|
Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 24 |
Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
|
Source: July 1986 Volume 24 Number 3, Pages 99–104 Gwynedd Meeting Gwynedd Quaker Meeting evolved from two earlier ones in the so-called "Welsh Barony", where the Radnor Meetinghouse was built in 1693 and the Merion one in 1695. From the Radnor Meeting one Hugh Roberts made a return visit to Wales. There he gave such a glowing account of the land and area that a group was inspired to band together and settle in America on a suitable piece of land near the Haverford district. William John and Thomas Evans were sent ahead of the other members of the company to select and purchase a site. They were seeking a large unsettled tract adaptable to farming, where all could settle. They found this tract east of the Schuylkill about 16 miles north of Philadelphia. It had been conveyed by William Penn to Robert Turner, and in 1698 Turner conveyed 7,820 acres to this group of Welshmen. (By edict, in 1701 all land in the Philadelphia area was resurveyed, and the tract was found to be actually 11,449 acres, or 17.9 square miles, in size.) With land secured, the company sailed on the ship "Robert and Elizabeth", going first to Ireland in April 1698, and then in May heading for Philadelphia. This leg of the journey took eleven sorry weeks, for illness broke out and many were buried at sea. Among the family names on the trip appear John, Evans (there were four Evans brothers), Foulke, Griffith, and Jones -- plus two Quakers, named John Hugh and John Humphrey. They named this new land "Gwynedd". Gwynedd was pronounced Gwin-eth by the Welsh, and also sometimes Gwin-edith. It means "white land", and the name symbolizes pure, beautiful, untaken, virgin country and was appropriate for this new land. Meetings for worship were held here in their homes by the two Quakers, John Hugh and John Humphrey. The other inhabitants were members of the Church of England and met in the homes of Robert Evans and Cadwalader(or Cadwallader) Evans. At one of these meetings one of the hosts suggested that they visit the Quaker Meeting to see how they were doing. From a manuscript in the Friends' records, believed to have been written by James Foulke, a grandson of Cadwallader Evans, it is noted, "They were so well satisfied with their [the Friends'] mode and manner of worship that they never met again in their usual form of worship." Thus Gwynedd became Quaker instead of Anglican. Gwynedd is mentioned first in the minutes of the Radnor Monthly Meeting dated the 14th of the 1st month [March], 1700, indicating that the Gwynedd Meeting must have been formed in 1699. ("Radnor" and "Haverford" were apparently used interchangeably in early records.) By 1700 the Meeting had grown to such a strength as to justify a meetinghouse. Ground was acquired at what is now DeKalb Pike and Sumneytown Pike, on an elevation, and the first structure, a log one, was erected. A story recorded by the granddaughter of Hugh Evans says that in 1700 or 1701 William Penn and his daughter Letitia, with a servant, visited Thomas Evans, who had a home on the Sumneytown Pike just above the Meetinghouse. Son Hugh, 11 or 12 years old at the time, was eager to see the famous man, and so he crept up the exterior stairs and peered through a chink in the wall. There he saw Penn, on his knees giving thanks for a safe haven in the wilderness. This Gwynedd Meeting was under the guidance of the Radnor Meeting, which recorded the vital statistics and assigned men to see that things ran as they should. At first it was Cadwallader Evans and John Hugh who were in charge; later it was Robert Evans and Edward Foulke. Before 1712 it was necessary to build a larger meetinghouse. Although the log structure was in good condition, it was torn down and a larger stone one was built in its place. Thirteen years later, in 1725, an addition was put on this new building. The distance to Radnor or Haverford seemed great, and plans were made to affiliate the Meeting with Plymouth. So in 1714 Gwynedd became a Monthly Meeting. As such they could keep their own minutes, which for the most part included records of births, marriages, and deaths. In 1714 all but five of the 49 resident taxables were Welsh, but 150 years later the Welsh were only one-tenth of the population. The period following 1714 was one of growth and spiritual power. The members were prosperous and their spokesmen were helping to form other Meetings, several of which were established under Gwynedd's care. John Evans and Evan Evans were the principal spokesmen who traveled near and far, even to England, Holland and Germany. The financial success of the members also extended outward and they often helped the needy with food and their debts. They always stressed peace and their own disciplines. The Boones, Lincolns, and Hankses, ancestors of Daniel Boone and Abraham Lincoln, belonged to this Meeting and the one that the Gwynedd Meeting helped establish at Oley, about 30 miles to the west. Daniel Boone was born at the "Boone