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m. Abt 1718
Facts and Events
He with his wife Susanne [check to see if she could have been a daughter of John Hendricks] had moved to the Yellow Breeches Creek area in 1737. In the Blunston Licenses, p. 67 October 24, 1737, there is mentioned land owned by David Priest, and another owed by Aaron Price.(15) Some of the deeds/documents found with David priest are: B467-Susanna Priest:X and William Priest:X rel. to Richard Peters of Phila of Penns. tp. 100Pounds 1/2 moiety 212a-Pennsborough tp; at mouth of Yellow Breeches Cr: down Susq.R. From the preceeding document I surmise that Susanna Priest and her son William are not educated. They both sign the document with their X. If they had been Quaker at any time, then they would have been able to read and write. Warrant gr. by prop. 13 Nov 1744 for surv. made by Zachary Butcher 2 Jul 1737-for David Priest adj. owners John Harris. At time of war & survey, Priest was indepted for considerable sums to sundry persons. Priest had three dtrs. Orphans Ct. ordered 1 Sep 1747 sale for debts of intestate & for bringing up sd. children. Susanna was widow of David Priest, late of Penns. tp, decd. & William Priest was eldest son of David & Susanna. William also admr. of estate. 3 Nov 1747 W1, W11 (or II) J8 3 Dec 1747(#16). His neighbors are listed as David Wilson and James Betty. His land is probably opposite to the land belonging to the Indian trader Chartier. There was a mention of Preece Mill on belonging to David Priest. He died in 1746. His estate is listed in _______________________________ Superior court. Listing his widow, Susannah______________. Her name is signed with an X. The following children are listed: William,(plus 3 daughters) _______ ______________________ ___________________________. His estate had a lot of debts. William Preece is listed as a son (only?). He married Mary Griffith, daughter of ____________________ in the records of Reverand John Casper Stoever_______________________ on June 3, 1747.(p. 302, Egle Ibid.) Other Priest/Preece names in this are are: The person of David Priest is found in many references for his time and place. One of the earliest references to him is in an articles discussing the Taylor papers. the time. In question concerns the very early formation of the backward lands. This refers to the to the Place or rather the westward boundary of Chester County PA. The land has yet to be developed in correspondence between the Taylor Brothers there is the concern of letting the land be settled by people who are not known to demand and their Quaker community. There is a request by a column the query described as being from West West New Jersey. The writer of the article comments that there are a number of non-Quaker man who wish to take up land around him naming David Preece as one of these men. The author of the article poses the question can these other men be acquaintances and friends of collum McQuary from West Jersey. The other names involved in the Conestoga development are Ellis McDonnell Robinson and Mac query. The one area of the state of West Jersey that needs to be researched a little deeper the Somerset County. In the Somerset County historical journal I have found references to names Ellis Preece Hendrickson Hendricks evans.a thorough scanning of Somerset County court records needs to be done to ascertain whether David Preece was an indenture to serving. The money that David Preece uses to buy his land in Conestoga Township has never been identified. Could the money have come from Susanna as the Dow re-could he have inherited this.? Or could he have gotten the money from his release as an indenture servant? David Preece can be found in quarter session court records for Pennsylvania. Twice he is brought into court and accused of assault. He was fined for the first incident. For the second time he is given the sentence of a fine and lashes. In the printed version an " X" is used to denote his mark. From this I conclude that David Preece could not have been a Quaker. If he had been a Quaker, he would have been able to sign his name. To David Preece is mentioned in some histories of the early times of that locale. In the book history of York County Pennsylvania by John Gibson published in 1886, David Preece is mentioned on page 480 and 641. David Preece is is mentioned as having settled in the vicinity of yellow breaches in 1737 on page 480 a piece of land is called priest's hill which was named after David Preece, described as an early settler of that land. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Land Records, 1729-1750 and Land warrants,1710-1742, by Marsha Martin. Willow Bend Books, westminister, MD, 2000., p. 93 B-467 - This indenture - 3 Nov 1747 - Susanna Priest, widow of David Priest late of Pennsboro Township, yeoman dec’d interstate to William Priest, eldest son and heir at law of David (Susanna and William also administrators) to Richard Peters of the city of Philadelphia, gentleman, L100 for 1/2 of 212A. Land is located in Pennsboro Township at the mouth of Yellow Breeches Creek, neighbors - none mentioned. A warrant was granted by the proprietary on 13 Nov 1744 to accept a survey made by Zackary Butcher on 2 Jul 1737. The survey was for David Priest for a tract in Pennsboro. David owed a considerable amount of money which his estate could not satisfy on his death.He also left issue of 3 minor daughters, and a son, William. William petitioned Orphans Court and received a date of 1 Sept past for the sale of 1/2 of the tract. The tract was resurveyed by George Smith and sold to Richard Peters...Susanna (+)Priest...Sealed and delivered in the presence of Thomas Cookson and William Peters... Ack’d 3 Nov 1747 Thomas Cookson...Rec’d 3 Dec 1747 no name...Cert’d deed was recorded Benjamin Longenecker. This was found in The History of York County, Pennsylvania, by George R. Prowell. Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1907. David Priest is mentioned over 3 pages in vol.2, pgs969: "In 1737 Zachary Butcher surveyed for David Priest four hundred acres of Land, extending from the mouth of the Yellow Breeches nearly down to the site of New Market. About the same time he surveyed a large tract of land for John Harris. This land adjoined the Priest's survey,..." pg. 970: "The warrand issued to David Priest for a tract of four hundred acres was accepted by him in 1744, but he died soon afterward without a will. His land was inherited by his wife Susannah, and his eldest son, William Priest. In 1756 this land was sold to Henry Willis, and soon afterward came into the possession of his sons, William and Richard Willis. Source: Egle’s Notes and Queries of Pennsylvania, 1700s-1800s, First and Second Series, vol 2, Notes and Queries-XX111. This source of Egle’s Notes...comes from Family Tree Maker, CD19. Conestogoe Assessment For 1718 David Preece is listed with the men described as English Inhabitants. His taxes are 12s (shillings?) Questions: This is one of the highest assessments. Why? Did he have alot of property? real estate and/or chattle? How old is he? Where did his money come from? The intro to the list is [We are indebted to Gilbert Cope, Esq., of West Chester, for the following earliest assessment list yet found, containing the names of the first inhabitants of this locality. It is to be seen, that the settlers are distinguished as English and Dutch inhabitants. The list is valuable, as it goes to prove that certain emigrants came here prior to 1720, which was only a few years ago questioned-our own John Harris among the number. The orthography is as in the original-Preneman for Brenneman, Heer for Herr, &c.] The assessment, or more properly Tax Rate, for 1718 for Chester county as preserved, contains the name of “Conestgoe” which included the section of county now occupied by Dauphine county. At that time the number of “residents taxable” was 129 and the amount of tax levied L40: 10s: 1 1/2d. History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, historical editor. Chicago, 1886. The item can be found at the New Jersey State Library. Call #: A 974.8 G4491. Vol. 1 David Priest p. 480, 641. The land along the Susquehanna from New Cumberland down to the Haldeman farm, was first owned by John Harris, father of the founder of Harrisburg. He was an Indian trader, and at the mouth of the Yellow Breeches was a considerable Indian village, when the first settlements were made. David Priest settled in the vicinity in 1737. Dr. Benjamin Mosser located in the vicinity, coming from Lancaster about 1775, and became... "...Priest’s Hill...after David Priest, an early settler. I think this was taken from p. 480. LEGAL DOCUMENT Document of Administration2 Priests to Peters This Indenture made the third day November Anno Domini one thousand and seven hundred forty seven between Susanna Priest widow of David Priest late of the township of Pennsborough in the County of Lancaster and Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman deceased Intestate and William Priest Eldest son and heir at law of the said David Priest and the said Susanna & William being also Administrators of all and singular the Goods. Chattles Rights & Credits which late were of the said David Priest of the one part and Richard Peters of the city of Philadelphia Gentleman of the other & Whereas a warrant was granted by the Honorable Proprietaries of the said Province under the seal of the Land office bearing date of the 13th day of November 1744 to accept a survey made by Zachary Butcher the 2nd July 1737 to & for the said David Priest of a certain tract of land situat in the township & bounded and described as follows. Vizt? Beginning at the mouth of Yellow Breeches Creek thence down Susquhanna River one hundred & seventy one perches? To a Chestnut tree by the river thence South twenty degrees Westerly by land of John Harris four hundred & two perches to a white oak, thence North fifty degrees Westerly one hundred perches to a White Oak thence North twenty degrees Westerly thirty four perches? thence North forty one Degrees Westerly one hundred & eighty perches to a White Oak by the said Creek thence & down the same traversing the several Courses thereof near about three hundred & twenty perches to the said River as in by the Warrant and Survey returned and remaining in the Survey or Gen Office for the said Province (relation being thereto had more fully appears and whereas the said David Priest being at the ? levied of the said described tract of land or of the said right thereto under the said Warrant & Survey & being indebted to ? persons in considerable sums of money much more than his personall. (Research):On the surface very little is known about David Priest. His life was documented in only a few sources. We find him as a taxpayer, a person of property, a courageous man who is involved in the well-being of his community. He is a man of vision, building a life for his wife and children on the frontier. He is one of the possee which confronts Thomas Cressap at his own door, risking life and limb for his community. He is a man who who has respect in his community; he has a day-by-day life in his community. He was a man who respected the local government process. Three times he is called into the local quarter-session courts. He traveled to Philadelphia to give a deposition over the Cressap Affair in 1732. He owed money to the proprietors for land, to the surveyor, to the miller, to the blacksmith. He is described as a yeoman-a gentleman farmer, a land holder, a father, a husband, a strength in the community. We do not see him as a son, a brother, a grandfather, an Uncle, an indentured servant, a elected or appointed government official, a tinker, an Indian trader, a soldier, a member of a church community, a man of education, a man who served on the jury. He was a man who did not shy away from danger. He lived in a very exciting and tumultuous time. The threat of Indian raids on the frontier were very real. As were the boarder wars between Pennsylvania and Maryland in the south, and with Connecticut in the north. Lancaster was the site for an amazing piece of history. In 1745 Indians, representatives from the Penn's, from Lord Baltimore, and many Indian tribes met in lancaster. (Medical):David Priest died intestate, meaning he did not have time to have his will drawn up. He died in debt, leaving a wife, Susannah, a son, William and three minor daughters. The girls were not named in the court records dated 1 Sept 1747, but they are referred to. References
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