr. and Mrs. Kryl and their daughter were the guests of Father Bouska while here. The committee thanks all who attend the concert.

Indeed, seven years later we find that at least Josephine studied in Europe and her sister Marie was also doing well. Josephine had studied with the famous violinist Ysaye and Marie had appeared at least a six times with the Chicago Symphony under the direction of Fredrick Stock.

During the First World War Kryl had a position in the Army that was very similar to what John Philip Sousa had in the Navy. Sousa was the director of a large Navy band at the Naval Station Great Lakes in Great Lakes, Illinois near Chicago. According to another one of C.G. Conn’s publications, Kryl was the “Bandmaster of all the Military Camp Bands in the county.” Kryl composed at least two works, “King Carneval” and “Josephine Waltz”, which were both published by Carl Fischer in 1909 “Among the many cities visited by the Kryl forces are Louisville, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Detroit, Denver, New York, Washington, Omaha, Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.” At one time Kryl’s own band was an important attraction of the Chautauqua system and in particular was featured on the Redpath-Chicago Chautauqua managed by W.V. Harrison.

Certainly Mr. Kryl was a superstar of the “Golden Age of Bands” period and he once stated, “he had played over 12,000 solos in his lifetime and had traveled over 1,000,000 miles.” In addition he made at least thirty-eight different recordings of solos or duets for Edison, Victor and Zonophone recording companies.

Early life and schooling
Pearl Beatrice Gonser was born in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania on January 11, 1901 of German heritage. Her father was a Reformed minister and her mother taught music and voice so it followed that she received early training in both fields, learning the piano at an early age.

While she maintained interest in music, her mother felt that her voice wasn't powerful enough for opera, and encouraged her participation in musical programs in church and school, where she became known for her skill with the harp, often accompanying herself with vocals.

In 1918, while she was attending Boston's Emerson College, an agent booked her on the Chautauqua vaudeville circuit, performing concerts and recitals in large tents in rural areas of New York state.

Later, she studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and appeared with the Boston Symphony and London Symphony Orchestras.

It was about this time that a friend nicknamed her "Pearlitzka", which she liked, later shortened to "Litzka", although her passport read "Pearl Litzka".

Professional career in music and magic
Litzka had been giving concerts in England when professional magician Maurice (or Morris) Francois Saunders (1879–1948), known professionally as "The Great Raymond", engaged her for a British and European tour in 1924, followed by a world tour. Litzka and Raymond were married, first in 1926 in Lisbon, then again in early 1927, to confirm the legality of their marriage, aboard the SS American Legion, off the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay, and still again in a religious ceremony in Asuncion, Paraguay.

All through South America, Litzka's harp solos were a feature of the show, and she also performed in some of Raymond's principal illusions, such as "Sawing a Woman in Half" and the "Substitution Trunk". She took charge of setting up and checking the details before each performance and came to learn a magician's craft.

By late 1930, the couple had returned to California to begin a forty‑week tour of motion picture theaters throughout America with a one‑hour version of the full evening show. When the regular show resumed, Litzka appeared in Chinese costume and performed a magic act of her own, which became a regular feature of Raymond's show.

Litzka would perform party magic on the side. She recalled having so many shows on one Christmas day that she was running late and had to set up in front of her audience. The children were so delighted that she incorporated it into the act.

In order to revise Litzka's Chinese show, a bantam rooster named China Boy was purchased and Raymond taught it to perform card tricks with Litzka in her act.

Raymond, 24 years older than Litzka, died on January 27, 1948 after a prolonged illness.

Career as a writer
On August 27, 1949, she married stage magician and pulp fiction author Walter B. Gibson. For the next 14 years, she accompanied the prolific writer of "The Shadow" and other mystery and detective stories to many of the locations that became settings for his stories.

They finally settled down in upstate New York, where for the next 20 years they worked together writing and publishing many books on magic, the occult, and other subjects. The couple co-authored The Complete Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences. Litzka's books included How to Read Palms, Lessons in Palmistry, Care of the Hair and Hairdos. Under the pen name of Leona Lehman, she wrote Latin American Dances and Dancing for All Occasions.

She was awarded a "Special Fellowship" by the Academy of Magical Arts in 1995 and was elected to the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame.

Books

 * How to Read Palms (1950)
 * Latin American Dances (1959), under the pen name "Leona Lehman"
 * The Key to Palmistry (1961), as "Leona Lehman"
 * The Complete Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences (1966)
 * The Mystic and Occult Arts: A Guide to Their Use in Daily Living (1969), with Walter B. Gibson
 * The Complete Illustrated Book of Divination and Prophecy (1973)
 * The Know-It-All's Guide to Palm Reading (1999)

Richard Penn (III)
--His brother, Richard, son of Richard Penn (II), born 1784, was for many years employed in the British colonial department, and was author of "A New Mode of Secret Writing" (1829) and "Maxims and Hints on Angling, and Miseries of Fishing" (1833). He was a fellow of the Royal society.

He died unmarried in Richmond, Surrey, England, 21 April, 1863.

