Biographical Sketch of Robert WILLIAM (1881); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* from Futhey and Cope's THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY (1881); " Robert William, of Merion, widower, was married at the house of Hugh Roberts, 4, 19, 1691, to Gwen Cadwalader. About the year 1700 they were settled in Goshen, probably on land then of Griffith Owen, at or near the present Goshen Friends' Meeting. He was sometimes called the King of Goshen, and it is claimed that he was the first settler in the township. Tradition says their first residence was a cave, and that on occasion, when their hearth-fire went out, he had to go seven miles to get it renewed. Goshen Meeting was held first, it is believed, at his house, though the record says at the house of Griffeth Owen, but the latter doubtless lived in Philadelphia. In 1715 they lived in Uwchlan Township and in that year conveyed the Goshen homestead to their son Ellis. Though he had considerable land in Goshen, he appears to have been in straitened circumstances, so that in 1702 Friends of Haverford contributed 19 pounds 9d. 8s. to him to build a new house, he having received Friends "kindly and open- hearted," and keeping the meeting in his house. In 1710, Edward Roberts complained of him for debt, and the meeting advised him to sell some of his land to pay for it, and even appointed persons to assist him in doing it. He died in 1734, at the age of eighty-seven years. His children, so far as known, were. - 1. Elizabeth, m. to William Philips, 1708; 2. Ellis, who died 1756, m. Mary __ about 1712; she died 2, 7, 1753; 3. Lewis, m. about 1720, to Ann, daughter of James Thomas; 4. John, perhaps a son,[sic] m. Jane ____: 5. Ann, b. 1700, m. Griffith John; 6. William, m. 10, 3, 1723, at Uwchlan Meeting, Joan Pugh, daughter of James Pugh, of Uwchlan, d. in Vincent, 7, 17, 1744; 7. Grace, b. 3, 12, 1707, m. John Meredith; 8. Hannah, m. John Morgan, Nov. 9, 1723; 9. Sarah, b. 1712, m. Timothy Kirk."