ART. I.-A Chronological Summary of events and circumstances connected with the origin and progress of the doctrine and practices of the Quakers. A. D. Continued from Vol. III, p. 375. William Penn, having constituted Andrew Hamilton, Esq. 1701. (one of the Proprietors of East New Jersey) his Deputy in the government of Pennsylvania, and James Logan Secretary of the province and Clerk of the Council of the same, sails for England. (a) 1701-2. Decease of James Stuart. Address of Friends to William III: demise of that King, and accesion of Queen Anne. William Penn in favour at Court. This year [1701] put a period to the life of King James; who died at the palace of Germains in France the 17th of September. Upon his death, his son by order of the French king [and contrary to express agreement with William III, (b)] was proclaimed in France king of the British dominions. The Society through its Meeting for Sufferings in London joined, on this occasion, in addressing the Throne with professions (which they, of all William's subjects, might surely offer) of loyalty to the Government, and of good desires for the king de facto; now and long since become the nation's head, de jure also. The address was presented by George Whitehead, William Mead, and Francis Camfield. The King received it kindly, and replied with a promise of (a) Proud, Hist. Pennsylv. i, 452. (b) Burnet, H. O. T. iii. 277. protection for the Society: but keeping it some days by him unpublished, in the mean time the Jacobites put forth in Holland an impudent fabrication in French, in its place; which was speedily put down by the printing of the real address. (c) King William's health had been for some time declining, when a fall from his horse hastened his dissolution. He departed this life at Kensington the 8th of the month called March, 1702, in the 52nd year of his age, leaving deep impressions of gratitude to his memory in the minds of many of his subjects.' (d) The Princess Anne his successor being now seated on the throne, William Penn was taken into favour, and was often at Court. This kind of protection did not contribute strength to his Transatlantic government-nor, probably, security to his property at home: but it seems to have been the only way in which he could, now, be defended against the open assaults of envious and implacable spirits. He dwelt in lodgings at Kensington, and afterwards in other places near the Court; and employed himself for some years in the ministry and with his pen. He wrote Considerations on a Bill against occasional conformity', which had been introduced into the Commons' house of Parliament,also More Fruits of Solitude' and some occasional prefaces to the works of Friends. 1702. Decease of Margaret, Widow of George Fox. 6 This truly religious woman, and eminent member of the Society, 'was the daughter of John Askew, of Marsh Grange in the parish of Dalton, Lancashire; a gentleman of an ancient family and good estate; and conspicuous for piety and charity. She was married very young to Thomas Fell, who being bred a lawyer was made a Justice of peace, was a member of several parliaments, appointed Vice-chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, and after some time a Welch Judge: in which stations he acquitted himself with honour, being in reputation for wisdom, justice, moderation, and clemency. He deceased in the year 1658, having been married twenty-six years, and left a son and seven daughters. He never professed with the quakers, but he was attached to their worship and principles, and suffered them to meet at his house. After a widowhood of eleven years, Margaret Fell became the wife of George Fox; and she survived him about the same length of time. That she was a woman of good sense and true greatness of mind, is evident from her behaviour and defence, on her trial for refusing to swear. That she was a prudent mother, and skiful manager of her family and domestic concerns, appeared in [this that] her daughters were all well married, honourable and accomplished women. She was conspicuous for virtue in Civil society-but this procured her no respect from those who could see no virtue without the pale of conformity: she was eminent for her rank and services in Religious society, and therefore was distinguished by a peculiar severity of persecution. She was honourable in her life; and gave evidence that she was well prepared for her death, by her excellent expressions near her conclusion.' She died in or about the eighty-seventh year of her age. (e) (c) Sewel, ii, 549. (d) Gough iii, 458. (e) Idem iv, 9. Piety pr: pt. 9. A. D. 1702. The proprietors of East and West New Jersey, divided for some years by conflicting interests, to the detriment of the Province, surrender their right of government to the Crown: Lord Cornbury