William Penn (IV)
William Penn (born in 1703; died in Shanagarry, Ireland, 6 February, 1746) was a grandson and heir of William Penn, founder and proprietor of Pennsylvania.

He was born in 1703, the son of William Penn, Jr. He was the heir of his elder brother Springett Penn (II). He executed for £5,500 a release to John, Thomas, and Richard Penn, dated September 23, 1731. He returned to the Society of Friends on marrying Christiana, daughter of Alexander Forbes, a merchant in London, on December 7, 1732. After her death he married Ann Vaux, 13 December, 1736, by whom he had an only son, who died without issue, whereupon Christiana Gulielma, wife of Peter Gaskell and daughter of William and Christiana Penn, became the heiress at common law of the founder.

John Wharton
--His brother, John, was a member of the Continental navy board in 1778-'80, and built two ships, the "Experiment" and the " Washington," for the Pennsylvania navy.

Joseph Wharton (II)
--Another son of Joseph, Joseph, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 21 March, 1733; died there, 25 December, 1816, went to England about 1775, and while there wrote a number of letters on the attitude of Great Britain to the colonies. Some of these were published in the "Pennsylvania Journal," others in British journals, and attracted so much attention that when their authorship was discovered Wharton was forced to leave the country, and fled to France During his residence abroad he was much with Benjamin West, and it is said that the suggestion that West's painting "Christ Healing the Sick" should be given to the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia was made by him. He corresponded with West regarding the removal of the picture to the hospital, which was accomplished in 1817.

Thomas Isaac Wharton
--The first Joseph's grandson, Thomas Isaac, lawyer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 17 May, 1791; died there, 7 April, 1856, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1807, studied law in the office of his uncle, William Rawle, was admitted to the bar, and acquired reputation in his profession and as a reporter of the Pennsylvania supreme court, he served as captain of infantry in the War of 1812. He was a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania in 1837-'56, and a member of various philosophical and historical societies. With Joel Jones and William Rawle, he revised the civil code of Pennsylvania in 1830. He edited, with copious notes, the 3d edition of Alexander J. Dallas's " Reports of Cases in the Courts of the United States and Pennsylvania before and since the Revolution" (4 vols., Philadelphia, 1830), and was associated with Thomas Sargeant and others in editing the "Law Library" (1833), and with Henry Wheaten in editing the 5th American edition of William Selwyn's " Abridgment of the Law of Nisi Prius" (1839). He was the author of " Digest of Cases in the Circuit Court of the United States, Third District, and in the Courts of Pennsylvania" (Philadelphia., 1822 ; 6th ed., including "A. Harris's Reports," 2 vols., 1853): " Digested Index to the Reported Decisions of the Several Courts of Law in the Western and Southern States" (1824); "Reports of Cases in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania" (6 vols., 1836-'41); "Letter on the Right and Power of the City of Philadelphia to Subscribe for Stock in the Pennsylvania Railroad Company" (1846); and various addresses and memoirs, including one on William Rawle, LL.D. (1840). He also contributed to Dennie's "Portfolio," and was an editor of the "Analectic Magazine."

Francis Wharton
Thomas Isaac's son, Francis, lawyer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 7 March, 1820, was graduated at Yale in 1839, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1843, practised in Philadelphia for fifteen years, and was assistant attorney-general in 1845. From 1856 till 1863 he was professor of logic and rhetoric in Kenyon college, Ohio, but he was ordained in the Protestant Episcopal church in 1863, and became rector of St. Paul's church in Brookline, Massachusetts He was also professor of ecclesiastical and international law in the Cambridge divinity-school, and in Boston. In 1885 he was appointed solicitor for the department of state, and examiner of international claims, which office he still holds, and in 1888 he was appointed, under a resolution of congress, editor of the Revolutionary diplomatic correspondence of the United States. The degree of D. D. was conferred on him by Kenyon college in 1883, and that of LL. D. by Kenyon in 1865 and by the University of Edinburgh in 1883. He is a member of various institutions of international and municipal law. With Charles E. Lex he edited the "Episcopal Recorder " in Philadelphia, and he has contributed to periodicals. He has edited several volumes of law reports, and is the author of "A Treatise on the Criminal Law of the United States" (Philadelphia, 1846 ; 6th ed., 3 vols., 1868). " The State Trials of the United States during the Administrations of Washington and Adams" (1849)" "Precedents of Indictments and Pleas adapted to the Use both of the Courts of the United States and those of the Several States " (1849; 2d ed., 1857)-" A Treatise on the Law of Homicide in the United States" (1855)" " A Treatise on Medical Jurisprudence," with Dr. Moreton Stille (1855; 2d ed., with additions by Alfred Stille, 1860); "Treatise on Theism and Modern Skeptical Theories" (1859)-"The Silence of Scripture, a Series of Lectures" (1867)" " A Treatise on the Conflict of Laws" (Philadelphia, 1872)" "The Law of Agency and Agents" (1876)" and a "Digest of International Law" (1886).

