Transcript:Friend (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)/Biographical Sketch: Nicholas Walln

Biographical Sketches,

Of Ministers and Elders, and other concerned members of the Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia.

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Nicholas Walln.

This Friend, previously to his removal to Pennsylvania, resided within the limits of Settle Monthly Meeting, in Yorkshire, England. He was probably a son of Richard Walln, of the same county, who being early convinced of the truth as preached by George Fox, suffered in the support of his Christian testimony.

When information of William Penn's intended colony in the Western world reached the Friends of Settle Monthly Meeting, divers of them came under exercise, in the belief, that it would be right for them to remove with their families to this distant wilderness. The matter was laid before the Monthly Meeting for its consideration, and in due time, as the meeting believed the step was right, it issued the following joint certificate.

“ From Settle Monthly Meeting, the 7th of the Fourth month, 1682.

“ These are to certify all whom it may concern, that it is manifested to us that a necessity is laid upon several Friends belonging to this Monthly Meeting, to remove into Pennsylvania, and particularly our dear Friend, Cuthbert Hayhurst, (his wife and family,) who has been, and is a labourer in the Truth, for whose welfare and prosperity we are unanimously concerned ; and also for our Friends, Thomas Wrightsworth and also his wife ; Thomas Walmesly, Elizabeth his wife and six children ; Thomas Croasdale, Agnes his wife and six children ; Thomas Stackhouse, and Mary his wife ; Nicholas Walln, his wife, and three children ; Ellen Cowgill and her family ; who, we believe, are faithful Friends in their measures, and single in their intentions to remove into the aforesaid Pennsylvania in America, there to inhabit if the Lord permit. We do certify unity with their said intentions, and desire their prosperity in the Lord, and hope what is done by them will lead to the advancement of the Truth, in which we are unanimously concerned with them.”

Some time in the year 1682, Nicholas Walln, Jane his wife and their children, reached Pennsylvania, and settled in Bucks county, near the Neshamony. They probably were located by midsummer, for before the end of that year, he was elected one of the members of Assembly, which met in the First month, 1683. At this time, although noted among the “ faithful Friends,” it does not appear that he had received a gift in the ministry. It was not long, however, before he was called to labour by word and doctrine for the everlasting good of his fellow men. In this service he was much employed by his divine Master at home and abroad, and he endeavoured to acquit himself of the duties that devolved upon him, as respected his own self, the claims of his family, and of the public. This last was no light task, being fourteen times elected as a legislator of the New Colony. The first Monthly Meeting of Middletown, was held at his house, First mo. 1st, 1683, and it was held there, and at the house of Robert Hall, alternately, for nearly five years, at which time a meeting-house was built. The Quarterly Meeting for Bucks, Ninth mo. 4, 1684, met at his house, and afterwards alternated between his residence and that of William Biles for a time. It continued to be held with him, at least once a year, until the year 1695, after which it convened at the Falls, and Middletown meeting-houses.

Early in the year 1689, with the approbation and unity of his Friends, Nicholas Walln paid a religious visit in Maryland. He was accompanied by James Ratcliff. On returning from this visit, he could gratefully acknowledge the comforting presence of their divine Master in the journey, and that they had had “ many good meetings.”

Nicholas Walln had a share of the labour with George Keith, being one of the committee of the Meeting of Ministers to advise with and admonish him. He bore his testimony against the spirit under which George was acting, and signed various of the documents issued by the Yearly Meeting of Ministers and the Yearly Meeting of buisiness, relative to that opposing and contentious one. About 1696, he removed to the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and became a member of that Monthly Meeting. He was soon much employed by the meeting in transacting its business, and, like his Friend, Griffith Owen, was a member of almost all committees on important subjects.

In the Eighth month, 1698, William Ellis writes, “ Nicholas Walln is well, and hath many fine children.” His labour of love for their everlasting good had been blessed, and some of them were valuable soldiers in the church militant, before their father was called home to his everlasting rest.

In the First month, 1699, he informed his Friends of the Select Meeting, that he had a concern to visit “ New England and thereaway,” on religious service. This visit appears to have occupied him several months. Soon after his return, the yellow fever broke out in Philadelphia, and occasioned a great mortality among the inhabitants of that city. Of this pestilence some account is given in the following letter of Nicholas Walln to William Ellis :—

“ Philadelphia, the 22d of the Seventh mo., 1699.

