Bell 1878 & 1879

1878. Thomas Stackhouse & 1879. Grace Heaton {Bucks Co. PA}


1661, Thomas born in Deanery Craven, West Riding, Yorkshire, England, s/o 3756. John Stackhouse. [Some genealogies give John as brother of Thomas, both sons/o Samuel – all evidence in both cases is circumstantial. Either way, the genealogy continues the same back to England.]
3/14/1667, Grace born in Warfe, parish of Clapham, Yorkshire, England, d/o 3758. Robert Heaton & 3759. Alice Alis.
4/5/1667, Grace baptized at Clapham. [Soon after the family joined the ‘Settle’ Society of Friends and her birth was also recorded there.]
10/22/1682, [Probably] Thomas and [definitely] Grace arrived in PA with their families from England on the ship Lamb.
12/1/1682, 15-year-old Grace witnessed the will of widow Anne Clark, signing her name.
6/13/1684, Thomas witnessed a wedding at the house of Robert Hall.
6/1686, Thomas made a purchase of 50 acres “Thomas Stackhouse, Jr., “planter”, paid Nicholas Waln, “Yeoman”, £5 on 5 Fourth Month [June] 1686.” Thomas acquired 507 acres in multiple purchases on Neshaminy Creek in Middle Township. This land adjoined the land of his Uncle Thomas and his future father-in-law Robert Heaton. A “Meeting” was established in the hamlet which became Middletown [Langhorne in 1907].
1687, Robert Heaton’s ( 3758) name appears on the Thomas Holme’s map, lumped in a bloc between Middletown and Newtown with “…, Widow Crosdal, …, widdow Bond, and Thomas Stackhouse”. See Thoma Holmes’ Map on the CD.
11/5/1687, Jane Atkinson ordered to pay 30 shillings to Thomas Stackhouse “younger”. [Thomas made his mark – indicating he could not write at this time.]
1/7/1688, Thomas witnessed the wedding of William Plumley.
7/5/1688, Thomas and Grace informed the Middletown Meeting of their intention to marry. As usual, a clearness committee was appointed, which reported back favorably to the next meeting.
9/27/1688, Thomas married Grace. (S) Bucks Co. Mtd, Records Book A, P13.
1690, Thomas paid £26, 9s, 5d for the construction of the “Meeting”; with and additional £10 for a stable.
4/24/1690, Thomas witnessed the wedding of Dorothy Bond at the Meeting house.
8/17/1690, Thomas acquired 90 acres from Joseph Growden. [Thomas later witnessed Joseph’s will.]
9/20/1690, Thomas witnessed the wedding of Mary Croasdale.
7/13/1693, John & Thomas Stackhouse of Middletown Township, taxes collected on property.
1698, Thomas had a “light of glass” [glass window] put in each lower window of the “Meeting”. [Muslin and oil paper was probably used for the other windows]. This was the oldest Meeting house in the county. (S) Vide Davis’ History of Bucks County.
8/18/1699, Thomas acquired 100 acres from the children of Thomas Langhorn.
5/8/1702, after Thomas requested a survey of his land, a patent was returned for 512 acres, which included his residence. (S) WRS 1907, P18.
6/3/1703, “There having been formerly some negroes buried in friends burying hard which they are not well satisfied with; therefore Robert Heaton and Thomas Stackhouse are ordered to fence off the corner”. (S) WRS 1907, P41. (S) Vide Davis’ History of Bucks County.
3/28/1704, Thomas is 1 of 4 “Collectors of Money” granted Propriety for Bucks Co.
4/12/1704, Thomas attended a meeting of the Council.
1704, Thomas bought a lot in the town of Bristol for £20 from Joseph Growden.
6/8/1706, Robert Heaton ( 3758) sold to his son Robert Heaton, Jr. and son-in-law Thomas Stackhouse land for building a mill in Middletown township between the Neshaminy Creek on the south, and Core Creek on the north. The agreement included permission to dam Core Creek. The Heaton grist mill at Bridgetown was up and running by 1709.
1707, Thomas purchased 1200 acres, with frontage on the Delaware river, from Francis Richardson.
10/8/1708, Grace died; buried in the Middletown Meeting graveyard.
11/1708, Thomas, w/o the designation “Jr”, purchased 1,200 acres “lying by a line of Wrightstown” from Francis Richardson, silversmith of Philadelphia, for £240.
12/22/1710, Thomas [and others] appointed to survey for a Meeting house in Bristol.
1/1/1711, Thomas married 2nd Ann Mayos, widow of Edward Mayos at the Falls Meeting, Bucks Co., PA.
1711, Thomas sold 224 of the acres purchased in 1707 to Zebulon Heston.
10/1711, Thomas a member of the 8-member PA Assembly.
10/1713, Thomas a member of the 8-member PA Assembly.
1715, John Stackhouse conveyed lands to his brother Thomas.
10/1715, Thomas a member of the 8-member Assembly.
10/1716, Thomas elected a member of the 8-member Assembly, but he refused to serve.
10/20/1716, witnessed the wedding of Eleazer Twining.
7/16/1717, Thomas named in the will of his father-in-law, receiving 5 shillings.
7/6/1724, Ann buried at Middletown.
1725, Thomas was literate, signing his son Joseph’s marriage certificate. [See CD]
7/1725, Thomas married 3rd Dorothy Heston, Zebulon’s widow.
7/25/1730, Thomas and his brother John witnessed the will of Joseph Growden.
1/2/1741, Thomas wrote his will, proved 7/14/1744. (S) Doylestown, Office of the Register of Wills, WB2, P37.
6/26/1744, Thomas died in Middletown, Bucks Co., PA.
(S) The History Of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Chapter XI, Middletown, 1692; from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time by W. W. H. Davis, A.M., 1876 and 1905 editions. (S) William R. Stackhouse & Powell Stackhouse, Jr. A Historical Sketch of the First Ancestors of the Stackhouse Family in America. Seattle Press 1907. (S) Middletown Monthly Meeting Of Friends, Authorized Marriages 1685–1810: Bucks Co., PA.

