HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



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WILKINSON COAT-OF-ARMS. 



OGDEN D. WILKINSON. Lieuten- 

 ant Lawrence Wilkinson, the ancestor of 

 the Wilkinson family of Bucks county, 

 belonged to a very old and respected 

 family, one noted for its consistent ad- 

 herence to the throne of England, and 

 from time to time the recipient of its 

 favors. He was a son of William Wilk- 

 inson, of Lancaster, county Durham, 

 England, by his wife ]\Iary Conyers, 

 daughter of Christopher Conyers, of 

 Horden, and sister of Sir John Conyers, 

 Baronet; and a grandson of Lawrence 

 Wilkinson, of Harpsley House, Lancas- 

 ter, Durham. The arms of the family 

 were confirmed and the crest granted to 

 Lawrence Wilkinson,' last mentioned, 

 September l8, 1615, by Ricliard St. 

 George Norrey, King of z\rms. as shown 

 by the following extract from the records 

 of the College of Arms: 



"Being now requested by Lawrence 

 Wilkinson, to make search for the an- 

 ciente coate Armor belonging to that 

 name and Familye, which fynde to be 

 Azure a fesse erminiois between thre 

 unicorns passant Argent, and for that 

 I can fynde noe Crest proper or be- 

 longing thereunto, as unto manye anci- 

 ente coates at this day there is wanting, 

 he hath further requested me to confrme 

 unto him such a one as he maye law- 

 fulh'e beare — I hav likewise condescend- 

 ed and allowyde him the Crest ensvinge, 

 (vide) a demy unicorne erazed erminoys 

 standing on a murall crown gules, as 

 more plainh^ appearth depicted in the 

 margent hereof. All of which Arms 

 amd Crest, I the said Richard St. George 

 Norrey, doe give, grant, ratifye and con- 

 fyrme unto sayd Lawrence Wilkenson 

 and to the several descendants of hys 

 bodye forever, bearing their due dif- 

 ferences." 



Lawrence Wilkinson, the younger, 

 first above mentioned, was born in Lan- 

 caster, county Durham, at about the date 

 of the confirmation of the arms to his 

 grandsire as above recited. He became 

 a lieutenant in the army of Charles I., 

 and was taken prisoner by the Scotch 



and Parlimentary troops on the surren- 

 der of NevvXastle-on-Tyne, October 22, 

 1644. In common with many others who- 

 fell into the hands of the enemies of the 

 crown, he was deprived of his property. 

 On the records of sequestrations in Dur- 

 ham we find the following item, in the 

 period between 1645 and 1647: "Lawrence 

 Wilkinson, of Lancaster,^ officer in arms, 

 went to New England." His estate hav- 

 ing been sequestered and sold, he ob- 

 tained permission from Lord Fairfax to- 

 emigrate to America, and in 1652, with 

 his wife and son, he settled in Provi- 

 dence. Rhode Island, where he had lands 

 granted him. He was made a freeman 

 in 1658. and in 1673 was chosen deputy 

 to the general court. He was known as 

 Captain Wilkinson, and was a soldier 

 in the Indian wars. He was a member 

 of colonial assembly which met at Ports- 

 mouth in 1659. He died May 9, 1692. 

 This Lawrence Wilkinson had married 

 Susannah Smith, daughter of Christo- 

 pher Smith, who also settled at Provi- 

 dence. Rhode Island. The children of 

 Lawrence and Susannah (Smith) Wil- 

 kinson, were six, viz: Samuel, Susan- 

 nah, John, Joanna, Josias, and another 

 Susannah. While we are chiefly con- 

 cerned with the descendants of Samuel, 

 the eldest of the above children, it might 

 be pertinent to here state that John, the 

 second son. married Huldah Aldrich. of 

 Rhode Island, and their son, Ichabod 

 Wilkinson, born in Rhode Island in 1720, 

 removed to Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 

 bringing a certificate from Smithfield, 

 Rhode Island, to Wrightstown Meeting 

 of Friends, 12 mo. i, 1742, and married 

 at that meeting. 7 mo. 7. 1743, Sarah 

 Chapman, of Wrightstown, and settled at 

 New Hope, where he erected a forge in 

 1753. and became the owner of exten- 

 sive tracts of land in Solebury township. 

 He died prior to 1780, leaving children: 

 Joseph: Zibiah. wife of Peter Ink: Sa- 

 rah, wife of John Prince: Huluah and' 

 Mary, some of whom have left descend- 

 ants in Bucks^ county. 



Samuel Wilkinson, eldest son of Law- 

 rence and Susannah, married Plain 

 Wickenden, daughter of Rev. William 

 Wickenden. the second pastor of the 

 first Baptist church in America. Samuel 

 Wilkinson was coTtimissioned a captain 

 in the provincial militia of Rhode Island, 

 April 4. 1697, and took part in the early 

 Indian wars. He was a surveyor, and 

 assisted in running the line between 

 Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 1711. 

 He was also a member of the provincial' 

 assembl}'. and a justice of the peace. 

 He died August 27, 1827. He took a very 

 active part in the Indian wars, and the 

 old records of Providence give abund- 

 ant evidence of the high position he held 

 in provincial affairs. A summarj^ of the 

 positions he held, as taken from the 

 original records, is, as follows: Samuel' 

 Wilkinson appointed constable July 12, 