“ Dear Friend, Wm. Ellis,—My dear love in the unchangeable Truth is unto thee, and thy dear wife : for in that doth my soul salute you, hoping you are in good health, as, blessed be the Lord ! I, my wife and family are at this present time. This is a great mercy from the hand of the Lord ; for since thou left these parts, we have met with great exercises, and a great mortality hath happened in the town of Philadelphia, and some in the country. We may truly say it is an exercising time,—a time to drive many home to consider their standing, and upon what foundation they are building, and what they are building upon the foundation ; whether it be that which will abide the fire, yea or nay ; for of a truth, the Lord is trying his people, and it is a day of humbling. But may we not honestly say as Job said, ‘ Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil ?’ for as it is written, ‘ When the judgments of the Lord are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.’ So, my dear Friend, I am willing to give thee a short hint of things, and who they are that have laid down there bodies. Of those persons we had great love for, our dear Friends, Esther Hoskins, Thomas Duckett, James Fox, Margaret Beardsley, her daughter Mary Gray, George Fox, Thomas Smyth and his wife, and son, and son-in-law, William Harwood, William Alaway, and several others that I name not. My dear brother-in-law, James Dilworth, is dead, and was buried the first day before our Yearly Meeting ; Charles Sanders and Stephen Coleman, and a great number of the world's people also.

“ Now, my Friend, as touching our Yearly Meeting, it was but small, by reason of the sickness ; but we may truly say, the Lord our God made up our want ; for his living power and sweet refreshing presence was with us, to the comfort of his,—whose hearts are true to him. He is the same that ever he was, and as he was good to his Israel in days past, so we may say, he is good to his Israel in this very day ; blessed be his holy name forever and forevermore. Our dear Friends, Aaron Atkinson, Thomas Story, and Roger Gill were with us, who were of good service there. Our dear Friend, Aaron, being very weak by reason of his sickness, was but little with us. He was with us the Fifth-day following our Yearly Meeting, and I do believe he cleared himself very well, to the satisfaction of several, if not all, that were then present. Now, dear William, I, seeing a letter that came from thee from London, can truly say I was right glad when I heard it read, in which thou rememberest thy love to me, which I kindly accept. My dear love is unto thee and thy wife once more. I desire thee to remember my love to all Friends that may inquire of me, or to whom thou thinkest fit. My dear wife desires to have her love remembered to thy wife ; and we were right glad when we heard thy wife was well. My dear love to my sister Ann Dilworth,* if thou seest her, and let her know that her dear children are well. My son Richard desires to have his kind love to thee and to thy wife, though unknown, and to his aunt Ann Dilworth ; and I desire thee to remember my love to all our relations and friends in Bolland. Sixty persons died out of that ship which came from Liverpool. Some of them were Thomas Musgrave, Thomas Wilson, Henry Michel, Robert Driver, and Grace Driver, but Grace died after she came here.

This, from thy Friend and Brother, Nicholas Walln.”

* In England, on a religious visit.

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After the Yearly Meeting, in the Seventh month, 1702, Nicholas Walln, in company with John Lea, visited Friends in East and West Jersey and Long Island. Their visit was satisfactory, “ especially in Long Island where they met with great openness, large meetings, and some lately convinced.” We find no further traces of Nicholas Walln's travelling with certificates, but his labours for the good of others near home, both in the ministry, and in the most important appointments of religious society, were abundant.

In the Monthly Meeting of Philadelphia, held Twelfth month 22d, 1705, the subject of burials being brought before the meeting, various conclusions were come to. The minute made on the occasion, ends with this direction, “ That Friends forbear for the future putting any monuments or palings in the burying-ground, for the keeping up the memory of the dead, believing that the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance with the Lord.”

At the Quarterly Meeting, held Seventh month 2d, 1706, the representatives from Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, brought the subject before the consideration of those assembled, stating that Friends in the city were “ generally against making any monuments or grave stones over graves in Friends' burying-ground.” The subject being thus before the Quarterly Meeting, it recorded its sense, that it was “ very needless, and of evil tendency.” It moreover recommended the matter to the Yearly Meeting, that a rule of discipline might be made on the subject. Nicholas Walln was one of the representatives to the Yearly Meeting, who had charge of bringing this before that body.

The Friends at the Yearly Meeting made a minute on the subject in which they say, they “ give it as their sense and judgment that it is altogether wrong, and of evil tendency to have any grave stones or any other sort of monuments over or about the graves, in any of Friends' burying-grounds ; and further that those monuments that are already in the burying-grounds, either of wood or stone, shall be taken away, and no new put up ; but to be as sparing as well as Friends can for those who were not Friends, and put up before the burying-ground was solely confirmed to Friends.” This advice was sent down for the observance of the subordinate meetings. The next year the same advice was given, with the additional direction to Monthly Meetings to take care that the stones or monuments should be removed, and that if any one should oppose the carrying out the direction of the Yearly Meeting, he should be dealt with as a disorderly person. The reports of the Quarterly Meetings to the Yearly Meeting, in 1708, show that the concern of the Yearly Meeting in this matter had been in good measure, carried out.

At the aforesaid Yearly Meeting, in 1706, Nicholas Walln was one of a committee appointed to prepare an epistle to send down to the members and subordinate meetings.

“ For the respective Quarterly and Monthly Meetings within the Provinces of Pennsylvania and the Jerseys.

