Our Quaker heritage began with John Hallowell (1648-1706)
In 1706 John Hallowell, my 8th great grandfather, was part of the Quaker community in Abington, Pennsylvania that helped form the American identity in the 1700s.
Dubbed the “Quakers” because they “trembled at the Word of the Lord,” the Religious Society of Friends fled persecution in England, Germany, Ireland, and Wales for the shores of the North American colonies in the 1600s. Though the Quaker beliefs of gender equality, universal education, and positive relations with Native Americans were rejected by most colonists, by 1700 more than 11,000 Quakers had made America their home and come to dominate politics and daily life in Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey. Other colonies were not as tolerant. Quakers stood out from other settlers because of their egalitarianism, rejecting the bow as a greeting and popularizing the handshake. They typically lived plain, disciplined lives as farmers, shopkeepers, and artisans, but in Massachusetts, some faced the gallows for their religion, while others were banished. Many other Christians believed that the Quaker practice of silent worship undermined the Bible. Even so, Quakers remained loyal to their convictions, and over time inspired progress including the abolitionist movement to end slavery by the 1800s.
John Hallowell was born Apr., 1648, in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England. He died Oct. 27, 1706, in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA
He is the first immigrant founder of all of the Hallowells in America.
From the "Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting at Mansfield" (England), 27 10mo 1675:
"John Hallowell of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, and Mary Holland of Millnepney, in Derbyshire, declared their intention of marriage" with this record appeared the certificates:
"I do give my free consent that my soone should take Mary Holland to wife, and that she should take him to husband"
/signed/ John Hallowell
and: "We do give our free consent that John Hallowell shall have our daughter to wife. Knowing nothing but that he is cleare from all other women.
/signed Thomas and Mary Holland/
John came to America with a Quaker certificate dated 19 Dec 1682 from the Derby Monthly Meeting in England as follows:
"Deare Friends:
These are to signifie unto you of John Hallowell of Huchnal in ye parish of Sutton, County of Nottinghamshire, having in his mind to remove beyond the sea and he being within ye compas of this our mo. Meetinge, we are willing to signifie to Friends that we know concerning him, of his behaviour, & manner of Life in the time yt he has Lived amongst us, whcih has been so we know soberly, and honestly, in his callings & dealings which has been a savor amongst ye people of ye world, and we know nothing but that he goes cleare as to any outward Engagement to any heare, and to ye truth he has lived answerably to ye measure which he has received; and hath no ways caused it to suffer, and our desires are yt he may keepe close to ye measure of God, which hee hath received, that he may be a good savor to ye truth in these remote places.
So having not much more but our dear son in ye truth, to all faithful Friends we rest & remain in ye service of ye blessed truth with you all, in ye measure.
//signed// Samuel Barke & others"
John Hallowell first acquired land for his family at Secane, formerly Spring Hill, Upper Darby, Chester (now Delaware) Co. PA on land designated by patent as First Purchaser for John Potter totalling 250 acres as follows:
100 acres from John Simcocke by deed dated 10 Jul 1686; he built his house on this property.
50 acres from John Potter via John Blunston by deed dated 5 Jan 1688;
50 acres from John Blunston by deed dated 12 Jan 1693; and,
50 acres, probably from the Thomas Whitby tract (date unknown)
These lands are all contiguous and all of the above land was deeded by gift to his son John in 1706.
In 1696 he moved his family to a 630 acre tract of land near Abington in Philadelphia Co. This land was part of 2500 acres which Thomas Holme first had under warrent from William Penn in 1684 by patent dated 29 Jan 1688. Silas Crispin, the executor of Thomas Holme's estate, sold 630 acres of this land in "Hill Town" (as Abington was then called) to John Hallowell by deed dated 15 Jun 1696 for Ð58 16 shillings.
Our lineage:
John Hallowell (1617 - 1647) -- 9th great-grandfather
John Hallowell (1647 - 1706) my 8th great-grandfather
Thomas Hallowell (1679 - 1734) son of John Hallowell
William Hallowell (1707 - 1794) son of Thomas Hallowell
Joshua Hallowell (1751 - 1835) son of William Hallowell
Joseph Hallowell (1785 - 1872) son of Joshua Hallowell
Lt Rifford Randolph Hallowell (1816 - 1864) son of Joseph Hallowell
Amanda Merrio Hallowell (1842 - 1873) daughter of Lt Rifford Randolph Hallowell
Lillian Amanda Pierce (1867 - 1957) daughter of Amanda Merrio Hallowell
Franklin 'Frank' Jackson Bailey (1886 - 1968) son of Lillian Amanda Pierce -- grandfather
