General Notes

Thomas Parke was the Emigrate and was born in 1660 and died in 1738 when he was 78 years old. It is unknown who his wife was at this time. Thomas was a farmer and owned several tracts of land in Ballilean, Ballaghmore, and Coolisnacktah, County Carlow. On May 21, 1724, with all his family , except two married daughters, he took passage at Dublin on the ship Sizargh, of Whitehaven, Jeremiah Cowman, master. After a rough passage of three months, on August 21st they arrived in Delaware Bay. Thomas Parke leased a property from an Irish Friend, May Head, near Chester, as a temporary home, but on December 2nd he purchased 500 acres from another Irish Friend, Thomas Lindley <Lindley.htm>, in the Great Valley of Chester County, on the west side of what is now Downingtown, where he removed and lived the remainder of his life. His son Robert, was a clerk at Chester, and for some years acted as Recorder of Deeds. Robert died unmarried.  Chester Township the--of the 10th Mo. 1725. Dear Sister Mary Valentine, This goes with a Salutation of Love to thee, Brother Thomas & the children & in a word to all friends Relations & well Wishers in General as if named, hoping it may find you all in Good Health, as I with all our family in General are in at this present writing & has been since our arrival, for we have not had a days Sickness in the family Since we came to the Country, Blessed be god for it, my father in Particular has not had his health better these ten years than since he Came here, his ancient age considered. Our Irish Acquaintance in general are well Except Thos: Lightfoot who Departed this Life at Darby in a Good old age about 4 weeks Since. Thee writes in thy letter than there was a talk went back to Ireland that we were not Satisfied in coming here, which was Utterly false: now let this Suffice to Convince you. In the first place he that carried back this Story was an Idle fellow, & one of our Ship-Mates, but not thinking this country Suitable to his Idleness; went back with Cowman again, he is Sort of a Lawyer, or Rather a Lyar as I may term him, therefore I wod not have you give credit to Such false reports for the future, for there is not one of the family but what likes the country very well and wod If we were in Ireland again come here Directly it being the best country for working folk & tradesmen of any in the world, but for Drunkards and Idlers, they cannot live well any where, it is likewise an Extradin healthy country. We were all much troubled when we found you did not come in with Capt. Cowman as we Expected nor none of our acquaintance Except Isaac Jackson & his family, tho at his coming in one thinks it Something odd but that is soon over. Land is of all Prices Even from ten Pounds, to one hundred pounds a hundred, according to the goodness or else the Situation thereof, & Grows dearer every year by Reason of Vast Quantities of People that come here yearly from Several Parts of the world, therefore thee & thy family or any that I wish well I would desire to make what Speed you can to come here the Sooner the better we have traveled over a Pretty deal of this country to seek for Land and (tho) we met with many fine Tracts of Land here & there in the country, yet my father being curious & somewhat hard Please Did not buy any Land until the Second day of 10th mo: Last and then he bought a Tract of Land consisting of five hundred Acres for which he gave 350 pounds, it is Excellent good land but none cleared, Except about 20 Acres, with a small log house & Orchard Planted, We are going to clear some of it Directly, for our next Sumers fallow, we might have bought Land much cheaper but not so much to our satisfaction. We stayed in Chester 3 months & then Rented a Place 1 mile from Chester, with a good brick house & 200 Acres of Land for [?] pounds a year where we continue till next May.  We have sowed about 200 Acres of wheat & 7 acres of rye, this season we sowed but a bushel on an acre, 3 pecks is Enough on new ground. I am grown an Experienced Plowman & my brother Abell is Learning. Jonathan & thy Son John drives for us he is grown a Lusty fellow Since thou Saw him, we have the finest plows here that Can be. We plowed up our Sumers fallows in May & June, with a Yoak of Oxen & 2 horses & they goe with as much Ease as Double the number in Ireland. We sow our wheat with 2 horses, a boy of 12 or 14 years old Can hold Plow here, a man Comonly hold and Drives himself, they Plow an Acre, nay some Plows 2 Acres a day, they sow Wheat & Rye in August or September. We have had a crop oats, barley & very good flax & hemp, Indian Corn & buckwheat all of our own Sowing & Planting this Last summer, we also Planted a bushel of white potatoes which Cost us 5 Shills & we had 10 or 12 bushels Increase, this country yields Extraordinary Increase of all sorts of Grain--Likewise for Nicholas Hooper had of 3 Acres of Land & at most 3 bushels of Seed above 80 bushels Increase so that it is as Plentiful a Country as any Can be if people will be Industrious. Wheat is 4 Shills a bushel, Rye 2s. 9d. oats 2. 