Henry Wharton
--Another son of Thomas, Henry, lawyer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2 June, 1827; died there, 11 November, 1880, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1846, studied law under his father, and was admitted to the bar in 1849. In 1856 he became solicitor to the Philadelphia saving fund, and he was one of the three lawyers, including Eli K. Price and Edward Olmstead, whose opinions upon real estate were considered equivalent to a judgment of the supreme court, He was legal adviser of the Philadelphia bank and other corporations. With Asa J. Fish he edited the "American Law-Register," from 1852 till 1863, and wrote a "Practical and Elementary Treatise on the Law of Vicinage" (Philadelphia, 1868).

Thomas Isaac Wharton
Henry's son, Thomas Isaac, author, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1 August, 1859, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1879, studied law, was admitted to the "bar, and is the author of "'A Latter-Day Saint" (New York, 1884), and "Hannibal of New York" (1886).

Other links

 * A contemporary, though probably unrelated Samuel Morris: http://www.ushistory.org/hope/history/samuel.htm who built Hope Lodge
 * Also possibly unrelated: http://www.ushistory.org/germantown/lower/deshler.htm

Sarah Morris (preacher)
His daughter, Sarah, Quaker preacher, born in Philadelphia in 1704; died there, 24 October, 1775, became a minister of her denomination. She labored among the Friends in New Jersey, Maryland, and Long Island, visited Rhode Island in 1764, and traveled through Great Britain in 1772-'3.

Samuel Cadwalader Morris
-Another son of the first Samuel, Samuel Cadwalader, patriot, born in Philadelphia, 29 May, 1743 ; died there in February, 1820, was a merchant, took an active part in perfecting the military organization of the state, and served as an officer during the Revolution. When bills of credit were issued by Pennsylvania in 1775, he was among those that were directed by the assembly to sign them. He was a member of the council of safety in 1776, and of the board of war at its organization. He assisted in equipping the state navy, and was appointed by congress to have the care of the prisoners of war within the limits of the state. He was in command of a company of militia at Princeton and Trenton. In a letter dated 24 December, 1776, addressed to the council of safety, he says: " Be not afraid, ye Tories shall not triumph over us yet. We will yet have our Day, and make them Tremble."

John Morris
Another son of the first Samuel, John, lawyer, born in Philadelphia about 1739 ; died there, 9 March, 1785, was graduated in 1759 at the College of Philadelphia (now University of Pennsylvania), studied law, was admitted to the bar, and became eminent in his profession. In 1776 he was commissioned a justice of the court of common pleas, and in the same year, having ardently espoused the cause of the colonies, he was appointed quartermaster of the Pennsylvania troops, with the rank and pay of a lieutenant-colonel. The year following an emergency arose that compelled him to discharge the duties of attorney-general. Andrew Allen, who had held the office since 1766, and who, in the early part of the Revolutionary struggle, had taken sides with the colonies, terrified at the success of the British in New York, and at their approach to Philadelphia, became a Tory, and went over to the enemy. Important state cases, many of them growing out of the war, were then coming on for trial in the several counties. In this crisis Morris was appealed to by the supreme executive council to accept the attorney-generalship, which he did, although he had no taste for the work of his profession in connection with criminal law. His services at this time were valuable, and added to the esteem in which he was held by the authorities. In 1777 he became master of the rolls and recorder for the city and county of Philadelphia, which offices he held until his death. He was a member of the American philosophical society.

Anthony James Morris
The second Anthony's grandson, Anthony James, soldier, son of James Morris, born in Philadelphia in 1739; died there, 20 May, 1831, aided in organizing the first Pennsylvania battalion, and was appointed its major by congress, 25 November, 1775. He soon afterward accompanied his command to Canada, where he rendered important service. On 25 October, 1776, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 2d Pennsylvania regiment of the Continental line, and on 12 March, 1777, was made colonel of the 9th regiment.

Anthony Morris (IV)
--Captain Samuel's son, Anthony, merchant, born in Philadelphia in 1766; died in Washington, D. C., 6 November, 1860, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1783, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1787. He subsequently became a merchant, and was extensively engaged in the East India trade. In 1793 he was speaker of the Pennsylvania senate, and because as such he signed the bill providing for troops to suppress the Whiskey rebellion, he was disowned by the Quaker meeting, of which he was a member. During the administration of President Madison he was sent by the latter on a special mission to Spain, where he remained nearly two years. In 1800-'6 he was a director of the Bank of North America, and from 1806 till 1817 a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania.

