Forks of the Brandywine Seceder Cemetery; Chester County, Pennsylvania Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Dan Lindley . Cemetery history provided by Fred Kelso Copyright. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* Forks of the Brandywine Seceder Cemetery Known as “The Seceder Burial Ground”, the cemetery is situated near the corner of Rout e 82 and Hibernia Road. It is a fairly small area now, but in 1761 when the land was purchased, it comprised “with appurtances there onto belonging, containing by estimation two acres and forty-three perches, more or less.” The description alludes to a building, which may have been used f a time as a house of worship. Three gentlemen, David Stewart, Samuel Mackelduff, and George Irwin, were instructed to purchase the ground for a group of worshipers who had withdrawn from the Forks of the Brandywine Presbyterian Church because of a dispute within the congregation. Records indicate the schism occurred in 1741, and for a time the people joined with the Octorara Congregation, and Rev. Andrew Sterling was their Pastor. The group was known as “the New Side”. After the congregation reunited, apparently soon after acquiring the Seceder Burial Grounds, the Irwin family became the owners of the Cemetery, and buried their family members and others, from 1777 to 1910. A young man of only 15 years of age, John Gilliland was “slain by Hessian Soldiers on a foraging party in the vicinity of Brandywine Manor”, and is buried there. The property became neglected, and for a number of years no one cared for it. Emily Jane Irwin Pollock, a grand-daughter of Nathaniel Irwin, a soldier of the Revolution, began an effort to restore the graveyard, and the Irwin family has since kept the grounds neater. Some vandalism occurred, and some stones have been overturned. Source: The above is taken from a history written by Joseph Darlington of Downingtown, the historian for the Irwin Family. Taken from the book Between the Brandywines….., 300 Years of Heritage, First Edition, May 1984, U.S. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 84-51033 Images of the tombstones can be found here: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/chester/forks.htm A. B. I. E. I. E. I.; Stones built into the wall H. F. I. N. I. N. I. J. C. I. J. I.; Stones built into the wall L. P. I.; Stones built into the wall W. I. W. R.; Stones built into the wall W. R. E. J. R. GILLILAND, John d. 1777, Age 13 "killed by a Hessian Soldier" IRWIN Clan Memorial “Erected in Memory of the Unmarked Dead of the Irwin Clan. By the Irwin Reunion 1926” IRWIN, Amzi B. d. 22 June 1875, Age 58; Son of Nathaniel & Hannah (possibly IRWIN), Elizabeth Age 75; wife of Peter ? broken stone pieces may be of the same stone. IRWIN, George d. 3d Oct 1815, Age 87 IRWIN, George d. 3d Oct 1815, Age 87 IRWIN, George d. 10 Jan 1816 IRWIN, Hannah F. d. 4 Apr 1887, Age 75 IRWIN, James C. d. 28 May 1880, Age 44 Son of Nathaniel & Hannah IRWIN, Jane d. 8 Oct 1850 IRWIN, Jarid d. Sept. 25 1815, Age 79 IRWIN, Mary (w/o or d/o James ?) d. May 19, 1882 IRWIN, Nathaniel 28 Dec 1757 - 17 Apr 1836 IRWIN, Nathaniel d. 26 Sep 1880, Age 88 IRWIN, Elizabeth d. 19 Jan 1910, Age 82 IRWIN, Peter 7 Nov 1790 - 3 Oct 1866 IRWIN, Elizabeth 1795-1870 IRWIN, Rebecca d. 12 Aug 1792, Age 59 Wife of George IRWIN, William d. 29 Nov 1828 LAVERTY, Mrs. ROBISON, Eliza J. 18 Oct 1806 - 06 Aug 1874 "In Memory of Eliza J. daughter of William & Margaret Robison born October 18, 1806, died August 6, 1874- aged 68 years." ROBISON, Margaret d. April 1794, Age 92 Wife of William Mary (her granddaughter) Age 2 ROBISON, William d. 1768 ROBISON, William d. 23 Apr 1826, Age 56 His grandson ROSS, Ruth d. 1815 ROSS, Mary "In Memory of Ruth Ross, who died AD 1815 also her daughter Mary aged 2 years- by R. Lewis." ---------------------------------------------------------- The following listing from circa 1958. Provided by PLesky@aol.com Pat Irwin Lesky, Historian of the Irwin Family Burials in Seceder Burying Ground (copied from the tombstones) Jane Irwin b 1784 d Oct 8, 1850 age 66 George Irwin III b 1769 d Jan 10, 1846 age 77-3 William Irwin b 1758 d Nov 29, 1822 age 64 Nathaniel Irwin b Dec 28, 1757 d Apr 17, 1836 (Wife, Elizabeth Hunter’s stone is missing) Peter Irwin b Nov 7, 1790 d Oct 3, 1866 Elizabeth Young Irwin b 1795 d Jan 17, 1870 age 75 wife of Peter Irwin George Irwin d Oct 13, 1815 age 87 Rebecca Irwin d Aug 12, 1792 age 59 wife of George Irwin Jared Irwin d Sept 25, 1815 age 79 Mary Irwin (1st wife of Jared) d May 19, 1832 age 77 Laverty (2nd wife) b 1755 d 1790 Nathaniel Irwin, Jr d Sept 26, 1880 age 83 Hannah E. Irwin b 1812 d Apr 4, 1887 age 75 wife of Nathaniel, Jr James Irwin d Mar 28, 1880 age 44 son of Nathaniel & Hannah Strong Amzi B. Irwin d June 22, 1879 age 53 son of Nathaniel & Hannah William Robinson d 1768 Margaret Robinson d Apr 1794 age 92 wife of William Robinson Eliza J. b Oct 18, 1806 d Aug 6, 1874 age 68 dau of William & Margaret Robinson William Robinson d Apr 25, 1826 age 56 gr son of William & Margaret Robinson Mary Robinson age 2 gr dau of William & Margaret Robinson Elizabeth Irwin d Jan 19, 1910 age 82 Ruth Ross & dau Mary, age 2 d 1845 John Guilliland d Sept 1777 age 15 (slain by the Hessian soldiers while they were on a foraging party in the neighborhood of Brandywine Manor) Last Updated: 11/21/2005