Biles Island

by

Charles M. Biles

History 368: Colonial and Revolutionary America

Humboldt State University

Spring Semester 2010

Professor Thomas Mays

i

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to describe the life of William Biles in colonial America.

How did William Biles come to leave England and settle on Biles Island?

How did William Biles contribute to the political and Quaker development of colonial

Pennsylvania?

The thesis of this paper is that William Biles was an early English settler who helped develop the

political and religious way of life in colonial Pennsylvania. In particular, he helped determine

the source of political power: proprietary or popular.

Chapter 1 describes how I got interested in history and chose this topic. Chapter 2 describes

why William Biles left England and came to America to settle on Biles Island. Chapter 3

describes the key events in the public life of William Biles, especially his activities in

Pennsylvania politics and his Quaker ministry.

In a certain way, the paper about William Biles was already written by Miles White in 1902.1

White’s 3-part series is the definitive published work on William Biles and details much of his

life, including his arrival in America, the highlights of his political career, his activities as a

Quaker, and his will. Rather than just writing a biography of this colonial settler, I have placed

his life in the background of his times. In particular, I examine his actions and contributions

within the forces of the newly developing colony of Pennsylvania.

1 Miles White Jr, “William Biles,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 26, no. 1 (1902): 58-70; no. 2, 192-206; no. 3, 348-359.

1

Chapter 1My Personal Invitation to History

The PresidentsWhile watching media coverage during the 2008 presidential campaign, the question occurred to

me: What makes a great president? In pursuit of this question I bought some books that treated

the presidents in sequence from George Washington to George W. Bush. I soon realized that my

question was ill posed. The word great is too nebulous. I began to think in terms of which

presidents gave this country a legacy. Using today’s moral judgment is a poor evaluator. How

can one take as a role model a slave owner? But, I can appreciate a father of my country for

inaugurating a road that led to where we are today. Rather than greatness, a search to explain

how we got to where we are today is more enlightening.

Jared DiamondI was examining a table of books at the bookstore when an elderly man walked up and asked,

“Are you looking for something good to read?” I smiled and said, “Yes.” He picked up a book

that was right in front of me. “Here, read this. It is disturbing, but profound. It will make you

think.” He handed me Collapse by Jared Diamond.2 I read the back jacket cover and the

testimonials enticed me to buy the book.

When I got home I made some coffee and sat comfortably to read. Wow! For the next

sixteen days I studied a chapter a day. Turned on, motivated, excited, interested are all terms

that applied. I then studied another Diamond book, Guns, Germs, and Steel.3 Who we are and

how we got here emerged as a comprehensible quest.

I began to think about American history again and went back to the bookstore. This time no

knowledgeable person appeared. I was intimidated by the shelves of American history books;

so, I caved. I bought U.S. History for Dummies by Steve Wiegand.4 The Dummies book wasn’t

bad for someone in my poor state of knowledge. It taught me that I needed to take a real course

in American history.

2 Jared Diamond, Collapse (New York: Penguin Books, 2005).3 Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1999).4 Steve Wiegand, U. S. History for Dummies (New York: Wiley Publishing Company, 2001).

2

Cousin John RadfordIn April 2009 my wife Carolyn and I took a riverboat cruise in France during which a friendly

couple approached me. “Biles, I’ve been looking for you.” I glanced at the man’s name tag:

John Radford, Baton Rouge, LA. “I was hoping to find you because my grandmother was

named Biles. What do you know about your family heritage?” he asked. Although he must have

been disappointed that I knew virtually nothing, he and his wife were gracious and sociable. We

would chitchat and call each other “cousin” whenever we met during the rest of the trip.

About two weeks after returning home I got a package from John Radford. John is a

genealogy aficionado and has researched every branch of his family tree. He sent me a wealth of

information about the Biles heritage. We are indeed related; we are sixth cousins. We have a

common ancestor, Thomas Biles, born 12 March 1710 in West New Jersey. John Radford is

descended from Thomas’s third son, Daniel; I am descended from his eighth child, John Biles.