Caspar Morris
Caspar Morris -Another grandson of Captain Samuel Morris, Caspar, physician, son of Israel W., born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2 May, 1805; died there, 16 March, 1884, was graduated at the University of' Pennsylvania in 1826, and after serving as resident physician to the Pennsylvania hospital and making a voyage to India as ship's surgeon, began practice in Philadelphia, where he continued to reside until his retirement from professional pursuits in 1871. He took high rank as a practitioner, and was lecturer successively on the theory and practice of medicine in the Philadelphia summer-school of medicine, on children's diseases at the Blockley almshouse hospital, and on the practice of medicine in the Philadelphia medical institute. He was a founder and manager, and from 1860 till 1890 vice-president of the Institution for the blind and a manager of the Protestant Episcopal hospital. He published "A Life of William Wilberforce" (Philadelphia, 1841) : "Memoir of Miss Margaret Mercer" (1848) ; "Letter to Bishop Alonzo Potter on Hospital Needs" (1851) ; " Lectures on Scarlet Fever" (1858); "Essay on Hospital Construction and Management" (Baltimore, 1875); "Rilliet and Barthel on Diseases of Children" and "Heart Voices and Home Songs," for private distribution.--Captain Samuel's great-grandson, Phineas Pemberton, lawyer, son of James Pemberton. born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 2 May, 181'7, was graduated at Georgetown college, D. C., in 1836, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1840. In 1862 he was given the chair of practice, pleading, and evidence at law and in equity, in the law department of the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1884 he became professor emeritus. In 1840 he was president of the Law academy of Philadelphia, and in 1863-'4 was a vice-provost of that institution. He received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1884. Professor Morris is the author of "A Treatise on the Law of Replevin" (Philadelphia, 1849) and "Mining Rights in Pennsylvania" (1860), and edited John W. Smith's "Landlord and Tenant" (1856).

James Cheston Morris
Caspar's son, James Cheston, physician, born in Philadelphia, 28 May, 1831, was graduated at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1854, and began to practise in Philadelphia, making a specialty of uterine and nervous diseases. He was physician to the Foster home for children from 1856 till 1860, from 1855 till 1859 to the Moyamensing house of industry, and from 1857 till 1872 to the Episcopal hospital. From October, 1862, till August, 1863, he served as contract surgeon in the army. From 1855 till 1863, inclusive, he examined, in connection with lectures on practice, materia medica, chemistry, and the institutes of medicine, in the University of Pennsylvania, and also lectured there on microscopic anatomy. He has received several patents for various inventions. His most important literary work has been his translation from the German of Professor C. G. Lehmann's "Manual of Chemical Physiology" (Philadelphia, 1856). He has also contributed largely to professional journals, and is the author of "The Milk-Supply of Large Cities" (Philadelphia, 1884)" "The Water-Supply of Philadelphia" ; "Annals of Hygiene"; and "Report of Philadelphia Water Department" (1886).

U. Penn biographies
Look here.


 * Andrew Allen
 * John Allen
 * William Allen (loyalist)
 * William Augustus Atlee
 * Joseph Ball
 * John B. Bayard
 * Charles Biddle
 * Edward Biddle
 * William Bingham
 * Robert Blackwell
 * John Bleakley
 * Phineas Bond
 * Thomas Bond (physician)
 * William Bradford (1755-1795)
 * George Bryan
 * Edward Burd
 * John Cadwalader
 * Thomas Cadwalader
 * Samuel Campbell (clerk) (not very notable)
 * John Carson
 * Benjamin Chew
 * Gerardus Clarkson (not notable)
 * George Clymer
 * William Coleman (judge)
 * Nicholas Collin
 * David Conyngham
 * William Coxe (Pennsylvania) (not notable)
 * Alexander Dallas
 * John Dickinson
 * Jacob Duché
 * Andrew Elliot
 * John Evans
 * James Ewing (Pennsylvania statesman)
 * John Ewing
 * Ferdinand Farmer
 * Thomas Fitzsimons
 * Edward Fox (secretary)
 * George Fox
 * Tench Francis
 * Benjamin Franklin
 * P. F. Glentworth (clerk)
 * George Gray
 * James Hamilton (Pennsylvania)
 * Robert Hare
 * Justus H.C. Helmuth
 * Henry Hill

Henry Hill (1732-1798)

Henry Hill was a trustee of the College and Academy of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) from 1789 to 1791, serving during that time as treasurer of this board. Isaac Jones (died 1773)
 * Trustee 1789-1791
 * Treasurer of the Board of Trustees 1789-1791
 * Francis Hopkinson
 * Joseph Hopkinson
 * Thomas Hopkinson
 * James Hutchinson
 * Jared Ingersoll
 * John Inglis
 * James Irvine (Pennsylvania statesman)
 * David Jackson
 * Paul Jackson
 * Isaac Jones
 * Trustee 1771-1773
 * Treasurer of the Board of Trustees 1771-1773

From 1752 to 1757 Isaac Jones paid tuition at the Academy for Robert Strettell Jones, Class of 1765. The Honorable Issac Jones was married to Francis Strettell.

Isaac Jones was elected a trustee of the Academy and College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) in 1771, serving as the treasurer of this board until his death in 1773. Little else is known of Isaac Jones.

John Lawrence (physician)
John Lawrence (1747-1830) was a physician in colonial, revolutionary, and federal America.


