448 



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



year earlier. Their son Obadiah, born 

 in England, was married to Sarah Be- 

 thell ; their daughter Rebecca to Daniel 

 Hibberd, and their daughter Ann to 

 Josiah Hibberd. Their descendants 

 are very numerous. 



Booth, Robert, came from Knares- 

 borough, in the North Riding of York- 

 shire, England, in 1713, and settled in 

 Bethel township. He was in member- 

 ship with Friends, and brought a cer- 

 tificate to Concord Meeting. In 1715, 

 he married Betty Caston. Their chil- 

 dren were Joseph, Mercy, Robert, John, 

 Marj', Ann, and Elizabeth. He died 

 in 1727, leaving his wife to survive 

 him. A Charles Booth, a member of 

 the Society of Friends, was settled 

 within the bounds of Chester Meeting 

 earlier than Robert settled within the 

 bounds of Concord. So far as is known 

 he had three children, viz. : Mary, Ly- 

 dia and Jonathan. 



BowATER, John, before he became a 

 settler within our limits, had visited 

 New England, Maryland and Virginia 

 as a public Friend. This was about 

 the year 1677 or 1678. In the year 

 1684, he, with his wife Frances, arrived 

 in Philadelphia, and after remaining 

 there a short time, removed to Middle- 

 town township, in this County. As 

 early as 1687, meetings were held at his 

 house, which in due time became 

 '' MiJdlelown Heeling.'" The consist- 

 ency of this couple as exemplary mem- 

 bers of the Society of Friends, was fully 

 maintained at their new home. Their 

 children were, Mary, William, Eliza- 

 beth, John and Alice. John, the elder, 

 died before 1705, his wife surviving 

 him till 1720. It is believed that his 

 place of residence in England was 

 Bromesf/rove, in Worcestershire, where 

 he had sulfered persecution on account 

 of his religion. 



BowATEU, Thomas, was an early set- 

 tler within the limits of Chester Month- 

 ly Meeting of Friends. In 1686, he 

 married Sarah Edge, when he probably 

 settled in Edgmont township. Their 

 children were, Sarah and Thomas. His 

 wife died in 1602, but in 1701 he was 

 again married to Frances Barnet, a wi- 

 dow of Chichester, and in 1720 he re- 

 moved to New Garden. 



Bracey, Thomas, from Wilaston, 

 Cheshire, England, arrived at Chester 

 (Upland) in 1682. He appears to have 

 been a man of means and of reliable 

 integrity — was a member of the So- 

 ciety of Free Traders, and at a meeting 

 of that society held at London on the 

 29th of May, he was placed at the head 

 of a committee of twelve to reside in 

 Pennsylvania and manage the aflairs 

 of the society here. He was a member 

 of the first Provincial Assembly held 

 in Philadelphia in 1683, and doubtless 

 took a part in that held at Chester pre- 

 viously. But notwithstanding the pub- 

 lic trusts wi^h which he was charged, 

 he found time to give constant atten- 

 tion to the meetings of the Friends, of 

 which he appears to have been a highly 

 respected member and an esteemed 

 minister. He made a settlement in 

 the upper part of Chester township, 

 but in his latter years lived in the bor- 

 ough. He died in 1691, leaving two 

 daughters to survive him, Rebecca, 

 who was married to Thomas Thomson 

 of New Jersey, and Mary, who became 

 the wife of Francis Worley. 



Thomas Bracey had suffered distress 

 of his goods in his native country for 

 preaching the gospel and for absenting 

 himself from the national worship. 



Bradshaw, Samuel, an original pur- 

 chaser of land in England, came from 

 Oxton, County of Nottingham, and set- 

 tled in Darby township in 1682. In 

 1686 he was married to Mary Duckett 

 " at the house of Thomas Duckett of 

 Skoolkill." This house was then a 

 regular place of meeting, and was con- 

 nected in forming a monthly meeting 

 with Haverford and Merion. He did not 

 take a very active part in meeting aflFairs. 



Bradshaw, Thomas, was from the 

 same place as the above named Sam- 

 uel, and was probably his brother. He 

 arrived the next year after Samuel, and 

 settled on an adjoiuing tract of land in 

 Darby township. He was married to 

 Sarah, the daughter of Samuel Levis, 

 in 1687. She died in 17ol, he sur- 

 viving her till 1727. Asa Friend, he 

 was more active in business matters 

 than Samuel. He left four children, 

 Hannah, John, Mary, and Sarah. 



Brinton, William, with his wife Ann, 

 son William, and daughters Elizabeth 