Family notes:
• Cattle earmark of Thomas Stackhouse. (S) The History of Bucks Co., PA, by Davis, 1876.
• Grace served on two marriage clearness committees for the Middletown Women’s Meeting, and one committee to speak with an erring Friend.
• Will of Thomas: “Thomas Stackhouse of Middletown in the co. of Bucks in the Province of Penna. Being weak of body … my last Will and Testament and no other. First. Will my Body to be decently Buryed according to the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named. Secondly. I do will that my Just Debts & funeral charges be duly paid and discharged. Thirdly. I give and bequesth unto my dear and well beloved wife Dorothy Stackhouse my best bed and the furniture thereto belonging and my Servant Girl called Jane also the best pair of chest of Drawers … As also a book of William Bayleys. Fourthly. I do give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Stackhouse his heirs & assigns a certain field of land to be taken off the Eastern end of my plantation joining to Wm Paxon’s land to be laid out as followeth … to the place of the beginning supposed to be about 100 acres (be it more or less) … also I do give my said son Jospeh and his heirs and assigns all my land over the creek beyond the Mill supposed to be about sixty acres … the which he now lives on … unto his son Caleb two pounds …unto my son Benjamin’s son Benjamin the sum of ten pounds … when they attain to twenty one years of age …[if they died to be paid to siblings Joshua and Grace respectively]. Fifthly. The remaining part of the tract of land with the buildings and improvements … I give to my son Issac Stackhouse …reserving unto my wife aforesaid the whole use benefit and privilege of the East end of the House chamber over it and cellar under it and three rows of Apple trees … and wood for fire during her natural life .. if she remains unmarryed … [also to be paid £10 annually by Issac the rest of her life] … Sixthly. All that my tract of land Joyning on the Pidgeon Swamp I give and bequeath to my son Robert Stackhous and my son Thomas Stackhouse … [each also to be paid £5] …unto my son Samuel Stackhouse the sum of ten pounds … Seventhly … pay my daughter Ann Plumly … fifty pounds …daughter Sarah Cary fifty pounds … wife one hundred pounds … Eightly … son Jacob Stackhouse my Lot at Bristol whereon the Brick House stands .. also my lot at Bristol lying between Thomas Marriott’s four acre lot and the old mill Pond … also the sum of ten pounds … Ninthly … Ann Plumly … my lot of land lying between Thos. Mariott’s and Giles Laurence Lots. Tenthly … Satah Cary … my lot in Bristol lying between Radcliff Street & the River Delaware near David Palmers. Eleventhly … Benjamin’s son Benjamin … my Lot in Bristol joining in Mill street between Samuel Cary’s lot and Cedar Street on the Banks of the Creek as also my lot adjoining the lot of Abraham Dornemand …Twelfth, …son in law Euclydus Longshore the sum of five pounds lawful money … Thirteenth the remaining part and residue … unto my son Benjamin’s two children namely Benjamin & Grace …when they shall come of age. Lastly … appoint … wife … son Issac … son in Law Euclydus … Executors…”

