A map of Pennsylvania exhibiting not only the improved parts of that Province, but also its extensive frontiers: Laid down from actual surveys and chiefly from the late map of W. Scull published in 1770; and humbly inscribed to the Honourable Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, true and absolute proprietaries & Governors of the Province of Pennsylvania and the territories thereunto belonging.
From the Library of Congress
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Earlier this year I listened to a podcast by Amy Johnson
Snow titled “Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Genealogy?”
and have come to the conclusion that whether or not it was ruining my
genealogy, it was definitely contributing to the ruination of my family history
blog. That and the 2020 pandemic. It’s been a weird, stressful year. It turned
out that writing this blog takes up the same bandwidth in my brain that doing
my job does, and as my job was deemed essential, I never stopped working (first
from home when New York shut down and then we were called back to the office
well before other office workers were allowed to return) and I was so stressed
that I needed all that brain bandwidth for work. Now the coronavirus is far
worse in my area of New York than it was in the spring. But I’m going to try to
write more anyway, because of Amy’s podcast.
This post is on William Harlan (1702-1783) and Margaret
Farlow Harlan (1703-1767), my seventh great grandparents. It won’t be as
detailed as some of my posts tend to be because I haven’t been able to find out all
that much about them, and whether that’s due to pandemic brain overload, or because there isn’t
that much to find out, I don’t know; but I’m locking my perfectionism in the
closet and proceeding anyway. As you might remember, I’m writing posts on this
part of the family history coming down the line as it will make it easier to
write about the history (in later posts – I don’t have much for this one). I’ve
already written about William’s father, Ezekial Harlan (1679-1731) [see here ].
Quaker Birth record of William Harlan, born 5 November 1702 (9,1,1702*)
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William Harlan was the only child of Ezekial Harlan, (1679-1731), and his first wife Mary Bezer (1682-1702). He was born 5 November 1702 ( 9, 1, 1702)*. His mother died shortly after his birth in 1702. His father remarried four years later to Ruth Buffington, and had six more children with her (Ezekiel, born July 19, 1707 (5, 19, 1707), died 1754, married Hannah Oborn, December 23, 1724 (10, 23, 1724); Mary, born June 12, 1709 (4, 12, 1709), died June 7, 1750 (4, 7, 1750), married Daniel Webb, November 28, 1727 (9, 28, 1727); Elizabeth, born July 19, 1713, died ?, married William White, August 8, 1728 (6, 8, 1728); Joseph, born August 14, 1721, died ?, married Hannah Roberts May 21, 1740 (3, 21, 1740); Ruth, born March 11, 1723 (1, 11, 1723), died ?, married Daniel Leonard, May 28, 1740 (3, 28, 1740); and Benjamin, born October 7, 1729, died October 1752 (8 Mo. 1752), at sea, unmarried.] William was likely cared for by his grandparents and his father until Ezekiel remarried, as Quaker families were close and helped one another with the needs of daily living.
After his father remarried, William lived with them in Kennett in Chester County, on property
directly north of the Old Kennett Meetinghouse. Ezekial Harlan was a prosperous farmer.
William, and the other sons as they came along, would have helped on the farm clearing
and planting their land, and keeping their livestock, and when the
weather was too cold, helping to repair tack and tools, and feed the animals.
When he was twenty-two,
William married Margaret Farlow, born 1 November 1702, “Spinster”, also of
Chester County. Most of the sources I’ve seen indicate Margaret was born in
Ireland but don’t say where in Ireland. One source says she was born in Chester
County Pennsylvania. This is something I still need to nail down. I don’t know
who her parents are. Although the Quaker marriage record pictured below says
that William is the son of Ezekiel Harlan, it doesn’t indicate any parents for “Margrett”
Farlow. They lived for a few years in Kennett PA, near his parents, but
eventually moved to Marlborough Twp (which later divided and the part where his
lands were turned into West Marlborough Twp) in Chester County PA by 1732.
