Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-07-07
Written for the Negisterl
PART II.
THE DARKE FAMILY RECORDS.


persons more or less familiar TO Virgin
ians OF the Valley, and the writer deems
it fitting to add here those which in the
course of his investigations were found
located in Penn's Manor, west of the
Delaware below "the falls, between the
years 1853 and 100; such names may al
ford clue to the Pennsylvania origin OF
some OF your pioneer ancestors.
There were among some hundreds OF
other settlers in those partS-the Lucas,
HeathS, Burdins, Bakers, Martins, Brit
tanS, HarriSons, OSborneS, FaulknerS,
WorthingtonS, RutherfordS and DarkeS-
all are identified with the Quaker coloni-
zation OF Bucks county in provincial Penn
Sylvania.
As to the family OF Darkes, | am OF
opinion that the emigrant ancestors, Will
liam Darke, glover, hailing from Chipping,
Worcestershire and Samuel Darke, cal
enderer, OF London, both OF whom arrived
in the Delaware, by the ship Content, "
from London, in 1880, were brothers.
The authority from which gather my
facts in this regard states the age OF Will
liam Darke to be 5S years at the time OF
his arrival but there is no evidence as
to what may have been SamuepS age
and while we are informed by later rec
ords that Williams wife Alice, whose age
is given, "about 63 years" and their son
John, who accompanied her hither by the
ship Charles" in 1854, no such date is
at hand in relation to Samuel by which to
show his age or that he was either then a
bachelor, or, perhaps, a Widower, except
Simply that he was accompanied by two
servants, James Crafts, who was to serve
4 years, at the expiration OF which he
was TO receive a cow, calf and 80 acres
OF land; and Mary Crafts, who was to
serve 81 year loose" and receive "a in
wages.
gather the impression, upon further
study OF the records, that the DarkeS
made some attempt at settlement in Bur
lington county, N. l., where, few years
before, some English QuakerS had already
been located-before William, al lest,
determined to settle on the west side OF
the Delaware. The first grant OF land
that find made TO him was obtained un-
der date OF 18th 0f second mo-, 1888, for
tract OF land containing 235 acres. This
was laid out TO him by the Surveyor
General of the Province OF Pennsylvania
on the 10th day OF 4th mo-, 1888, near the
Falls of the Delaware, and adjoining Will
liam Bies' land and was confirmed and
patent issued to him by William Penn
on the 9th of 9th mo-, 1854. The land so
patented fronted on the Delaware above
the head of Biles' Island, and eastward OF
the plantation OF Robert Lucas.
On the lSt OF 10th month, 1896, William
Darke, in consideration OF a certain sum
of money, "and for the love and affection
which have for him." conveys one-half
of the above mentioned land to his son
John absolutely; and the other half to
him, in trust, expressly for the mainte-
nance OF the said William Darke and his
wife during the remainder OF their re-
spective lives, and upon the decease OF
the survivor of them, then the whole
property becomes vested in the said son
John. This conveyance was acknowl-
edged in open court by William Darke
9th OF 10th month, 1896.
II is not known whether or not William
Darke had other real estate, but it is ap-
parent that all that he then had, and al!
of which could obtain any trace, was
disposed Of in this transaction to the son
John to assure home for the parents in
their old age.
William Darke was grand juror OF
Bucks county at the June term OF court in
1854; was named among the debtors Of
the estate Of John GoSling, OF Burlington,
N. J., whose will was proved II February,
1856; was a member OF the Provincial
Assembly OF Pennsylvania in 1855. He
was present at the first known meeting OF
Friends held in Bucks county, which was
held at the house Of William BieS, ''juSt
below the falls" where the first business
referred to the marriage OF Samuel Darke
A., The chrnr,irIar Of this
event states that the young people did
not have the necessary credentials and
were advised TO wait; this they were not
willing to do, but at once proceeded to be
married Gin disorderly manner out OF
meeting" 4th MO. II, 1853. By some
irregularity in trying TO effect an agree
ment, while juror, in case which came
up before the Bucks county court in 1893,
when it is saidt that the jury, unable to
reach verdict directed the constable,
John Drake, in whose charge they were,
to cast a piece of money into hat; this
circumstance being reported to the court,
the Judge fined each OF then-and OF
whom William Darke was one-k2, 10, O..
suspect that Samuel Darke, VINO mar
ried Ann Knight "out OF meeting, " was
an older son of William and had proba-
bly, preceded his fatherto the colony, and
that after his marriage He settled in
Salem county, West Jersey. As to the
son John Darke, he was II years OF age
when he came with his mother TO Ameri-
ca in 1854.
Samuel Darke, the elder, married Mar
tha Worrall 18th Of 9th month, 1886. He
took title to 200 acres OF land, adjoining
William Biles' property, "near the falls, "
from Joseph English on Sd OF 9th mo-,
1890; and again on l4th OF 7th mo-, 1851,
from James Moon, Sr., and James Moon,
Ir., of Bucks county, for 5 acres OF mead
ow land. Later, it appears, he obtained
z NJ