Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
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Source: October, 1958 Volume 10 Number 2, Pages 43–44

Revolutionary times in Tredyffrin

Mildred B. Fisher

Page 43

When reading through the years 1772 and the next several we always expect to read of Valley Forge or the Paoli Massacre, or should I say the Revolutionary War. Just for a change let us look at the people of Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships through those years and see what they were doing.

The Waynes were a very important family, with Anthony's home in Easttown and his grandmother Ida Ladings Wayne owning property in both Tredyffrin and Easttown; this included the land now known as the Pouter Property just sold (1956) by Miss Margaretta Atkinson in Easttown, the Fisher Home, and the Junior High School land in Tredyffrin. In 1773 Elizabeth Wayne paid taxes for 90 acres, a building, and a horse. The county of Chester had a seventeen-pence tax rate which Isaac Wayne and Anthony Wayne paid on a tan yard, 175 acres, 6 horses, 12 cattle, 25 sheep, and two servants.

No taxes are registered against Anthony Wayne until he came back from the war, and the Neilleys also did not pay taxes until after the war. In 1780 General Anthony Wayne, back from the war, paid taxes on his farm in Easttown and a house and lot in Philadelphia, as well as on 6 teaspoons, 6 tablespoons, and a cream mug, 1 negro, 4 horses, 14 cattle, 16 sheep, and one carriage.

Down in Howellville in the small triangle stood a tavern where Mary Howell was the innkeeper; she owned 120 acres, 2 horses, and 3 cattle. Mary Howell, had plenty of competition, for we find on the tax lists John Phillips, innkeeper, and Richard Robinson, tavernkeeper. John Phillips had 118 acres, and Richard Robinson 200 acres. John Phillips also had 91 acres in Easttown, 3 horses, 5 cows, and a public house. In Easttown Township there was a tax rate for paying the annual interest, etc.

Taxes seemed to have been plenty for that day and, while the assessments and taxations seem small to us, it probably caused many hardships. Among the taxes in 1733 we find a tax for redeeming bills of credit of the United States, a County tax rate, a rate for raising Federal supplies, and a rate in State money. Johnathan Evans who had the Paoli Inn had been tax collector in Tredyffrin since 1770. In 1781 one tax was laid for raising additional supplies and paid to John H. Buckwalter, County Treasurer.

In 1786 we find James Aiken in Tredyffrin paying £ 0, 2s, 6d for the annual interest. He must have been the first of the Aiken family to own property in Tredyffrin. This family gave us a minister, a school director and two doctors, with Dr. Thomas G. Aiken still practicing in Berwyn in 1956.

Page 44

We might think of the families of 1786 as farmers and quiet living people but a glance at the following list tells us they were busy people and full of life as well. We find Isaac Thomas with a fulling mill, Jacob Pervington, Moses Moore, and Isaac Griffith as tavernkeepers, Jacob Baugh and Joseph Walker with sawmills, and Casper Steinmetz with a gristmill.

An over-all picture of Tredyffrin tells us that in 1789 there were 10,252 acres, 214 horses, 267 cows, 2 servants, 3 negroes, 6 gristmills, 4 sawmills, 1 fullmill, 4 taverns, 24 inmates and 17 truman.

What then did the people do in, say, 1798? Well, we find John Rees with 12 acres and 1 horse; he was a storekeeper. In this year there was a glass tax payable to the National Government, and for this tax all houses were described in order to count the glass. John Rees' home is described as a stone building 20 by 19, two story, 5 windows, and 12 glass. William Schofield was described as a tailor. William Webb with 8 acres of ground was a shoemaker, John Yokum a blacksmith, Abraham Priest with 6 acres a tailor, Markley Paniel with 90 acres a shopkeeper, Abel Lewis with 20 acres a joiner, Jarvis Hall with 5 acres a shoemaker, Nathan Hover a weaver, Dr. John Davis physician with 121 acres.

Henry Zook (according to the glass-tax records) had a dwelling of stone and logs 20 by 15 with 2 stories, 3 windows, 15 lights, also 3 windows and 12 lights in the kitchen. His land was valued at £ 400.

In 1799 the tax list included Henry Baugh, a carpenter, and John D. Baugh, a tanner. These were probably among the first of the Baugh family of which we are familiar with Dr. A.W. Baugh, a charter member of the T. E. History Club. John Clymes was a mason, Randal Evans a tanner, Abel Lewis a carpenter, William Downey a weaver, William Schofield a tailor, John Baker a weaver.

The following, while they seemed to have occupations, were listed as Inmates, which probably meant free from tax. Cornelius Conrad Taylor, storekeeper; John Denny, carpenter; John Hampton, shoemaker; James McNeily, fuller; Daniel Thompson, tailor; and Joseph Walker, miller.

And so business and taxes went along as usual and it was not until 1810 that people were taxed for their dogs and everyone seemed to have one.

Then in 1819 and 1820 we find the first County records of paying for schoolchildren. Prior to then it must have been paid through the churches.