#42 - Abington Meeting, PA John Cadwalader from Wales, Quaker Minister, Missionary

John Cadwalader 

Husband of Mary Cassel 

Relationship to me: 8th great grandfather; 

father of Jane Cadwalader (who married Robert Comly)

John Cadwallader

• Birth 1676 in Montgomeryshire, Wales   
• Death Sep 1742 in Tortola, Virgin Islands 

 Children of John and Mary (Cassel) Cadwalader: 
1 Sarah, born 1702, m. John Bond
2 John, born 19 Jun 1703, m. Elizabeth Hinkson 19 Jun 1728, he died 15 Mar 1785 
3 Abraham, born circa 1705, remained unmarried
4 Jane, born 1707, m. Robert Comly circa 1727, died 1755
5 Isaac, born 1709, m. Mary Roberts, he died 1739
6 Mary, born 1711, m. Benjamin Eaton
7 Jacob, born 1713, m. Magdalen Conrad, he died 1779
8 Martha, born 1716, m. Ellis Roberts 
9 Joseph, born 16 Nov 1717 m. Mary Williams (Gwynedd MM), d.1789 Fayette Co PA 
10 Benjamin, born 1720, m. Grace Comly 1742, died 1753 

Biography: "John Cadwalader became an accepted minister of the Society of Friends at an early age, and traveled extensively in that service, visiting Great Britain in 1721. 

He made long journeys to all parts of the colonies in America on horseback, and the great number of certificates returned to his meeting testify to the appreciation of his service in the cause of Truth in the Carolinas and other distant parts.

In 1742 he made a religious journey to the West Indies, his certificate being dated 5th mo. 20, 1742. 
A later minute of the Abington Meeting shows that he reached the Island of Tortola, 9th mo. 4, 1742, in company with John Estaugh, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, and that he died there on the 26th of the same month, Estaugh dying a few days later. 

By a curious coincidence, Thomas Chalkley, the eminent English minister of the Society who had been John Cadwallader's companion in many notable journeys, had ended his Gospel labors on the same island about two years earlier, and all three graves are represented in a painting hanging in the library of Swarthmore College."
 - From the "Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Vol. IV," by John W. Jordan, LL.D., New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915, page 1223. 

Notes from the Minutes of the Abington (PA) Monthly Meeting: 

• 1716 - John Cadwallader was appointed to visit families on a religious visit to New England. 
• 1719 - Certificate to Barbadoes [sic] but did not go at this time 
• 1721 - Certificate to visit Great Britain 
• 1724 - Certificate to visit Long Island 
• 1732 - Certificate to visit Great Britain and Ireland (See Irish Quakers in the area) 
• 1740 - Certificate to visit Virginia and North Carolina 
• 1742 - Certificate to visit the Island of Tortola in the West Indies.

The following memorial to John Cadwallader was submitted by the Abington MM to the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in 1758.

Our Friend John Cadwallader of Horsham, was convinced of the Principles of Truth when young; had a gift in the ministry bestowed on him in which he was serviceable; underwent many deep baptizing seasons, by which it is believed he was in good degree an over-comer. 
He travelled much in the exercise of his gift, having visited his Brethren in Truth's service in most, or all, the parts of this continent where Friends reside; and crossed the Seas twice to Europe on the same account; and once to the Island of Barbados; and good accounts and credentials were upon all occasions, communicated to this Monthly Meeting of his acceptable service; and was also serviceable amongst us in the Meetings of Discipline. 
His last visit was to the Island of Tortola in company with our worthy Friend, John Estaugh, deceased. 
He was taken indisposed on his passage thither before he landed, yet proceeded on the service he went up for the satisfaction of Friends there, but his distemper increasing upon him. 
He departed this life in Peace, on said Island of Tortola, on the 26th of the 9th month, 1742, as by accounts sent hither by Friends of said Island; aged near 66 years.

