(1) John Bryan was a Captain in the Revolutionary War.
"Replying to yours of Nov. 13, 1915, concerning birthplace of Daniel
Boone.-Daniel Boone, son of Squire Boone (Squire being his given name), was born in that part of Philadelphia County, Penn., which in 1752 as Exeter township, became a part of the newly formed county of Berks. The birthplace of Daniel Boone never was in Bucks Co. 'Squire Boone of the County of Philadelphia, yeoman' on Nov. 19th and 20th, 1730, bought 250 acres, part of Ralph Asheton's tract of 500 acres, built on it and occupied it.
"This 500 acre tract had been granted by William Penn, Aug. 14th and 15th, 1682, to John Millington of Shrewsbury, England. The tract soon passed to 'Ralph Asheton, Gentleman, of the City of Philadelphia' and was until 1741, a part of Oley township, Phila. Co.
"In 1741 Squire Boone was one of a number of petitioners for the formation of a new township to be taken from Oley, and to be named Exeter. The new township was erected Dec. 7, 1741.
"When Squire Boone was about moving to North Carolina, he learned
that at the purchase in 1730 a certain legal confirmation of sale had been omitted. This was rectified April 10, 1750, and on the next day he sold to William Maugridge 'a certain Messuage or Tenement and tract of land containing 158 3-4 acres.' This was part of Boone's 250 acres.
"Daniel Boone's birthplace is nearly half a mile away from the public road. The nearest towns to it are Baumstown, in former days called Exeter town, and Stonersville, both small towns and each more than a mile away.
"Moses Boone, aged 84, and perhaps the oldest living member of the
Boone family, has always lived near the Squire Boone place, and has always been told that it was the birthplace of Daniel. The Lee family, from as early, as the birth of Daniel Boone, have been neighbois and close friends of the Boones. Some were horn in the same old house of those yet living, and all
have known the house as Daniel Boone's birthplace.
"Bucks County, one of the three original counties of Pennsylvania, is seventy years older than Berks. Because of this and because of the similarity of names, Exeter township is sometimes mistakenly spoken of as being Bucks County."
The Daniel Boone Memorial Association, of which Mr. J. R. McCrary, writer of the above article, is the chairman, has recently erected on the site of the Boone homestead a replica of the original log cabin, for which citizens of Davidson County subscribed funds. Citizens of Rowan County (which was formed from Davidson Co. in 1822) have erected a handsome shaft of native Rowan granite, on which is placed a bronze tablet given by the Daughters of the American Revolution of Salisbury, N. C. Records show that Squire Boone, father of Daniel, bought property on the Yadkin River in Dec., 1753, six years later selling at least part of this tract to his son Daniel. There is no record of Squire Boone and his wife having located elsewhere in North Carolina, but whether their dwelling was near that of the son Daniel which is reproduced by the Association, or whether the elder couple occupied one side of this double log house and Daniel and his family the other side, is not known.
In the Court House at Salisbury, Rowan County, N. C., is the original of an indenture between Daniel. Boone of "Roan" Co., and Rebecca his wife, on the one part, and Aaron Van Cleve of the county and province of North Carolina on the other part, conveying for the sum of eighty pounds, six hundred and forty acres of land "Granted and sold unto the said Daniel Boone, by his father Squire Boone, bearing date the 12th of October, 1759, and conveyed to Squire Boone by deed of conveyance from the Right Honorable John, Earl of Granville, bearing date December 29th in the Year of Our Lord, 1753." Attached to this record is a note saying,-"Daniel Boone, Planter, bought this tract from his father for 50 pounds."
In 1759 there were severe Indian outbreaks along the frontier settlements of North Carolina, and during that time Squire Boone and his wife, with perhaps their younger children, were among the families that returned to Virginia or Maryland for a period. (g) Bogart tells us that "about 1759 Squire Boone and his wife, Daniel, his wife and their two sons, and several other families, * * * fled from the Indians to various parts of Virginia and Maryland. * * * * Squire Boone (Daniel's father) went to Georgetown in the District of Columbia, where he lived for three years, and then returned to the Yadkin. * * * * Sometime in the spring of 1762 Squire Boone and his wife returned to their home on the Yadkin, riding on horseback all the way from Maryland." (k)
Sometime at about this period, probably during their stay in Maryland, Sarah (Morgan) Boone took her youngest son Squire back to Pennsylvania on a visit. The entire journey was made on horseback, stopping to camp at night. It is not known how long Sarah remained, but she returned home without her son, whom she left in Pennsylvania as an apprentice to his cousin Samuel Boone (No. 58) to learn the gunsmith trade. (h)
After that Squire Boone and his wife continued to live beside the Yadkin River until their deaths. They both lie buried in the old Joppa cemetery at Mocksville, Davie County, N. C., where their gravestones were standing until recently. Because of the depredation of souvenir-hunters, the stones have now been enclosed in a strong steel cage as a protection from further vandalism.
