Of Knights and Bishops: Part I

Quakers in the Basement

We begin our story of the American Whartons by turning, once again, to a family myth. Although in this case, its less a myth and more of a conjecture based on a factual account.

To reiterate what was written in the preface, my brother was talking to a gentleman one time who told him he had some Maryland accent affectations to his speech. He asked if he was from Maryland. My brother answered that he didn't think so, which left a lingering question. Somewhere further back that any of our family could remember, had we settled in Maryland before migrating to where we lived in southeastern Pennsylvania?

At first glance, it seemed possible to me, but unlikely since we lived in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. There were famous Whartons in Philadelphia, and while I booked no expectation we were related to them, it made sense that our ancestors would have likewise come to Philadelphia. So, when I thought about us coming from Maryland, it seemed possible that it might have been northern Maryland—just across the Mason and Dixon Line. Other than that, Maryland seemed a long shot, and it certainly would not have been the British colony of Virginia.

But let's take a closer look where George Sr. and Thomas Jr. settled. George died at Assawoman Creek, VA and Thomas died at Accomac, VA. It seems my 8th great grandfather and his uncle settled in Virginia, but where exactly are those locations?

They are located on what is now commonly called the Delmarva Peninsula, so named because it consists of three states: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. It is also commonly referred to as the Eastern Shore because the bulk of both Maryland and Virginia are separated from it by the Chesapeake Bay. Both Assowoman Creek and Accomack are at the southern end of the Eastern Shore, in the state of Virginia (Figure 1).

Figure 1—DelMarVa Peninsula, Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia.

The following is paraphrased from the Town of Accomac's official site [1]:

Native Americans called the Eastern Shore of Virginia by the name Accawmacke, meaning "across the water place," which was settled very early by the English. The original shire of Accomac, which covered the entire Eastern Shore of Virginia, was created in 1634, just five years before the Whartons arrived. Its name was changed to Northampton in 1642, but in 1663, it was divided into two counties. The northern returned to its original name, Accomac. Today, the County of Accomac is officially known as Accomack (spelled with a “k”).

So, it seems that the Eastern Shore of Virginia, at the tip of the Delmarva Penninsula, was an early destination for settlers from the United Kingdom. Virginia was, after all, a colony of England. Ships didn't need large ports to arrive at, only viable areas to land settlers, particularly along the Atlantic coast.

But what about the accent my brother supposedly had?

It seems that their is a peculiar accent to folks living on the Eastern Shore. Because of the region's early isolation, its as if time stood still on the English language spoken there. David Healy had this to say about the accent: [2]

Linguists will tell you that Delmarva’s unique way of speaking goes beyond mere accent. Delmarvese is a recognized dialect — a unique pattern of speech — that has its roots in the Elizabethan adventurers who arrived in Shakespeare’s era.

and …

Modern British — the kind we hear on BBC shows today — stayed at home but followed a path of change and evolution. The English spoken by the Elizabethan explorers, soldiers and settlers who came to early America stayed right here and did not evolve as much.

Could this have been the accent that person speaking to my brother was talking about? Of course, we'll never know because he didn't identify what those patterns of speech and inflections were. But it does make one wonder. So, because we'll never know, we have to chalk this family story up to possibility only.

Whartons on The Eastern Shore

So it seems that Thomas Wharton Jr. (hereafter referred to as Thomas II), in the company of his Uncle, landed in the new world in the eastern-most portion of the Virginia Colony. What I found most interesting, however, was the fact that the counties of Accomac and Northampton on the Eastern Shore were, coincidentally (or not), a destination point for many Quakers escaping persecution in England.

It was about 1620 that the first official settlements on the Eastern Shore of Virginia occurred. Settlers found that the light, sandy soil was good for growing corn, vegetables, and many varieties of fruit trees, which grew in abundance. Fish and shellfish of every kind were plentiful in the ocean, bays, and inlets. Wild fowl of every sort thronged the marshes along the coast and game was plentiful inland.