obtains the post of Governor. The Instrument of surrender (which is pretty long, and executed by about fifty persons) may be seen in Smith's New Jersey:' the acceptance by Queen Anne is as follows: "At the Court at St. James's, the 17th day of April, 1702. "Present: The Queen's most excellent majesty. His Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark, Lord Keeper, Lord Steward, Duke of Bolton Duke of Schomberg, Lord Great Chamberlain, Earl Marshal, Lord High Admiral, Lord Chamberlain Earl of Dorset, Earl of Manchester, Earl of Stamford, Earl of Burlington, Earl of Radnor, Earl of Berkely, Earl of Bradford, Earl of Ranelagh, Lord Ferrers, Lord Godolphin Mr. Comptroller, Mr. Vice Chamberlain, Mr. Secretary Vernon, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord Chief Justice, Sir Charles Hedges, "This day the several proprietors of East and West New Jersey, in America, did in person present a deed of surrender by them executed, under their hands and seals, to her majesty in council, and did acknowledge the same to be their act and deed; and humbly desired her majesty to accept the same, that it might be enrolled in the court of chancery; whereby they did surrender their power of the government of those plantations: Which her majesty graciously accepted, andwas pleased to order, as it is hereby ordered, that the same be enrolled in her majesty's said high court of chancery; and the said instruments are to be delivered to Mr. Attorney General, who is to take care that the same be enrolled accordingly." (f) Lord Cornbury, furnished with a whole volume of minute Instructions, arrived out in the month called August 1703,' and ruled in the most arbitrary manner (not without frequent remonstrances from the Assembly) for five years; (g) when in consequence of the complaints sent home, he was superseded by John Lord Lovelace, Baron of Hurley ; under whose administration I must for the present leave the province. 1703. The Province and Territories of Pennsylvania, not being able to agree in Legislation, resolve on having separate Assemblies, as provided in their Charter from the Proprietary. Andrew Hamilton, deputy-governor of Pennsylvania, being deceased, John Evans comes out to the province as his Successor, and behaves imprudently in his station. (f) Smith p. 209, 219. (g) Samuel Jenings (of whom see Vol. III. p 25) was upon occasion the organ of these, as speaker of the Assembly. When interrupted by Cornbury (who tried to intimidate him) he would read over again, and with greater emphasis, the ungrateful passages: so that the Governor, with some emotion, once told those about him, Jenings had impudence enough to face the devil. Governor Evans was a young man, and inexperienced: whose private life and morals, moreover, gave the sober citizens occasion of offence. He treated the non-resisting principle as a mere notion, which would never endure a serious trial:' granted a Commission for privateering, and in 1706 (it being a time of war with France and Spain) finding Friends very averse to military requisitions, he determined to quicken them by a false alarm, of a hostile armament coming up the river. His measures were so well concerted for this purpose, that upon the arrival of the express bringing the pretended intelligence, the city was thrown into a disgraceful state of alarm; many of the people hastily secreting their valuables, and getting away in boats to the creeks and upper parts of the Delaware; while Evans rode about with his sword drawn, cheaply acting the hero. Not above four persons, of those who had any pretence to be connected with Friends, appeared however on this occasion in arms and the speedy detection of the trick threw much disgrace on the parties conspiring-among whom a much better character than Evans, the Secretary Logan, was unhappily charged; and had the imprudence to endeavour to palliate the act, and excuse the Governor. The resentment of the people was in consequence shewn, both by themselves and through their representatives, against both. Evans had got a law passed for the maintenance of a fort at Newcastle-upon Delaware; and he exacted (contrary to the Charter of the Province) a duty, of half a pound of gunpowder per ton measurement, from all merchant vessels, passing up the river, not chiefly owned by Delaware people. Should the ship not drop anchor and send on shore for a pass, she was to pay £5 for contempt; beside 20s. for the first gun, 30s. for the second, and 40s. for every subsequent one, fired to bring her to. After this had been endured for a while, finding all remonstrance ineffectual, Richard Hill one of the Governor's council, a bold man, of considerable abilities and influence in the province, with Isaac Norris and Samuel Preston, determined on removing the nuisance by