Thomas was the grandson of William Biles who left England in 1679 and settled on Biles

Island, Pennsylvania. A Google search of "Biles Island" gets 2,140 results; "William Biles" gets

14,100. I ravenously started reading about William Biles. I began fantasizing about living on

Biles Island in 1679, and later welcoming my new neighbor who called his place Pennsbury.

What was it like to live back then?

HIST 110: United States History to 1877I enrolled in beginning American history, History 110, at Humboldt State University. I could not

help but feel somewhat anxious. Could I really do well in history despite a 50-year old warning

by my Graduate Record Examination scores about my documented illiteracy in the humanities?

All the planets were aligned correctly during the first week of class. After the usual first-day

of class housekeeping features, Professor Mays explained his viewpoint of teaching American

history: What was it like to live back then? In the next class Professor Mays began by talking

about American history beginning as a meeting of cultures. Then he showed a video clip of

Jared Diamond and his work. It made me believe my thinking was on track. With each

character and event throughout the course, I was immersed: What was it like to live back then?

As History 110 came to a close, I saw that next semester Professor Mays was teaching a

course on colonial American history, which carries with it a research project. It was time to

return to Biles Island.

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Chapter 2Departure and Arrival

Dorchester, Dorset County, England

April 4, 1679, must have been a wonderful day to travel. The ship

Elizabeth and Sarah of Weymouth was in port at Weymouth in southern

England, County Dorset.5 William Biles had just come with his family

from Dorchester, the main town in Dorset County, 12 kilometers north of

Weymouth. William

brought his entire family, including his wife,

Johanna, and their five children: Elizabeth,

William, George, Jona Johanna, and John. He

also brought his 23-year old youngest brother

Charles and two indentured servants: Edward

Hancock to serve 8 years and Elizabeth Petty to

serve 7 years.

William probably felt confident making this

trip to America. Already well established by 1635

in Massachusetts were the towns of Dorchester

and Weymouth, named after these English towns

in County Dorset. A 1676 map of County Dorset

is shown at left.6 The Rev. John White of

Dorchester was famous for organizing efforts to

America, including work in obtaining charters for

the Dorchester, New England, and the

Massachusetts Bay Companies.7 Travelling to

America was a topic well discussed for decades in Dorchester.

5 Donna Speer Ristenbatt, The Elizabeth and Sarah, http://www.ristenbatt.com/genealogy/lizsarsp.htm. This website gives the passenger list for the Elizabeth and Sarah of Weymouth. The information is taken from Walter Lee Sheppard Jr., Passengers and Ships Prior to 1684, Penn's Colony Volume I, 1970.

6 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genmaps/genfiles/COU_files/ENG/DOR/morden_dor_16767 Michael Russel, Rev. John White (1574/5-1648), January 2010,

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fordingtondorset/Files/DorchesterRevJohnWhite1575-1648.html.

4

During the voyage William reflected on his reasons for going to America. Until recently his

family was loyal to the Church of England. But when William was a boy of seven years, he

witnessed a disturbing event. His grandfather, Alexander Biles I, had criticized Pastor William

Benn of All Saints Parish. Pastor Benn’s wrath from this criticism fell on sympathetic ears.

Alexander was stripped of wealth and title and forced into Napier’s Almshouse in 1651.8

Alexander Biles I had only one child, Alexander Biles II. Alexander Biles II married

Dorothy Strong in Dorchester in 1643 at All Saints Church. They had seven children. William,

the oldest, was born in Dorchester on 18 September 1644. The youngest, Charles, was born on

12 August 1665. Both William and Charles learned the trade of vile monger from their father.

The old English term of vile monger comes from phial, later vial, meaning bottle. Hence, a vile

monger is a merchant dealing in bottles and bottled goods.

William also had obtained an advanced education that would serve him well in America. In

1660 at the age of 16 he matriculated at Cornwall, Exeter College. He earned his BA in 1664

and his MA in 1667.4 He was well versed in religion and law.