John Caldwalader’s Will: 
"I John Cadwalader of Warminster in the County of Bucks, and Province of Pennsylvania, Being about to go on a Religious visit to the Island of Tortola, tho in my Declining years yet of a sound mind, memory, and understanding, thought good to make and Ordain this my last will and Testament in manner hereafter Expressed, That is to say, first of all I will that all my Just Debts and Funeral Expenses be fully paid and Discharged. 
Item - I give and bequeath unto my dear wife Margaret all the household goods which she brought with her at time of our marriage. The one Gray horse, and one cow, and also all the Bonds that is now lodged in her hand, in lieu and in full recompence for all Third, Dowers, and Demands, whatsoever, to my Estate Goods, and Chattels; and to live in the house we now live in during her widowhood. 
Item - I give and bequeath unto my Daughter-in-law, Mary Cadwalader the sum of five pounds Lawful money of the said Province. 
Item - I give and bequeath unto my grandson Isaac Cadwalader the sum of five pounds of the like money. But in case my Said grandson should die in his minority, my will is that the said five pounds be equally divided between his surviving Brothers and Sisters, the children of his Deceased father. 
Item - I give and bequeath all the residue of my Estate, Goods, and Chattels nothing Excepted Save the Afore mentioned Legacies to be Equally Distributed between my children Viz. John, Jacob, Joseph, Benjamin, Sarah, Jane, Mary and Martha, and my Son Isaac's children whom I would to have an Equal Share with one of my aforesaid Children, to be Equally Divided among them, And my will further is that in case my said daughter Mary the wife of Benjamin Eaton should remove with her said husband to live anywhere out of this Province that her share or Division of My Estate as aforesaid be not paid unto her, but I do hereby Order the same to be Equally Divided between aforesaid Children and son Isaac's Children all to have between them and Equal share of one of my said Children anything herein contained not withstanding. 
Item - I give unto my son Benjamin the remainder of John Bryan's Time or Apprenticeship willing my son to fulfill his Indenture and to teach or cause to be taught the Trade my said Son follows anything herein before Contained notwithstanding. 

I do hereby Constitute and Appoint my son Jacob Cadwalader and son-in-law John Bond to be joint and Co-Executors of this my last will and Testament. 
Also I Do Nominate and appoint my friend George Lewis and John Evans to be Overseers of this my Last will and Testament to see the same Accomplished. 
Finally I do hereby revoke and make void all former and other will and Testament by me heretofore made or declared to be made Either by word of mouth or writing validing and Confirming this only to be my Last in which whereof I have hereinto set my hand and Seal the Thirtieth day of the Seventh month Anno Dom 1742. 
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the Testator as his Last will in the Presence of us and hereunto Subscribed Witnesses: 
Jno Evans 
 Rowland Evans 
John Cadwalader 
Proved June 20, 1743 
Then personally appeared John Evans and Rowland Evans the witnesses to the foregoing will and on their solemn affirmation according to Law do declare they saw and heard John Cadwalader the Testator above named Sign and Institute and Declare same will to be his last will and testament and that at the time thereof He was of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge.” 

 Source: http://montgomery.pa-roots.com/Biographies/JohnCadwalader.

Cadwalader and Comly

Note:
There are two men named John Cadwalader, who were about the same age, immigrated from Wales at the same time, were members of the Society of Friends, and settled in Pennsylvania, and the data for both men sometimes get mixed together. 

“My” John Cadwalder traveled widely in the Quaker ministry, married Mary Cassel (Cassell/Kassel) and died on Tortola Island in the British Virgin Islands. 

The other was a “teaching assistant in a school making 20 pounds for half a year.
When his teaching partner left he was asked to manage the school and shortly thereafter was granted 50 pounds per year. In 1702 he gave notice of leaving the school, but in 1703 he was still there.” 

#32 - Henry Comly: Early Immigrant Quaker to Philadelphia

Who Are These Comlys Anyway?

My family has written plenty about the Tysons Quakers and the first two posts here were devoted to Charles J Tyson.
This post will answer two three questions: who are the Comlys,  how do they relate to the Tysons, and who was the first Comly ancestor in North America? Enter Old Broadbrim, Quaker Detective (I just need a sidekick).

The Comlys were English Friends [Quakers] before arriving in the colonies, and were some of the earliest English Quaker settlers of Philadelphia.
My ancestor, my 8th great grandfather, Henry Comly arrived in Philadelphia with his wife and son-also Henry-in November of 1683, only a few weeks after the first Tyson from Germany arrived in October (though the date is debatable).
While the Tyson family resided in Germantown, Henry Comly had large tract of land in Byberry, Philadelphia. As you will read later, he had 500 acres but sold part of it soon after arriving.
"Henry Comly purchased a tract of 500 acres in the west corner of Warminster township, a portion of it still remains in the family.
We have no evidence that he ever lived there, but his son Robert did, and had a large family. Robert Comly's son Robert, married and had a large family.
All that bear the name of Comly in and around Horsham are his descendants."
Source: Friends' intelligencer, 1884

In my direct line, a Comly married a Tyson in my family in the late 1700s when Sarah Comly married a John Tyson.

