tongue, but the original languages of the Swedes and the Welsh, for a long time preserved, have been eradicated by the English.

The early settlement of Montgomery co. followed close upon the arrival of Wm. Penn. Robert Townsend, one of the early settlers about Germantown, says:―

"In the year 1682, I found a concern on my mind to embark, with my wife and child, and went on board the ship Welcome, Robert Greenaway, commander, in company with my worthy friend Wm. Penn, whose good conversation was very advantageous to all the company." About a year after our arrival there came in about twenty families from high and low Germany, of religious good people, who settled about Germantown-the country continually increasing, people began to spread themselves further back. "Also a place called North Wales was settled by many of the ancient Britons, an honest-inclined people, although they had not then made a profession of the truth as held by us; yet in a little time a large convincement was among them, and divers meeting-houses were built."

Proud, in his History of Pennsylvania, states

Among those adventurers and settlers who arrived about this time, were also many from Wales, of those who are called ancient Britons, and mostly Quakers; divers of whom were of the original or early stock of that society there. They had early purchased of the proprietary in England, 40,000 acres of land. Those who came at present, took up so much of it on the west side of Schuylkill river as made the three townships of Merion, Haverford, and Radnor; and in a few years afterwards their number was so much augmented as to settle the three other townships of Newtown, Goshen, and Uwchland. After this they continued still increasing, and became a numerous and flourishing people.

"Divers of these early Welsh settlers were persons of excellent and worthy character, and several of good education, family, and estatechiefly Quakers; and many of them either eminent preachers in that society, or otherwise well qualified and disposed to do good.

"John Thomas, Robert Owen, and Jane his wife, from Merionethshire, were pious and of good family, education, and abilities, and had suffered much persecution for their religion, being Quakers; but they died soon after their arrival. There was also another Robert Owen, who removed from Wales into Pennsylvania in 1690-an eminent preacher among the Quakers a skilful peacemaker, and of much service and utility. He died in the year 1697.

"Rowland Ellis was a man of note among the Welsh settlers, from a place called Brin-Maur, near Dolgelly, in the county of Merioneth. In 1682, he sent over Thomas Owen and his family to make a settlement. This was the custom of divers others of the Welsh, at first, to send persons over to take up land for them, and to prepare it against their coming.

"Rowland Ellis first came over in 1686, bringing with him his eldest son, Rowland, then a boy. About 100 Welsh passengers came at the same time. They had a long passage suffered much for want of provisions-touched at Barbadoes, &c. Many died. R. Ellis, after remaining about nine months here, returned to Wales, leaving his son with his uncle, John Humphrey. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1697, with his family, and about 100 other passengers, all from North Wales. He was then in his 45th year. He was a preacher among the Quakers, and an acceptable man in every station. He lived long to do good, and died in his 80th year, at his son-inlaw's, John Evans' house, in North Wales, Pa.

"Hugh Roberts was an eminent Quaker preacher; he removed from Wales to Pennsylvania about the year 1683, where he lived near 18 years, to an advanced age. He had suffered much for his religion in his native country prior to his removal.

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"On his return from a religious visit to his native country, in the service of preaching the gospel, in the year 1698, a number of the inhabitants of North Wales removed to Pennsylvania in company with him, where he arrived on the 7th of the 5th month, many of the passengers having died at sea of the bloody flux during the passage.

"In the latter end of this year, (1698,) William Jones, Thomas Evans, Robert Evans, Owen Evans, Cadwallader Evans, Hugh Griffith, John Hugh, Edward Foulke, John Humphrey, Robert Jones, and others, having purchased of Robert Turner 10,000 acres of land, began, in the following year, to improve and settle the same, and called the township Guinedd-in English, North Wales. Some of the last mentioned passengers settled here, who, in general, did not, at first, profess with the Quakers; but afterwards they, with many others, as the neighborhood increased, joined in religious society with them, and were an industrious and worthy people.

"Ellis Pugh, one of the early Welsh settlers who arrived in the province in the year 1687, lived much of his time, and died here, 1718. He was convinced of the Quakers' principles in Wales about the year 1674. He became a minister among them in 1680; in which capacity he continued till his death."