In Dorchester, William married Joanna (English spelling) at All Saints on 6 May 1669. Their

first child, Elizabeth, was born on 3 June 1670 and baptized on 14 June 1670 at All Saints Parish

in Dorchester. Their second child, William, was born on 12 June 1671 and baptized on 12

January 1672 at All Saints. But in 1672 William, along with his family, converted to that new

radical sect, the Society of Friends, derisively called Quakers. William and Joanna would have

three more children in Dorchester: George, born 4 September 1673; Jona Johanna, born 1

January 1675; and John, born 13 March 1678. None of these three were baptized at All Saints

Parish. Only William and his brother Charles became Quakers; the rest of the family remained

loyal to their parishes in Dorchester.

At age 35, William was all set for this voyage to America. He had a wonderful family, a

good education, wealth, and he would be among Friends.

West New Jersey8 This information is contained in Bryan W. Biles, The Biles Family, an unpublished genealogy document

based on his research and trips to heritage sights, including County Dorset, England. The particular information cited here is also contained in http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=debra_richards1&id=I00299.

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The ship Elizabeth and Sarah of Weymouth set its destination for Burlington, West New Jersey.

In 1676 Friends had acquired West New Jersey. The first important settlement in West Jersey

was made in 1677 when 230 people, mostly Quakers, sailed up the Delaware River and founded

Burlington.9 Within two years several hundred more would make their homes in the vicinity;

among them, were William and Johanna (American spelling) Biles. Pemberton’s List of Arrivals

lists them among the first residents of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.10 In Residents of Bucks

County, Pa, 1677-1687 we find:

WILLIAM BILES, of Dorchester, in the County of Dorset, vile monger, and Johannah, his wife. Arrived in Delaware river in the "Elizabeth & Sarah," of Weymouth, the 4th of the 4th M˚., 1679. Children, William, George, John, Elizabeth, Johanna, Rebecca, and Mary Biles. Servants, Edward Hancock, to serve 8 years ; loose the last of the 3d M˚., 1687. To have 50 acres of land. Elizabeth Petty, to serve-7 years; loose the last of the 3d M˚., 1686. To have 50 acres of land.

CHARLES BILES, of the town and County above. Arrived in the ship aforesaid, the time aforesaid.11

One of William’s first endeavors in America was to obtain land. In 1679 about eight

hundred Quakers arrived in West New Jersey. Some were attracted to the west side of the

Delaware River. In July 1679, Governor Edmund Andros directed his surveyor for New Castle

to lay out lands below the falls on the west side of the Delaware for some recent arrivals from

England eager for land. Some applied directly to the governor and received land grants without

the intervention of the courts. Among these, William Biles got a grant of 173 acres.

This region seemed to be perfect for anyone migrating from England to start a new life in

America. Davis describes the Delaware as a settler’s paradise.12 Davis reprints a 1680 letter

written by Mahlon Stacey to his brother back in England. Mr. Stacey avered that he was telling

the truth and not exaggerating. He traveled through most of the settled places on the Delaware

and “find the country very apt to answer the expectations of the diligent.” The orchards “are

laden with fruit to admiration.” In particular, Stacey was impressed by the apple, cherry and

9 Henry William Elson, History of the United States of America (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1904). Chapter VII, 146-9, were transcribed and appear on Kathy Leigh, New Jersey, http://www.usahistory.info/colonies/New-Jersey.html.

10 White, “William Biles,” 60.11 Historical Society of Pennsylvania, “A Partial List of the Families Who Resided in Bucks County,

Pennsylvania, Prior to 1687, with the Date of Their Arrival Source,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 9, no. 2 (July, 1885): 223-233.

12 W. W. H. Davis, The History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania from the Discovery of the Delaware to the present Time. Doylestown: Democrat Book and Job Office, 1876: 47-8, 68-9.

6

Biles Island

peach trees. The land was fertile for growing wheat; “forty bushels of bold wheat harvested

from one sown.” There was an abundance of wild berries such as strawberries, cranberries, and

huckleberries. Stacey wrote that the cranberries in particular made a wonderful sauce “for

venison, turkey and great fowl.” The fish, venison and fowl were abundant. The fish included

herring, rock, cat-fish, shad, sheeps-head and sturgeon. The fowl included “ducks, geese,

turkeys, pheasants, partridges, and many other sorts.” Further, “as to beef and pork there is a

great plenty of it and cheap; also good sheep.” Stacey also described the friendliness of the

Lenni Lenapi Indians and their eagerness to trade for their delicious foods. Stacey told his

relatives and friends in England that “I like it so well I never had the least thought of returning to

England except on account of trade. I know not one among the people that desires to be in

England again, since settled.” Davis further amplifies that “those who located near streams had a

never-failing supply of fish.” Further, the Indians often supplied a new settler and his family

with corn and wild game until they could establish themselves by felling their trees and raising

their own crops.

