PA-OLD-CHESTER-L Archives

From: "Sandra Ferguson" <>
Subject: Smedley/Mercer
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 07:24:47 -0400

Lew sent this additional info on the Mercer/Smedley families. Thanks, Lew.

S.


#12 GEORGE SMEDLEY
(Thomas,George),b.Willistown;d.there,8-4-1783;m.9-1-1750,at Concord
Meeting,Patience Mercer,b.1-31-1731;d.12-19-1812;dau.of Thomas Mercer and
Hannah Taylor,of Westtown. Issue:

64 Thomas,b.?;d.10-3-1814;m.Susanna Hoopes.

65 John,b.10-22-1755;d.8-23-1815;m.Mary Baker.

66 Phebe,b.?;d.?;m.Nathaniel White.

67 Priscilla,b.10-2-1763;d.3-5-1797;m.George Green.

68 Jesse,b.8-10-1766;d.4-17-1851;m.Mary Matlack.

69 Anne,b.10-11-1768;d.1-26-1847;m.George Matlack.

70 Sarah,b.12-9-1772;d.9-11-1827;m.Jonathan Matlack.

George Smedley obtained a certificate from Goshen to Concord Monthly Meeting
7-10-1750,in order for marriageand Patience Smedley produced to Goshen a
certificate of membership,from Concord,dated 12-4-1750-1,but not signed
until the next meeting 12-4-1750-1(?),"by reason of the extremity of the
weather & smallness of the meeting."It certified that "her Life and
conversation hath been in a good Degree Orderly,and a Diligent frequenter of
our Religious meetings,"and was signed by William Trimble,clerk,and sixteen
women.

Thomas Mercer,from Aynoe-on-the-Hill,in the county of Northampton,
England,with Mary,his wife,settled in Thornbury township,where he purchased
238 acres of land,1-12-1699-1700,immediately east of present Westtown
Station.His will is dated 3-17-1715,and proven 9-13-1716.His widow died in
1723.Their children were:Thomas,m.Hannah Taylor,dau.of Josiah and
Elizabeth
(Pennell) Taylor;Mary,m.William Pennell,1710; Elizabeth,m.1712,Joseph
Woodward,and 2ndly (?),in 1716,William Vestal; Ann,m.1713,Joshua
Peirce;Joseph,m.1719,Ann Wickersham.

Thomas Mercer Jr.settled at first in Marlborough,but after a few years
removed to Westtown,close by the Thornbury homestead,where he died about
Jan.1758.

Children of Thomas and Hannah Mercer

Rachel,b.6-12-1712;m.Evan Davis,Dec.23,1728.

Daniel,b.9-14-1714;d.6-25-1807;m.Rebecca Townsend,9-20-1735.

Robert,b.9-28-1716;m.Olive Pyle.

Thomas,b.8-26-1718;died young.

Ann,b.8-8-1720;m.John Polas Seal,4-20-1763.

Hannah,b.3-28-1724;d.12-27-1770;m.Thomas Yearsley.

Phebe,b.5-20-1726;m.John Martin,8-20-1743.

Mary,b.4-16-1728;m.Nathan Matlack,12-14-1749-50.

Patience,b.1-31-1731;m.George Smedley.

Thomas,b.1-18-1734;d.3-18-1816;m.Jane Hunt and Lydia Harlan.

George Smedley inherited from his father a Fulling mill on Ridley
Creek,together with 255 acres of land.An adjoining neighbor on the west was
George Ashbridge,with whom he had a controversy as to their respective
lines.At Goshen Monthly Meeting,7-11-1766,complaint was made of George
Smedley for removing a landmark,a corner of George Ashbridge's land,and
cutting and taking a tree away.A committee appointed to examine into the
case reported that he claimed the land where the tree and landmark stood,and
the assistance of the Quarterly Meeting was invoked to settle the
dispute.This meeting appointed Peter Worrall,Samuel Sharpless,Abram
Bonsall,John Davis,Robert Mendenhall,Samuel Osborne,Daniel Byrnes,James
Robinson,Thomas Milhous and Thomas Lightfoot,none of whom were members of
Goshen Monthly Meeting,and after a hearing they decided that George Smedley
was at fault.The latter was unwilling to accept the decision and was
disowned 12-5-1766.

In the western gable of the stone house,now the residence of his great
grandson,John G Smedley,is a stone,S. bearing the initials and date,
G.P.1766

In the assessment of 1777 George Smedley appears to have held 260 acres of
land,2 horses,4 cattle,6 sheep,and a fulling mill.He died intestate and
letters of administration were granted Oct.3,1783,to Patience Smedley,his
widow.In 1786 the property appears to have been assessed in the name of John
Smedley,Jr.,and consisted of 275 acres,2 horses,2 cattle,a fulling mill and
a tan-yard.

At the Orphans' Court,Sept.18,1787,Thomas Smedley,the eldest son,presented a
petition,representing that his father died intestate,leaving a widow and
seven children,and seized of a messuage,Fulling Mill,Tanyard,and about 270
acres of land in Willistown,and asking for an inquisition to divide the
property amongst the heirs,or otherwise to place a valuation upon it.It was
therefore ordered by the Court that the sheriff should take twelve good men
with him and go to the said messuages and lands,and divide or value the
same.On Dec.18,1787,Ezekiel Leonard,sheriff,made return that he had taken
James Gibbons, Joshua Evans,Charles Dilworth,Joshua Ashbridge,Enoch
Yarnall,George Davis,Nathaniel Grubb,Isaac Massey,Joseph Davis,Jacob
Vogdes,William Garrett and Caleb Hibberd,who on Dec.5th,had viewed the
premises and found they could not be divided without prejudice to or
spoiling the whole;wherefore they had valued the Messuage,Fulling
Mill,Tanyard and 344 1/2 acres of land at the sum of Lb 1438:3:9.This report
being satisfactory,it was confirmed,and Thomas Smedley petitioning that the
property might be awarded to him at that valuation,it was so ordered,he
giving security for the shares of the others.In that day the eldest son was
by law entitled to a double share of a parent's estate.

We have seen that Thomas Smedley,by will,devised to his wife,a mulatto
woman,Nelly,and her child;and Sarah Smedley,by will, gave their freedom to
Nelly and her children,Hannah and Rachel.As a further sequel to the case,the
following appears among the family papers:

Whereas A Dispute hath for some time Existed amongst the Smedleys Respecting
the Maintainance of a Molato woman Called Nelley and the Disputants having
Mutually agreed that we the subscribers shall settle said Dispute between or
amongst them, We do therefore ajudge and award that the said Nelley shall be
supported and Maintained by and Equally between the Estates of John Smedley
and George Smedley (Deceased) as long as a Certain sum of money Called
reversions (left to them by their Mother) shall last for that use if so long
the said Nelley should live;As witness our hands the 21st Day of July 1803

ISAAC HANES

PETER OSBORNE

MATH` GRUBB.






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This thread:

• Smedley/Mercer by "Sandra Ferguson" <>