taking the law into their own hands.' Hill (who was bred to the sea) had a vessel named the Philadelphia, loaded and ready to sail; and doubting the master's resolution to second his views, chose to go himself on board, in company with Norris and Preston, and force a passage! They dropt anchor short of the fort; where Norris and Preston went on shore, and certified the officers, of the vessel's being cleared out; requesting to be let pass. This being refused, Hill took the command of the sloop, stood to the helm, and passed (though fired on till she was clear) with only a shot through the mainsail. John French, the commandant (the man who had served them the false alarm at Philadelphia) put off, in a boat manned and armed, and came along side. Hill ordered a rope to be thrown him, and French got on deck-but was no sooner there than the boat was cut adrift, and himself conducted to the cabin. Having however no mind for the voyage to England, he submitted to be taken before Lord Cornbury, who as Governor of New Jersey claimed to be Vice-Admiral on the river; He and was then at Salem, a little lower down on the Jersey side. was here sufficiently reprimanded; and promising another conduct was dismissed, not without marks of derision from some of the attendants.-The fort-duties soon fell to the ground. I suppose the parties who thus vindicated their rights, and who were all highly respectable quakers, and (then or subsequently) in official stations of the greatest importance, knew pretty well, before they proceeded on the enterprize, the character of the bully they had to deal with—and had good reason to believe that no bloodshed would ensue. Their friends, however, who heard the report of the guns at Philadelphia, were under no small uneasiness for them; till they returned successful to the city. Richard Hill did not content himself with a passage for his own vessel: he attended the Assembly, petitioned, and prevailed on them to address the Governor in resentment of his proceedings. In 1709, Governor Evans was removed from the administration, and was succeeded by Charles Gookin. Note. Having mentioned Secretary Logan in a transaction not to the advantage of his character, I think fit here to insert a Memoir of him, which I find in Proud. It may serve as a specimen of the sort of persons, who having come out with Penn, were for many years the leaders of the (comparatively moderate and peaceable) factions of the rising colonies of Pennsylvania and the Jerseys. I say factions-for without something of this kind I have never yet seen public business done: nor shall (I believe) till Reason rule us all. "James Logan was descended of a family originally from Scotland; where, in the troubles of that country occasioned by the affair of Earl Gawrie, in the reign of James the VI, his grandfather, Robert Logan, was deprived of a con siderable estate; in consequence of which his father, Patrick Logan, being in reduced circumstances, removed into Ireland, and fixed his residence at Lurgan, the place of his son James's birth. Patrick Logan had the benefit of a good education, in the university of Edinburgh; where he commenced Master of arts; -but afterwards joined in religious society with the Quakers.-This, his son, James Logan, being endowed with a good genius, and favoured with a suitable education, made considerable proficiency in divers branches of learning and science; after which he went to England; from whence, in 1699, and about the 25th of his age, he removed to Pennsylvania in company with William Penn, in his latter voyage to America; and, in 1701, he was, by commission from the Proprietary, appointed Secretary of the province, and Clerk of the Council for the same. "His life was afterwards much employed in public affairs:-The department allotted him, in the time of the Governors Evans and Gookin, exposed him to much altercation with David Lloyd, then at the head of the Assembly as Speaker, and a large number that joined him. He adhered to what was deemed the proprietary interest; and exerted himself with great fidelity to it. He held the several offices of Provincial Secretary, Commissioner of property, Chief Justice, and for near two years governed the province, as President of the Council. "Many years before his death he retired pretty much from the hurry and incumbrance of public affairs, and spent the latter part of his time principally at Stanton, his country seat near Germantown, about five or six miles from Philadelphia; where he enjoyed, among his books, that leisure in which men of letters take delight, and corresponded with the literati in different parts of Europe. He was well versed in both ancient and modern learning, acquainted with the oriental tongues, a master of the Latin, Greek, French and Italian languages; deeply |