This tract of 40,000 acres, extending across the lower end of Montgomery into Chester and Delaware counties, was known formerly as the Welsh line. The names of the townships are derived from favorite places in Wales. Oldmixon, who wrote in 1708, says :

"This tract is thick of townships; as Radnor before-mentioned, Haverford, West Merioneth, and others. "Tis very populous, and the people are very industrious; by which means this country is better cleared than any other part of the county. The inhabitants have many fine plantations of corn, and breed abundance of cattle, insomuch that they are looked upon to be as thriving and wealthy as any in the province-and this must always be said of the Welsh, that wherever they come, 'tis not their fault if they do not live, and live well too; for they seldom spare for labor, which seldom fails of success.

Many of the Welsh who first came over, as mentioned by Proud, were devout members of the Church of England. Of the early settlers of Gwinned township, only John Hughes and John Humphrey were Quakers, originally. The others, who were Episcopalians, were in the habit of meeting at Robert Evans', where Cadwallader Evans read the Bible to those assembled. But, says Mr. Watson, in his Olden Time

One time, as Cadwallader Evans was accustomed to relate to the late venerable Jesse Foulke, he was going as usual to his brother Robert's; when passing near the road leading to Friends meeting, held at John Hughes' and John Humphrey's, it seemed as if he was impressed "to go down and see how the Quakers did." This he mentioned to his friends at the close of his own meeting, and they all agreed to go to the Friends meeting the next time,-where they were all so well satisfied that they never met again in their own worship. In 1700, the Friends built their log meeting-house, on the site where now stands their present stone house, built in 1823. An intermediate stone house was built there in 1712.

Mrs. S. Nancarro, the kinswoman of the above-mentioned Jesse Foulke, who lived to be 80 years of age, used to tell the story a little variant, saying that the brothers Evans used to read the public services of their church, in a summer-house, constructed of boughs of trees; and that when one of the brothers was proceeding to his meeting, having to pass by where William Penn was speaking, he became so convinced, that he succeeded in bringing over all his brethren to the same profession.

The same Mrs. N. had often seen and conversed with her grandfather, Hugh Evans, who lived to be ninety years of age. When he was a boy of twelve years of age, he remembered that William Penn, with his daughter Lætitia, and a servant, (in the year 1699 or 1700,) came out on horseback to visit his father, Thomas Evans. Their house was then superior, in that it was of barked and hewn logs, a refinement surpassing the common rank. At that house, William Penn ascended steps on the outside to go to his bed-chamber; and the lad of twelve, curious to see so distinguished a guest, went up afterwards to peep through the apertures, and saw him on his knees at prayer, giving audible "thanks to God for such a peaceful and excellent shelter in the wilderness!" The same facts I heard also from another ancient person.

Some of these, either returned to their ancient faith, or others came in

who adhered to it, for there are still standing at Evansburg, Oxford, and at Radnor, in Delaware co., several very ancient Episcopal churches founded by the Welsh. To these, and to the conversions mentioned above, the Rev. Evan Evans alludes in a letter to the Bishop of London, in 1707.

"But Montgomery and Radnor, next to my own beloved Philadelphia, had the most considerable share in my labors, where I preached in Welsh once a fortnight for four years, till the arrival of Mr. Nicholas, minister of Chester, in 1704.

"The Welsh at Radnor and Merioneth, in the province of Pennsylvania, had addressed my lord of London, having a hundred hands to their petition, for a minister to be settled among them that understands the English language, there being many ancient people among those inhabitants that do not understand the English; and could a sober and discreet man be procured to undertake that mission, he might be capable, by the blessing of God, to bring in a plentiful harvest of Welsh Quakers, that were originally bred in the Church of England, but were unhappily perverted before any minister in holy orders, that could preach to them in their own language, was sent into Pennsylvania; but I believe they are not irrecoverable had they an itinerant missionary who would use application and diligence to introduce them to the communion of the church.

"There is another Welsh settlement called Montgomery, in the county of Philadelphia, twenty miles distant from the city, where there are considerable numbers of Welsh people, formerly in their native country of the communion of the Church of England; but about the year 1698, two years before my arrival in that country, most of them joined with the Quakers, but by God's blessing some of them were induced to return, and I have baptized their children and preached

often to them.

