J. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



and four children he settled near Darby in Delaware County. 

 The third son, William, was the only child to marry. His 

 Quaker wife was Elizabeth, daughter of James Hunt. The 

 children of this union were John, James and William, and a 

 daughter who died young. John, the eldest, was the botanist. 

 He was born March 23, 1699. I must refer l:>ut briefly to this 

 pioneer in the study of American plant-life. 



Bred upon the farm and educated in the country school, he 

 developed at an early age a deep love of nature. Having grown 

 to manhood, he took uj) the study of Latin, so as to be able to 

 read the descriptions of i)lants in the Latin works of European 

 botanists. William, in writing of his father, says: "He had 

 an inclination to the study of physic and surgery, and did much 

 towards relieving the ailments of his poor neighbors." There 

 is good reason to believe that this interest in medicine and heal- 

 ing herbs gave the first impetus to his serious study of botany. 



John Bartram married twice. His first wife was Slary Maris. 

 She died in 1727. There were two sons, Richard and John, by 

 this marriage. In September, 1729, John Bartram married 

 Ann Mendenhall, who survived him. The)' had nine children, 

 five boys and four girls. The third son was William, who, with 

 his twin sister Elizabeth, was born February 9, 1739. 



In 1728 John Bartram purchased a tract of ground on the 

 west bank of the Schuylkill River near Gray's Ferry. " Here," 

 says William, "he built, with his own hands, a large and com- 

 fortable house of hewn stone, and laid out a garden containing 

 about five acres." Of course he must have had some necessary 

 assistance in this work, but it is an undoubted fact that he was 

 a skilled mechanic and mason. During his lifetime he is said 

 to have built four other houses. There is well-executed carv- 

 ing about the doors and windows of the Bartram mansion. 

 Upon a stone in the wall is cut : 



"John * Ann IUktkam— 1731." 



Over the front door of his study is carved the inscription : 



'"Tii God alone, Almigbty Lord, 

 The Holy One, by me adored. 



John Bautram, 1770." 