“ Dear Friends and Brethren,—It having pleased the Lord to bless this meeting with a renewed sense of his holy and comfortable presence, to our great and mutual consolation, we are engaged in his love, so largely extended, to desire the welfare of all, and do embrace you therein as partakers of the same virtue of life, and members of the same body, of which the one Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus is the Holy Head. And as the Lord hath been bountiful unto us, in his inward comforts and refreshments, it hath engaged us in a renewed concern and zeal for the honour of his great name, the prosperity of his blessed Truth, and the welfare of his people, that in all things we may be complete, and grow up into that blessed testimony we have received in this present dispensation of God unto the generation that now is. That as we have believed in the light of his Son Christ Jesus our Lord, we may walk as children of light and of the day of God which hath dawned upon us, in all virtue and holiness. Avoiding every appearance of evil or work of darkness in our whole conversation ; that so our lives and ways in all things may evidence to the world that we are of, and upheld and preserved by him. And therefore, dear Friends, as conducing to that blessed end, we hereby remind you in a few words of those many and wholesome particulars comprehended in those papers entitled ‘ A General Testimony, &c.,’ recommended from this meeting in the year 1704, which we again recommend unto you and exhort to the strict observation of them, and in especial manner these few things following :—

“ First, That Friends keep constantly both to First-day and week-day Meetings, and therein diligently wait upon the Lord, with fervent desires and cries in spirit after the enjoyment of his blessed presence. That so all heaviness of soul may vanish, and drowsiness be done away, which is a growing evil in some, greatly to the dishonour of God, and the hurt of their own souls, that can so far play the hypocrite before the Lord and his sensible people, as while pretending to worship God in the quickening spirit of his Son Christ Jesus, give way to unnatural sleep, which is so far contrary, as light and darkness.

“ Secondly, That Friends be careful not to put their children apprentices to such as are not Friends, whereby they are often led astray through evil example. But, as much as in them lies, bring up their children, and all that are under their care in the fear and nurture of the Lord. That none may be blameworthy in a thing so greatly necessary.

“ Fourthly, That none accustom themselves to vain and idle company, sipping and tippling of drams and strong drink in inns or elsewhere, for though such as use that evil practice may not suddenly be so far prevailed upon as to be drunk to the greatest degree, yet they often inflame themselves thereby so as to become like ground fitted for the seeds of the greatest transgressions. Some that have had the example of virtuous parents, have, from such beginnings in corners, arrived to a shameless excess, to the ruin of themselves, their wives and families, and the scandal of that holy name by which they have been called.

“ And for the more effectual putting in practice these things now, and formerly recommended unto you, we think it may be expedient, that the overseers, both men and women in each meeting, take care to report the state of the meeting to the Monthly Meeting, and each Monthly Meeting the state of affairs to the Quarterly Meeting, and they to this meeting, that so where any defect or shortness is found in particular or general, a timely and apt remedy may be applied as in the wisdom and counsel of God shall be found needful. That so honour and glory may be given unto the great name of the Lord our God in all things, who is worthy forever !

“ And now, dear Friends, as we write to you in pure love, we recommend unto you fervent and inward charity one towards another, and to all men. Beside the commendations given unto charity by the apostle in his day, we also say by experience, that charity preventeth many evils. It keeps the peace, preserves unity, and as it were, teacheth all duty. Where charity is, there is love to God, and love to man ; but where it is wanting, zeal towards God fails, and neighbours and friends are also disregarded, and instead of acts and expressions of love and good will to all, the contrary is brought forth. It is for want of charity, men speak evil of dignities, detract and lessen the name of their neighbours, and evilly entreat in secret the reputations of those that think them no harm. This is a crying evil, from which the God of Truth purge and preserve his people everywhere, we heartily desire.

“ This meeting as it was large and edifying as some of you may well remember, so our satisfaction was heightened by the mention of several travelling Friends, of the increase and prosperity of Truth in divers places, which we know will be matter of comfort to you. So, in the love of our heavenly Father, we recommend you to his powerful protection and counsel in all things, and are your loving Friends and Brethren,

“ From our Yearly Meeting, held at Burlington, for the Provinces of East and West Jersey and Pennsylvania, begun on the 15th day of the Seventh month ; and held by adjournment till the 18th of the same Anno, 1706.

“ Sam. Jennings, Antho. Morris, Nicholas Walln, Sam. Carpenter, Tho. Story, Caleb Pusey.”

Nicholas Walln continued to be much employed in visiting neighbouring meetings, and in fulfilling the various appointments laid in him by his Friends. Respected for his devotion to the Truth ; honoured for his faithfulness in the discharge of his duty as a minister of the gospel, he passed along comfortably to a green old age. He was useful in the church, and in the world, almost to the very end of his days, taking an active share in the business of his Monthly Meeting, only nine days before his death. He died on the 4th day of the Twelfth month, 1721. His friends thus briefly characterize him. “ He was a zealous minister of the gospel, sound in word and doctrine, useful in the maintenance of the discipline of the church, and his labours were acceptable.”