London Grove Meeting Deeds and First Trustees: Chester County, PA Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Fred Kelso (Pennsylguy@aol.com) Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* From the book “Two-Hundredth Anniversary, London Grove Meeting: 1714-1914,” specifically the article therein entitled “London Grove Meeting and Its Environs,” by Gilbert Cope, West Chester, pp. 85-103. Contributed by Fred Kelso Title Deeds of London Grove Meeting "14th of 3d Mo. 1722: Tobias Collet & Co. to John Smith, Joseph Pennock, Caleb Pusey Jr., and William Swain of Marlborough, and John Cook of London Tract, for 10 acres of land, beginning at a corner of land of Joseph Pennock; thence South 40 perches, West 40 perches, North 40 perches and east 40 perches to place of beginning. Articles of Agreement, 3d of 4th Mo. 1724, between Henry Travilla, Joseph Pennock, John Smith, William Swain and John Cook, for the sale and purchase of ten acres of land. Deed dated 26th of May, 1732: -- William Levis of Kennet, Malster, and Joseph James of Easttown Township, yeoman, executors of Henry Traviller late of Marlborough, to Joseph Pennock and others (trustees of London Grove Meeting), for ten acres of land in London Grove. This recites a deed from Samuel Bonham, Samuel Turner and John Midford, all of London, merchants, surviving feoffees of the Pennsylvania Land Company in London, to Henry Traviller for 72 acres in London Grove, part of 16,500 acres; who by will dated 9th Dec. 1725, appointed William Levis and Joseph James to be his executors. The ten acres begin at the south corner of the land of Henry Traviller, purchased from the London Company, thence N. 40 perches to a stone; W. 40 per. to a stone; S. 40 per. to a stone, and E. 40 per. to the place of beginning. (No mention is made in this conveyance about its proximity to the former purchase from Tobias Collett and others, but it was immediately north of the latter.) Deed-Book H., p. 201. This was followed by a “Declaration of Trust,” signed by the trustees, explaining that they held the property in trust for the use of the meeting. They had also executed a similar document in 1723, for the first purchase. At New Garden Monthly Meeting, 6-1-1782: “London Grove preparative meeting reports the friends to whom the Land on which their meeting house stands was conveyed in trust are all Deceased, & that that meeting has appointed Joshua Pusey, Joseph Richardson, Caleb Swayne, Jeremiah Barnard, Ju’r, & Thomas Wood to succeed them therein, desiring their names may be entered upon the records of this meeting as such, which is agreed to.” Neglect to renew the trust while some one of the trustees was yet living required releases from the heirs of the last survivor. Deed dated 22d of 12th Mo. 1783: Joseph Pennock of East Marlborough, yeoman, and Phebe his wife, Levis Pennock of West Marlborough and Ruth his wife, sons and residuary legatees of Joseph Pennock late of West Marlborough; William Pennock of East Marlborough, cartwright, and wife Mary, Caleb Pennock of East Marlborough, cartwright, and Ann his wife, Samuel Pennock of East Marlborough, wheelwright, and Mary his wife, Joshua Pennock of Chester Co., Taylor [tailor?], --- the four youngest children of William Pennock, deceased, of East Marlborough, and grandchildren of Joseph Pennock, deceased; Joseph Pennock the younger of West Marlborough, yeoman, and wife Mary, Samuel Pennock the younger of West Marlborough, yeoman, and William Pennock the younger of same, --- sons and residuary legatees of Nathaniel Pennock, deceased, of West Marlborough, son of Joseph Pennock, deceased, --- To Joshua Pennock, Joseph Richardson, Caleb Swayne, Jeremiah Barnard Jun’r, and Thomas Wood, all of Chester County. This recites the conveyance from Tobias Collett and others to former trustees, as recorded in deed-book E., p. 69. Also deed from the executors of Henry Traviller to same trustees for the 2d tract of ten acres, as recorded in deed-book H., p. 201. Each tract is separately described without indicating their connection. Deed-Book Y. p. 38. A declaration of trust follows the above. A renewal of trust was made by the assignment of Thomas Wood’s interest, 2d of 3d Mo. 1807, to Caleb Swayne and Jeremiah Barnard, and of Joseph Richardson’s, Caleb Swayne’s, and