FIRST OF OUR LINE TO COME TO AMERICA

I THOUGHT I WOULD RUN A SERIES OF OUR ANCESTORS FOR YOU TO SEE HOW WE CAME TO BE WHO WE ARE TODAY.

JAMES FATHER OF THOMAS


b. April 16, 1681 d. October 13, 1726 Was born in Ballinclash, Ireland married Eleanor Park, b. Jan 2, 1684 died ???. James was the first Lindley of our family to come to America. He arrived in Pennsylvania on August 3, 1713. He brought with him wife Eleanor and Thomas in the next generation and 4 other children. James Lindley purchased 200 acres of land in New Garden in 1713, and 400 acres in London Grove in 1722. In 1726 he purchased another 600 acres. In the deed it is stated that he was a blacksmith. James and Eleanor had 12 children. A handwritten will is on file in Chester county, PA.

In a Lindley family history (Indian State Library, genealogy division, G p.ff.9292 H131 no. 1) that quotes this source:

"Contrary to family tradition and printed statements that James Lindley went from county Cheshire, England to Ireland, H. G. Murray, Secretary General of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants denies this. His is a genealogical authority and says that the Murray's and the Lindley's intermarried repeatedly in Scotland where they lived before removing to Ireland. Both families, he states, lived in Perthsire, Scotland, and were among those persecuted by the Pretender's supporters. Scottish emigrants to Ireland went largely to Ulster."

From Allen L. Bradfield, posted to Lindley-L list by Barbara Everly "The marriage certificate of James Lindley and Eleanor Parke describes them as: James Lindly of Tinmullen, County Wicklow, cutler, son of James and Alice Lindley and Eleanor Parke of Rathrush (or Rarush), County Carlow. The signatories of the certificate were:

James Lindly Charles Bernard Elizabeth Lackey

Thomas Parke Phillip Bernard Susanna Nicholson

Rachel Weanhouse (?) Mary Bernard Dorothy Lacky

Robert Parke Elizabeth Bernard Abigail Boles

Robert Parke (#2) John Watson Elizabeth Watson

William Parke John Boles Thomas Linely

Thomas Duckett Martha Parke Charles Wilcocks

Joseph Manliffe Edward Cooper Stephen Tomlinson

John Thompson Rebekah Tomlinson John Lackey"

During the 13 years he lived in America, he acquired a large estate and was one of the largest tax payers in Chester County, PA. The inventory of his estate recorded in Chester County, PA lists personal peoperty valued at 1,115 pounds and a plantation of 1,000 acres.

The inventory of his estate was made 10 mo. 23, 1726.

"Purs and apparell £22.12s.; 7 Beds and Furniture thereto belonging ; 1 Chest of Drawers 2 Chests 2 Boxes and 1 Looking glass; 4 Table Cloaths 13 Sheets and 1 Warming pan; 2 Pieces of Stuff and 1 Sett of New Curtains; fflax, 1 hackle, Chains, Salt box, Iron pots & Candle sticks; 2 mens Saddles 2 weomens Sadles 1 Pillion & 2 Bridles; Wool Cards, Sole Leather, Pewter, Brass Tin, & wooden ware; to Baggs, Mault, Indian Corn, Salt, Wheels, & a half Bushell; Irons in Kitchen, Coopers ware & Earthen ware &c; Dressed Skin, Books Iron, Steel 2 whip saws & 1 Cross; Carpenters Tools, Pincers, Hows, Plows, Harrows & Ox Chains; Grinding Stones, Coles, Bells, Shovells, and forks &c; A Cart with the Geers and Chains, hooks, and hors Shoes; Oak Boards, Scantling, 3 Guns & Bullet Moulds; Grubing Axes; Well Chain, Wolf Trap, falling axes &c; Sickles, Scythes and Doe troughs; corn in the Barn, and Corn in the Mill; Corn in the Ground, and Hay in the Meadow, 16 horses, Mares and Colts; 27 Cows, Oxen and Young Cattle; 10 Sheep and Swine; Smiths Tools in the Shop; one Servant Man; 5 Bonds and one Bill; Book Debts; Plantation and Improvements. (Total value £1115. 9s. 8d.). Quoted from Myers’ Immigration of the Irish Quakers.

Myers also says that "A funeral was always an occasion for a great gathering of Friends. Thomas Chalkley notes that in 1725 as many as a thousand persons were present at a funeral. The body was placed in a plain coffin and borne to the meeting-house, where after a short meeting in memory of the deceased, interment was made in the adjoining graveyard. The company then repaired to the house for dinner, which was almost as elaborate a repast as that served at weddings." The funeral expenses shown in the accounts for James Lindley as filed by his executors were £4. 10s, and the coffin £1. 8s which made it almost six pounds, one of the most cost costly funerals in London Grove of the time.