BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



477 



its purity. To this his life was devoted, 

 and at iiis death he left a written testi- 

 mony to his children, admonishing 

 them to the same course of life that 

 '• gave him rest and peace with God,' 

 copies of whicii are still preserved 

 among his descendants. His wife was 

 also a devout and exemplary member 

 of the Society of Friends. His children 

 were, Daniel, Henry, Thomas, Marga- 

 ret, Elinor and Rachel. Thomas inter- 

 married with Sarah, and Henry with 

 Ellen Williams, daughters of \Villiam 

 Edward of Blockley, and Edward Wil- 

 liam, a son of William Edward, mar- 

 ried Elinor Lawrence. Slagaret inter- 

 married with David Llewellyn. David 

 Lawrence died in 16'J9. His wife sur- 

 vived him many years. 



Lee, or Lea, John, the son of John 

 Lea, glover, of Christian Malford, in the 

 county of Wilts, England, learned the 

 trade of a woolcomber. He became a 

 preacher among Friends, but at what 

 time is not known. In 1698, he mar- 

 ried Hannah Webb, a widow, of the 

 city of Gloucester, and in 1700 he mi- 

 grated to Pennsylvania, and after re- 

 maining about a year in Philadelphia, 

 settled in Concord township. His cer- 

 tificate was from Naylesworth Quar- 

 terly Meeting in Gloucester county. He 

 was held in high estimation as a minis- 

 ter, and frecjuently made religious visits 

 to distant places ; sometimes in com- 

 pany with Thomas Chalkley. The lat- 

 ter speaks of him as a " living, ser- 

 viceable minister of the gospel of 

 Christ.' He died in 1726. So far as 

 is known, his children wefe, Isaac, 

 Hannah, John and Rachel. 



Leiper, Thomas, by birth a Scotch- 

 man, at the age of nineteen immigrated 

 to Port Tobacco in Maryland, upon the 

 invitation of an elder brother. Dr. James 

 Leiper, who had settled at or near that 

 place. Here he was placed in the large 

 mercantile house of a Mr. Sample, 

 where he no doubt acquired the busi- 

 ness qualitications for which he was 

 afterwards noted. After he arrived at 

 age he accepted an invitation from 

 Gavin Hamilton to join him in the to- 

 bacco business in Philadelphia. After 

 some time the partnership was dis- 

 solved, and Mr. Leiper set up the busi- 

 ness for himself The Revolution broke 

 out, and the leading house in Philadel- 



piiia in the snuff business being inter- 

 dicted, a fine o])ening was presented 

 for .Mr. Leiper, and enabled him to make 

 his fortune. He warmly espoused the 

 cau.-;e of the Colonies at the commence- 

 ment of hostilities, and united himself 

 with the "first city troop," and became 

 its orderly sergeant, treasurer and sec- 

 retary. When General Washington 

 was almost on the eve of disbanding 

 the army for want of supplies, he, 

 with Robert Morris, Blair McClanagan 

 and others, subscribed a large sum of 

 money to supply the deficiency. Tho- 

 mas Leiper was the warm friend of 

 Jefferson, and a firm adherent of the 

 Democratic part}-. His mills and his 

 quarries were in Delaware County, but 

 his residence was mostly in Philadel- 

 phia, where for many years he was 

 president of the Common Council. He 

 was a man of much public spirit and 

 energy of character, and e.\erted him- 

 self in promoting the improvement of 

 the State. He subscribed as much as 

 $1UU,0(JO in the stock of various turn- 

 pikes, canals, &c., from which he could 

 expect but little return. His wife was 

 Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of George 

 Gray, a lady of excellent character and 

 great worth. He died in the year lb25 

 in the eightieth year of his age. 



Lester, Peter, settled in Springfield 

 township as early as 1684. In 1685 

 he married Mary Duncalf of Chester 

 Meeting, and in 1686 he ser\ed the 

 office of constable for the then newly 

 organized township of Springfield. The 

 family probably removed, as the name 

 disappears from the records of the 

 meetings within our limits. 



Levis, Samuel, with his wife Eliza- 

 beth and one child, migrated from 

 Hanby, County of Leicester, England, 

 in 1684, and settled in Sprinfield town- 

 ship. Before leaving England, he in 

 conjunction with William Garrett, pur- 

 chased 1000 acres of land, part of 

 which was located where he first set- 

 tled, and is still in the family name. 

 In less than two years after his arrival 

 i in the country he represented the 

 County of Chester in the Provincial 

 Assembly, and was frequently elected 

 to the same ottice subsequently He 

 was also for some time a Justice of the 

 Court of Chester County. But notwith- 

 standing the frequency of his civil en- 



