2 Crispin Lane

The Quakers

The earliest document of these deeds refers to the fact that the property was owned by John Dymory and sold to Henry Yeeds on a date unspecified.  At Henry Yeed's death, the property was divided between his daughters and co-heiresses, Alice and Anne.  There is a record of Alice, now known as Alice French, paying rent of 6d for half a burgage in 1670.  This portion was eventually transferred to John French a shoemaker, Alice's son, and he subsequently bought out the half belonging to Anne and her husband, Thomas Aldridge.

In 1683 the property was sold by John French, shoemaker, to George Pearce, turner, for the sum of £38.  George was born in Olveston in 1659 and married Ann Gayner of Thornbury in "Alvestone".  There is a copy of their marriage certificate in Thornbury Museum  which gives the date of their marriage as "the first day of the twelfth month comonly called february in the yeare according to computation now used in England One Thousand six hundred seventy and nine." George Pearce was said to be "of Winscom in the County of Sumersett" when he married. 

By the time they bought the property they had two children, Betty and George, and another child, Joshua, was born in 1683.  They did not live in the house long because they sold it in 1684 to Ann's brother, John Gayner, blacksmith of Thornbury, for £55 in a conveyance dated 28th July in the 36th year of the reign of Charles ll (1684). 

George had sold the property because he was emigrating  to America.  He settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  The fact that his wife came from Thornbury seems to be the reason why the township where he settled became known as Thornbury, Pennsylvania.  George Pearce was a Quaker and during the reign of Charles II (1660-1685) 13,562 Quakers were imprisoned in England and 338 died in prison or were killed in the assaults on their meetings.  We don't know what particular event triggered his departure.  He bought a house only a year before so it may have been a fairly sudden decision.  We don't know if it was a factor but William Penn returned to England in 1684 to negotiate with the English governor about the boundaries of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

George sent letters back to his brother in law John Gayner from their new home in Thornbury Pennsylvania and the Thornbury museum has copies of two of these, one dated 1712 and the other 1719.  A transcription of one letter tells of his concern about some missing gold.

"Loving brother after my kind,

Love to thee and thy wife and children.  These may let you know that I received thy letter bearing date the 23rd of the 11th month, 1712, wherein I understand that thee hast not received the piece of gold that I sent to thee by our friend John Solkel, a public friend that came over to visit some part of the Nation of England. 

I have been with him since he came home, and told him that I understood that thee hadst received the letter but not the piece of gold, which he marvelled at, and bid me write to thee about it and ask thee whether or not thee hast seen or heard of such a man, and if thee hast, how it happened that thee did not ask him for the token that he brought with the letter, for the letter mentioneth the friend that I sended, by the value of it, and the reason of my sending it to thee, so I desire thee to send me word the first opportunity whether thee hast received further letter or not."

Click here to read the next part of the story "The Burnt House Orchard"

This page was last updated: 12/01/2010