WILLIAM SMITH

From the Genealogy of William Smith of Wrightstown, Bucks County, Pa. 1684 by Josiah B. Smith of  Newtown, Pa.  Printed in Newtown, Pa. in 1883by the Collins Printing House , 705 Jayne Street, Philadelphia. Pa.  

  Of the early life and family of William Smith there is but little known.  He was a member of the Society of Friends, and came from Yorkshire, England, to the province of Pennsylvania a young man, unmarried, in 1684.

  The ship in which he crossed the ocean landed below Philadelphia.  At that place he accepted an invitation to go up the river in a boat to the residence of Phineas Pemberton.

  At that place, it was said, “the new-comers were entertained with a great deal of hospitality.”  He remained there long enough to obtain a general knowledge of the character of the country, its settlements and vacant land, and then pushed his way back through the wilderness to Wrightstown.

  His first purchase of land was one hundred acres of John Chapman, who had just settled at the place.

  At that time he was one of the only two white men living in what is now Wrightstown township.  The Indians, however, were numerous and very friendly.

  On a re-survey of his purchase it was found to contain one hundred and fifty aces.  He subsequently made another purchase of one hundred and fifty acres adjoining his other land.

  It was situated on the southeast side of the Park, extending to the Newtown line, and bounded a short distance on Neshaminy.  A certain percentage of his land was in the town square, undivided, and held in common with others who owned land in the Park.  In 1717, the owners of the property, finding they had no use for a Park, became dissatisfied and mutually agreed to have it surveyed and laid out, giving each person the boundary lines of the land to which he was entitled.  The was the last of the Park, at Wrightstown, except in history.

  Another purchase of land is described in the original warrant, found amongst the old musty papers in the Land Office, at Harrisburg, of which the following is a copy: --

  “Warrant to William Smith for 200 acres in Highlands, in Pennsylvania.”  By the Commissioners of Property.

  Upon an agreement made with William Smith, of Wrightstown, in the County of Bucks, for two hundred acres of vacant land at Windybush Hill, near the said township, sold to him by us for fifty pounds, money of this Province, of the present currency, to be forthwith paid.

  These are to authorize and require thee to survey and lay out unto the said William the said quantity of 200 acres, or thereabouts, in a regular tract, bounding on the lines of the neighboring lands in the place aforesaid, and make return thereof into the Secretary’s office.

  Which survey, in case the said William complies with the agreement aforesaid, shall be valid, otherwise shall be void and of no effect.

  Given under our hands and the seal of the Province at Philadelphia, the 28^th day of the second month, 1709.

                                                                                    Edw’d Shippen,

                                                                                    James Logan.

To Jacob Taylor,

                   Surveyor General.

  The hill was windy because it was high and bleak, and covered with scrub-oak bushes on which the leaves hung all winter.

  This peculiarity of the hill was made known to the pioneer settlers by the Indians as Windy Bush.

  In 1690, as will be seen in another place, William Smith married Mary Croasdale.

  Her parents, Thomas and Agnes Croasdale, both deceased, brought a certificate for themselves and children from Settle Monthly Meeting, England, dated 4^th  month, 7, 1682.

  In 1716, Mary, wife of William Smith, died, leaving eight children, two sons and six daughters.  She was buried in the old graveyard at Logtown(Penn’s Park).

  In 1720, he married Mercy _____, and had by this marriage five sons and two daughter.

  He died in 1743, on his Wrightstown farm, where he had lived from the time he first came to the place.

  In his last will, dated 30^th of 10^th month, 1740, he gave his “great Bible to his daughter, Margaret Pearson, during her natural life, and then to her daughter, Mary Pearson.”

  Mary Pearson married John Hulme a year after the death of her grandfather, and carried the Bible into that family, where it was the family Bible many years, and is still owned by one of the family, in Hulmeville, of the sixth generation.