The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-09-22
HISTORICAL SKETCH
West Nottingham Friends Meeting
Together With Some Side Issues or Obser-
vatiops Not Strictly Historical
In Character.
By E. HENRY HAYNES.

particularly by Kirk Brown of Baltimore
who at a great expense of time and labor has
made nearly q complete index Of the Monthly
Meeting records of Nottingham, now in the
fire proof vault in Baltimore, which renders
easy the access to any particular record
wanted, which otherwise might be almost a
hopeless task TO go through the great volume
of records that have been accommodating for
over one hundred years.
Before commencing to give in detail some of
the happenings at this, place, the writer has
thought it might be of interest to many who
are here assembled, particularly to the young
people, to have brief outline of the things
which led up to the settlement by Friends of
this place and the erection Of this house, the
centennial Of which we are now here to
celebrate.
Every boy and girl old enough to attend
school has been made acquainted with the
fact that all of this country prior to the coming
Of the white man was inhabited by the Amer
lean Indian. This particular section was in
possession of tribe known as Susquehan-
nocks, among whom there were men Of gigan-
tic stature, as shown by the size of some skel-
etons exumed from their old burying grounds
They were the sole inhabitants of this partic-
ular part Of the country up to 1902 Now let
us go back and see how those first owners of
this beautiful country became dispossessed
and their places filed by the peace loving and
ineffensive Friends or Quakers.
William Penn, the son of Admiral Penn who
stood high as a commander in the English
navy and a favorite of the King Of England,
resolved to forego the pornp and honor which
his high station in life provided for him, and
associated himself with the Quakers who
were leadin J a life of great self-denial. They
abstained from the pleasures of the world,
refrained from every custom which could
place their chastity and sobriety in danger;
Stunned as far as possible the settling Of dis
putes by law and refused under any and all
circumstances to take up arms against their
fellow creatures. He having settled his faith
er's estate and ascertained that there was due
him as his fathers heir about 916,O0O or
$1,000. and not being anxious for the money,
but wished to take land in America in lieu Of
it, he petitioned King Charles the Second that
letters patent might be granted him for the
same. The tract he selected was to lie north
of Maryland and was to be bounded on the
east by the Delaware, on the west as Mary
land was, and to extend as far northward as it
was plantable. He was led to this from de-
sire to do good by planting in the new country
"a colony of religious families who should emil
CRATE and dwell together and thereby free
themselves from the prosecutions and hard
ships encountered in the Old World.
This petition after having been considered
by different branches of the government and
meeting with much opposition, was finally
granted, and he was by charter, dated at
Westminster. the 4th of March. 1881, made and
constituted full and absolute proprietor of all
that tract Of land which he had solicited, and
was invested with power of ruling and govern
ing the same.
In this charter he was given the free use Of
all the ports, bays. rivers and waters there and
of their produce, and all the islands, noun
tains, soils and mines, and of their produce,
and was to pay to the King two beaver skins
annually, and one-fifth of all the gold and
silver discovered, and the said territory was
to be called Pennsylvania, after hisown name.
William Penn prior to this had had much
experience in planting colonies In new terri
tory, as he had sent fourteen hundred people
to New Jersey Of whom the adults were per-
sons Of high character, and as they were now
experienced enough to take care of themselves
he took leave of them and turned his attention
to the colonization of the Province Of Penn
sylvania.
One Of the first things he did was to draw
up the terms upon which the land was to be
sold to settlers and made strict provisions
for the treatment of the Indians, that they
should not be abused or provoked; that no
man should by word or deed affront or wrong
any Indian, and If he did he should be dealt
with the same as If he had committed against
fellow planter Another Of his rules read
like this: I'm reverence to God do, for me
and mine, declare and establish that every
person that doth and shall reside within my
province shall have and enjoy the free pro
fession of his or her faith and exercise of wor-
ship towards God in such way and manner as
every such person shall in conscience believe
most acceptable to the Supreme Being
In 1852 William Penn received from the Duke
of York q deed OF release for Pennsylvania, to
prevent all future claims Of his Royal High
ness or his heirs on the Province. He now
having title to the land as far as those In
authority in England could give, after giving
extensive notice that in America was land
where the oppressed of all nations and creeds
could find refuge from prosecutions on &C.
count Of religious faith, sailed on the ship
Welcome" ON his first visit to the new coun-
try, and after voyage which lasted six weeks
landed at New Castle.
He soon arranged for meeting with the
Indian Chiefs and met them in q council
under q large tree near the site Of Philadelphia
where he purchased the land from them,
whom he considered the rightful owners. He
thus secured, their friendship and willingness
to give up the land to the new Corners He
was both proceeded and followed by many
emigrants, most of whom were Friends who
desired to escape persecution at home and
who settled at or near the Delaware river.
William Penn after short stay in this
country went back to England but returned
in the fall of 1893 and during his visit, accord
ins to Frost's Life of William Penn, made a
new treaty with the Indians and made an
extensive purchase of land which by many
was supposed to include what was afterward
called Nottingham.
William Penn being aware that his right to
the land bordering upon the headwaters of the
Chesapeake Bay was disputed by Lord Balti-
more who held a charter for Maryland, decided
to strengthen his claim by having the land