Figure 2—Diversity of life on Delmarva Peninsula. [3]

Communication and trade between various parts of the peninsula was carried on largely by means of boats, the smaller variety being patterned after the native canoe. Early settler were forced to become adept sailors. Knowledge of the tides, the signs of weather, and things nautical became matters of second nature. The influences of the Gulf Stream approached within 30 miles of the coast and then turned eastward, making the Eastern Shore of Virginia a balmy and pleasant place to live.[4]

In Virginia during the 1600s, tobacco was the cash crop. Those counties with the richest soils—located inland west of the Chesapeake Bay—were able to export the most tobacco. Consequently, they developed the strongest economic and cultural ties to England, and had the most traditional social structure tied to the Anglican church.[5] The areas in Virginia with soils unsuitable for growing tobacco, which included the Eastern Shore, were more open to alternate social structures and accepting of different beliefs … at first.

Because of that more welcoming tenor, the counties on the Eastern Shore had heavy Quaker populations. Quite possibly, the first Friends meetinghouse in America was built near Nassawadox Creek, in Northampton County (Figure 1). Ships claiming to be sailing up the Chesapeake Bay to Maryland could land Quakers at many points along the Eastern Shore.

However, the Province of Virginia passed a law in 1659/1660 requiring Quakers in the colony to convert to Anglicanism or leave the colony. They were also in violation of the Act of Uniformity passed by Parliament in 1662, so were unwelcome inhabitants by the Anglican leaders in the Virginia colony. The persecution that the Quakers had hoped to leave behind in England, was upon them once again in the Virginia colony, which often had devastating consequences for Quaker families.[6]

Old court orders filed in the York County courthouse reflect the venom of the Anglican Church against Quakers in Colonial Virginia. Quakers who defied the law and held meetings were subjected to whippings and jail terms. Some were subjected to the loss of their farmland, stock and crops.

In neighboring Maryland, the colony was led by Catholics that experienced their own discrimination in England. As such, they became more tolerant of different religious groups. Maryland governor Charles Calvert sought to increase the number of colonists on the Eastern Shore who would be loyal to his government and so offered new settlers 50 acres plus the right to practice their religion freely.

As a result, the Quakers left Virginia in droves and moved to Maryland—to a Catholic Colony that observed the Religious Toleration Law of 1649 and a leniency not allowed in Virginia. By 1662, most of the Quakers had moved north across the colonial border on the southern bank of the Annemessex River in Somerset County (Figure 3).

Figure 3—Annemessex River, Somerset County, Maryland.

And yet, in 1692, the Provincial General Assembly of Maryland also established the Church of England as the official church. Pressure was put on the Quakers, who became excluded from political office for a period. So, their numbers began to slowly decline as they left Maryland to once again protect their religious freedom. The Province of Pennsylvania just to the north was an attractive destination.

This is the historical backdrop into which Thomas Wharton had stepped. As we follow along on the journey of our American Wharton ancestors, we begin to see just where and when they turned to the Quaker belief.

 ¹ Thomas Wharton II [1628-1695]
         m. Margaret Gilpin [1620-1679]

Thomas Wharton immigrated to America with his Uncle in 1639 at the ripe old age of 9. He probably lived with his uncle, who died at Assawoman Creek, until he became of age. As an adult, he lived at Accomac, Virginia.

He met and then married Margaret Gilpin in 1648 or 1649. Margaret Gilpin had apparently arrived in America previously—possibly with her parents, though they remain obscure. Thomas, having arrived as a child, probably met Margaret while in America rather than in England.

Thomas was married three time altogether. After Margaret. he married Elizabeth Beck in 1703. It seems he married again 3 years later in 1706.

Its unclear if he died at Accomac, VA or had moved to Charles County, MD (just south of Washington DC) and died there. Most family histories list Accomac, but his will, dated 1709, indicates he had moved to Charles County. It seems likely he lived at Accomac because his older son is listed as living at Accomac (see below). However, he may have moved to Maryland after getting re-married.

Thomas and Margaret had 5 children:

^1a Francis Wharton of Accomac [b.abt.1649]
         m. Elizabeth Welbourne.

His will was recorded in Accomack County. Francis was still living in Accomac in 1685 because that's where he married Elizabeth Melbourne.

