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Monday, November 14, 2016

Notebook - Delaware

Delaware Coat of Arms
A Calendar of Delaware Wills, New Castle County, 1682-1800, New York, NY: Frederick Hitchcock, 1911.

Bendler, Bruce. Colonial Delaware Records, 1681-1713, Berwyn Heights, MD: Heritage Books, 2008.
1693 Tax Assessment List Three Lower Counties on Delaware, New Castle County

John Ogle - value 100, rate £-8-4
Thomas Ogle - value 100, rate £-8-4

Johnson, Amandus. The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware, 1638-1664, Vol. I, Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 1911.

Johnson, Amandus. The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware, 1638-1664, Vol. II, Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 1911

Wright, Edward. Colonial Families of Delaware, Vol. 3, Westminster, MD: Willow Bend Books, 2000.
Generation 1
1. Riss/Rice Wolf/Wolfe md. Mary daughter of Francis Cornwall, widow of (--?--) Moore.
At a court 7 Jan. 1706 Rice Wolfe petitioned the court that whereas he hath md. Mary, daughter of Francis Cornwell / Conwell (intestate), dec'd. that he may be ordered his proportionable part of the sd. estate, according to the law.

Francis Cornwall of Sussex Co., acknowledged to his sister Mary Woolfe by deed of remise 206 acres on south side of a branch of Coldspring Creek.  Mary Woolfe by deed of gift acknowledged same to her 3 sons Mathew, William and Rice, 206 acres.

Riss Wolfe, yeoman, d. leaving a will dated 18 Feb. 1715/16. Heirs: sons Mathew, William and Risi Wolfe.  Execs., sons Mathew, William and Risi Wolfe. Wits., Edward Craig, Humphrey Smith.

Mathew Stevens, yeoman, d. leaving a will dated 15 Sep. 1716, proved 4 Dec. 1716. Heirs: wife Mary Stevens; Mathew and William Woolfe (sons of Rice and Mary Woolfe); Mary Wastcoat. Extx., wife Mary Stevens.  Wits., Henry Runnells, Elizabeth Hicraft, Preserved Coggeshall.

On 4 Aug. 1724 Francis Cornwall, yeoman of Sussex Co., gave to his sister, Mary Woolfe, alias Moore, widow, for 5 shillings, 15 acres on White Oak Neck.

On 3 May 1730 William Woolfe, yeoman of Sussex Co., conveyed to David Hazzard of Somerset Co. 200 acres for £42.  The land was bequeathed by Matthew Stevens to Matthew and William Woolf and Matthew d. before coming of age.

On 27 March 1741 Francis Woolf, carpenter, conveyed to William Burton 166 acres for £80. Land is one moiety of a greater tract which Francis Cornwell, son of Francis Cornwell dec'd., late of Sussex Co., by deed of release conveyed to his sister Mary Woolf on 1 May 1716.  Mary Woolf bequeathed the land to her sons, William Woolf and Rice to be equally divided between them.  Rice Woolf on 10 May 1734 conveyed his part to his bro. Francis Woolf.

On 4 Aug. 1755 Warrington Woolf of Sussex Co., yeoman, for £50 sold to William Davis a tract of land, part of a larger tract given by Frances Cornwell to his sister Mary Woolf by deed of release dated 1 May 1716 and she made over the same to her three children, Matthew Woolf, William Woolf and Rice Woolf.  The said Matthew and Rice d. intestate without issue and land became vested aforesaid.  William Woolf who also d. intestate leaving issue the aforesaid Warrington Woolf and a daughter Comfort who md. William Prettyman, Jr. who with his wife consented to a division of the 206 acres and Comfort dying without issue the 70 acres reverted aforesaid Warrington Woolf.

Riss was the following children: Matthew d. in his minority; 3. William; 4. Risi /Rice/Rees; 5. Francis.
2. (--?--) Woolf, probable brother of Rice (1) Woolf, probably had a son 6. Rees.

Generation 2

3. William Woolf, son of Rice (1), d.s.p. [descessit sine prole, died without issue] intestate by 4 Aug. 1755 md. Tilney Warrignton (b. Oct. 1711,) daughter of William and Comfort Warrignton.  They were parents of the following children: 7 Warrinton b. 23 March 1731; Comfort b. 12 Aug. 1734, dsp md. William Prettyman Jur.
Tilney Woolf md. 2) William Little.  They were parents of the following children: William b. 3 Dec. 1740; Jean b. 2 Feb. 1742/3.
4. Reese Woolf, probable son of Riss/Rice (1) Wolfe, md. Sarah (--?--) dsp prior to 1755.