Quaker Record of William Harlan -Magrett Farlow marriage, 14 February 1725
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William and Margaret had nine children: Mary Harlan (bn 1722- dd ?, married William Moore 1742), William Harlan (bn 1724- dd 1819, married Abigail Hollingsworth 1743), Jonathan Harlan (bn 1726- dd 1774, married Elizabeth Webb 1749), Alice Harlan (bn 1730- dd 1797, married Richard Flower 1754), Sarah Harlan (bn 1732- dd 1775, married Robert McMinn 1749), Stephen Harlan (bn 1740- dd 1830, married Mary Carter 1761), George Harlan (bn 1743- dd 1821, married Elizabeth Chandler 1768), and Enoch Harlan (bn 1745- dd 1794, married Edith Carter 1769).
While Quakers had originally
had a great influence on the formation of Pennsylvania’s government and social
culture, during the mid-1700s that influence began to wane as other groups practicing
other religions settled in the Pennsylvania colony. Additionally, the Quakers pacifistic
and egalitarian beliefs eventually led to their diminishing influence in the area, in part, because of their concern for the well-being of the Native Americans
in the area which became unpopular as more people expanded into the areas in which
the Native Americans lived and wanted them pushed out. Additionally, the
Quakers refusal to contribute to military activities and to pay taxes which
would support any military activity did not endear them to their neighbors
because they weren’t contributing to the local defense, and it kept them out of
participation in the American Revolution, except in certain isolated cases. Their
influence further waned as large numbers of Friends left Pennsylvania to move south
and west in search of new lands that could better support their families because
the Quakers had taken such a firm stand against slavery that they were no
longer able to economically compete with neighbors who used slave labor on
their farms and in their businesses.
In my research of the Harlan
line, I have found that the older sons tended to stay close to home their whole
lives and the younger ones tend to be the pioneers leaving and pushing further
into the new country. William was no exception; he, the first-born son, lived
his whole life in the county in which he was born.
1745 Map of Chester County Pennsylvania Colony
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I don’t have any information
about the middle of his life when he and his wife made a family and raised
their children. After his marriage, the next information I found was of the
death of Margaret Farlow Harlan, through a record made by William
Harlan which read, “William Harlan son of Ezekiel and Mary Harlan was born the
first day of the ninth month 1702. Margaret my wife was born the first day of
the ninth month 1703, and departed this life the 12th of the sixth
month 1767, at 6 o’clock in the morning.” (See information on dates in the note at
bottom of post).
According to the 1770 census, three years after
his wife’s death, William owned 250 acres, for horses, six cattle, 10 sheep, and
had one servant. He was 68 years old. In 1773, he served on a jury in the Court
of Oyer and Terminer, which was the Pennsylvania colony’s version of criminal
court. In the next two years, his son Jonathan and his daughter Sarah died, in
1774 and 1775 respectively. William lived nearly 10 years longer. He died 16
years after his wife on 22 October 1783. He left behind a will that was proved
in 1784. The inventory of his estate included such items as one walnut desk,
one case of walnut drawers, one feather bed and furniture part, three large
pewter bowls and six small pewter bowls, two large iron pots, one walnut table
& chest, two horses – one roan & one gray, one walnut cupboard &
one doz (possibly “servers”, I can’t quite read the handwriting here), one
poplar table.
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| Cover Sheet for Inventory of William Harlan's Estate Click to Make Bigger |
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| Inventory of William Harlan's Estate Click to Make Bigger |
The will of William Harlan
I William Harlan of the Township of West
Marlborough in the County of Chester in the province of Pennsylvania being in a
Reasonable Measure of Health & Sound mind Praise be given to God for the
same & knowing the uncertainty of this Life do make Ordain Constitute &
appoint this my Last Will & Testament in manner & form following viz.
It is my will that all my just debts &
funeral Expenses be paid by my Executor hereinafter named as soon after my Decease
as they conveniently can.
