Bensalem

Bensalem was organized in 1692. 

Bensalem was the fourth township to be organized. Tatham, Growden, Allen, Vandygrifts, Vanhornes, Vansants, Tomlinsons, Rodmans, Rodmanda, Galloway, Willetts, Bache, Sickel, Biddle are among the first landowners. The Bensalem Presbyterian church is probably the oldest religious organization in the county, if we except the society of friends. ¹

Early Settlers ²

The area of Bensalem Township was divided among twelve original landowners, according to the map of Thomas Holme, William Penn's surveyor general, dated 1684. They were: Lawrence Growden, Joseph Growden, John Gilbert, Walter Forrest, John Bowen, Nathaniel Allen, Samuel Allen, Dunken Williams, Nathaniel Hardin, Francis Walker, Klaus Johnson, and John Cray, also known as John Tatham.

Township tax records of 1693 list only Joseph Growden, Dunken Williams and John Tatham as actually living on their land.

Lawrence Growden and his son Joseph owned nearly half of the township land in 1684. Their tract included all of the upper part of the township to the Southampton boundary, above a line drawn across it from Newportville to the Poquessing Creek. Joseph also owned another tract of land, extending across from the Delaware River to the Poquessing Creek above and adjoining the tract of Walter Forrest. Lawrence, who lived in Cornwall, England, never lived in America. Joseph, accompanied by his wife and one of his daughters, came to Pennsylvania in 1682 to claim ten thousand acres of land in Bensalem Township for himself and his father.
² SOURCE: Traveling Through Bensalem: 1692-1984, Historical Society of Bensalem Township, 1984

Salem was the first name in 1692 per the Court of Bucks County. The word Bensalem is mentioned by 1701 in Joseph Growden's petition. It would seem the name is very controversial. Davis refutes the claim that it is a compound of two Hebrew words, Ben and Salem. He suggest that it may be a union of the Gaelic Ben with the Hebrew Salem, "hill of peace" or "peaceful mount". The Daily Democrat, 1911 suggests that Bensalem is a Hebrew word, signifying "son of peace". Warren S. Ely says the name Bensalem occurs in Francis Bacon's philosophical romance. The prefix Ben is common in Cornwall. Joseph E. Sandford writes that Ben is Scotch, also Hebrew Salem.. So it would appear that there is no easy answer to this one.

³ SOURCE:Place Names of Bucks County, 1942.

ANDALUSIA Page 160, Davis History of Bucks County -1876 A post office was established at Andalusia in 1816, and Thomas Morgan appointed postmaster. Andalusia Rhonda Spain FLUSHING CORNWELLS Historical Society of Bensalem Township http://bensalemhistoricalsociety.com/ 3211 Knights Rd Bensalem, PA 19020 Contact Info: Voice 215-639-6575 Fax 215-639-2687 Email: info@thsbt.org Now Available - Traveling Through Bensalem III BRIDGEWATER TREVOSE Page 143, Davis History of Bucks County -1876 Joseph Growden, a Friend... soon after his arrival he built himself a beautiful residence on the northern part of his manor in Bensalem, near the Neshaminy, and opposite Hulmeville, which he named Trevose, after the homestead, in England.

Pen Ryn Mansion The center mansion section dates to 1744 when Abraham Bickley, a wealthy shipping merchant and colonial Philadelphia alderman, selected from his vast land holdings this beautiful location for his country residence. NEWPORTVILLE OAKFORD EDDINGTON Of the villages of Bensalem, Eddington is the most important. It derives its name from Eddington farm, so named in 1770 by Richard Gibbs from a place in his native county in England. 7 page 472 NESHAMINY FALLS NESHAMINY FALLS PARK ST. FRANCIS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL

	Beechwood Cemetery
	Beechwood Cemetery Find a grave
	Bensalem Presbyterian Church
	Bensalem Presbyterian Church Find a grave
	Bensalem United Methodist Church Cemetery Find a Grave
	Resurrection, Bensalem, Bucks County, PA
	Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Community Cemetery, Bensalem, PA
	Vandegrift Cemetery, Cornwells Heights, Bensalem Twp, Bucks County, PA
	St. Mary's Lithuanian Catholic Cemetery: Bensalem, PA

The graves from LAFAYETTE CEMETERY are located in Bensalem, Bucks County, PA. The location is just off Route 1 (Roosevelt Blvd.) directly across the street from the Neshaminy Mall next to a small strip mall. When the strip mall was built a few years ago, no one was aware that graves had been relocated there. Apparently no tombstones were erected with the graves. Construction was begun and graves were found. There is now a single bronze placard on a tombstone stating that the site is the final resting place of those from Lafayette Cemetery.