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From: James L. Stokes< >
Subject: The Friend
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 10:32:30 -0500


This is the biography Elke was looking for, I'm sending it to the list
because there may be others interested in John Scarborough and also because
those who are unfamiliar with it might like to see what kind of information
is included. I was always under the assumption that "The Friend" was a
Philadelphia publication but I could be wrong about that. My second
assumption, which also could be incorrect, is that this was written at the
time of the persons death and so should be assumed to be pretty accurate.
What I have comes from material collected and published by Willard Heiss
under the title, "Quaker Biographical Sketches" and, I've assumed, these
came from "The Friend".

QUAKER BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Of Ministers and Elders, and other
concerned members of the Yearly Meeting
of Philadelphia
1682-1800

Edited by
Willard Heiss
1972

John Scarborough

John Scarborough, the son of John Scarborough, coach-maker, of London,
was born in that city in or about the year 1667. In the year 1682, his
father came to America, and purchased a tract of land in Middletown, Bucks
county. He brought his son John with him, and after remaining in the
country two or three years, returned to London for his wife and family. He
had suffered persecution in England, and looked to his plantation in
America, as a place of refuge, where he might enjoy freedom and liberty of
conscience.

His wife, however, was not willing to come to the new world, and he
after a time, gave his possessions in Pennsylvania to his son John,
charging him therein to fear God, and mind the Truth he had been convinced
of. He told him also that he did believe his being in America, was the
Lord's doing, and that He would bless him and make him serviceable, if he
continued faithful. He concluded by charging him, that when it was well
with him, to be sure be kind to the poor Indians, who had been very kind to
them in their need, supplying them with provisions, when as yet their land
produced none.

His son John remained with a friend, in whose care his father had left
him for a time, until he was able to take charge of his own farm. Here he
lived, and being faithful to the manifestations of Truth, he grew in
religious experience. Towards the close of the century, he felt as he
conceived a concern to leave his farm now brought into cultivation, and
removed into the wilderness, as the land lying in what is now Buckingham
and Solebury townships of Bucks county, was then deemed. He went by
himself to view the country, and received as he thought a divine
intimation, that it would be right for him to settle there, with a promise,
that a religious people would be raised up and gathered there. In faith,
he took up land, and in the year 1700 removed thither with his family. His
openings respecting the place proved true. Several families of Friends
soon followed him, and a religuious meetings were quickly established, held
alternately at their houses. The following year, a gift in the ministry of
the gospel was committed to him, and his labours were acceptable to his
friends, and their meetings from settlers and otherwise speedily increased.
A meeting-house was built at Buckingham, which he lived to see attended by
a large congregation.

In his prosperous condition, he did not forget his father's charge to
be kind to the Indians, and he was wont to say that he found them a
sensible people. They acknowledged an Almight Supreme Being, whom they
called a good Manito or Spirit. They believed that if they did well in
this life, he would reward them, and they should live with him after death.
They also believed in an evil manito, to whom, if they did evil, they must
go when they died.

In unity with his friends, useful in the church, and in the world,
John Scarborough filled up his days. Towards the close of his life, he had
a divine intimation as he believed, that his end was nigh. He thought it
right, whilst in health, to speak of it to his friends, and having his
worldly affairs settled, being at peace with God, his last sickness was
neither unexpected nor unwelcome. He manifested resignation to the Lord's
will, and signified that his peace was made. He gave suitable advice to
his mourning family, and expressed his desire that the walls of Zion might
be repaired, and her borders enlarged. After these "expressions, he passed
away in a sweet sleep, on the 27th day of the First month, 1727, in the
60th year of his age."

Jim

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