 * M.B. 1768
 * Trustee 1765-1791
 * Treasurer of the Board of Trustees 1770-1771

Lawrence was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, the son of John Lawrence, a prosperous surveyor, and Mary Hartshorne. He received his A.B. in 1764 from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), before coming to Philadelphia for his medical education. Until the Revolution, he practiced medicine in New Jersey's Middlesex county. He attended the ??? (now the University of Pennsylvania), where he was a member of the first class of medical school graduates.

During the American Revolution both John Lawrences, father and son, were staunch Loyalists. In July 1776 Dr. Lawrence was arrested by order of George Washington and sent to Elizabethtown, New Jersey before being released on parole a year later. After his examination by the Council of Safety in 1777, he moved to New York, where he practiced medicine for the loyalists and commanded a group of volunteers to defend the city from the Americans.

After the war, he retired to Upper Freehold, New Jersey, a wealthy man. Lawrence died, unmarried, in Trenton, 1830.

John Lawrence was named as a trustee of the College and Academy of Philadelphia in 1765, serving as its treasurer in 1770 and 1771. Not surprisingly given his Loyalist views, Lawrence was not named as trustee of the University of the State of Pennsylvania when it was chartered by the new state of Pennsylvania in 1779. When the College of Philadelphia and the University of the State of Pennsylvania were merged in 1791 as the University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence did not continue as a trustee.

Edward Rawle
Edward Rawle (1797-1880) was a founder of the Philomathean Society, an attorney and judge in New Orleans, a founder of the New Orleans Public School System and the first President of its School Board, and a founder, leader and member of many civic organizations in New Orleans.


 * A.B. 1815, A.M. 1818
 * A founder of the Philomathean Society
 * Attorney and judge in New Orleans
 * A founder of the New Orleans Public School System and the first President of its School Board
 * A founder, leader and member of many civic organizations in New Orleans

Edward Rawle was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on September 22, 1797 to William Rawle and Sarah Coates Burge. His father William Rawle was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, U.S. District Attorney for Pennsylvania, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar, first President of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia. He was also a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from 1796 to 1835.

In 1812, while their father was a trustee, Edward Rawle and his brother Henry entered the University of Pennsylvania. On October 2, 1813, they were both among the thirteen founding members of the Philomathean Society, Penn's first student organization.

Upon graduation Edward Rawle became a lawyer and moved to New Orleans, where he became an Associate Judge to the City Court of New Orleans in 1825. From 1839 until 1846, Rawle was an attorney for the Second Municipality of New Orleans. He went on to become one of the founders of the New Orleans Public School System as well as the first President of the School Board in the same municipality. He also was one of the founders and a life member of the Second Municipality Public School Lyceum and Literary Society of New Orleans. In addition, Rawle was a Fellow of the New Orleans Academy of Science and president of the Keystone Association of New Orleans. He died in New Orleans on November 4, 1880.

Henry Rawle
Henry Rawle (1799-1816)

Henry Rawle was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on July 10, 1799 to William Rawle and Sarah Coates Burge. His father was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, U.S. District Attorney for Pennsylvania, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar, first President of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia. He was also a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from 1796 to 1835.
 * A.B. 1815
 * A founder of the Philomathean Society

In 1812, while their father was a trustee, Henry Rawle and his brother Edward entered the University of Pennsylvania. On October 2, 1813, they were both among the thirteen founding members of the Philomathean Society, Penn's first student organization.

Unfortunately Henry Rawle's life was cut short; he died on June 2, 1816, just a year after his college graduation.

Edward Tilghman
William's cousin, Edward, lawyer, born in Wye, Maryland, 11 December, 1750; died 1 November, 1815, was educated in Philadelphia and studied in the Middle Temple, London, in 1772-'4. He was for many years a successful practitioner at the Philadelphia bar, and on the death of Chief-Justice Edward Shippen the office was tendered to him. He declined it, but recommended for the office his kinsman, William.

Tench Tilghman II
Tench Tilghman, soldier, great-grandson of Richard Tilghman, brother of James Tilghman, born in Plimhimmon, Talbot County, Maryland, 25 March, 1810: died in Baltimore, Maryland, 22 December, 1874, was graduated at the United States Military Academy in 1832, and was assigned to the 4th artillery, but resigned, 30 November, 1833, and was a farmer at Oxford, Maryland, till his death. He was brigadier-general of Maryland militia in 1837-'60 and major-general in 1860-'1, state commissioner of public works in 1841-'51, and superintendent of the military department of the Maryland military academy, Oxford, in 1847-'57. In 1849-'50 he was United States consul at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He projected the Maryland and Delaware railroad, was unwearied in his efforts to build it, and served as its president in 1855-'61. In 1858-'60 he was president or the National agricultural society. General Tilghman was for many years at the head of the Maryland Society of the Cincinnati, and at his death he was also treasurer-general of the order in the United States. From 1857 till 1860 he was collector of customs for the port of Oxford, Maryland.