The inscription on Squire Boone's headstone reads as follows:-
Squire Boone departed this life they sixty-ninth year of his age in thay year of our Lord 1765, Geneary Tha 2.
On the headstone which is supposed to be that of Squire Boone's wife, only the first two letters of the word Sarah are legible. The inscription reads as follows:-
"Sa....Boone desowned this life 1777, aged 77 years."DANIEL BOONE (Squire4; George3), born 22 Oct. (Old Style) or 2 Nov. (New Style), 1734, in what is now Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania (a & b); died 26 Sept., 1820, in St. Charles County, Missouri, "aged 85 years, 11 months and 4 clays." (b)
Married in North Carolina, 14 Aug. 1756, Rebecca Bryan (born 9 Jan. 1739; died 18 March, 1813, in St. Charles County, Missouri, "aged 74 years, 1 month and 11 days") (b), daughter of Joseph and Alee Bryan. (See Sketch of Bryan Family.)
This is the Daniel Boone of Kentucky fame. A special biography of the noted pioneer, written by his descendant, Mr. Jesse Procter Crump of Independence, Missouri, is to be found on page 559.CII1LDREN:- (b)
100 James Boone, b. 3 May, 1757; d. 10 Oct. 1773. He was killed by the Shawnee Indians while crossing the Clinch Mountains in Virginia, during the family's first attempt to reach Kentucky. At the time of his death he was aged 16 years, 5 months and 7 days.
101 Israel Boone, b. 25 Jan., 1759; d. 19 Aug. 1782, aged 23 years, 6 months and 25 days. He was killed at the battle of Blue Licks in Kentucky. Abram Scholl, a soldier who took part in the battle and witnessed Israel's death, left a brief account of it. He said that Israel, who was young and active, could easily have made his escape, but remained to protect his father, firing at the Indians to cover his father's retreat. While thus engaged he received the fatal shot in the breast which caused his death. (c)
+102 Susannah Boone, b. 2 Nov. 1760.
+103 Jemima Boone, b. 4 Oct. 1762.
+104 Levina Boone, b. 23 March, 1766.
+10,5 Rebecca Boone, b. 26 May, 1768.
+106 Daniel Morgan Boone, b. 23 Dec. 1769.
+107 Jesse Bryan Boone, b. 23 May, 1773.
108 William Boone, b. 20 June, 1775; died in infancy.
+109 Nathan Boone, b. 2 March, 1781.REFERENCES:-
(a) Records of Exeter Monthly Meeting of Friends.
(b) Daniel Boone's Bible Record.
(c) Draper Mss. 24 S 205-22.
Rebecca Bryan (born 9 Jan. 1739; died 18 March, 1813, in St. Charles County, Missouri, "aged 74 years, 1 month and 11 days") (b), daughter of Joseph and Alee Bryan. (See Sketch of Bryan Family.)
100 James Boone, b. 3 May, 1757; d. 10 Oct. 1773. He was killed by the Shawnee Indians while crossing the Clinch Mountains in Virginia, during the family's first attempt to reach Kentucky. At the time of his death he was aged 16 years, 5 months and 7 days.
Israel Boone, b. 25 Jan., 1759; d. 19 Aug. 1782, aged 23 years, 6 months and 25 days. He was killed at the battle of Blue Licks in Kentucky. Abram Scholl, a soldier who took part in the battle and witnessed Israel's death, left a brief account of it. He said that Israel, who was young and active, could easily have made his escape, but remained to protect his father, firing at the Indians to cover his father's retreat. While thus engaged he received the fatal shot in the breast which caused his death. (c
108 William Boone, b. 20 June, 1775; died in infancy
References:
(1) Information supplied by Mr. Russell L. Ready, 521 East Wilshire Street,
Santa Ana, California 92707. Prodigy ID Number VSXV10A.
Telephone: 714-543-6462.
References:
(1) Information supplied by Mr. Russell L. Ready, 521 East Wilshire Street,
Santa Ana, California 92707. Prodigy ID Number VSXV10A.
Telephone: 714-543-6462.