William Biles made several land deals in West New Jersey during his life. He became a

member of the Council of Proprietors of Western Division of New Jersey.13

Although his brother Charles later owned property and

livestock in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Charles lived his life in

West New Jersey. William decided to move across the river.

The Move Across the River

Miles White details a land acquisition by William Biles:

In 1679 Jasper Dankers made a copy of a map of the Delaware River from Burlington to Trenton … . On this map William Biles is shown to have 309 acres on the west side of the Delaware River. 9

The Jasper Dankers map appears at right.14

Davis confirms:

13 White, “William Biles,” 64.14 http://trentonhistory.org/Documents/MillHill/FigureA04.jpg.

7

In the summer of 1679 and spring of 1680, several English settlers took up land on the river bank, just below the falls;…William Biles, 309,…He was a man of talent and influence, and a leader. 15

White continues,

Of the original settlers in Falls, several of them were there before the country came into Penn’s possession. They purchased the land of Sir Edmund Andros, who represented the Duke of York, and were settled along the Delaware from the falls down; among whom were William Biles, whose lands bordered on the river.

This acquisition was later acknowledged by a patent from William Penn to William Biles on “1st

mo. 31, 1684, for 306 acres, for which warrant had been issued by Sir Edmund Andros in 1679

and from Penn 3rd mo. 9, 1684”.16 These complications were motivated by the situation that in

1679 the land was distributed by Sir Edmund Andros; however, the land also fell under the

proprietorship granted to William Penn in 1681. When Penn arrived later he was reputed to be

surprised to learn that some of the land granted in his charter was already sold. Hence, William

Biles needed his acquisition to be recognized by Penn. Further, as was the Quaker custom, Biles

also purchased the property for £10 from four Lenapis: Orecton, Nanacus, Nenemblahocking,

and Patelana. This purchase from the natives was consistent with the Quaker belief that the land

was owned by the Indians.

William Biles came to possess his 309 acres on the west side of the Delaware by a land grant

from Governor Andros.17 Davis writes that

Governor Andros made easy terms in the purchase of land. Actual settlers, with families, were allowed 50 acres to each member and a patent issued on the certificate of the court, approved by the Governor, and quit-rent on all newly seated land was remitted for three years. If the land were not settled upon within that time it vitiated the title.18

That William Biles was settled on the west Delaware River in 1679 is further verified by a

story in Davis that tells of a visit by Jasper Dankins and Peter Sluyter, leading members of the

Labadists of Holland, in 1679.19 They hired a Dutchman for 30 guilders to take them up the river

to the falls. After landing, the Dutchman took them to William Biles’s plantation where they

15 William W. H. Davis, History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania from the Discovery of the Delaware to the present Time, Second Edition, Vol. I, Revised and Enlarged (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905), 15.

16 White, “William Biles,” 65.17 Wayland Fuller Dunnaway, “The English Settlers in Colonial Pennsylvania,” The Pennsylvania Magazine

of History and Biography 52, no. 4 (1928): 319.18 Davis, History of Bucks County, 11.19 Ibid., 16.

8

were rested and refreshed. In the afternoon the Dutchman took them across the river to

Bordentown, a town in West New Jersey. Davis concludes his Chapter VII, The Organization of

Townships, with the following paragraph about Biles Island.

