Newark post., 1921-08-17
WELSH TRACT
IN THE PAST

the early SeJClerS OIL tIlS PAL
section of Delaware, and for the BEN
eft of all present, and the present
generation not assembled, but living
nearby, and perhaps for those who
may live in the future, it would be
pleasant reading to know something
of their early ancestors who were
driven here from the shores of Wales
by religious persecution. But God,
who rules the army of heaven, and
among the inhabitants Of the earth,
suffered these trials to overtake His
people in order that they should
settle in America, the land OF the
free and the home of the brave, and
this same people were endowed with
the same spirit when they took up
arms in 1776 to free our country from
the domination and shackles OF old
England And that same spirit lives
n today in the hearts of those who de-
scended from this people and their
u generations living here or nearby.
NJ I will quote from the records of the
|SWelsh Tract Baptist Church as an in
Il Ntroductory, as many have never seen
this data in history. 1t is quite neces-
N sary to refer to this record, as this
81 #peope were Baptists, and established
xa Westinghouse long before this
u School House building was erected.
s@.sNestled at the foot of Iron Hill, at
" the headwaters of the Christiana, is
kthe Welsh Tract Baptist Meeting
va House. where for two hundred years
IN (and more) the gospel has been
Mpreached; and there, for two CEN
III turies, the giant oaks have been
M chanting a solemn requiem above the
#a dead whose bodies lie buried within
#t the meeting house enclosure. 1t was
aS early in the eighteenth century that
$8 William Penn granted to David
SM Evans and William Davis thirty
m thousand acres of land, to be divided
S|% and decided to settlers from South
8 Wales. some of whom had at that
aH time settled in Radnor Township,
M Chester Co., Pa. This grant, ever
M after known as The Welsh Tract IS
W located partly in Pencader Hundred,
# New Castle Co., Delaware, and part
N " in Cecil Co., Maryland. Possibly
I'M one-fourth of it lies in Maryland. The
aM northeast corner of the Tract is few
# hundred yards northeast of Newark
58 Station on the P. B. & w. Railroad
H and extends from east to west about
81 four and half miles, and from north
81 to south about twelve miles to point
M south of the Delaware and Chesa
"a peake Canal. Prominent among the
N original settlers upon Welsh Trac'
III were the founders of the Baptls
IN Meeting, who, with Thomas Griffith
aH4 as their first minister, came iron
aI Pembroke and Carmarthenshlre
a South Wales, in 1901, and soon afte
IA erected log meeting house in whicl
thev worshiped until the presen
IzM structure was built in 1746. The gos
szHpel was preached in the Welsh Ian
A guage in this meeting until the yea
1900"
In order to establish the connectio
u between the School House and thl
1aA #s people, it was necessary to quote thl
5aN record of the church. 1t is the dc
10 scendents of this people that ha
gradually, intelligently and faithful
"a lived and upbuilded this communlt.
Thev have educated and sent ava
many prominent people to develo
M other sections of our Country an
F ~z many a family can refer with prle
ito one of their descendants WI
j SAA aA originally came from Pencader HUI
fsSAd Adred. The ground work and elemen
ary principles were first lmpresse
sa8 sasrpon their minds by faithful teacher
Lin this very little building, and tt
#Ssame spirit is in the present gener
assation that inspired them when the
first landed in persecution, and Il
self same spirit which prompted the
ITO separate themselves from the bon'
of monarchy. There is one perst
.ss.present, and we believe the only II
saing descendent of her generation wi
assattended this school in her ear
childhood, Mrs. Agnes E. Miller, Ii
hSSing in Newark, Del, at the prese
time. She attended this school fro
1S4S to 1850. With her was associs
led at that time, and who attended t
Aa school, were, the Cooches, the Coli
the Evans, and many others unkov
Ito myself. 1t is her desire that t
Commissioners accept, not for thu
8 intrinsic value, but for kind
ssaa membrance of her childhood da
3 within these walls, two pictures, S
#sM has had in mind for some time
present to the School House, as