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Delaware Valley Advance, February 8, 1968

by Samuel C. Eastburn. . .1929
It is impossible to impress on this generation the important place that Middletown Meeting of Friends held in this community the first hundred years of its existence. Almost all of the land owners about here were Friends. When William Penn went down the Delaware Bay on his last return to England (but expecting to come back) he wrote a letter of advice "to his children" who were the Friends he was leaving in Pennsylvania. One special part of it was that they "should never go the law" While the county town was then nearby, at Newtown, yet the grievances among them to the smallest details of practice and ethics were brought to the Meeting, although some of its prominent members were justices and law officers. Two of its most "weighty" men were appointed to visit the offender and strive to adjust the case, and report back to the next "Monthly Meeting."

First Meeting at Falls

Falls was the first Meeting, but is was a long distance and over rough trails through the woods, and in 1683 they petitioned to "have a meeting at the Neshamina." It was first spoken of as Neshamina Meeting. When the first five townships, Bensalem, Bristol, Falls, Middletown and Makefield were laid out, the viewers were "to meet at the Neshamina Meeting House." The carefully kept minutes of what the meeting did and tried to do, are the truest history of the time.

When on complaint that the rich in land and powerful in position, Governor Joseph Growden, "was hiring a boy at under wages" they appointed two Friends to wait on him; or when they did the same or when "Dr. Davis" doesn't worried the Widow Plumly's hogs," or "when a Friend sold his neighbor three bushels of meat that was wormy," they were giving our much talked-of "social service," It is noticeable that these "committees" were some times a long time reporting, and asked for frequents continuance, thus nicely giving time for hot passion to cool by this Fabian policy. In reading over the minutes of all the years, one feels "they blow no trumpet in the market place, but the did, with cheerful mien, what we now talk of but our hands are still."

Meeting House Built by Stackhouse

The first meeting was held in Thomas Otter and Robert Hall. The first Monthly Meeting was held at Nicholas Waln's, December 1684. The meeting was called "Neshamina" until 1706. The first Meeting House was build by Thomas Stackhouse in 1690,, at a cost of 26 pounds, 19 shillings, 5 pence, and 10 pounds added for a stable. This Meeting House was located "in the woods at the foot of the hill near a spring" on land of Nicholas Waln, about half way between the present Trevose road and the Bucks road, back of the Penn Arco Farms. It was of logs, 20 x 24 feet, with a stone of chimney across the end, made of field stone and tamped with clay. It had two windows, one of oil paper, and one with three panes of glass. I have the bill of a man who came on horseback from Philadelphia to put them in and noting the price of the glass, the keep of the man and his horse for three days while there and coming and going. The Pennsylvania pound at that time was worth about $3.40, making the cost of each pane about $3. Martin Wilman was to have one pound for cutting the wood and taking care of the Meeting House for one year. The next year he offered to do it for less "if they would pay him all at once".

It is probable that Nicholas Waln gave them permission to build on this corner of his land, as I have never been able to find a deed for it, and he was one of their most interested members. A small graveyard was laid out alongside of it, the lines of which can now be seen, though it is grown up with ? trees. Doubtless some Friends died and were buried there. The only records we have is that of Dr. Davis, probably the first surgeon in the county, the man whose "dogs worried the Widow Plumly's hogs", was buried in Nicholas Waln's burying ground." Friends in those days did not mark their graves with marble.

Notwithstanding the cheap care of Martin Wildman, a few years after, it burned down, and a much larger one was built of the same material. By 1718 this Meeting had brown greatly and as the country settled up, the members felt the "need of a larger and more substantial meeting house." The roads were getting laid out and passable, and they bought of nine different owners, the grounds of the present house and graveyard. Showing how loose land lines were even then, one of these goes "from a post to a tree." Their first wedding was Henry Paxson to Marjorie Plumly, Mar. 10, 1684. There were forty-seven marriages in the meeting from 1684 to 1720. This Henry Paxson had lost his wife, brother and two children coming over from England. Marjorie Plumly had lost her husband. There was much sickness on board the vessel. They were nearly three months in crossing, the ship was small and crowded with people and goods, they had some violent storms, there were no comforts for sick people, the supply of food was limited and many deaths resulted.