3 pence, barley 3 Shills, Indian Corn 2 Shills all Strike measure, Beef is 2 1/2 pence a pound Sometimes more Sometimes less. mutton 2 1/2, pork 2 1/2 pr Pound Turnips 12 pence a bushel heap'd measure & so Plenty that an acre Produceth 200 bushells, all sorts of provisions are Extraordinary Plenty in Philadelphia market, where Country people bring in their commodities their markets are on the 4th and 7th day [Wednesdays and Saturdays crossed out] this country abounds in fruit, Scarce an house but has an Apple, Peach & Cherry orchard, as for chestnuts, Wallnuts, & hazel nuts, Strawberrys, Billberrys & Mulberrys they grow wild in the woods & fields in Vast quantities. They also make great Preparations against harvest; both Roast & boyled, Cakes & Tarts & Rum, stand at the Lands End, so that they may eat and Drink at Pleasure. A Reaper has 2 shills & 3 pence a day, a mower has 2 Shills & 6 pence & a pint of Rum besides meat & Drink of the best; for no workman works without their Victuals in the bargain throughout the Country. A Laboring man has 18 or 20 pence a day in Winter. The Winters are not so Cold as we Expected nor the Sumers so Extreme hot as formerly, for both Summer & Winter are moderater than they ever were known, in Summer time they wear nothing but a Shirt & Linnen drawers Trousers, which are breeches and stockings all in one made of Linnen, they are fine Cool wear in Summer. As to what thee writt about the Governours Opening Letters it is Utterly false & nothing but a Lye & any one Except bound Servants may go out of the Country when they will & Servants when they Serve their time may Come away If they please but it is Rare any are such fools to leave the Country Except mens business require it, they pay 9 Pounds for their Passage (of this money) to go to Ireland. There is 2 fairs yearly & 2 markets weekly in Philadelphia also 2 fairs yearly in Chester & Likewise in New Castle, but they Sell no Cattle nor horses no Living Creatures but altogether Merchants Goods, as hatts, Linnen & woolen Cloth, handkerchiefs, knives, Scizars, tapes & treds buckels, Ribonds & all Sorts of necessarys fit for our wooden Country & here all young men and women that wants wives or husbands may be Supplyed. Lett this suffice for our fairs. As to meetings they are so plenty one may ride to their choice. I desire thee to bring or Send me a bottle of good Oyle fit for guns, thee may buy it in Dublin. Martha Weanhouse Lives very well about 4 miles from James Lindseys [Lindley's]; we live all together since we Came into the Country Except hugh Hoaker [or Stoaker] & his family who live 6 or 7 miles from us, & follows his trade. Sister Rebecka was Delivered of a Daughter ye --- day the 11 month Last past its name is Mary. Abel's wife had a young Son 12 months Since his name is Thomas. Dear Sister I wod not have thee Doubt the truth of what I write, for I know it to be true Tho I have not been Long here. I wod have you Cloath yourselves well with Woolen & Linnen, Shoes & Stockings & hats for such things are dear here, & yet a man will Sooner Earn a Suit of Cloths here than in Ireland, by Reason workmans Labour is so Dear. A wool hat costs 7 Shills, a pair of mens Shoes 7 Shills, womens Shoes Cost 5 Shills 6 pence, a pair of mens stockings yarn costs 4 Shills, feather beds are very dear here and not to be had for money. Gunpowder is 2 Shills & 6 pence a pound. Shott & Lead 5 pence a pound. I wod have you bring for your own use 2 or 3 good falling Axes, a pair of beetle rings & 3 Iron wedges, for they are of good Service here. your Plow Irons will not answer here, therefore you had better bring 1 or 2 hundred Iron, you may bring your Plow Chains as they are also a good --- Iron.Letters going to you these you Accompt what to bring into the Country & also for your Sea Store or else I should not omitt it but besure you come with Capt. Cowman & you will be well Used for he is an honest man & has as Civell Saylors as any that Cross the Seas, which I know by Experience, the Ship has been weather bound Since before Christmas by reason of frost & Ice that floats about in the River & the Saylors being at a Loose End came