^1b Thomas Wharton III of New Kent [b.abt.1655]

New Kent County is located in eastern Virginia on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. Today its within the greater Richmond area, approximately halfway between Richmond and the York river to the east.

^1c Charles Wharton of "Wharton's Folly" [b.1657]

The tract of land called Wharton's Folly must have ended up in the hands of his nephew, Francis (John's son). That's because Francis deeded the land called Wharton's Folly to his own son, per the following entry in Coldham: [7]

Francis deeds land to his son, Joseph, for 50 pds a tract of land called Wharton's Folley [sic] which contained 100 acres.

So Wharton's Folly was probably located in Maryland, and a good chance it was in Somerset County.

^1d John Wharton of "Wharton's Adventure" [1661-1720]
         m. Suzannah Truitt

"Wharton's Adventure" is located in Somerset County, Maryland. John was born in Accomac, married Suzannah in 1683, and moved to Somerset County (see more on John and Suzannah below).

^1e Elizabeth Wharton [b.aft.1662]
         m. John Broughton (or Bishop)

Thomas and Elizabeth (Beck) had one child:

^1f Elizabeth of Charles County, MD [b.1704]

Thomas and Mary (of unknown last name) had one child:

^1g William [b.1706/07]

It seems obvious that all of the children of Thomas and Margaret were born in Accomac. However, except for the first-born Francis, they all left at some point. Only Thomas III and his father crossed the Chesapeake and moved deeper into Virginia. Thomas II moved to Charles County—either before, after or because he got married—and Thomas III moved to New Kent County. John, and possibly Charles, moved just across the Maryland-Virginia border into Somerset County (depending on where "Wharton's Folly" was located).

No mention of is ever made of why Thomas II left for Charles County, or why his children—other than Francis—left Accomac. So, the question remains: had they converted to the Quaker belief and did they move because of persecution? The answer, I believe, rests with John Wharton of Somerset County.

 ² Captain John Wharton [1661-1720]
      (¹Thomas II)
         m. Suzannah Truitt [1668-1734]

John Wharton was the Captain of a sloop that he sailed the Chesapeake Bay. He was born at Accomac but later moved to Somerset County, Maryland. It was just one county across the border from Accomack County, Virginia. He named his homestead there "Wharton's Adventure."

Suzannah Truitt (also Trewet) came from a noteworthy Eastern Shore Quaker family that had settled on the Eastern Shore. Her father was George Truitt, whose date of birth is unknown. About 1620, a George Truitt was born in Kent, England, but its uncertain if he is the same George Truitt who immigrated to Virginia.

In 1640, George Truitt immigrated to the Eastern Shore of Virginia from England. He is listed in Virginia Immigrants, Volume 5, State Land Office 20, in 1652. He initially settled in Northampton County, Virginia, but later settled at Muddy Creek (Guilford), Accomack County, VA.

He was a leader among the people of the Quaker faith on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland—a wealthy, prominent citizen. In 1679, George Truitt Jr. [1645-1721], the son of George and bother of Susannah, with five other men as trustees, purchased one acre of land for the site of the Muddy Creek (Guilford) Quaker Meeting House.

The Meeting House at Muddy Creek no longer exists, but thanks to some dedicated work by a Truitt family descendent named early Jim Crouch, grave markers and burial vaults from the burial ground have been discovered.[8] The burial ground is located close to the community of Guilford, near the town of Bloxom, VA (Figure 4).

Figure 4—Burial Grounds of Muddy Creek (Guilford) Meeting House

It should be noted that these burial markers were probably laid before the stricter Quaker belief that minimal, or no headstones whatsoever should be displayed. The 1717 Quaker Book of Discipline states:[9]

In each particular burial ground, such uniformity is preserved in respect to the materials, size, form and wording of the stones, as well as in the mode of placing them, as may effectually guard against any distinction being made in that place between the rich and the poor.

Most Quaker burial grounds have simple markers of uniform design. Yet, one Quaker cemetery at Darby Meeting House where one of our Garrett ancestors is buried, no grave markers at all were allowed. Fortunately, meticulous records were often kept at such meeting houses and burial plots can be found.