Fan Chart of the Comly Line
Have you seen those fan charts?
Here is part of one filled out several years ago by a relative.
I’m only using (here) portions of it which are relevant to the Comlys. To make it easier to follow, I placed a red box over the Comly line.
You can see that the fan chart has been corrected and is often difficult to read.
The first piece here would begin with my great grandfather’s father:

The second piece contains some overlap and goes back a couple generations.

The third piece:.

The fourth and final piece is really difficult to make out:. 

Difficult to read? You bet! Comprehensive, yes.
An Easy-to-read Comly Lineage
For the purposes of this post only, I made my own simple chart showing the Comly family and how they are connected to my maternal grandmother (whose maiden name was Tyson). I also color-coded it:
yellow = Comly and green= Tyson To keep it compact I have only a couple Tysons.

Who was Henry Comly?
Vitals: Henry was born not far from Bristol in Somersetshire, England.

Copy of his birth record in a book

I've not yet got a certain birth date for him (if it is 1615, he was old when he took passage). Henry Comly (Sr) died in 1684, a year after he arrived in Pennsylvania.
Many of the records I've found for Henry Comly confuse the father with the son (perhaps they don't realize there was a father of the same name).

Occupation:
Henry was a weaver in the town of Bedminster, Somersetshire, near Bristol, England.
Marriage: "Henry of Bedminster to Joan Tylor of Bristol." It was quite possibly Henry's second marriage.

Across the pond:
Henry was a Friend [Quaker] prior to crossing the Atlantic with his family. At some point early on, he bought a tract of land from William Penn.
I note this as there were many early Quakers who were converts in the colonies. At that time Quakers had preachers who traveled around the country (and the world).
In Pennsylvania, and in parts of the Northeast, many dissenters (nonconformists) converted to Quakerism.

Henry Comly settled on a tract of of land (about 300 acres) in Warminster Township, Buck Co. PA., about seven miles south of the present town of Doylestown.
This was part of a grant of a total of 500 acres purchased of William Penn before Henry left England.

Reed's map of Philadelphia, and the "Liberties" (printed with a quarto pamphlet in 1774) both mention "Henry Comly, of the city of Bristol, weaver," in the list of original purchaser of land of William Penn, date of purchase being July 19, 1681.

Many of those who purchased in England land grants of William Penn came over with no definite idea where their tract of land would be.  Henry Comly was one of the latter [purchased before his arrival] as early records show.

Part of the land he owned was 200 acres in Philadelphia County,  which he sold soon after arriving.
I am guessing he wished to 1) consolidate his land and 2) he likely needed many goods and cash after having just moved to the new world.

In his will Henry left to his son, Henry [my 7th great grandfather] "two hundred acres of land bought by me of the Governour besides the House and Hundred which I now live in."
Here is an old photo from a book of Byberry Meeting House (which was not there when he lived there).

Byberry Meeting House, built long after Henry arrived. (From an old book)

Henry Comly’s Will:
Know all men by these presents that I, Henry Comeley, being weake of Bodey but of prefect memorey doe make This my last Will and Testament.
First I give and Bequeath unto my wife Joane Comly the Third part of all my Personall Estate both Goods and Chatels.
Item. I Bequeath unto my dauter Marey the Quantity of one haundred Acers of uncultivated land or the value thereof.
Item. I bequeath unto my sone Henery ye Remaining two thirds of my Goods and Chatels and perticulerly one fither bed and Appurtinances thereunto belonging, together with Two hundred Acres of Land bought by me of the Governer besides the house and house and hundred Acers which I now live in. Lastly I nominate and appoint my friends Edmond Benet, David Davis and William Paxstone to be my sole Executors, to supervise this my last will and to overse my sd Son unto whose care I Commit him and the most fit time for him to reseve his sd portion (with the advice of friends of the Monthly Meeting) but if my Son dye before he be of Discresion to reseve his portion that it dissend to my sd dauter Marey exepting the house and lands I now live in to my wife during the terme of her naturall life.
In Wittness whereof I have hereunto set my hand
and Seale this the 26 day of 2d Mo. 1684.
Sealed and Delivered in ye Presence
of Henry Comly his mark

James X Paxstone George X Sheave his mark