down to Chester to See us & we have given them ---. Dear Sister I desire thee may tell my old friend Samuel Thornton that he could give so much Credit to my words & find no Iffs nor ands in my Letter that in Plain terms he could not do better than to Come here, for both his & his wife's trade are very good here, the best way for him to do is to pay what money he Can Conveniently Spare at that Side & Engage himself to Pay the rest at this Side & when he Comes here if he Can get no friend to lay down the money for him, when it Comes to the worst, he may hire out 2 or 3 Children & I wod have him Cloath his family as well as his Small Ability will allow, thee may tell him what things are proper to bring with him both for his Sea Store & for his Use in this Country. I wod have him Procure, 3 or 4 Lusty Servants & Agree to pay their passage at this Side he might sell 2 & pay the others passage with the money. I fear my good will to him will be of Little Effect by reason he is So hard of beleif, but thou mayest Assure him from me that if I had not a particular Respect for him & his family I Should not have writ so much for his Encouragement, his brother Joseph & Moses Coats Came to See us Since we came here, they live about 6 or 7 miles apart & above 20 miles from where we live. Unkle James Lindly & family is well & Thrives exceedingly, he has 11 children & Reaped last harvest about 800 bushels of wheat, he is a thriving man anywhere he lives, he has a thousand acres of Land, A fine Estate. Unkle Nicholas hooper lives very well he rents a Plantation & teaches School & his man dos his Plantation work. Martha Hobson.  Dear Sister I think I have writ the most needful to thee, but considering that when I was in Ireland I never thought a Letter to Long that Came from this Country, I wod willingly give thee as full an Account as Possible, tho I could have given thee a fuller Account of what things are fit to bring here, but only I knew other Letters might Suffice in that point. I desire thee may Send or bring me 2 hundred Choice Quills for my own Use for they are very Scarce here & Sister Raichell Desires thee wod bring hir some bits of Silk for trashbags thee may bring [buy] them in Johns Zane [or Lane] also --- yards of white Mode or Silk for 2 hoods & She will Pay thee when thee comes here. I wod have brother Thomas to bring a good Saddle (& bridle) with Crooper & Housen to it by reason the horses sweat in hot weather, for they are very dear here, a Saddle that will cost 18 or 20 Shills in Ireland will cost here 50 Shills or 3 pounds & not so good neither, he had better get Charles Howell to make it, Lett the tree be well Plated & Indifferent Narrow for the horses here are So Large as in Ireland, but the best racers & finest Pacers in the World. I have known Several that could Pace 14 or 15 miles in an hour, I write within Compass, as for women Saddles, they will not Suit so well here. I wod not have thee think much at my Irregular way of writing by reason I write as it offer'd to me, for they that write to you should have more wits than I can Pretend to. <javascript:APop(p98,200,200);> Parke's influence seems finally to have had the desired effect, for in the spring of 1728 we find Thomas and Mary Valentine presenting a certificate of removal to New Garden Monthly Meeting, in Chester County. Hundreds of just such favorable letters and descriptions found their way to the Old World, urgently setting forth the desirability of removal to America and presenting the special inducements offered to immigrants in the Quaker Colony. These pleasant pictures of the happy conditions existing in Pennsylvania--the great and good character of the Founder, his wise and liberal laws, his cheap and fertile lands, the mild and healthful climate, the successful peace policy with the Indians which Penn adopted, and above all his religious toleration--filled the minds of the poor and persecuted of Europe with ardent longings, and made them leave behind forever kinsfolk and fatherland and risk all that was near and dear to them for the long and perilous journey to the strange land beyond the sea. To make some attempt at an accurate determination of the places in Ireland whence the Friends emigrated, an examination of records of all the monthly meetings in Pennsylvania has been made for all certificates of removal brought over by Irish Friends between the years 1682 and 1750. With these data as a basis, supplemented by additional facts from authentic manuscripts, county histories, genealogies, and other works, I have compiled the following statistical table showing as nearly as possible, the number of adult Friends that came over from each meeting, county, and province of Ireland, during the above-mentioned period. The meetings were not as careful to record all certificates of removal brought over during the first two decades of the colony, as they should have been; but later a faithful account was kept.  