5. Francis Woolfe, son of Riss/Rice (1) Woolfe, d. by 5 May 1746, md. Sarah who later md. (--?--) Brooksby or Brooks.
On 5 May 1746 Cornelius Turner, William Gill and Joseph Turner were bound to Francis Woolfe in the sum of £421.4, the condition being that if Cornelius Turner, William Gill and Joseph Turner with Francis Woolfe and for his proper debtors were jointly bound to Thomas Lawrence of Philadelphia for the payment of the sum of £210.12 whereas the said Francis Woolfe for the safety of the sureties hath conveyed to them a tract called Pasture Neck, then the aforesaid obligation shall be in full force against the said obligors in order to compel them to reconvey the said land to the said Francis Woolfe and whereas Francis Woolfe by his will devised the land to his sons Rice, William, Jonathan and John Woolfe after the death of his wife Sarah.
Francis Wolfe, carpenter, father of Rice Woolfe  bought 250 acres on 7 May 1746 and died without sufficient personal estate to satisfy his several creditors and the tract was taken in execution at the suit of afsd. Rice Woolfe.
On 8 Sep. 1757 Rice Woolfe and William Woolfe, sons of Francis Woolfe, dec'd. on behalf of themselves and afsd. Rice as guardian to Jonathan and John Woolfe, minor sons of afsd. Francis Woolfe, and Sarah Brooksby, formerly wife of Francis Woolfe, extx. of his will, acknowledge to have received from John Rodeney, high sheriff, £238.11.3 1/2 it being the surplusage of the consideration money recovered by Rice Woolfe against Sarah Brooksby in which the tract Pasture Neck, 250 acres was sold to sd. Rice Woolf.

Francis was father of the following children: Patience b. 6 Feb. 1746; Rice; William; Jonathan; John; Naomi, md. Sanders Darby.
6. Rees Woolf probable son of (--?--) Woolf (2), md. Comfort, daughter of Robert Burton; and widow of Thomas Prettyman and widow of Thomas Walker.
On 1 May 1765 Thomas Prettyman of Worcester Co., MD, for £10 sold to Burton Waples a tract of land whereas Robert Burton by his will of 16 Sep. 1724 he directed that a 1100 acre tract in Indian River Hundred be divided in 7 equal parts and 1/2 of one of those parts was given to his daughter Comfort Walker and the other to her two children which she had by a former husband, and Comfort md. Reese Woolf and the said Rees Woolf and his wife Comfort on 3 Aug. 1762 gave to Thomas Prettyman, one of said Comfort's children, all their right to the afsd. land.

Rees Woolf, innholder, Lewes, d. leaving a will dated 1 March 1772, proved 21 April 1773.  Heirs: daughter Mary Paynter; grandsons Rees, Richard and Samuel Paynter.  Extx. daughter Mary Paynter, Wits.: Reece Woolf, Jr., Ann Reed, John McCullah.

Rees was father of Mary who married (--?--) Paynter and had children: Rees, Richard and Samuel Paynter. 
Generation 3

7. Warrington Woolf, son of William (3) Woolf, md. Patience Johnson, daughter of Samuel Johnson.
On 3 Aug. 1762 John Pool of Sussex County and his wife Temperance, Samuel walls and his wife Mary, and Warrington Woolf and his wife Patience, daus. of Samuel Johnson dec'd., for £3 and natural love quit claim to Samuel Johnson and William Johnson, sons of Samuel Johnson, all their right in a tract in Indian River Hundred.

Warrington and Patience were parents of Frances, b. 29 Sep. 1767; Patience bapt. 1 March 1770.
8. William Woolf, son of Francis (5) Woolf.
William Woolf, weaver, d. leaving a will dated 16 Sep. 1759, proved 29 Sep. 1757.  Heirs: mother Sarah Brooks; bros. Rice,  John and Jonathan Woolf; sister Naomi Darby (wife of Sanders Darby); brother-in-law Sanders Darby. Exec. bro. Rice Woolf. Wits., J. Rodney, Simon Darby, John Prettyman.
9. Reece Wolfe, probable son of Francis (5) Woolfe, probably md. 1st Sarah (--?--) and md. 2nd Mary White (b. 6 May 1738, d. 28 April 1799).
Sarah, wife of Reese Woolf, d. 15 Jan. 1771, age 33 years, 8 mos., 1 day.  Also infant Daniel nunez Wolfe, son of Sarah and Reese.