The first families that belonged to the meeting were all English, and had come from Meetings in Bingley, Kendall, Settle and others. That they had in mind establishing a meeting early on their arrival is shown by the fact that they brought their certificates from these meetings with them. These express in quaint and feeling terms how their meetings felt at the loss of their strongest members. They were "going to the nethermost parts of the world," "that we shall ever sea your faces again we know not" " our bowels will be always with your." While in commendation of some: "he is an able minister in whom God is pleased; he has given him great power to the convincement of many."

The first call fro an organized meeting was made in Nov. 1633 (?). At this meeting it was ordered that Friends bring in their certificates, also their births and burials, to the next Monthly Meeting to be held at Robert Hall's. A minute book was procured, and was marked "as belonging to the particular meeting held near Neshaminy Creek, containing the many and several businesses brought into and appertaining and belonging to the said Monthly meeting, and a copy of births, burials, and marriages belonging to and within said monthly Meeting." These minutes have been continuously kept for 246 years, and are the most authentic written history of the neighborhood today.

At the first Meeting, it was ordered the next meeting should be held at the Widow Hayhurst's and the next at Nicholas Waln's and then again at Robert Hall's. Cuthbert Hayhurst had lived on the farm which is now A.W. Ruhl's near the present eight-arch bridge. He didn't live long after his arrival and died of fever. He was a personal friend of William Penn who , no doubt, visited him here in 1683, as when Penn was told of his death, he writes, "Poor Cuttie, he would build his house down low on the creek when he had a high hill at the back which was more healthy." He also had a tract in Northampton, and soon after his death his widow moved there, and was afterward known as the "Widow Hurst."

Whereas, it has been brought to our notice that Sunday ball playing is becoming a nuisance in some parts of our county, we would recommend that authorities would take steps to prohibit the same, especially at Parkland Park, near Langhorne Station.
To the Hon. Mahlon H. Stout, President Judge of the Quarter Sessions of the County of Bucks, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

In regards to Sunday baseball Judge Stout said:
"The court does not regard the playing of baseball, as practiced in this county, in such a serious light that there is any need for public investigation, as no names have been presented. The offense is not such as to call for an indictment. If it becomes a nuisance in a community, the people it annoys can see that prosecutions are brought." The report was ordered filed.

The Bucks County Gazette.
Vol. XXXI. No. 42 Bristol, Bucks County Pa. Thursday May 26, 1904 PRICE THREE CENTS

Historic Langhorne Association

On the twelfth month, fifteenth, 1718, a committee reported the necessity for a new Meeting House, and William Paxson, Adam Harper and Jonathan Stackhouse were appointed "to advise with workmen and to ask the advice and assistance of Jeremiah Langhorne." This structure was built where the present Meeting House now stands. The ground was nine acres. The first piece was three acres, and cost three shillings an acre. Samuel Mitchell was the mason and Thomas Stackhouse the carpenter. The graveyard was walled in 1734 at a cost of 70 pounds, or less than $250. Two subscription papers were started to pay for it.

There had been a school previously, but I cannot find its location. It was probably held in the Meeting House, that being the center of all Quaker activities. about that date or a little later, they built a stone school house in the niche of the street line of the graveyard wall, pretty close to the street. it had a cupola and a bell on it. Its desks were fastened, to the side walls and a tem-plate stove stood in the center. The class benches were of oak slabs turned saw-side up, with wooden legs sticking through them at each end. A large wood room was at the east end where stacks of hickory wood were kept, and where "badboys" were taken for correction and confinement.

There was a library the of some 300 volumes - a great many for that time. They were probably of the most "worthy sort", as when one of the members wanted Dymond's Essays, it stated that "they had been loaned to Grace Langhorne and she has not yet returned them."

All Rode horseback.

As all of the going was by horseback, stables were built instead of carriage sheds. These were of stone walls about eight feet high with shingle roof, and no light save by the door. Strong oak planks divided the stables, with /auger holes to hold the tie. A horse block was built near them which was of stone about four feet horse while it was held close by the men.

Land was what they had the most of in the days, and it is n record that a widow living some three miles from Meeting, traded fifty acres of her land for an old gray mare, presumably to ride to Meeting on, and incidentally on week-days to help with the farming.