Squire Boone and son Isreal were "disowned" by the Society of Friends in 1748. In the Spring of 1750, Squire Boone packed his belongings, gathered his family, and left Pennsylvania for the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina. They camped for the better part of a year on Linnville Creek, near Harrisonburg, in Augusta (now Rockingham) County Virginia and arrived in the Yadkin Valley in the Autumn of 1751. Squire Boone settled his family at a site where Dutchman's Creek impties into the North Yadkin River. Bradninch, Devonshire County England
RECORD:
1. H. Addington Bruce (New York, The MacMillian Co., 1922).
References:
(1) Information supplied by Mr. Russell L. Ready, 521 East Wilshire Street,
Santa Ana, California 92707. Prodigy ID Number VSXV10A.
Telephone: 714-543-6462.SQUIRE BOONE (Son of George), born 25 November (Old Style) or 6 December (New Style), 1696, in Devonshire, England; died
2 January, 1765, in Rowan County, North Carolina.
Married 23 Sept., 1720, in Berks Co., Pa., Sarah Morgan (b. 1700;
d. 1777, according to supposed headstone), daughter of Edward Morgan, an early settler of the Welsh colony of Gwynedd in Berks Co., Pa. (See
Sketch of Morgan Family.)Squire Boone accompanied his elder brother and sister to America a few years before the parents came in 1717. His marriage to Sarah Morgan is recorded in the records of the Society of Friends as follows:-
Marriage of Squire Boone and Sarah Morgan. (b)
Whereas, Squire Boone sone of George Boone of the county of Philadelphia* and Province of Pennsylvania, yeoman, and Sarah Morgan, dau. of Edward Morgan of the said county and province, having declared their intentions of marriage with each other before two monthly meetings of ye people called Quakers, held at Gwynedd in the said county, according to ye good order used among them, whose proceedings therein, after deliberate consideration, and having consent of parents and relations concerned therein, their said proceedings are allowed of by said meeting. Now these are to certify whom it may concern that for the full accomplishment of their said intentions this 23d clay of ye 7th month in the year of our Lord 1720, the said Squire Boone and Sarah Morgan appeared at a solemn assembly of the said people for that purpose appointed at their public meeting-place in Gwynedd aforesaid, and the said Squire Boone took the said Sarah Morgan by the hand (and) did in a solemn manner declare that he took her to be his wife, promising to be unto her a faithful and loving husband, until death should separate them, and then and there in the said assembly the said Sarah Morgan did likewise declare, (etc. etc.)
(Signed) SQUIRE BOONE SARAH BOONE
Witnesses:
GEORGE, EDWARD AND ELIZABETH MORGAN
GEORGE AND JAMES BOONE
WILLIAM, JOHN AND DANIEL MORGAN AND 31 OTHERS
After their marriage Squire and Sarah Boone first settled in Bucks
County, Pa., if we may accept local tradition there and the following statement which appeared in a newspaper clipping sent to the compiler,
who has, however, been unable to ascertain the names of either the newspaper or the writer of the article.OLD BOONE HOMESTEAD.-Finely located on rising ground, overlooking the Upper Neshaminy, in New Britain Township, Bucks Co., Pa., stands a fine old stone house which, though remodeled and added to by later owners, gives evidence of the age accredited to a portion of the walls. It was the eastern portion of this building, including the one-story structure and part of the main house, that was the home of Squire Boone, the father of the intrepid Kentucky pioneer, Daniel Boone, until 1730. While much has been written in reference to the birth-place and time of birth of Daniel Boone, there is no doubt of the fact that his father and mother came to this farm immediately after their marriage at Gwynedd Meeting House, in Montgomery Co., seventh month, 23rd. 1720, and that at least three of Daniel Boone's brothers and sisters were born here. While Squire Boone did not become the owner of the property until Dec. 3, 1728, it is believed that he resided on the farm, as the deed recorded at Doylesville, in Deed Book No. 23, page 175, states that on Dec. 3, 1728, Thomas Shute and wife of Phila. and Heronimous Hass of Perkiomen conveyed to Squire Boone of New Britain Township, weaver, 147 acres of land in New Britain township described as follows: Beginning at the corner of land reputed to be Abel Morgan's, thence extending northeast 128 perches; southeast by Philip Sitsler, 184 perches; southwest by Andrew Hamilton's land 128 perches; northwest by said Abel Morgan's land 184 perches to place of beginning. This tract is located about three-quarters of a mile west of the present village of Chalfont, then known as Butler's Mill, and is intersected by the Neshaminy Creek, which the building faces, and the Doylestown branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. The old road from Butler's Mill, now Chalfont, to the Bethlehem road at Line Lexington, crosses the north corner of the farm near the buildings. Another public road, intersecting the other road at the buildings, extends southeasterly through the center of the farm to the old road originally known as 'the road from Butler's Mills to North Wales,' now the upper State Road. It was on this farm that Squire Boone resided until he moved to Oley township in Berks Co., having obtained a grant of 250 acres of land which was surveyed to him in Dec. 1730. * * * The old Boone homestead in New Britain is now owned by a Philadelphian and occupied by Edward Berry."