Children of Thomas and Grace: (S) WRS 1907, P9.

i. Samuel Stackhouse, born 8/17/1689 in PA.
Samuel married Eleanor Clark. [No children.]

ii. John Stackhouse, born 3/27/1691 in PA.
John never married.
4/4/1714, John died in Bucks Co.

iii. Robert Stackhouse, born 9/8/1692 in PA.
Robert married Margaret Stone.
1719, Robert was disowned by the Society of Friends for horse racing.
1788 Robert died.
Childen:
James Stackhouse, born 1725 in Bucks Co., PA.
He married Martha Hastings, born 1722–1806.
1759 he died in Philadelphia, PA.
Child: Amos Stackhouse, born 1757, married Mary Powell. [Ancestor of President George Bush.]

iv. Henry Stackhouse, born 10/7/1694 in PA.
Henry married Jane ?.

v. Alice Stackhouse ( 939), born 2/1/1699 in PA.
(S) Wedding Record – See No. 938.

vi. Thomas Stackhouse Jr, born 2/2/1701 in PA.
1684, Thomas Jr a land owner in Middletown, PA. (S) Hist. of Bucks Co.
Thomas married Elizabeth ?.
Thomas appears to have moved to Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton Co., PA, above Easton, with his brother Benjamin’s family [and likely his brother Joseph]. After the Revolutionary War Thomas moved to Fishing Creek Settlement, PA where he died. He was a carpenter and farmer.

vii. Joseph Stackhouse, born 5/20/1703 in PA.
1725, Joseph married Sarah Copeland.

viii. Benjamin Stackhouse, born 10/25/1705 in PA.
8/10/1728, Benjamin married Sarah Gilbert. (S) Authorized Marriages 1685–1810.

Children of Thomas and Ann: (S) WRS 1907, P9.

ix. Issac Stackhouse, born 3/11/1712 in PA.
2/4/1714 Issac died as a child.

x. Jacob Stackhouse, born 8/25/1713 in PA.
Jacob married Hannah Watson.

xi. Ann Stackhouse, born 5/15/1715 in PA.
Ann married Charles Plumley.

xii. Sarah Stackhouse, born 6/6/1718 in PA.
10/19/1734, Sarah married Samuel Cary. (S) Authorized Marriages 1685–1810.
(S) 1785 Middletown Tax Records. Samuel with 40 acres.
5/25/1808 Sarah died.

xiii. Issac Stackhouse II, born 7/5/1720 in PA.
10/29/1743, Issac married Mary Harding. (S) Authorized Marriages 1685–1810.
(S) 1782 Middletown Tax Records. Issac with 540 acres, 3 horses, 4 cows.
(S) 1785 Middletown Tax Records. Issac with 525 acres, 1 horse.
1/17/1791 Issac died.
Children:
Issac Stackhouse Jr., born ?.