The table shows that from Ulster came 172 adult members; from Leinster 183; from Munster 42; and from places which are not specified 43. This makes a total of 440 adult persons from twenty-nine or more meetings. If, however, we count the children and the women whose names evidently have not been recorded, and likewise those persons of whose emigration we have no record, we may safely estimate that at least between 1,500 and 2,000 Irish Friends came to Pennsylvania between 1682 and 1750. County Armagh in the Province of Ulster sent ninety-five colonists, more than any other county. Dublin Meeting sent fifty-four, more than any other meeting. Grange Meeting, in a country district near Charlemount, County Armagh, comes next with forty-one; then follows Ballynacree, an obscure county meeting near Ballymoney, County Antrim, with thirty-five. The Friends from Ulster and those from Leinster, with the exception of Dublin, were almost wholly from the country districts. Some few were tradespeople, but the majority were yeomen or farmers, and when they came to Pennsylvania, they bought farms and engaged in agriculture. The Quaker colonists from Munster, on the other hand, were nearly all tradesmen from the cities and towns. They, with the emigrants from Dublin, settled for the most part in Philadelphia. The migration may be considered in three waves. The first wave, beginning in 1682 and continuing to 1710, was caused largely by the severe religious persecutions carried on against the Friends before the Act of Toleration of 1683 was passed. The wave was the heaviest in 1682 and 1683, thirty-two adult colonists coming over in these two years. After this, the wars of James and William coming on, there was little migration until 1708. From 1710 the stream continued to flow steadily, reaching the highest point of the whole migration in the great famine year of 1729, when sixty-four adults came over. After 1710, the economic causes of migration were probably more potent than the religious. Third Wave 1730-1750 The third wave reached its highest point in 1736, when thirty-three adult settlers arrived. From 1741, the movement declined, and after 1750 very few Friends came over to settle. In preparing to emigrate the Friends usually gave at least a month's notice to the meeting to which they belonged, of their intended departure, requesting that a certificate of removal, certifying to their membership in the Society, be given them to take into the new land. If, after due inquiry by a committee appointed for the purpose, the applicants were found to be in good standing in the Society and in the neighborhood in which they lived, the document was drawn up and signed by members of meeting in due time for the day of departure. In many cases, however the emigrants waited until after their arrival in Pennsylvania before writing to Ireland for the certificate. The following extract from the minutes of the Preparative Meeting at Grange, near Charlemount, Ireland, shows the mode of procedure in the preparation of the certificates:  "Att a men's meeting held ye 2d of ye 4th month [1736] Joshua March [Marsh] having an Intention to transport himself & family to America & desires from us a certificate therefore Jacob Marshill James Pillar is desired to draw Suitable ones for him and his Son John allso one for Thos Willson according to his Behavour yt they may be signed next meeting. William Pigion Samuel Douglas & Benja. Marshill is desired to attend next Quarterly meeting & Jacob Marshill & James Pillar is desired to draw Suitable papers to Said Meeting." Parke Family, in Futhey and Cope's History of Chester County, 673; A sketch of the Parke Family, by James Pemberton Parke, of Philadelphia, in the Chester County Journal, issued at Downingtown, Chester County, Feb. 8, 1868. According to J. P. Parke, Robert Parke kept a journal of the passage over in 1724, and also of a voyage made back to England and Ireland, in 1727; likewise of the return voyage in 1728, when the list of passengers included sixty-three servants, of whom six were brought over by Parke himself. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate these MS. journals, which no doubt would contain many interesting details of sea-travel during the period we have under consideration.'