The above article assumes but does not prove that Squire Boone resided on this property prior to his purchase of it in 1728. A history
of Bucks Co. states that in 1728 Squire Boone purchased 140 acres in New Britain township of Thomas Shute of Philadelphia.* ("History of
Bucks Co., Pa." by W. W. H. Davis, Pub. at Doylestown, Pa.)
We are certain, however, that Squire and his family returned to
Berks Co. (then Phila. Co.), and in 1730 settled on a farm in Oley township; Philadelphia Co. (now Exeter twp., Berks Co.) not far from the
homestead of his father George Boone III, both being only a few miles
from the present city of Reading. This property Squire Boone bought from Ralph Asheton of the city of Philadelphia, the twentieth day of November, 1730. (c) Nine of their children were born on this farm, the
first three having been born previous to the purchase of the property. A plain two-story house of stone now stands on the site of the original farmhouse, replacing the first log structure. It is said that the stone foundation and cellar belonged to the log house first built by Squire Boone. Perhaps the most authoritative description of this property can be had from the following letter, a copy of which may be seen in the library of the Historical Society of Berks Co. at Reading. It was written by Mr. Andrew Shaaber, at that time librarian and secretary of the Society, to the Pennsylvania Society, 249 West 13th St., New York, in reply to an inquiry concerning the Boone birthplace.In possession of the Berks County Historical Society is the original indenture of a deed of Sarah Drury to Henry Feree in 1768, conveying this same property, and showing that Sarah Drury was an heir-at-law of William Maugridge and restating his purchase from Squire and Sarah Boone, and so on back to the William Penn grant.
A rather detailed account of this property has been given here because it was the birthplace not only of Daniel Boone, but of his brothers George and Squire Boone, who were ancestors of so many members of the family who are interested in this history. When the writer visited the place in 1917, it was found to be in a deplorable condition. It is to be hoped that there will some day be inaugurated a movement to have the place restored and preserved as a tribute to Daniel Boone's memory.
Very little is known of Squire Boone's personal life in Pennsylvania. His standing in the Friends Society was good, as he was in 1736, a trustee of Oley Meeting, and on 10 mo. 27, 1739, made an overseer. (e) From the fact that so little mention of him is found in the history of the community, and the fact that he emigrated to North Carolina as a .man of apparently little means, it is judged that he was the least prosperous of all the Boone brothers. After the marriage of his daughter Sarah to John Wilcox, who was not a member of the Friends Society, Squire was reprimanded by the Meeting, and his explanation appears recorded in the Minutes of Exeter Meeting, Book A, page 33, as follows:-
"6-26-1742. Squire Boone declareth he did not contenance or consent to the Marriage but confesseth himself in fault in keeping them in his house after their keeping company but that he was in a great streight in not knowing what to do, and hopeth to be more careful for the future."
Before many more of his children were married, however, Squire and his family had removed themselves to North Carolina, where the course of true love was less hampered by the watchful eye of the Friends Meeting. There is little doubt that this was only another instance of a removal due to religious intolerance in the home community. Ever seeking a higher and more satisfying religious expression, yet ever fleeing from the petty restrictions of church government, the Boones were merely following that primal instinct which has led men from the beginning of history, to move always onward into new lands where greater freedom of action and expression can be obtained. Hence we find that on April 11, 1750, Squire Boone and wife Sarah conveyed their farm of 158 acres of land in Exeter Township to William Maugridge, "19 days before they set out for North Carolina, May 1, 1750." (d) Although Sarah Boone
had obtained a certificate from Exeter Meeting "to Friends in Virginia, Carolina and elsewhere" (e), there is no evidence that they united with any Quaker Meeting in North Carolina, and many of their children later
became Baptists.
