Evening journal., 1901-06-28
WRITES OF FOLK
OF LONG AGO
Visitor Recalls Memories Of
Ancestors Of WeN.knOWn
People

ing Journal as follows:
I'm travelling from Philadelphia to Wll-
minaton. / rassed by Chester, one OF the
Oldest towns In Pennsylvania. II was
founded by the Swedes in l6i3, under the
name of Upland. William Penn arrived
there IN 1852 and held his first provisional
assembly as that place the latter part OF
the year. He desired to have the name
changed. so asked Thomas Picrson what
IL should he. His reply WIS Chester
lin remembrance OF his home in England
The first meeting for Divine worship ever
held IL Pennsylvania by the Society OF
Friepipax4I. held there and William Ed
m2iscn visitei the meeting as early as
..J615. The hneste granite quarries in the
Estate are near this town. The shipyards
ARE worth visiting
Thomas Pierson sailed from Downs,
England. July "A, 1916 for Maryland, In
company with William Dixon. lie ar
rived in the great Wicka Comma Coe
river in Maryland. lie left for England,
December 12 1851, arriving there March
Is. 1852. and again sailed for America on
Quly 25, 1858, from Kings road in the Com
n Zofr which John Reed was master.
He arrived in Upland, on September 2S
1888. He was appointed deputy surveyor
Of New Castle county, Delaware. 1854. Z,
"A. He was twice married. the first time
to Rachel Sharpley in 1886 In the Newark
meeting She died and was hurled in
Newark i'm 1857. He married Rose Dixon,
daughter of Henry Dixon, IN 1880 and
moved to Concord Pa. thence to Cain.
He was overseer OF the Cain meeting Of
the Society OF Friends, from l7l6 until
his death IN 1922.
Wilmington is thirty miles below Phila-
delphia and ds the largest city in the
State of Delaware AMI the county seat
of New Castle county. 1t IS situated be-
ween the Brandywine and Christiana
reeks. and near the Delaware river The
Toss OF vessel IN the waters loaded with
brandy-in the Dutch language called
Brandy-w wijn-gave to the stream its
pame. Brandywine. The city has a popu-
lation OF 5000. and many men are em-
ployed in manufacturing.
There are fine school buildings. and fine
churches, especially Grace Methodist
Episcopal Church The surrounding coun-
TRY. is beautiful. The DUPONT Powder
AN'Jrks are near. and they have a great
many willow trees on their farms. Those
trees frequently are trimmed and the
wood IS burned into charcoal and used
in making powder.
From Wilmington I went to Guyencourt
and visited the Centre Meeting House and
burying grounds OF the Society of Friends.
The meeting house is of brick. probably
burned near the place 1t is very old
church, and some OF the logs from New
ark meeting house We're brought here and
built in the lower part of the east shed.
There are very few II any Of the logs there
now. There are some low tombstones In
the burytng ground and many unmarked
graves. The ground is so level that persons
wonli not know where the graves are.
Many bones have been dug up in making
new graves. II those persons who gave
testimony against marked graves" would
give testimony now, they would want a
monument, according, to Mark Twain 5
late article concerning neglected ceme-
teries. They may have taken mdn ght
train for some other cemetery with the
highest monuments. Many OK the early
settlers are buried here. Among them
being quite number Of the Dlxons VIII
liam Dixon came from England with
Ihomas Pierson and married Ann Gregg.
Their son, William Dixon. married Han
nah Hollingsworth. daughter of Thomas
and Grace Cook Hollingsworth and near
ly all their children are buried here. There
were one Thomas Dixon died, tenth
month, TO- l727, and Hannah Dixon. who
died sixth month, T. 174l, buried here.
Christopher Wilson was an early set
tier In Chrlstlana hundred. He came ts
America the fourth month, p, 17l2, AM
married Esther daughter Of Rhnber
woodward, 9TH month, s, 1919. They were
buried here. Their descendants. many o
them are living In or near Wilmington
This Christopher had a son Thomas, VIII
married Ann Dixon, a daughter Of wi
liam and Hannah CHollingsworth) Dixon
They are buried here.
The Wilson's, Dixons, Holl,ngsworth
and Greggs were related. Chrlstophe
Wilson was very active man. his nam
occurring a number Of times in the his
tory Of Delaware, mostly In lists of name
or subscriptions He lived about tw
miles east OF the Centre Meeting House
He was born in Yorkshire, England. III
certificate was received at the Kennel
meeting, 9Th month. s, 17i9. lie wa>
member of the Newark monthly meetn
when he died eth month, II, i74O
Glover Hill farm formerly belonged t
the Greggs. They had a graveyard on thi
farm, which is now plowed up and tn
Nthiit Ahdi WIS III the wall uiOuhu IL hd
been built into a barn.
William Gregg settled on tract Of Ian
IN Christiana hundred. 400 acres being SUI
veyed to him In 1856. g. H. lie died ifS
and was buried in his plantation. III
daughter Ann married william Dixc
about 1890 and settled on a farm near Il
present village of Centreville.
Are these the Greggs who cannot hal
resting place. free from the tolls
men2 The Greggs descended from
Scottish king, Orig or Gregory. wi
claimed to be descended from shs san
line as Queen Victoria What n vast al
ference in blood. Where Is the Christia
ity. where is the beauty in unmark
gravesg II they were living now th'
testimony would be quite d .fierent. y
of the present day want to serve oLr a
cestors and hold their last resting pla
sacred They suffered privation snl har
ships in a pioneer life and they, Of