Revolutionary War Difficulties

An Act was passed in 1777 compelling every inhabitant to subscribe to an oath of allegiance to the colonies, with pains and penalties for non-compliance, and the failure to subscribe barred persons from certain pursuits, notably school teachers. The Friends of his Meeting vigorously opposed this, and after the war it was repealed, although Joseph Paxson and Gilbert Hicks lost their properties "by loyalty to the Crown."

The "Meeting for Sufferings" was kept pretty busy at this time, but in the main the members kept true to their "testimonies against war." Many had their cattle and grain taken for war purposes when they refused to contribute, and a tax for support of the Militia was levied on them. On refusal to pay, officers came and took grain and produce at their own valuation, sufficient to pay it. The war tried Friends here greatly; they had many friends and relatives in England, and from the beginning of their chief testimonies was against all war. That they did not join enthusiastically with the cause of the colonies, brought them into discredit with the ruling powers and their neighbors who could not understand their principles. They had difficulty keeping some of their younger members in line, they were heavily taxed for food and supplies or the army, and on refusal to sell for such purposes were counted Tories and Royalists.

It has always been reported that the Meeting House was used as a hospital at that time, and that the graves in the yard were of soldiers who died there. There is nothing in the minutes that records this, and there is no break in the Meetings there, so that can be hardly correct. It has been confused with the Hicks House which was used for that purpose.

Present House Built in 1793

By 1793 a larger house was needed, and the present one was built. The wages of the mason was .62 cents a day. When I look at the large stones at the top of the present wall, and know that they had no other machinery but . . .enlarged since it was first laid out when the part fronting the street and back as far as the line of the house was filled. I remember an occasional sunken field stone, with initials and date, but the feeling of the early Friends against marking graves, prevent us from knowing surely who were buried there.

From 1800 to 1837 this was a very large Meeting, probably the largest outside of Philadelphia, is the environs of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Yearly members were generally farmers. One of their cardinal principles was "temperance in all things." They bought, sold and drank liquor, principally rum. Notwithstanding this they punished any members who drank to excess.

In the early part of the time, these farmers were distressed by the difficulty of getting rid of heavy timber which grew on these fertile lands and getting enough cleared land, but they succeeded so well, and their new land grew such great crops of wheat and barley that they could not sell them. There were no city centers to feed, and they exported little, and from 1730 to 1735 the cry of "farm relief" was as vigorous as it is now (1929). many plans were proposed for their help as now; among others, one by an eminent, conscientious man in Phila., was that" the distillation of spirits, the brewing of alt liquors and the drinking of them should be encouraged to use up the surplus." I fancy that the man who talked prohibition then would have been looked upon as a lunatic, or at least unpatriotic.

The first paper in the country against "strong drink" was issued by this Meeting and signed by42 of it men members, in 1689. It was mostly about selling or giving to the Indians by whom they were surrounded, "strong drink, which inflamed the savages and was contrary to the will of the Lord," This was by advice of the Meeting and every member was asked to sign it. nearly one hundred years latter (1835) a rousing temperance meeting was held on the Langhorne hill, and the descendants of these people were its enthusiastic sponsors.

On the close of the Revolutionary War to 1835 the members of this Meeting flourished greatly, their farms were well tilled, Philadelphia grew as a city, foreign demand for their products increased, and the families all stayed and worked happily together, recognizing it was "their work for all". The lure of the cities had not yet taken ??joining farms, always ready to help their neighbors and relatives and happily interested in having a family estate. They had schools and societies, and were in a way, an "aristocracy of land." Though they had money besides, they were willing to use it in good causes.

In this period they built the present Meeting House (1793) and made many other improvements. It was a large and expensive building for that time, and is a noble building now. They kept up the record that "no Friends Meeting House had ever had a mortgage on it." They contributed substantial sums to poor Friends in England, Ireland, New England and the Barbados. It seems hard to realize in this idyllic life, that they were breeding the seeds of numerical decline that begun soon after.

As I write this I am reminded of what Thomas Carlyle, writing of Friends in England had to say: "their religion inculcated Temperance, Thrift and fairness in Trade: these begat them the confidence of their neighbors and increased their profits, but as their riches grew their spirituality declined.

 

 
 

 

 

Page last updated:    2021-07-15          Broken Links and to contribute additional data email - Nancy

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1864) 2nd Inaugural

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan - to do all which may achieve a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. 

 

 
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