PA-OLD-CHESTER-L Archives

Archiver > PA-OLD-CHESTER > 2005-09 > 1125966527


From: E Johnson <>
Subject: Re: [PaOldC] Welsh settlers in and around Chester Co. PA, 1680s-early 1700s
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 20:28:47 -0400
References: <200509040400.j8440Lcx013256@lists8.rootsweb.com> <431CD9E0.9010400@charter.net>
In-Reply-To: <431CD9E0.9010400@charter.net>


Gary,

Thank you very much for the great encapsulated history of the Welsh in the US.

It was good of you to present that here. I think when someone needs
it, it's nice to have a bit of history posted the way you did.

I wanted to comment also about the geography in a region that extends
just a little bit beyond Chester Co.
There was a bit of iron in the ground in the area all around in
pockets. There is Iron Hill to the south in Newcastle County,
Delaware. There are several places in Berks County --their website has
an article about early iron forges and furnaces. Just across the river
in NJ, also were several furnaces --maybe also mines. The water in
certain streams in NJ are often stained a little bit rusty colored.
That's not only from the cedar trees but also from the iron ore
underground and in the soil and sand over which the water somewhere is
flowing.

I can't comment about the rest of PA because my work is centered
around southeastern PA, and DE, MD and NJ. But I imagine, where there
are hills, there is metal and coal...
So the Welsh must have felt right at home.

So it makes sense that many Welsh, who not only needed a new home for
religious or political reasons, did stay around for a while. Many did
come from the hills and had long traditions of mining and smithing and
related occupations.

Thanks again, Gary

Best to all
Liz J

Bravo!
Liz J

On 9/5/05, Gary Glen Price <> wrote:
> > Subject: Chester Co. From: "Tom & Dorothy" <> Date:
> > Fri, 2 Sep 2005 10:14:07 -0600 To:
> >
> > Does anyone know the history of the Welsh who lived in and around
> > Chester Co. PA in the 1700's? Where did they come from and when? My
> > ancester, DAVID LEWIS, b abt 1704, d 1754 was baptised in the
> > Baptist Church of great Valley, Chester Co. in 1738. No more info
> > given. But in 1735 he had bought land in Cumru Twp, Berks Co. (then
> > Lancaster). Does anyone have ideas? Dorothy Lewis Reed
> >
>
> From 1485 to 1603, during the Tudor dynasty in England (Henry VII.,
> Henry VIII., Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth I), the Welsh had enjoyed an
> agreeable measure of autonomy; and the Act of Union of 1535 had united
> Wales and England with equality in political privilege. After 1603,
> matters worsened for the Welsh. The Stuart dynasty (James I of
> England/James VI of Scotland, Charles I) marked a period of conflict
> that culminated in diminished autonomy on the part of the
> Welsh--especially with the Cromwellian beheading on 30 January 1649 of
> King Charles I, whom most Welsh had supported during his power struggle
> with Parliament. Following that English Civil War and the execution of
> King Charles I, religions (Christian denominations) that stood apart
> from the Church of England (primarily Quakers and Baptists) became
> unprecedentedly popular among the Welsh--especially among comparatively
> wealthy Welsh who'd previously been in positions of leadership. It was
> in this context that William Penn, an aristocratic convert to Quakerism,
> gained title to Pennsylvania. Penn's land advertisements were
> understood by the Welsh to promise a "Welsh Barony" in which the Welsh
> could again govern themselves according to Welsh customs. The timely
> convergence of Penn's invitation with the circumstance in Wales led to
> many of the early settlements around Philadelphia having Welsh names
> (e.g., Bala Cynwyd , Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Cymru, Gladwyne, Haverford,
> Merion, Narberth, Radnor, St. David, Tredyffrin, Uwchlan, and Wynnewood).
>
>
>
> ==== PA-OLD-CHESTER Mailing List ====
>
> " Unsubscribing. To leave PA-old-chester-l, send mail to
>
> with the single word unsubscribe in the message or subjecty slot."
>
> NO VIRUS WARNINGS - if you are concerned contact me PERSONALLY
>
> If you have ANY problems, do not send them to the list
> contact me personally....list manager
>
>
> NO VIRUS WARNINGS...contact me personally if posted you will be unsubscribed
>
> please visit the Chester Co rootsweb site...it isfull of area photos, helpful URLs and lots of county information
> http://www.pa-roots.com/~chester/
>
> ==============================
> Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the
> last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx
>
>

This thread: