Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-06-30

bankers "Map ofthe Delaware river, be-
tween Burlington and the Falls" dated in
1919; and on Holmes Map OF 1851, nearly
opposite "the falls" and almost directly
across the river from Mahlon Stacey'S
mill, the site OF which is now occupied
by the city OF Trenton, New Jersey. Lu-
cas- land extended down to the lands Of
William and Charles Biles on the east
and south; and in the river opposite, about
a mile below'the falls, was BileS Island.
All the properties fronting on the river
ran back between narrow parallel lines TO
the western boundary line OF "PennSbury
Manor" upon which William Penn re-
sided when in the province. Lying next
below Bi!es' plantation and formerly
Charles Biles' land, was the homestead
which Samuel Darke purchased and set
tied upon few years after the LucaS'S.
The land belonging TO William Darke
lay in the interior adjacent to the Manor
border and Wakefield township line.
From the plotting on Holmes map 1t
appears to have been a much larger tract
than that OF Robert Lucas.
To 90 back for moment, it is neces-
Sary to state that Elizabeth Lucas, the
wife of Robert, and their remaining chill
dren, had arrived in the province OF the
ship Content" on the 7th OF June, 1850.
On the same ship came two other pass
engerS who are presumed to have been
brothers: Samuel and William Darke.
Samuel was probably a widower or
bachelor, as no wife is mentioned in the
record OF his arrival, but two servants are
mentioned as accompanying him: Sam
uel Darke of London, calenderer, arrived
in the ship Content in 1880 with SER
wants James and Mary Crafts"
civilian Darke, aged IS years, OF
Chipping -Camben, Co. OF GloSter, arrived
in the ship Content, OF Lendo." "Allis
his wife, aged about 63 years, came in the
ship Charles, Of London, in the latter
end OF 9th month, 1884, accompanied by
her son John, aged II years.
In the report for laying out the lines be-
tween the townships of Falls and Make
field presented to the Bucks County Court
in 1862, particular mention is made OF
certain courses running through widow
Lucas land.
Over in Philadelphia county lay the in
terror manor Moreland; II was but few
miles distance from the settlement at "the
falls" Progressing creek, its principal
stream and the dividing line between
Philadelphia and Bucks counties, courSed
its length by Moreland to find an outlet
in the Delaware at the present site OF
TorreSdale.
In the same decade that witnessed the
occupation OF the river bottoms about the
falls, there appeared in Moreland two
Quaker families: the HartS and the RuSheS.
They were neighbors in England, and
together they came hither and settled side
by side on the Progressing, in Byberry
or Moreland. John Rush, who has served
in the civil wars as captain OF cavalry in
Cromwell'S army, hailed from OXfordShre.
His wife was SLSannah Lucas, whom he
married at Horton, OXfordshire, 8 June,
l64S. They arrived here in 1923, and
Immediately took up their abode in By
berry on plantation OF 500 acres, part OF
| 900 acres which had been granted to
Rush before he emigrated; the other 500
acres was located in the adjoining town
ship of Warminster. Iohn Hart reached
the province in 1852, coming from Whit
ney, a village in OXfordShire, but prior
to his departure from England he appear
ed at the monthly meeting OF Friends held
in Whitney, on the 9th OF 18th month,
1851, and then and there declared his in
tention OF marriage with SuSannah Rush,
OF London, daughter of John Rush; and
it is presumed that this couple were mar
ried there, as it is Of record that certifl-
cate was granted to John Hart in order
to accomplish his marriage
find authorities differing as 10 the par
entage OF Samuel Rush, one giving John
Rush, the other William Rush, as the
father OF the young woman. John Hart
also acquired, while abroad, a grant OF
| 900 acres to be laid out to him IN the
province OF Pennsylvania; he located
500 acres on the Progressing in Byberry,
and the other 500 in a locality, which af-
terward fell within the limits of Warmin-
ster township, and where both the names
of John Rush and John Hart appear as
in 1854.
In addition to the plantations held by
them in Byberry and WarminSter, there
were allotted to them certain town lots
in the liberties OF Philadelphia, evidence
OF which is found in the records OF the
Board of Property for 1896, and relates
to a contention made against John Rush,
by one Elizabeth Storter, and requesting
the commissioners to accommodate John
Rush with a lot elsewhere in order that
Elizabeth might have the whole OF the
lot in dispute. The request was granted,
and we are left to presume that John OBJ
tanned as good lot in some other sec
ton of the town.
In the foregoing narrative II is readily
seen how the families Of Lucas, Darke,
Rush and Hart were not only neighbors,
but were related by marriage, and asso-
ciated by a community OF interests, in the
pioneer settlements of that period, this
will be still further demonstrated as this
sketch progresses.
Robert Lucas was one OF the active
participants in the colonial affairs OF Bucks
county. As early as 1851, at sitting OF
the Upland Court, held l3 April, he was
appointed with William BileS, his neigh