Quaker Marriage Certificates: Humphrey-Lewis, Chester County, 1787

QUAKER MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES HUMPHREY-LEWIS, CHESTER COUNTY, 1787' Guests attending Quaker marriages sign as witnesses (even non-Quakers), with near relatives generally signing in the rightmost column, the parents signing first. Original certificates provide a rare source for the signatures of women. Whereas Richard Humphrey of the Township of Derby County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, Son of Solomon Humphrey of the Township of Derby afore¬ said Dee d, and Margaret Lewis of the Township of New Town, County and State aforesaid. Daughter of Alexander Cruckshank of the Township of Mcrion, County of Montgomery State aforesaid Dee d having declared their Intentions of Marriage before several Monthly Meetings of the People called Quakers at Goshen and County aforesaid, . . . this Twenty fourth Day of the first Month in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven Hundred and Eighty seven, They the said Richard Hum¬ phreys and Margaret Lewis appeared in a publick Meeting at New-town aforesaid, and the said Richard Humphreys taking the said Margaret Lewis by the Hand, . . . Richard Humphrey and Margaret Lewis, she according to the Custom of marriages, assuming the Name of her Husband . . . did then and there to these pre¬ sents set their Hands. Richard Humphreys Margaret 1 iumphreys And we whose names are hereunto subscribed, being pre¬ sent at the Solemnization of the said Marriage and Sub¬ scription, have as Witnesses hereunto set our Hands the Day and Year above written I near relatives\ Richard Truman Samuel hunting David Lewis John Humphrey W'm Farr Henry Lewis Cisley Lewis Jane Lewis Isaac Davis Evan Evans Hannah Lewis Mary Lewis Rachel Davis Catherine Evans Charles Humphreys Mary Morris Lewis Lewis Elizabeth Martha Thomas Moses Cox Evan Truman Humphreys Elizabeth Unity Lewis Isaac Thomas Williamson Ann Parker Mary Baldwin Rchckah Baldwin Robert Mendenhall Priscilla Thomas Mary Thomas Lydia Evans John Baldwin John Jones Juner W’m Mendenhall Rchckah Baldwin Leah Moore Sarah Jones Samuel Caley W’m Baldwin Isaac Thomas Jun’r la’s Oakford Townsend Thomas Hannah Caley Adam Mendenhall Charles Willing Eli Alexander Lewis Sam’l Moore Sen’r Edward Evans I lezekiah Thomas Gideon Thomas Henry Thomas Alice Moore Alice Fawkes Sarah Thomas Geo: Hunter Mary Lewis Joseph Fawkes Thomas Thomas John Skelton Ellis original certificate is in the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Bible rec¬ ords collection. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 16 (2000) 149 ISO Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 46 When seeing this certificate, our first inclination may be to assume that Richard and Margaret were both young, but there is nothing in the certificate to indicate their age. As it turns out, Margaret was not a young woman, and her family was one of widows and widowers. Alexander Cruikshank died between 12 January 1775 (will) and 2 November 1776 (probate). The will of Allexsander Cruikshank of Lower Merion, Phila¬ delphia County, names wife Cisley, daughter Margarett Lewis, and unnamed grandchildren. The witnesses were Charles, Samuel, and Edward Humphreys. i Margaret Lewis was the widow of James Lewis of Charles Town, Chester County, yeoman, who died between 23 March 1770 (will) and 9 May 1770 (probate). His will names wife Margaret and children David, Mary, Rachel, Joseph, Thomas, and Ann (all under 2 I ; Ann under IS).2 Cisley Cruckshank and daughter Margaret were granted a certificate to Haverford Monthly Meeting 24 9th month |September] 1756.' * Cissley Crukshank (lately Brimble) was reported 29 3rd month [May] 1747 at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for marrying contrary to discipline and rein¬ stated on 27 6th month |August], 1 * Rachel, wife of Alexander Cruckshanks, was buried 20 7th month |September] 1745; Alexander's children John, Alexander, and Maurice were buried in 1746, 1752, and 1753, respectively, all recorded