"I visited them since, and prevailed upon them to meet every Lord's day, about forty in number, where one that can understand the language well, and is a sober, discreet man, reads the prayers of the church, the proper psalms and lessons, omitting the absolution, &c., what properly belongs to the priest's office, and then reads some portion in a book of devotion to the people. I met with several good books translated into the Welsh language among my country people, particularly the Whole Duty of Man, in Welsh, and the Practice of Piety. As for the Christian Monitor, Dorrington's Family Guide to the Lord's Supper, the Advice of a Minister to his Parishioners-all in Welsh, what I received, were faithfully disposed, but were so few, that a greater number is still much wanting."

A few years afterward, between 1708 and 1715, “Mr. Evans visited a new settlement called Parkeomen, situated on the river Schuylkill. Here many persons became attached to the Episcopal church, were baptized and admitted to her communion."

Smith, the historian, gives the dates of the establishment of Friends' meetings.

In 1683 a first-day meeting was established to be held at Takoney or Oxford. Another was also established at Poetquessing. And afterwards in the same year a monthly meeting was set up, to consist of those two meetings and that at Abington, to be held by turns among them.

The 24th of the seventh month, 1716, the meeting at Horsham was settled, at first only in the winter season; but Friends increasing, after some time a meeting-house was built, and it was fixed there constantly and so continues.

At North Wales a meeting-house was built in the year 1700, which was but two years after the arrival of the Welsh Friends to that place, and meetings were kept therein by the consent of Haverford monthly meeting, unto which they had at first joined themselves. Finding truth to prevail, and their numbers to increase, they found it necessary to build another meeting-house in 1712; and on the 19th of the ninth month that year, the first meeting for worship was held therein. Their number afterwards still increasing, as well among themselves as by the union of many adjacent settlers, Friends, belonging to North Wales or Gwynned; and Plymouth meeting settled a monthly meeting of business among themselves, by the consent of Haverford meeting aforesaid and the quarterly meeting of Philadelphia. The said monthly meeting was first held the 22d day of the twelfth month 1714 or '15, at Gwynned meeting-house, and called Gwynned monthly meeting.

Plymouth meeting-house was built a considerable time before this, and a meeting for worship held there as at this day. The said meeting was in being the 4th of the first month, 1688-9, and how long before is not certain.

One of the venerable meeting-houses, founded by the early Friends from Wales, is that in Lower Merion township, situated near the Columbia railroad, about two miles west of Manyunk. It was erected, as appears by a date on a tablet, in 1695; within a few years past, it has been re

Ancient Friends Meeting-house at Lower Merion.

paired and stuccoed, and is still in use. It is the oldest place of worship in the state. Among the early settlers in Merion were-the Roberts family, of whom Jonathan Roberts, of Upper Merion, is a descendant; Edward Jones, "a man given to hospitality, and generally beloved by his acquaintances," who died in Feb., 1737, at the age of 82; and Benjamin Humphrey, who came over in 1683, and died in Nov., 1737, aged 76-he was also "remarked for his hospitality, and was a useful member among the Quakers."

It does not distinctly appear at what time the Swedes first extended their settlement into the region of Swedes Ford; but Major Holstein, an aged descendant of that race, says they came after the Welsh, and that his great-grandfather bought part of his farm of a Welshman. Mats Holstein and Peter Rambo, with their families, were the earliest Swedish settlers in Upper Merion. There is an old house still existing about a mile west of Norristown, where Major Holstein, his father, and grandfather, were all born. His grandfather helped to build the Swedish church at the Ford, which was erected about 1763, when Rev. Charles Magnus Wrangel had charge of the congregation. In the Annals of the Swedes, by Rev. J. C. Clay, are the following passages, which may throw some light on the date of the settlement here.

"In 1705, the upper inhabitants'-meaning, I suppose, those at Upper Merion, or perhaps up the Delaware towards Bristol-made application for occasional services in their neighborhood in the winter season, because of their distance from the church. It was agreed that the rector should officiate there twice during the winter season."

