Milford chronicle., 1901-08-02
NV RecolIectiOns Of 0lden Times
in MurderkiIl Neck.

lili Neck as remember them, it will W
Je necessary to refer again to the War OF
ZEN family. BY the death Of Mrs. H
susan LuT Warren, George r. Warren 81
came into possession of a large tract of b
land frontingon st. Jones creek, known n
in the first quarter of the nineteenth n
century as the Andrew Gray farm. o
shall have more to say about this farm b
i'm connection with the Gray family.) o
George Warren in some respects was a o
remarkable man. AS the saying goes, n
che was whole team and horse to b
let" He had strong lungs and a voice
that over-leaped all obstacles. a loud, C
and at times an unnatural laugh, made 9
it useless to hold any controversy with f
him; for his loud voice and louder |
laugh, coupled with his original say
ings and keen ready wit, enabled him t
to carry his point in all controversies.
Though peculiar in many respects he {
had an analytical mind and could as it
were, by instinct detect any attempt ,
at fraud OF deception, and woe be to the
man who fell under the avalanche Of
hiswit and sarcasm He attended (
church regularly on Sunday mornings,
riding three miles to church and three
miles home, often through quite in
clement weather. to the shame Of many
who lived close by. He had many
good traits of character, and lived out /
the time allotted to man. He was the .
father of the Rev Benjamin Z. War
rem, who has aJtaine considerable Gel 7
ebrity as a Methodist preacher, and re-
sides, 1 think, somewhere in New En-
gland. Nathaniel Lufr Warren, John
Warren, and Elizabeth Harrington
were his brothers and sister, and all at
times lived in Murderkill Neck, and
were more or less factors in shaping the
social order in that community. They
have all gone to that bourne from
whence no traveller returns.
Mr.. Editor, if time and space would
permit, l could give much history of
I the many families that lived in Muir
/, derl1ill Neck, but my object in writing
is TO present NOW that am old my
views and impressions Of those who
lived I'm the long ago in that locality
Therefore | shall not follow with one
or two exceptions) the families who
moved into the Neck as tenants and
was there only a short time, or follow
s out Of the Neck many of the children
born there but moved elsewhere As
If stated above 1 now propose to give
r some history of the farm on st. Jone,
creek, known as the Gray farm, bu
I more recently as the George Warner
n farm 1t was a large tract and con
tanned some eight hundred acres
j. belonged to Andrew Gray, grandfathe
is of Andrew G. Gray, the father Of tn
late Senator Gray of Delaware. An
te drew, the second, lived on this farm
II during the Revolutionary War, ant
continued to live there until 1909, wheI
rs. he moved to New Castle county, an
in rented the farm to my father, JOSEF
rd Burchenal. This year marks my fail
er's first appearance in the Neck as
Ell resident. He lived on the Gray farr
lie until 1878, when he purchased VIII;
was then known as the Crammer farm
n. but more recently the Dime Kiln farm
which was close by, but not adioiniu
err the Gray farm When Mr.. Ora
eta moved away he left Drummer IAN o.
colOred servant) a house and lot to
IN his during his lifetime for his fideli
asst and faithful service, and for doing &
w act which I remember hearing o
Uncle Drummer tell. | was but /
ing tie boy, but it made a lasting imprC
of sion on my mind and to this day re
Ollect with what veneration and ]
md s9ect | listened to that old mans stor
ent He had lived in the time of the Rev
eSts Luton and had seen the British, viii
lar appeared to me a wonderful fact. +
story was this: Daring the war t
ug British fleet landed a foraging pal
ME near Bowers Beach. They had plann
to take the cattle (of rebels as we We
dds called and drive them up TO New G
Mr.. tie and meet the fleet and supply thu
with fresh meat This foraging pa
his visited Mr. GTay's and drove ava,
lay, lot of cattle, and forced Drummer, IL
ster a young man, to go along and h
drive the cattle. They also visited {
son, residence of Parson Huston In
Il at known as the John Saxton farm( 2
\ int 10, g.,
were at church and stole some val
BILE silverware and drove away some
his cattle. Parson Huston, as he
ears, called, was a sturdy, determined
was patriot, and gave his undivided supp
last to the cause of the colonies and aga
sew Great Britain. He was a Presbytel
elder, man of decided convictions
l 65 great worth He was the father of
day. late Mrs. Hester Ann Townsend,
and of Solomon Townsend, of Philadelp
chill but formerly of Erederica, Del A
scendant of this worthy old prea
upes and patriot is Huston A. Cuthbert
gtOn is agreat-grandson,a and resides in Dc
large he is a gentleman whom I am pie
etter. to class among my friends Let m
laced back and continue the story as rel
-raph by old Uncle Drummer. As said
III as fore, he was taken along with the
rams ish to help drive the cattle. The
pany up the State was by the old X
st OF highway, which went through Ca
bury-at which place they stoppe
A. the night When all was quiet
asket the foraging party was asleep d
/, are mer thought it was a prOpitious
ans to quietly let down the bars, turn
GA the cattle and run them back sale
ship his master, Andrew Gray. For
ladel- act. in connection with his faithful
lie IL as a servant, he was left the house
lot as above stated for his use dt
lyton, his lifetime. He died about IS
ate Oh 1888. | remember him well, an
base wife. known as old Aunt Sarah.
g cars were highly respectable old peopl,
was tall, gray-headed old mai
q Will walked with a cane and wore
week, hat. The house stood, as near as
ave a remember, on the land after
owned by Mr.. Bradley. The Ora
rs are inter-marriage with the Caldwe
their near Canterbury, became large
that owners, and had many colored |
trees, as servants; they were not he
or less slaves. To use the old-time CO