Homestead", located about five miles south of Oley,just north of the present Route U.S. 422, and a "Lincoln Homestead" is about a mile farther south. Records state that these families intermarried, as did others, thus strngthening the feeling of unity between the two communities. The Lincolns moved to Virginia and the Boones to North Carolina in around 1750. The Revolutionary War found many in a quandary. Some attended military drill, for which they were read out of Meeting unless they admitted to sorrow for their military acts. The Meetinghouse became a hospital for wounded and sick soldiers during the winter of 1777-78, and Meeting was held in the home of Evan Evans. In 1808 a new road was laid out on the south side of the building. There had been agitation for protection for the horses and carriages during Meeting, and in 1810 permission was granted to erect a shed 54 feet long for this purpose. This was soon outgrown, and by the spring of 1822 a shed large enough to accommodate 42 carriages and nine single horses had been erected. Its cost was $840.88 1/2, and subscriptions of $888.50 left a small balance. (In 1948 it cost almost that much to repair five bays of the sheds!) The Meeting also purchased six sheds that had been erected for private use, for $11 each. What a picture the 50 or so horses and carriaqes must have made! It is not difficult to imagine members standing about on First Day morning, feeling proud of their possessions when in reality they were there for worship service. One day they were surprised to find the following advertisement nailed on the door:
"Market without and Meeting within, Thoughts again turned to improvement of the Meetinghouse. In 1821 Jesse Foulke left $200 to be applied to a new house; then his wife left $100. But how could a committee of 41 members decide the next move? Repair of the old building seemed inadvisable, so plans for a whole new house went forward. The old meetinghouse was torn down, and in 1823 a new one went up on the same site. Some of the old materials were re-used. The new meetinghouse, still of stone, measured 75 feet by 40 feet; its cost was $3494.11. The porticoes were added in 1847. Often when a group grows, dissenters also grow. So it was with the Quakers, and in 1827 a group who were displeased with some of the practices withdrew. In Philadelphia the Race Street Yearly Meeting became Hicksite. The split caused a period of low activity among the Gwynedd members. Most of the members in Montgomery County were Hicksite, while in Philadelphia the majority were Orthodox. The Hicksites put emphasis on direct communion with God, called "Inward Light", while the Orthodox faction put more reliance on the Scriptures. They wanted all to accept a common set of beliefs, while the Hicksites more liberally accepted many positions and beliefs. (One Willistown woman was not allowed to enter at Westtown School because her parents were too liberal; she went to Abington for high school and then to Swarthmore College.) The problem of slavery concerned the minds of the Quakers as early as in 1756. While some admitted to owning blacks, who were reportedly well treated and some of whom even attended Meeting, as a rule Quakers did not engage in buying and selling negroes. By 1790 the Gwynedd Meeting was free of slavery, and the members were concerned with the welfare of the negroes, and also with the welfare of the American Indians, and with education in general. The Orthodox group refused to fight in the Civil War, but the Hicksites believed they should help eliminate slavery. The schism between Orthodox and Hicksite took 120 years to heal, for it was in 1955 that the two factions were reunited. In the latter part of the 1800s several new Meetings were established, among them Whitemarsh, Norristown and Ambler. In keeping with the times, Gwynedd held a joint session of men and women in 1892; it proved so satisfactory that five years later the practice of joint meetings was continued permanently, Gwynedd entered a period some call its "ebb tide" in the late 19th century. The Meeting, however, thought enough of its children, and those of the community, to maintain a day school. After a huge Foulke family reunion was held in 1898, a new frame addition was built on the Meetinghouse in 1903 to expand the school facilities and to hold the Quarterly Meeting lunches. The First World War stimulated an interest in Quakerism and participation in local and national affairs. They worked with other churches, aided colored schools, sponsored lectures, sent recommendations to the U.S. Senators on the peace treaties. The new American Friends Service Committee appealed to everyone, and Gwynedd contributed to its work. Young Friends began to be an important part of the Meeting. As Gwynedd grew, the advisability of establishing an independent Meeting was favorably considered. On September 18, 1936 the new Monthly Meeting convened for the first time. Gwynedd reorganized, and continued to devote a great interest in young people and social work. From 41 members in 1936, the religious