Biles’s island, in the Delaware, a mile below the falls, containing 300 acres, was sold to William Biles about 1680, by Orecton, Nannacus, Nenemblahocking and Patelana, free native Indians, in consideration of £10, but was not actually conveyed by deed. On March 19, 1729, Lappewins and Captain Cumbansh, two Indian “Sachems,” heirs and successors of the Indians above named, confirmed the island to William Biles, Jr., son of William Biles the elder, now deceased, in consideration of £7 in Indian goods. The deed contained a warranty against the grantors, their heirs and all other Indians.20

20 Ibid., 79.

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Chapter 3Biles Island

CrewcorneThe first public name for the general area in which Biles’s property was located on the west side

of Delaware River was Crewcorne (also known as Creekehorne). White writes:

Colonial documents still preserved at Albany show clearly that there was in 1680 a Court at Crewcorne, or Creekehorne, and that William Biles was a member thereof.

In reply to inquiries, Dr. William H. Egle writes me that “Crookhorne in Falls Township, Bucks county, was the first seat of justice of the county, . . .” 21

McNealy writes:

In 1679, fully three years before William Penn landed in his new colony, a dozen or so Quaker families settled on the west bank of the river adjacent to the Falls. Their little village went by the name of Crewcorne (sometimes spelled Crookhorn), recalling the town in England from which one of their number, William Biles, had emigrated. 22

I have not been able to confirm that William had emigrated from Crewcorne. A 17th century map

(see page 1) of Dorchester, England, shows a small area of Crokethorn nearby. Davis

conjectures that the name perhaps came from the market town and parish of Crewkerne,

Somersetshire, near the border of Dorset County in England.23 However, I was not able to make

any connection that William Biles had with this area.

Upland

Europeans began settling on the western side of the upper Delaware River below the falls with a

failed Dutch settlement in 1630.24 The falls are located just below modern day Trenton, New

Jersey. The falls were important because they were the limit for ocean ships up the Delaware

River. New Sweden was established in 1638 and prospered until its surrender to the Dutch in

1643. The Swedes had a small town at Upland, now Chester, where their first courts were held.

21 White, “William Biles,” 67.22 Terry A. McNealy, “Morrisville,” Bucks County Magazine (11 June 2007).23 Davis, History of Bucks County, 66-7.24 Marfy Goodspeed, “Life in West New Jersey” (29 October 2009)

http://hunterdonfamilies.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html. This blogspot is devoted to Hunterdon County, New Jersey, history and genealogy.

10

The name Upland distinguished this settlement from the lowland counties of New Castle, Kent,

and Sussex, that now constitute the state of Delaware.

After New Netherlands was ceded by the Dutch to the English in 1664, the Delaware

territory came under the proprietorship of the Duke of York. The Duke appointed Sir Edmund

Andros as governor for the region. English jurisdiction took over from the original New Sweden

location at Upland. This jurisdiction was called the Upland Court.

The Upland CourtThe last session of the Upland Court under the authority of the Duke of York was held on 14

June 1681.25 William Biles played a prominent role. In particular, he (1) notified the court that

he was attorney on behalf of Robert Michill on behalf of the estate of Michill’s deceased father,

(2) was a juror in the case of Lasse Dalboo against Swen Lom, (3) testified regarding the

complaint against Gilbert Wheeler for selling rum to the Indians, for which Wheeler was fined

£4 plus costs. The last act of this session of the Upland Court was to appoint William Biles to be

the surveyor and overseer of roads from the falls to Poquessing Creek, and ordered that he take

care the roads be good and passable, with bridges over all “myry & dirty places.”26

On 4 March 1681 King Charles II granted William Penn Jr. a proprietorship to Pennsylvania.

On 1 July 1681 Penn sent his cousin Admiral William Markham to take possession of

Pennsylvania and act as his deputy there. Shortly after Markham’s arrival in Upland on 3

August 1681, new Quaker settlers came from England who were instructed to investigate Upland

for further colonization. Soon they chose a new site along the side of the Delaware River just

north of Upland and south of Crewcorne. They called their new settlement Philadelphia.

In September 1681 the Upland Court transitioned from a court under the jurisdiction of the

Duke of York to the proprietor William Penn. At this time the court named William Biles and

Robert Lucas justices of the peace. The first entry in the records of the new court listed William

Biles as one of the justices present.6 William Biles was appointed a justice of the Upland court

on the establishment of Penn’s government and he held this position until the division of the

Province of Pennsylvania into its initial three counties.27

A Distinguished Public Career25 White, “William Biles,” 69-70.26 Ibid, 70.27 George Smith, History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, from the Discovery of the Territory included

within its Limits to the Present Time (Philadelphia: Henry B. Ashmead, 1862), 447.

