PA-OLD-CHESTER-L Archives

From: "Mal Humes" <>
Subject: [PaOldC] Home Guard 1747: Chester County, PA
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 15:31:19 -0500

I found a reference to a Chester County Home Guard mobilized in 1747 while
looking at Grahams in Chester county. This was described as a reaction to
French and Spanish Privateers sailing up the Delaware in 1747 and 1748 and
related fears that they may plunder Philadelphia.

Looking for more info on the circumstances I found this article which
details some of the many privateers reported along the Delaware or in nearby
waters in 1748:

http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/SpanPriv.html

The Home Guard info below was found on:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~tomfrog/documents/1747HomeguardChes
terCoPA.htm

Home Guard 1747: Chester County, PA

During the years 1747 and 1748, French and Spanish privateers sailed up
the Delaware River, alarming the inhabitants. The authorities, fearing that
the Province might be invaded and the city of Philadelphia plundered,
created Associations and prepared batteries at favorable places on the
river, for defense. These are their officers for 1747;

Wm. Moore, Colonel
Samuel Flowers, Lieutenant Colonel
John Mathers, Major

Captains
David Parry
Roger Hunt
George Aston
Wm McKnight
Moses Dickie
Richard Richison
John Williamson
And. McDowel
John McCoull
George Taylor
James Graham
Robert Grace
Hugh Kilpatrick
James Hunter
John Mathers

Lieutenants
Isaac Davy
Guyon Moore
Robert Morrell
Robert Anderson
John Boyd
John Cuthbert
Jon. Cunningham
John Culbertson
John Vaughn
Wm. Darlington
John Kent
Wm. Buchanan
John McMakin
James Mathers
Charles Moore

Ensigns
Nathaniel Davoes
William Littler
Edward Pearce
Samuel Love
Jas. Montgomery
John Hambrith
Geo. McCullough
James Scoot
Robert Aull
Francis Garmer
Jacob Free
Wm. Cumming
John Johnson
Joseph Talbert
Benjamin Weatherby


- - -

A reference here,
www.libraries.psu.edu/do/digitalbookshelf/28054225/28054225_part_19.pdf,
suggests that this was just one of 100 companies intended to be commissioned
at that time in all of the counties of PA. To me that suggests that perhaps
there may have been more than one such group in Chester County.

Excerpted from the above link,

"For the same reasons that the new battery was called " the Asso-
ciation Battery," the regiments of volunteers, formed in the winter of
1747-8,
were also called the "Association Regiments"-to form
thirteen companies in Philadelphia, and as many in the counties as
one hundred companies in all; all being understood as done by the
voluntary contrivance of the people, without the legislative sanction,
which was still too much under the spirit and influence of the
Friends' Meetings to come into such a measure by any public sanc-
tion of the Legislature."

"The exciting cause of these military measures arose from frequent
threats given out in the West Indies and at Havanna, that their
privateers should come and sack Philadelphia; also from the fact
of a French privateer coming into the bay in December, 1747, and
there committing some depredations nearly as high up as New
Castle. The citizens thereupon met at the "new Meeting house,"
then at the north-west corner of Third and Arch streets, and con-
certed their resolves of defence-they projected a lottery to raise
X3000. The Rev. Gilbert Tennent, the minister there, soon after-
wards preached them a sermon on the lawfulness of war, and in
favour of the association for defence. To this the Friends published
a rejoinder. On the whole it was a moving and busy time of deep
excitement."

"Several publications appeared at the same time, says Kalm, pro
and con, and when the danger appeared imminent, many withdrew
their opposition. They feared that French and Spanish privateers
had combined an expedition in the West Indies. So was the town
talk and alarm!"

"Familiar as the public became with military parade, and embned.
as the rising youth felt, with " the pomp and circumstance of war"
from seeing its operations for a few years, with much to allure the
eye, and no experience of disaster, the mind grew better prepared
in time to approbate any legal enactments which might be suggested
for a permanent defence at the public expense."

These companies were seen as pre-cursors to the groups that Ben Franklin put
together for security within a decade of this to address the brewing French
and Indian conflicts in the colony.

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• [PaOldC] Home Guard 1747: Chester County, PA by "Mal Humes" <>