Jeremiah Barnard’s, 17th of 2d Mo. 1808, to Joseph L. Pennock, Samuel Swayne Jr., Francis Wilkinson Jr., Joseph Pusey and William Swayne. Again, 5-27-1833, by Francis Wilkinson and others to Thomas Hicks and others. By Thomas Hicks and others, 9-26-1864, to Eli Thompson and others. It is believed that all the title papers complete are with the other records in the safe." [Genealogical Data on] The First Trustees [of London Grove Meeting] “JOHN SMITH Was the son of Eliezer Smith of Dartmouth, Mass., who married Aug. 12, 1680, Ruth Sprague. They had children, John, born June 23, 1681, Eliphal, Thomas, Rebeccah, James, Desire, and Joseph. Ruth Sprague, born Feb. 12, 1659, was the daughter of John Sprague of Duxbury, who married in 1655 Ruth, daughter of William Bassett. John Smith was married first to Ann Pusey, as has been stated. After her death he married 6-6-1728, at London Grove Meeting, Dorothy Windle, who is believed to have come from Ireland. By the first he had Lydia, and by the last Anne, John, Ruth, Thomas and Sarah. JOSEPH PENNOCK The second named in the deed of trust was born in Ireland 11-18-1677, and died in West Marlborough 3-27-1771. He married May 3, 1703, at the house of Samuel Levis, in Springfield Township, (now) Delaware Co., Pa., to Mary Levis. Old traditions are hard to kill. It has been stated time and again that Christopher Pennock, father of Joseph, served under William of Orange, at the Battle of the Boyne, Ireland, 1690, but the truth is that he came to Philadelphia as a Friend as early as 1683, and there remained in good standing in the Society till his death in 1700. CALEB PUSEY, Ju’r Is termed “Cousin” by Caleb Pusey, Sen’r in his will, a term formerly used for nephews and nieces. It was thought by some that he and William Pusey were brothers but it seems more likely they were first cousins. When in England in 1905 the writer examined some of the family wills and made unexpected discoveries. The father, William, and grandfather, John, of Caleb Pusey Sen’r, signed the name “Bartholomew alias Pusey.” Their residence was in the parish of Chipping Lamborne, Berkshire, where John died in 1620 and William about 1665. The latter had sons, Thomas, William, Joshua, Caleb, and John. Judged by the naming of their children, Joshua was the father of William Pusey of London Grove, and Thomas the father of Caleb Pusey, Jr., the 3d trustee of London Grove Meeting. WILLIAM SWAYNE Eldest son of Francis and Elizabeth Swayne of Berkshire, England, arrived in Philadelphia 9-15-1708, and on 7-29-1720, was married to Elizabeth Dell, daughter of Thomas and Mary Dell of Ridley, (now) Delaware Co., Pa. He died in 1735 and his widow in 1743, both in East Marlborough. Francis Swayne was the son of William Swayne of Ockingham, in Berkshire, who died in 1693. At Newark (now Kennet) Monthly Meeting, 5th Mo. 1st 1710: “Francis Swayne having produced a Certificate to this meeting, dated from Reding Monthly Meeting in ye County of Barks in Old England, which said Certificate being read was Excepted on.” Bu deed of Sept. 12, 1711, he purchased 425 acres of land in East Marlborough, where he died 9-30-1721; having previously conveyed to his son William 195 acres of his original purchase. The births of the children, as furnished by Wm. Marshal Swayne, were these: --- William, 1-30-1689; m. Elizabeth Dell Elizabeth, 5-8-1692; m. Thomas Barnard Ann, 6-27-1694; d. unmarried Francis, 2-9-1697; m. Esther Dicks Jane, 3-28-1698; m. John Jackson Sarah, 8-26-1700; m. Robert Lamborn Edward, 11-20-1702; m. Sarah Fincher The certificate of the marriage of Sarah Swayne to Robert Lamborn, heretofore mentioned, was the first recorded as taking place at the meeting held at the house of John Smith, in East Marlborough. JOHN COOK The fifth and last of the trustees named in the first deed for the meeting property in London Grove, was the eldest child of Peter and Elinor (Norman) Cook, and was born 7-2-1696, at Tarvin, in Cheshire, England. His parents, with their nine children, sailed for America in 1713, but the father died on the voyage or soon after their arrival. His widow married John Fincher in 1714 and they settled in London Grove. John Cook married in 1718 Elinor Langdale and had seven children, who were ancestors of many members of this meeting.”