History of Willistown Township (1881); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson <ferg@ntelos.net>.

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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, by Futhey and Cope (1881);
 
Willistown was organized as a township about the year 1704.  It was first 
represented at court by Thomas Garrett, as constable, in 1705.  A large part of 
the twp was within the lines of the Welsh tract, but many surveys were made for 
other persons, especially in the southern part.  The families of Hibberd, 
Massey, Smedley, Thomas, Garrett, and Yarnall were among the earliest and most 
numerous, and many of their descendants are inhabitants of the twp at the 
present time.*(1881)
    A draught of the southern part of the twp, made ca 1704, shows that, 
beginning at the SE corner and going Northward, Francis Yarnall had 510 acres; 
Peter Thomas, 528; Thomas Massey, 420; and Barker and Co 2103.  West of Peter 
Thomas the Indians had a square piece of 500 acres, mostly on the east side of 
Ridley Creek.  Wet of Barker and Co were Samuel Levis, 667 acres; William 
Garrett 556; and Samuel Richardson 1160.
    Francis Yarnall obtained a patent, Nov 28, 17093, for 400 acres next to the 
Indians' land, and in 1738 Amos and Mordecai Yarnall obtained patents for the 
land deserted by the Indians.
    Josiah Hibberd, of Darby, purchased from Martha Barker, of London, and 
Joseph Buckley, of Philadelphia, 250 acres of the Barker and Co.'s tract, and in 
1731 conveyed the same to his son, Benjamin Hibberd, who had settled thereon.  
John Hibberd, another son, had settled in the twp by 1721, and in 1722 we find 
the names of Richard Jones, Benony Griffith, Thomas Richard and Morris Griffith.