Regardless of their prudent and discreet behavior, by 1662 the Quakers in Virginia began to be persecuted for their religious beliefs. So to escape persecution, some family members moved to the south bank of the Annemessex River in Somerset County, Maryland.[10]

And so, I believe we have found how the Whartons became Quakers like my father said. Its still uncertain if John Wharton converted to the Quaker faith on his own due to his proximity to the Quakers, was brought into the faith by his wife, Suzannah, or if his father had converted and John followed in his his footsteps. However, it seems the reason John and Suzannah moved to Somerset is because they were both Quakers and suffering persecution.

I suspect John had become a Quaker before he ever got married because Quakers were not permitted to marry outside of their faith. The Founder of the sect, George Fox, made a trip to the Virginia colony and among Fox's instructions to American Colonists were that members were not to marry outside the Society, and that their personal conduct was always open for examination by fellow members.

John and Suzannah had 9 children: [7] ▼

I've struggled to find correct dates for the children other than John Wharton Jr. Since John's will was signed and proved 1721, I've surmised that Ann, Leskia, Mary, William, and Wixham were born after 1705; the others before that date (assuming "when of age" means 16 years old—as I've seen in other wills of that time).

^2a John Wharton Jr. [1684-1782]
^2b Isaiah (Elijah?) Wharton
^2c Francis Wharton
^2d Thomas Wharton
^2e Anne Wharton
^2f Leskia Wharton
^2g Mary Wharton
^2h William Wharton
²ⁱ Wixham Wharton

John Wharton's will reads:[11]

Will of JOHN WHARTON of Somerset County, Maryland
-Signed: 9 Feb 1720/21; Proved: 10 Sep 1721. Recorded in Worcester County 1808
-Bequests to: wife Susannah Wharton; eldest son John Wharton; son Ejiah [?Elijah?] Wharton; son Francis Wharton and son Thomas Wharton; daughter Ann Wharton when of age; daughter Leskia Wharton when of age; daughter Mary Wharton when of age; son William Wharton when of age; son Wrixham Wharton when of age
-Executor: wife Susannah Wharton. Witnesses: Danall Wharton; Wm Pepper

Persecution would again dog the Quakers in Maryland, and it would be John Wharton Jr, my 6th great-grandfather who would finally give up the possibility of finding a discriminatory-free environment to raise his family on the Eastern Shore. He would find that freedom hundreds of miles away in Bucks County, PA.

Before leaving the Eastern Shore behind, though, its interesting to note that Whartons are buried all over the Eastern Shore of Virginia. There are Wharton gravestones at Sunderland Hall, Ticktown, Mappsville, and various other family cemeteries.[12] These Whartons might very likely be the descendants of Thomas II and his Uncle George who first came to the Eastern Shore.

In fact, today there is a Wharton Funeral Home on Wharton Road about 1-1/2 miles west of Accomac (Figure 5). Its a large structure with several unattached buildings. Could it be the remnant of the Wharton homestead owned and operated by descendants of Francis Wharton, the sole son of Thomas II to remain behind in Accomac?

Figure 5—Wharton Funeral Home near Accomac, Virginia.

We at least need to take note that, while the experience of the Quakers on the Eastern Shore was permeated with prejudice, it was our first home in the Americas.

Pennsylvania Whartons

 ³ John Wharton Jr. [1684-1782]
      (¹Thomas II, ²Captain John)
         m. Sarah Ann Kelley [1690-1726]

John Jr. is the one that made his way to southeastern Pennsylvania, where we would make our home. He was born at Wharton's Adventure, MD (on the Delmarva Peninsula), but died in Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, PA.

The unanswered question has always been … why? I think we can now answer that question with some certainty. As a Quaker, Maryland—at first tolerant to Quakers—allowed discrimination to creep in. I'm sure living on the Eastern Shore and having a Chesapeake Bay captain for a father, information about conditions in other colonies flowed freely. John Wharton Jr. must certainly have heard that southeastern Pennsylvania had a strong Quaker contingent.

Bucks County, as was Philadelphia county next door, was particularly important to William Penn's vision of a "Holy Experiment" in which religious liberty became paramount—which was not found to such an extent in any of the other colonies. Bucks County was where William Penn made his home. In fact, the meetinghouse in Falls, PA was where Penn attended. That's why John Jr. made the long trek from Somerset, MD to Falls, PA in 1734, when he would have been 50 years old.