Item. I Give & Bequeath unto my Daughter Mary
Moore and her Heirs the sum of five Shillings Currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my son William Harlan
and his Heirs the Sum of five shillings currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my grandson Wm Harlan
(son of Jonathan Harlan Deceased) and his Heirs the Sum of five shillings currant
money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my son James Harlan
and his Heirs the Sum of five shillings currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my daughter Alice Flower
and her Heirs the Sum of five shillings currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my daughter Sarah
McMinn and her Heirs the Sum of five shillings currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my son Stephen Harlan
and his Heirs the Sum of 50 pounds currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my son Enoch Harlan
and his Heirs the Sum of 50 pounds currant money of Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my granddaughter (daughter
of Stephen Harlan) & her Heirs the Sum of five pounds currant money of
Pennsylvania.
I Give and Bequeath unto my son George Harlan
& his Heirs & Assigns all that plantation and tract of land thereunto
belonging whereon I now dwell situate in the Township of West Marlborough
aforesaid and I give & bequeath unto aforesaid son George Harlan all that
plantation & tract of land that I purchased of James Shields situate in the
Township of East fallow field the County aforesaid to him his heirs &
assigns forever. Also I give & bequeath unto him my said son George Harlan
and his heirs & assigns forever all that plantation and tract of land
called Brittlestown situate in the Township of East fallow field he paying all
my just debts and the above legacies and I do hereby make all the said three
palpitations & tracts of land liable and subject to the payment of all my
just debts and legacies aforementioned. All the rest residue & remainder of
my estate I give & bequeath unto my son George Harlan his heirs and assigns
forever. And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said son George
Harland executor of this my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand
& seal this seventh day of 11th month in the year of our Lord
1700 & 74 William Harlan (seal) Nathan Hayes.
Witnesses
William Davis.
John Passmore.
The above will was proven February 19, 1784.
“An inventory and appraisement of the effects
of William Harlan senior of West Marlborough in Chester County deceased this
FebY 4, 1784” and signed by James Hannum and Jacob Chandler placed the total at
55 pounds, 2 shillings, 6 pence.
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*Note:
Before 1752 England and its colonies used the Julian Calendar, in which the
first day of the new year was March 25, and not the Gregorian Calendar (used
today) in which the first day of the new year is January 1. While the Quakers
followed the calendar commonly used by England, the Quakers designate months by
numbers, such that in the Julian calendar First month (or 1st mo.
or 1) was March. In writing dates in this essay that occur before 1752, I’ll
state what the date would be in today’s calendar and then, in parentheses, I’ll
include the date as I found it in the source used. [For a more in-depth
explanation of the Julian calendar transition to the Gregorian calendar, and
Quaker calendar see my post, Dating Induced
Headaches for the Family Historian: Julian, Gregorian, and Quaker Calendars.]
History and Genealogy of the Harland Family in America, and
particularly of the descendants of George and Michael Harlan, who settled in
Chester County PA, 1687, compiled by Alpheus Harlan (The Lord Baltimore Press 1914); Immigration of the Irish Quakers in Pennsylvania, 1682-1750,
with their early History in Ireland, by Albert
Cook Myers, member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (The Author,
Swarthmore PA 1902); https://www.southernchestercountyweeklies.com/news/the-many-quaker-meetinghouses-of-chester-county/article_db570d2d-e806-5dc3-a313-6e0b36998a32.html;
Title: Wills 3440-3554; Ancestry.com. Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S.,
Estate Papers, 1714-1838 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
Operations, Inc., 2013 (Original data: Pennsylvania. Chester County. Estate
Papers, 1700–1820. Gale Cengage Learning. Microfilm, 85 rolls. Chester County
Archives, West Chester, Pennsylvania); Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Births and Deaths, 1686-1739; Collection: Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: MR-Ph 267 ;
Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Marriages, 1718-1821;
Collection: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: MR-Ph 265; http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/pa-heritage/our-first-friends-early-quakers.html