No actual record of this long journey to the new land of promise has been left to us, but a graphic pen-picture of what it might have been like is given by Constance Lindsay Skinner in her "Pioneers of the Old
Southwest" (Yale University Press, 1919) :-"Southward through the Shenandoah goes the Boone caravan. The women and children usually sit in the wagons. The men march ahead or alongside, keeping a keen eye open for Indian or other enemy in the wild, their rifles under arm or over the shoulder. Squire Boone, who has clone with Quakerdom and is leading all that he holds dear out to larger horizons, is ahead of the line, as we picture him, ready to meet first whatever danger may assail his tribe. He is a strong wiry man of rather small stature, with ruddy complexion, red hair and gray eyes. Somewhere in the line, together, we think, are the mother and son (Daniel) who have herded cattle and companioned each other through long months in the cabin on the frontier. We do not think of this woman as riding in the wagon, though she may have clone so, but prefer to picture her, with her tall robust body, her black hair, and her black eyes-with the sudden Welsh snap in them-walking as sturdily as any of her sons."
There is some evidence that the Boones stopped for awhile in Virginia (1) , probably near Winchester. They may have stayed there two years or more, as their purchase of land in North Carolina was not made until December, 1753.
In a "Sketch of Daniel Boone" by J. R. McCrary of Lexington, N. C., we find the following account:-
The entire (Squire) Boone family moved from Pennsylvania to North Carolina May 1, 1750, and settled on the banks of the Yadkin River, in what was then Rowan but now Davidson County. This is established by both history and local tradition, by Roosevelt's Winning of the West, Sheet's History of the Liberty Baptist's Association, and Jethro Rumple's History of Rowan. A map in the year 1908, issued by the Depart.-ment of the Interior of the United States Government, shows the travels of the principal explorers with Boone's route covering the traditional site in Boone township, Davidson County. At this early time Rowan County was a frontier country, the hills being covered with a great stretch of forest and teeming with deer, bear, and other game. * * The place where the Boone family lived is on a high hill overlooking the Yadkin River. Portions of their double log house, including about one-half of the rock chimney, were standing until within the last twenty-five years. All these have been carried away by relic hunters except a few of the large flat hearth rock, which were found in cellars under the house by the Boone Association in rebuilding the cabin. The Association also found several broken cups and dishes of the old time flowered ware. * * About one hundred yards from the home site is the Boone spring, and a hundred yards in the opposite direction, on the river bank, is what has been known for generations as Boone's Cave or Devil's Den. * * Close by is Boone's Ford, and across the river a short distance, in Davie County, once stood what was known as Boone's Baptist Church. The records of the old church show that Boone's family were members although Daniel himself never joined any church. Mr. Philip Sowers, the owner of the land which lies in Boone Township, and the owner of the Boone bottoms, has deeded to the Association the old home site of about five acres of land."1st three or four b. in New Britain twp., Bucks Co., Pa., the rest in Exeter twp., Berke Co.) (e)
+20 Sarah Boone, b. 7 June, 1724 (0. S.), or 18 June (N. S).
21 Israel Boone, b. 9 May (0. S.) or 20 May (N. S.), 1726; m. in Exeter, Berks
Co., Pa., but name of wife unknown. He was testified against in Exeter Meeting for "Marrying out," Dec. 31, 1747. It has been said that Israel Boone went to North Carolina and died there early (i); but other evidence indicates that he went to Fayette Co., Ky., for it is said that in Deed Book D, p. 143, of Fayette Co. Circuit Court, there is record of Israel's deed to his brother Daniel Boone of property, land, etc., of considerable value. This seems to have been made at about the time of Israel's death. (j)
+22 Samuel Boone, b. 20 May, 1728. (0. S.)
+23 Jonathan Boone, b. 6 Dec., 1730. (0. S.)
+24 Elizabeth Boone, b. 5 Feb., 1732. (0. S.)
+25 Daniel Boone, b. 22 Oct., 1734. (0. S.)
+26 Mary Boone, b. 3 Nov., 1736. (0. S.)
+27 George Boone, h. 2 Jan., 1739. (0. S.)
+28 Edward Boone, b. 19 Nov., 1740. (0. S.)
+29 Squire Boone, b. 5 Oct., 1744. (0. S.)
+30 Hannah Boone, b. Aug., 1746. (0. S.)
References:
(1) Information supplied by Mr. Russell L. Ready, 521 East Wilshire Street,
Santa Ana, California 92707. Prodigy ID Number VSXV10A.
Telephone: 714-543-6462.Edward Morgan, an early settler of the Welsh colony of Gwynedd in Berks Co., Pa. (See
Sketch of Morgan Family.)
MARRIED 1ST JOHN STEWART (OR STUART), 2ND RICHARD PENNINGTON