school grew to 72 in 1938, and to 270 (118 of them non-Quakers) in 1940. World War II severely tested the peace testimony held by the young people. The Meeting advised them with peace and love, rather than forcing them into a fixed course of action. Thus some were in civilian public service, and others entered the military. In 1943 it was felt that the school building should be enlarged. By 1945 a two-story addition had been made to the meetinghouse and the 1903 frame section remodeled. All but five bays of the neglected carriage sheds were removed and a new parking lot and driveway were built. In 1965 both the Meeting and the township celebrated their 250th anniversary at the meetinghouse. Howard M. Jenkins, the historian for this colony of Welshmen from Gwynedd, as they had called North Wales for a thousand years, has noted that this Gwynedd was strong from its beginning. The arrival of the settlers, who had prospered in their own land, in a body, their purchase of a whole township and occupation of it, made a notable proceeding. This Welsh company, composed of a dozen families or more and moving with a concerted and harmonious step, commanded attention. Their unity of thought, industry, zeal, training and ideals served them and our country well. Let us thank them for their good works and let us hope that this spirit will continue. TopFoulkeways To come to the story of Foulkeways itself we retrogress a bit. In 1823 a young Dr. Antrim Foulke, descended from the family of Edward and Eleanor Foulke who came with the first group from Wales on the ship "Robert and Elizabeth", came here from Quakertown to practice with his uncle. The older man did not live much longer, and nephew Antrim bought a house and farm lands from a Morgan Morgan, a blacksmith. Morgan had built the house in 1817; it still stands at the point of the intersection of Meetinghouse Road and the present Route 202. Eventually the house went to Dr. Antrim's granddaughter, May Foulke Beaumont. At first the Beaumonts, who lived in Philadelphia, used the property as a summer home only; later it was remodeled for permanent living. After May Beaumont's husband died (she had predeceased him), the property -- two houses, a barn, and the land -- were left in 1945 to the Gwynedd Meeting. The bequest was made in memory of his wife, as it had been her wish that he do so. It was a surprise to the Quakers, who were at a loss as how best to use it and care for it. The house was made into apartments, and eventually sold. But for nearly 20 years they discussed and prayed over the use of the land. Suggestions included using it for a school, a golf course, a park, a museum, and for low-rent housing. Then someone came up with the idea of a retirement community for elderly persons. The suggestion caught on at once; a committee was formed; and one member even went to California to see such an establishment there. A Board of prominent men with vision was chosen and money was borrowed, even though no one was positive that the venture would succeed. The Yearly Meeting in Philadelphia advanced some cash as the Gwynedd Meeting had none to spare. When it came time to choose a name for the project, Dr. Antrim Foulke was remembered, for he had been a benefactor of the local community in many ways. Hence the name "Foulkeways". Gwynedd Meeting did not give the land to the Foulkeways Corporation, but rather leased it, in 1964, for 99 years. The facility opened in November 1967 as planned. By special arrangement, 17 additional apartments were added across Perimeter road in 1978. Abington House was built in 1970 as an adjunct to the Health Center, with the two wings, Owen and Lister, added in 1975. More space for medical offices came in 1982, including the solarium and patio. At that time the auditorium was also enlarged and rearranged. Present plans call for the addition of a swimming and exercise pool, to be ready in 1987. Miss Jane McCleary, one of the first residents at Foulkeways, has written that "The pioneer spirit has been kept up at Foulkeways, for as a need arises, the Administration goes ahead to meet it. ...The community is a beautiful example of its kind, affording interested groups the opportunity of seeing the concept of continuing care in action. Much of the responsibility for maintaining this efficient operation has rested with our employees, who soon catch the spirit of the place as they work along with the Administration and residents in a spirit of friendship and concern. Finally, the residents, a very important part of the entire program, share in its accomplishment. Sharing and caring combine to form the keynote here." TopSources Howard M. Jenkins, Historical Collections of Gwynedd Horace M. Lippincott, Quaker Meeting Houses Gwynedd Monthly Meeting, 250th Anniversary Booklet Elizabeth Ambler (Mrs. Robert) Foulke, Unpublished notebooks, papers and interviews on the history of the Meeting Jane McCleary, Essay in Residents' Handbook, "What's in a Name?" Conversations with Dorothy (Mrs. Roger) Hallowell |
|
Page last updated: 2009-07-29 at 14:31 EST |