Richard Lloyd Tilghman
His kinsman, Richard Lloyd Tilghman, naval officer, great-grandson of James's brother. William, born in Kent county, Maryland, 20 April, 1810; died in 1867, entered the United States navy as a midshipman, 27 October, 1830, promoted to lieutenant, 8 September, 1841, and during the Mexican war served with Commander Robert P. Stockton in the Pacific in the "Congress" and " Cyane," and participating in the conquest of California, the capture of Mazathm, Guaymas, and La Paz, and in the operations incident to these victories. He commanded the brig "Perry" on the Brazil station from 1857 till 1860, during the Paraguayan war. He returned home during the excitement before the civil war, on 23 April, 1861, resigned from the navy, and died soon after the close of the war.

Shippen family
http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/findaids/burd1.htm

Francis Ferdinand Durang, Jr.
Born: 10/9/1913 Biography from the American Architects and Buildings database Born in Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, the son of Francis Ferdinand Durang, Sr.

Chiefly known as a member of his father's office, the younger Durang became self-employed in 1959 when his father retired from active practice. In the 1960s he was working in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.

Father of playwright Christopher Durang.


 * Brief note at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings

Samuel Hodgdon
Samuel Hodgdon 5th Quartermaster General March 1791-April 1792

Samuel Hodgdon was born in Boston on September 3, 1745, but after the Revolution settled in Philadelphia, where he became well known as a public official and business man. During the war he had held various posts. In 1776 he was a Lieutenant in the Marines. In 1777, while occupying the post of Captain of artillery, he was made principal field commissary of military stores, serving in both capacities under Brig. Gen. Henry Knox, who, fourteen years later, was Secretary of War when Hodgdon was appointed Quartermaster General.

Hodgdon apparently carried out the duties of field commissary satisfactorily, for in 1780, upon the recommendation of the Board of War, the Continental Congress appointed him deputy commissary general, and the next year promoted him to the post of commissary general of military stores. He also served as an assistant to the Quartermaster General, Thomas Pickering.

In the spring of 1783, when it became obvious that the war was finally drawing to a close and that both their departments faced eventual abolishment, Hodgdon and Pickering decided to enter business. On May 10 they formed a partnership as commission merchants under the name of "Pickering and Hodgdon." Though this lasted only five years, they were associated in various enterprises, including land speculation, over a much longer period. Pickering appears to have had a high regard for Hodgdon's business ability, for he named him as his agent to settle his Quartermaster General accounts.

The post of commissary general of military stores was abolished July 20, 1785, and Hodgdon was out of public office, but only temporarily. His old friend. Henry Knox, was named secretary of war and 1788 Hodgdon was back on his old job, though this time under the lesser title of commissary of military stores.

Hodgdon was nominated for the position of Quartermaster General by President Washington and confirmed by the Senate, becoming the first appointed by the president. He also was the first civilian to be named to the post. There had been no Quartermaster General for six years, that position and the Quartermaster Department had been abolished by Congress on July 25, 1785. On March 4, 1791, he became Quartermaster of the army being raised for General St. Clair's expedition into the Western frontier.

Hodgdon's lack of first-hand knowledge of the frontier was illustrated by the fact that the pack saddles he supplied from the East were too large to fit the smaller-sized horses of the western country. Moreover, the Quartermaster failed to provide bells or hobbles, seemingly unaware that unbelled and unhobbled animals, when turned out to graze on the frontier, would wander off and be lost. His inexperience with frontier conditions was further revealed by the fact that he procured fewer than a hundred axes, all of poor quality, and only one grindstone for an army proceeding into a wilderness where a road had to be cleared for the artillery and forts had to be erected.

In accepting his appointment, Hodgdon had promised to conduct the business of his office economically, and he did just that, but unfortunately his economy in the procurement of supplies was at the expense of quality. Many of the items he forwarded were obtained from the surplus stock of the Revolutionary War and were urgently in need of repair. Not only quality but quantity was lacking in the supplies forwarded.

Following the overwhelming defeat of his forces less than a month later, the expedition leader, General St. Clair, held Hodgdon largely responsible for the entire fiasco.A Congressional committee appointed to investigate St Clair's defeat admitted that Congress had delayed too long in passing the bill for the protection of the frontier and then had not allowed sufficient time for recruiting and disciplining an army for such an expedition. However, in its report on May 8, 1792, it laid the burden of blame for failure of the expedition upon "the delays consequent upon the gross and various mismanagements and neglects in the Quartermaster's and contractor's departments," and exonerated completely the commander-in-chief. Although at the request of Knox and Hodgdon the committee re-examined its report early the next year, it concluded that its original findings justified.

At that point the investigation took a strange turn, Congress voted down a motion to consider the Committee's findings, issued no official report and abruptly dropped the entire matter to the dismay of General St. Clair, who wanted to clear his name.

It was unjust to place upon Hodgdon such a large share of the blame for the failure of an expedition that was both ill planned and ill executed. Hodgdon was unwise the ways of the frontier, he carried his economy measures too far, and his long-delayed arrival camp was inexcusable, it is doubtful if the most efficient Quartermaster could have changed the final outcome in view of the untrained and undisciplined character of the troops on the expedition, the lack of judgment exhibited by St. Clair in pursuing a campaign so late in the season, and the crowning failure security measures, which permitted a surprise to overwhelm his force.