at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.1’ Letters of administration on the estate of Giles Brimble of the City of Philadel¬ phia, cordwainer, were issued 8 November 17.38 to Caecilia Brimble his ■ ■ ■ ■ widow. Giles Brimble, son of John of Philadelphia, married 15 1 0th month (December] 1737 Cicely Llewellyn, daughter of Morris of Philadelphia, at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. Cecily Llewellyn was received at Philadelphia Monthly Meet¬ ing on certificate from Merion Monthly Meeting dated I I 6th month |August] ■ 1737.7 Thus, the bride of the certificate was Margaret (Cruckshank) Lewis, widow of James Lewis, daughter of Alexander Cruckshank by his first wife Rachel, and stepdaughter of Cisley (Llewellyn) (Brimble) Cruck¬ shank. If their children were all very young at the death of James Lewis, then he and Margaret had married say 1758, and she was born say 1737 (estimating marriage at 21 ), so she was a mature fifty years of age at her marriage to Richard Humphreys. i Philadelphia Wills Q:366-67 (PHI. #2 1,727); Cisley affirmed the executorship. Philadelphia Wills 0:502-3 (PHI. #21,726); signed by mark. ' William Wade Ilinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, 6 volumes (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1936-50), 2:499. "Early Minutes of the Philadel¬ phia Monthly Meeting of Friends," PGM 9( 1 926): 2 1 1 . * Hinshaw, lincyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (note 3), 2:472, 499. Ilinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy ( note 3), 2:352. (l Carl Thurman Smith, “Philadelphia County Administration Book I)," Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 28(1974):251, citing I):42, #88. Ilinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy ( note 3), 2:472, 583. 2 2009 Quaker Marriage Certificate, Humphrey-Lewis 151 In contrast, Richard’s ancestry did not include early deaths and subse¬ quent remarriages.8 ■ Administration on the estate of Richard Humphrey of Lower Merion, Mont¬ gomery County, was granted 25 February 1812 to William Mendenhall and ■ The 21 12 month | December] 1775 marriage certificate of John Humphreys (son of Solomon Humphreys and Mary his wife, both deceased) and Mary Hat¬ ton (daughter of John Hatton and Elizabeth of Concord) is recorded at Con¬ cord Monthly Meeting, but that of Richard and Margaret is not. 10 Solomon Humphrey of Darby died between 4 September 1758 (will) and 9 November 1758 (probate). His will names wife Mary, mother-in-law Martha Harvey deceased (land formerly belonging to her), and children Richard, John, Martha, Mary, and Daniel (some under age), brother Edward Humphrey, and brother-in-law William Parker.11 The 7 September 1765 will of Mary Hum¬ phreys of Darby names children Daniel, Richard, John, Martha, and Mary and mentions land “which formerly belonged to my mother.”12 Mary, wife of Solomon Humphrey of Darby, was born in 1716 in Darby and died 19 10 month [October] 1765. ’-3 Solomon Humphreys was born 16 10th month [December) 1706, son of Quak¬ ers Daniel Humphreys and Hannah Wynne. He married Mary Parker 27 7th month [September] 1738, both recorded at Radnor Monthly Meeting.1 1 Morris Humphrey.9 ■ ■ ■ 8 “Humphrey,'' in Gilbert Cope's Collection of Family Data, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania |now at Historical Society of Pennsylvania] (FHL #517,033). 9 Ellwood Roberts, Abstracts of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Witts and Administrations, I7S i~ INJf (Westminster, Md: Family Line Publications, 1998), 343. 1,1 Gwen Boyer Bjorkman, Quaker Marriage Certificates: Concord Monthly Meeting, Delaware County. Pennsylvania, /679- ISON (Bowie, Mil.: Heritage Books, 1991), 129- 30. 1 1 Chester County Wills I): 1.38-40 (FHL #20,845); probated 9 November 1758. 12 Chester County Wills 0:548-49 (FHL #20,845); probated 24 October 1765. biography was published in The Friend, photocopy in Willard 1 leiss, Quaker biographical Sketches (Indianapolis: the author, 1 972), 246. 11 “Humphrey,” in Cope Collection (note 8). 1 ' I ler memorial