"1720. A meeting was held on the 27th of March, for the transaction of business, at which four clergymen were present: the Rev. Provost Andrew Hesselius, the Rev. Mr. Lidenius, of Racoon and Penn's Neck, and the Rev. Messrs. Lidman and Samuel Hesselius. The provost proposed that the last named clergyman should take charge of those portions of the congregation residing at Kalkonhook and Neshamani. This was objected to by the lay members present, upon the ground that the Swedes living in those places might thus become weaned' from the mother church at Wicaco. It being understood that one clergyman was competent to the duties at Wicaco, it was then proposed by Mr. Lidman, that as the people at Manating-supposed to be Morlatton, four miles above Pottsgrove, on the Schuylkill-were at a great distance from the church, they, perhaps, would be glad of his services there, and that he would cheerfully relinquish to him so much of the salary as was furnished by that part of the congregation. Marcus Hulings, and

other 'respectable' inhabitants of that part of the country then present, earnestly seconded this proposition, promising to contribute, to the extent of their means, towards his support. It was accordingly arranged that the Rev. Samuel Hesselius should settle at Manating."

In 1765, the Swedish churches of Upper Merion, Wicaco, and Kingsess ing, were unitedly incorporated by John Penn, and this original charter was amended and confirmed by the commonwealth in 1787.

The church called Christ church, occupies a lovely and picturesque knoll, shaded with tall trees, and overlooking the beautiful Schuylkill, about a mile below Norristown, on the right bank. A quiet hamlet surrounds it, inhabited by the descendants of the ancient Swedes. They still cling together, and although the Swedish and Episcopal clergy minister interchangeably, with the same ritual, yet the Swedish churches are governed by their own ancient laws, and the control of the property is held by those of Swedish descent, either in direct line or by marriage. The Swedes, like ducks, always had a predilection for the water, they never settled far in the interior, and in early days they made free use of their canoes for going to church, and in their ordinary intercourse with neighboring settlements. Major Holstein's grandmother, who lived at Morlatton, above Pottstown, when married, came down to the church with her wedding party, all in their canoes. In later days, during the revolution, the women travelled on horseback, and wore "safeguard petticoats," which, when they alighted, they took off and hung along the fence.

The Germans who came over to Germantown, as mentioned above by Robert Townsend, soon made known by letters throughout all Germany the pre-eminent advantages, both physical and moral, of Wm. Penn's province in the new world; and many came over from the Palatinate, and other parts of Germany, early in the eighteenth century, between 1700 and 1720 or '30. These extended their settlements beyond the Welsh line, into the townships of Hanover and Frederick, about the headwaters of Perkiomen creek. An extensive neighborhood back of Pottstown, comprising New Hanover, and parts of Frederick and Douglas townships, is still known as "the swamp;" formerly as Faulkner's swamp, from one of the first settlers. Rev. Conrad Miller, in a letter to the compiler, says:―

"The inhabitants of this region are nearly all members of the Lutheran and German Reformed Churches, and worship in two separate edifices. The Lutheran congregation took its rise in the beginning of the 18th century; for when Dr. Henry Melchior Muehlenberg came to this country, in 1741, he found (at New Hanover, or the Swamp) about 100 communicants, who then worshipped in a log church. In 1767 they built a new spacious church of stone, in which they convene at present, with about 500 communicant members. Their successive pastors have been Dr. Henry M. Muehlenberg, Streit, Henry Muehlenberg, jr., Vogt, Kiel, Weinland, Geissenheimer, Jacob Miller, and Conrad Miller, still living. [Mr. Miller also officiates at the new brick German Lutheran church in Frederick township, erected about the year 1833.] The German Reformed congregation originated about the year 1747. They also at first worshipped in a church of wood, but in 1790 erected a fine spacious brick church, and have now about 300 communicants. Their pastors have been Rev. Messrs. Leidig, Pomps, Dallecker, Harmann, and Hoffman."

There is quite an extensive circle of Lutheran congregations at Pottstown, at Trappe, and in the adjoining townships of Bucks co. About eight miles southeast from "the Swamp" is one of the earliest of these churches.

Trappe, or the Trapp, is a small village inhabited principally by peo