Hodgdon served as Quartermaster General until April 19, 1792. Hodgdon was replaced by James O'Hara as Quartermaster General under the new arrangements made to retrieve the prestige of the army on the frontier, and he resumed his old post in charge of military stores.

O'Hara respected Hodgdon's business ability, since he appointed him his deputy in charge of Quartermaster accounts at Philadelphia because of his industry and knowledge. Washington apparently did not lose faith in Hodgdon, as he reappointed him in 1794 under the new title of superintendent of military stores an office which he filled for many years and continued to hold until Jefferson was elected President in 1800. Thereafter he pursued a successful business career, which culminated in his selection to the presidency of a trust and insurance firm, the Pennsylvania Company, in 1813. He died in Philadelphia on June 9, 1824, at the age of seventy-eight. http://www.qmfound.com/Samuel_Hodgdon.htm

=Hannah Clothier Hull= In the last issue of the Clothier Chronicles I mentioned discovery of Clothier Field which was a City Park in Delaware County, Pennsylvania near the Swarthmore College Campus. I have now discovered that the park is named in honor of Hannah Hallowell Clothier Hull, born 21 July 1872, died 1958. Hannah is a descendant of the branch of Clothiers commonly referred to as the Strawbridge-Clothier line. This branch of Clothiers descends from one Henry and Abigail (Ridgeway) Clothier. Henry was of Glastonbury, Somersetshire, England and immigrated to America about 1714. Henry and Abigail were married at Burlington, New Jersey on 5 November 1717. This branch of Clothiers, to date show no connection to our immigrant ancestor Jeremiah. It is possible that a connection may be made in England though, since Henry also came from the County of Somersetshire, where Jeremiah came from. Henry and most of his descendants were called Friends or Quakers. Hannah was the daughter of Isaac Hallowell and Mary Clapp (Jackson) Clothier and she was married on 27 December 1898 to William Isaac Hull. Her father Isaac was one of the founders and partners of Strawbridge & Clothier, a clothing store chain based in Pennsylvania. Hannah was an absolute pacifist and suffrage leader; she devoted nearly 50 years to these causes. She corresponded with a host of pacifists, feminists, and political figures, and her papers are a valuable resource to the scholars of the peace and women's movements. Hannah served in The Women's Peace Party from 1917 to 1920. She attended the International Conference or Women at The Hague in 1922. The papers of Hannah Clothier Hull include correspondence (1892-1956), speeches, articles, and notes (1925-1958), biographical materials, and pamphlets on women's suffrage, clippings and photographs. All of this material is part of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.

Nicholas Waln
Nicholas Waln (Richard1); (b. circa 1650, Burholme, Yorkshire, England; m. Jane Turner 1673; d. 4 Feb 1721/22 at Philadelphia Co., PA.

He resided at Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA. He immigrated on 22 Oct 1682 to Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Assembly between 1682 and 1695 at Bucks Co., PA. He was a member of the Assembly between 1696 and 1717 at Philadelphia Co., PA. He left a will 11mo 30 1721/22 at Philadelphia Co., PA; proved 19 Mar 1721/22.

Jane Turner died after 1721.

Known children of Nicholas Waln and Jane Turner were as follows: 4. i. Jane Waln, b. 16 5 mo. 1675 at Yorkshire, England; m. Samuel Allen Jr. ii. Margaret Waln; b. 3 Oct 1677 at Yorkshire, England.

5.       iii. Richard Waln, b. 6 Apr 1678 at Burholme, Yorkshire, England; m. Ann Heath. iv. Margaret Waln; b. 10 Jan 1681/82 at Yorkshire, England. v. Hannah Waln; b. 21 Sep 1684 at Bucks Co., PA; m.                   Thomas Hodges; 1st husband; m. Benjamin Simcock Nov 1712; 2nd husband. vi. Mary Waln; b. 7 Apr 1687 at Bucks Co., PA; m. John Simcock 1706; d. 19 Jul 1721 at age 34. vii. Ellen Waln; b. 1mo 27 1690 at Bucks Co., PA; d. 4 Jan 1707/8. viii. Sarah Waln; m. Jacob Simcock; b. 9 Jun 1692 at                   Bucks Co., PA; m. Jonathan Palmer 27 Feb 1721/22. ix. John Waln; b. 10 Aug 1694 at Bucks Co., PA; m.                   Jane Mifflin 30 Aug 1717; d. 1720. x. Elizabeth Waln; b. 27 Mar 1697 at Philadelphia, PA. xi. Nicholas Waln; b. 24 Mar 1698/99 at Philadelphia, PA; d. 11 Feb 1721/22 at Philadelphia, PA, at age 22.                   He left a will 12mo 6 1721/22 at Philadelphia Co., PA; proved 19 Mar 1721/22. xii. William Waln; b. 15 Mar 1700/1 at Philadelphia, PA; m. Ann Hall.