The original meeting House is gone—the current Meeting House is the fourth one built (Figure 6). Its also know an the William Penn Center and is currently used as a kindergarten and community center.

Figure 6—Falls Quaker Meeting House, Fallsington, PA

When you first enter Fallsington village limits, the Meetinghouse cemetery is on the left. Be aware, though, Quaker customs tolerate no grave markers.

John Jr. and Sarah Ann had 3 children:

^3a William Wharton [1714-1798]
^3b Daniel Wharton [1715-1800]
^3c Joseph Wharton [1720-1783]

 ⁴ Joseph Wharton [1720-1783]
      (¹Thomas II, ²Captain John, ³John Jr.)
         m. (1) Phebe Blackshaw [1717-1748]

Joseph and Phebe had 2 children:

^4aJohn Wharton [1748-1785]
^4bSarah Wharton (Welsh) [1748-1820]

m. (2) Mary Dean Doan [1720-1762]

Joseph and Mary had 5 children:

^4cBenjamin Wharton [1750-1783]
^4dJoseph Wharton Jr.[1751-1822]

Joseph's birth is recorded in Quaker records (U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935). Though the date can be confused with 1757, it is, in fact, 1751 (Figure 7).

Figure 7—Joseph Wharton Jr. birth recorded in Quaker Meeting Record.

^4eThomas Wharton Jr. [1753-1756]
^4fEdward Wharton [1757-]
^4gIsrael Wharton [1760-1810]

 ⁵ Joseph Wharton Jr. [1751-1822]
      (¹Thomas II, ²Captain John, ³John Jr., ⁴Joseph Sr.)
         m. Susannah Brelsford [1750-]

Joseph Wharton Jr. was born July 30, 1751. He married Susannah Brelsford January 12, 1775 (Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. II)

Joseph and Susannah had 4 children:

^5aJesse Wharton
^5bJoshua Wharton
^5cRachel Wharton
^5dIsaac Wharton [1784-1850]

And so, this is where my foray into genealogy began—with Isaac Wharton. His name was the oldest I found in my father's Wharton Bible. This precipitated my interest in doing family research, not only for myself, but for my children. That has since become grandchildren, which gives an idea of how long I've been chasing names and dates.

Since I have more information on the names that follow, this will be continued in the next chapter. We'll see how long we were Quakers, because we are no longer such.

———————

FOOTNOTES

[1] Accomac, Virginia, History   Accessed 30 March 2022.

[2] Healy, David. Delmarva accents: Delmarvese is a language unto its own   Healey Ink, Historical fact & fiction by David Healey. 2 May 2017. Accessed 30 March 2022.


[3] Photo Courtesy of Don Whitson, The Eastern Shore   Accessed 30 March 2020.

[4] Wise, J. C. The Early History of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. 1911.

[5] Grymes, Charles A. Virginia Places. Quakers in Virginia   Accessed 30 March 2022.

[6] Rollins, Virginia H. Quakers Often Fled Virginia   Daily Press, 14 January 1989. Accessed 30 March 2022.

[7] Coldham, Peter Wilson. Settlers of Maryland 1679 - 1783. Consolidated Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 2002. p 710. as mentioned in Francis Wharton   Accessed 30 March 2022.

[8] Crouch, Jim. Looking for the Guilford Quaker Burial Ground  From the Cemetery Documentation Project by Wayne Smith, 2005-2021. Accessed 30 March 2022.

[9] Ancestry Corporate. Gonna Lay This Body Down: Quaker Funerals & Burials  7 June 2014. Accessed 30 March 2022.

[10] Groves, Dr. William E. Truitt Family History: 1066 to 1995   Chapel Hill, NC. 28 June 2001. Accessed 20 March 2022.

[11] "Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999. Vol 3: Image 123." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing Prerogative Court. Hall of Records, Annapolis.

[12] Stith, Wayne. Cemetery Documentation Project, Gravestones of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Whaley-Wittington  Accessed 30 March 2020.

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