Rees Wolfe, Lewes, b. 15 July 1733, d. 4 May 1797, buried 5 May 1797.

Reece Wolfe, d. leaving a will dated 17 April 1797, proved 10 May 1797.  Heirs: wire Mary Wolfe; sons Reece, William, Daniel, Henry, George, Benjamin and David Wolfe; children of dec'd. daughter Comfort Orr; children of daughter Sarah Marriner; Jane Russell.  Extx., wife Mary Wolfe. Wits., James Wiltbank, William Polk, Daniel Rodney, John Parker.

Mary Wolfe, Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred, d. leaving a will dated 1 Oct. 1798, proved 30 April 1799.  Heirs: sons Reece, William, Daniel, Henry, David and George Wolfe, dau. Sarah Marriner (wife of Simon Marriner); grandsons George, Gilbert and Reece Marriner (sons of Sarah and Simon), David, John and William Orr (sons of dec'd. dau. Comfort Orr); granddaus. Jane Russell (dau. of Sarah and Simon Marriner), Mary and Kittura Orr (daus. of dec'd. dau. Comfort Orr).  Execs., sons William, Daniel, Henry, David and George Wolfe, Wits., Jacob Wolfe, Hannah Nunez, Sarah Burton.

Mary Wolf, Lewes, buried 29 April 1799.
Reece was father of the following children 1. Daniel Nunez, based on Turner, and the following based on Bible Records  Delaware of Col. David Hall Chapter NSDAR, Vol. V: 
2. Francis b. 14 June 1755, d. 10 May 1785
3. Ann b. 8 or 9 Oct. 1756, d. 10 June
4. Comfort b. 9 Oct. 1758, d. 18 April 1798, md. 16 Dec. 1781, John Orr, mariner, and had children: David, John, William, Mary and Kittura
5. Esther, b. 24 Nov. 1760, d. 3 March 1788 (?)
6. Reece b. 19 Sep. 1762, d. 19 Feb. 1846, md. 20 Nov. 1783
7. Mary b. 26 July 1764, d. 2 Oct. 1765
8. William b. 15 July 1766, d. 7 July 1818, md. 12 Nov. 1788, Polly Becket
9. John b. 10 July 1768, d. 25 Oct. 1768
10. Sarah b. 11 Sep. 1769, d. 13 April 1817, md. 1) John Russel and 2) Simon Marriner on 25 June 1788
11. Daniel b. 5 March 1772, d. 22 May 1824 md. 19 July 1795 Nancy Milby
12. Benjamin b. 3 March 1774
13. David b. 14 march 1776, d. 27 March 1814
14. Henry b. 11 Sep. 1778, d. 7 March 1802, md. Elizabeth (--?--) and had a son Francis b. 2 April 1801
15. George b. 15 Oct. 1780, d. 7 March 1814 or 1815

Wright, Edward. Early Church Records of New Castle County, Vol. I, Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications, 1994.
Map of New Castle County showing the Hundreds

Volume One of this series coves a number of church registers and other records discussed below.  All births through 31 December 1800 were copied, regardless of the date of baptism.  In the case of most denominations the date of baptism usually indicates an approximate date of birth.  This does not apply, of course, to the Baptists who baptized as adults. 

Volume Two is a reprint of the register of Old Swedes Church, taken from the translation by Horace Burr.

Old Swedes Church - Among the original colony of Swedes who settled in Delaware and built Fort Christina in 1638 was Rev. Reorus Torkillus, who established religious worship in the fort, the first meeting-place for Christians on the Delaware, and there it was continued until the church at Tinicum was erected in 1646.  Crane Hook Church is said to have been built in 1667, probably by the united efforts of the Dutch congregation of the Swedes.  It was used for public worship until the "Old Swedes' Church" was built in 1698 on the present site.  Lutheran in denomination the church was the religious center for not only the Swedes but English and persons of various ethnicity and religious affiliation, as evidenced by the names of those who were baptized, married or buried.  Eventually Swedish ministers were replaced by English ministers under cordial circumstances.
Society of Friends (Quakers) - Friends began settling on the east side of the Brandywine in New Castle County around 1682.  It was named the Newark Meeting and was continued until 1754.  In 1705 a meeting house was built in New Castle which declined in membership until it was finally discontinued in 1758.  Its members then attended the meeting at Wilmington.  A Monthly Meeting was held in New Castle in 1686.  In 1687 this meeting decided that it was "more convenient for the present that the meeting be held twice on the other side of the Brandywine and the third which will be the Quarterly Meeting at New Castle."  From 1689 to 1704 the Monthly Meeting seems to have been "held at Valentine Hollingsworth's and other Friends' houses," and was called Newark Monthly Meeting.  The last monthly meeting held at Newark was in 1707.  It was generally held at Centre though someimtes in Kennett, from that date until 1760, when its name was changed to the Kennett Monthy Meeting.