7. Nicholas Waln (Richard3, Nicholas2, Richard1); b. 19 Mar 1710; m. Mary Shoemaker, daughter of George Shoemaker and Rebecca Dilworth, at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia, PA; d. Aug 1744 at age 34. He resided at Northern Liberties, Philadelphia Co., PA. He left a will on 16 Aug 1744 at Philadelphia Co., PA; proved 31 Aug 1744.

Mary Shoemaker resided at Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA. She left a will 11mo 19 1745 at Philadelphia Co., PA; proved 23 Jun 1756.    Known children of Nicholas Waln and Mary Shoemaker include: i. Richard Waln; b. 1737; m. Elizabeth Armitt, daughter of Joseph Armitt and Elizabeth Lisle, 4 Dec 1760. He resided at Philadelphia, PA. He resided in 1774 at 'Walnford', Monmouth Co., NJ.

Nicholas Waln, a prominent colonial lawyer and later a Quaker minister, was the first owner of the home at 254 2nd st. The property, shown set back from the road in the Taylor watercolor, was built sometime before 1785. According to the Jane Campbell collectionThe Waln family owned the home until 1812 when a Dr. Ely briefly resided in the home prior to the purchase of the home by Dr. Samuel McClellan. In 1862 future Union General George McClellan was born in the home. In the mid 1800's the home was used by the Southeast School. Between 1861 and 1871 the girls section of the school occupied the home. Rev. Ezra Stiles is believed to be the head of the school. The property was used for manufacturing purposes in the 1910's. In 1959 the Redevelopment Agency of Philadelphia acquired the property though condemnation.

Nicholas Waln was undoubtedly one of the most eccentric characters in colonial Philadelphia. Stories from the Perkins and Campbell collections augment a narrative from the Eberlen and Lippincott 1912 publication "The Colonial Homes of Philadelphia and its Neighborhoods" creating an insight into Waln's character. Waln's family home was Fairhill in what is now Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Waln began his career as a lawyer, but as the following antidote illustrates he soon became disillusioned with the profession. When traveling home from trying a case in Bucks County, Waln stopped by his friend's country home and is reported to have said, "I did the best that I could for my client, gained the case for him, and thereby defrauded an honest man out of his just due. " After this he never practiced law again and instead became a Quaker minister.

It is Nicholas Waln who is responsible for the narrow street frontage the property has in the 1861 Taylor watercolor. Originally the house had a garden to the front and side. Waln sells the south east portion of the lot and house is built on that corner of the original property, leaving an open space of 20-25 feet back to the Waln house. Later a small office was built by Waln's neighbor to the south. leaving only several feet for an entrance. Not only his Waln loose his street frontage to this neighbor, but he also frequently accused his neighbor of stealing wood from his woodpile. Waln died iin1813 at the age of 71 and the home passed into the hands of his wife. Waln's widow, the former Sarah Richardson, aside from being one of the few female property owners in Philadelphia in the early 19th century, also managed to create a cookbook that still remains in the collection of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. The site continued to have a vibrant life until the 20th century when Society Hill as a whole became an area of urban blight as structures were abandoned or allowed to fall into disrepair. In the 1950's and 1960's the City of Philadelphia undertook a massive urban renewal plan that eventually transformed Society Hill into the elit residential neighborhood that it is today. The site where 254 S. Second St. once stood became part of a block with a residential tower designed by modernist architect I.M.Pei.

Nicholas Waln (1742-1813), Quaker minister, was the son of Nicholas and Mary Shoemaker Waln. He married Sarah Richardson in 1771. Their children included Joseph R. Waln (1773-1783), Jacob Shoemaker Waln (1784-1847), William and Nicholas Waln. Waln was educated as a lawyer but as a young man gave up his lucrative practice as the result of a profound religious experience in 1772. He began to travel in the ministry in 1774 and made two religious visits to Great Britain in 1783 and 1795.

Nicholas Waln (1742-1813) was admitted to the bar in 1762 and quickly (before reaching the age of 21) had one of the largest trial caseloads of any Philadelphia lawyer. He left Philadelphia in 1763 to study at the Inns of Court in London, returned in 1764 and achieved immediate success and prosperity. He left the practice of law to become an extraordinarily eloquent and famous Quaker preacher. He mentored many successful Philadelphia lawyers.

In 1683, the first Neshaminy Monthly Meeting was held at Nicholas Waln's on November 1st and then at the homes of John Otter and Robert Hall until 1688. The first   meeting house was built on land given by Nicholas Waln (Philadelphia merchant) who lived on what is now the Brownsville Road on the left, going down to the Creek; the former William Mitchell farm a mile west of Langhorne. Unfortunately, we do not know the exact location, but we do know that it was on the opposite side of the road from the Waln home, and this side of the creek.

In 1690, a committee was appointed to select a burying place and to have it fenced in. In 1692, the township having been laid out, the name was changed to Middletown Monthly Meeting. Bristol, Buckingham, Newtown and Wrightstown meetings began as preparative meetings under Middletown. In 1693, a schoolmaster was hired and children were taught at the Meeting House, becoming the first school in the area.

=Jane Dewey=