The Wilmington Preparative Meeting was established in 1739.  A Wilmington Monthly Meeting was established in 1750 by Chester (Concord) Quarterly Meeting out of Kennett Monthly Meeting.  It was in 1750 that the records begin.  Wilmington Monthly Meeting included the particular meetings of Wilmington and New Castle at that time.

Anglicans (Protestant Episcopal) - See also Old Swedes' Church which became Holy Trinity Church.
The Emanuel Protestant Episcopal Church of New Castle was established in 1704.  Rev. George Ross was sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts as its first minister in 1705. 

St. Ann's was the earliest organized congregation in the southern portion of New Castle County.  It was organized before 1704.  The Anglican church at St. Georges was founded by Welsh families prior to 1707.  In 1720 land was granted in Mill Creek Hundred for the use of St. James' Church.  There are no known early registers surviving for any of these churches.

Baptists - It was in the 18th century that William Penn granted to David Evans and William Davis 30,000 acres of land to be divided and deeded to settlers from South Wales, some of whom had at that time settled in Radnor Township, Chester County, Penn.  This grant, ever after known as "The Welsh Tract," is located partly in Pencarder Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware and partly in Cecil County, Maryland.  About one-fourth of the tract lay in Maryland.  Thomas Griffith, their first minister, came from Pembroke and Carmarthenshire, South Wales in 1701, and soon after erected a long meeting house in which they worshiped until another structure was built in 1746. The original records for several years were kept in the Welsh language, afterwards in English.

The First Baptist Church of Wilmington, was established in 1785.  We have no indication of the existence of these records prior to 1800.  Bethel Baptist Church of New Castle Hundred was begun ca. 1786.

Presbyterians - The First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington took its beginning in 1737 when land was purchased.  Three years later a church was erected at the present corner of 10th and Market Streets today.  Rev. Robert Cathcart preached there every fourth Sunday until his death.  The Second Presbyterian Church was formed by members from the First Church in 1774 with Rev. Joseph Smith as pastor.  The name was changed to Christiana Church in 1787.
Other Presbyterian churches founded in the 1700s include the following: Old Drawyers Presbyterian Church (ca. 1710); Presbyterian Church on Pigeon Run (ca. 1730); White Clay Presbyterian Church (ca. 1721) in Mill Creek Hundred; Presbyterian Congregation of Head of Christiana Church (1708); Christiana Presbyterian Church (1730-1738) in White Clay Creek Hundred; Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church in Pencader Hundred (ca. 1720); St. George's Presbyterian Church (early 1700s); Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church (1722); Forest Presbyterian Church (1742).

Methodists - The Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church of Wilmington began in 1766 with the sermon by Captain Webb, a British army officer near what is now the corner of King and 8th Streets.  The church was completed in 1789.  There are no known 18th century records extant.

Other Methodist churches which were established in the late 1700s include the following: White's Chapel in Appoquinimink Hundred, Dickerson's Chapel near Dexter's Corner and Bethel Church (Cloud's Chapel).

Immanuel Church - Parish Register
A Register of Christenings in the Parish of Emmanuel Church at New Castle, from Mr. Rosse's entering upon the cure of said Parish, which was the 29th August, 1714.

Infant Benjamin, son of Thomas Ogle, of White Clay Creek, November 20, 1715.
Marriages
License. Jeremiah Ball & Mary Ogle, married at St. James' Church, October 10, 1717.
License. Joseph Parks & Ann Sinclair, May 27, 1761
License. Peter Hance & Mary Ogle, July 30, 1761

Marriage bonds of Newcastle County
2 June 1750 Thomas Ogle Junior of Christiana Hd. yeoman, Katherine Springer of New Castle Co., spinster, surety, George James of Christiana Hd. yeoman, wit: Rich. McWilliam.

27 May 1761 Joseph Parks of Chester Co., tanner, Anne Sinkler of Chester Co., widow, surety, Daniel McLonen of New Castle town, Innholder, wit.: Rd. McWilliam.

Revised 5/10/2024

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