11

William Penn arrived in America in 1682, first setting foot in New Castle on 27 October. Two

days later he went to Upland to continue the organization of the proprietary begun by Markham.

Penn convened an assembly which met in Upland on 4 December. The assembly had delegates

from the three lower counties (Sussex, Kent, New Castle) and the three Pennsylvania counties

(Chester, Philadelphia, Bucks). The purpose of the assembly was to approve Penn’s Frame of

Government and some laws. The representatives from Bucks County were Christopher Taylor,

Griffeth Jones, and William Yardley. This assembly marked the beginning of popular

government in Pennsylvania. Instead of a quick rubber stamp to Penn’s proposals and ideas,

there was debate and dissent. The assembly rejected nineteen of the proposed laws.28

The Upland assembly ordered an election for 20 February 1682 for a Council and an

Assembly which would meet at Philadelphia on 10 March 1683. This was the first election held

in Pennsylvania. Elected to the Council from Bucks County were William Biles, Christopher

Taylor, and James Harrison. Nine assemblymen were also elected.

The first meeting of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania met in Philadelphia on 10 March

1683. The meeting was presided over by William Penn himself. There were sixteen present for

this first meeting, including Capt. William Markham, Christopher Taylor, James Harrison, and

William Biles.29 The Provincial Council took up the official seating of the members and a few

procedural matters, the most important being that all bills will be passed into law by vote. Then

the Charter of Liberties was read and accepted with the proviso that each county have 12

representatives, 3 for the Council and 9 for the Assembly, rather than the originally proposed

cumbersome number of 72.30

The original Pennsylvania government had two chambers: the Provincial Council and the

Assembly. Legislation was written by the Provincial Council. The Assembly approved or

rejected a particular bill. Although the Assembly could not draft bills, it could propose ideas to

the Provincial Council. The first five meetings of the Provincial Council took up procedural

matters, acted as a court for some minor disputes, and accepted some petitions from citizens.

The first working meeting of the Provincial Council was held on March 16 in which seven bills

were proposed and three committees were formed, each elected council member serving on one

28 Joseph E. Illick, Colonial Pennsylvania: a History (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976), 38.29 White, “William Biles,” 192.

30 Pennsylvania Colonial Records, Volume I (Harrisburg: Published by the State, 1838), 1-2.

12

committee. The committee to which William Biles and five others were appointed had the

following charge:

To whom it is referred to prepare bills about Prisons, Sowing of hemp and Flax, Runaways, Passes, Selling of Servts into other provinces, for Destroying Wolves, to raise Money, & a bill for Hogg stealers. 31

William Biles frequently acted as a liaison between the Provincial Council and the Assembly.

For example, at the 24 March 1683 meeting of the Assembly, John Richardson and William

Biles of the Council presented the first reading of two new bills to the Assembly for its

consideration. At the 26 March 1683 meeting of the Provincial Council William Biles, Francis

Whitewell, and James Harrison were appointed to a committee to “consider of the duties and fees

of coroners, and make their report tomorrow morning.”32

It would take a book to document the details of William Biles’s political career in

Pennsylvania. The reader should consult William Biles by Miles White for more the details.

Biles was elected to the Provincial Council in 1682, 1695, 1698, 1699, and 1700 (2-year term).

In 1683 he was present when the Great Charter was read and he was a signatory of the charter.

He was elected to the Assembly for several terms: 1686, 1689, 1692, 1693, and 1694. When he

was not serving in the Provincial Council or Assembly, he was appointed to special duties or

commissions. For example, in 1684 he was the tax collector for Bucks County. In 1685 he was

appointed to lay out a road for the county. He also was a justice of the peace for that year. In the

1690’s he was on a council that divided Bucks County into townships. In 1699-1701 he was an

associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Province of Pennsylvania. In 1706 he was one of

eight commissioned as a justice for the Court of Common Pleas.33

Deputy Governor EvansPennsylvania did not develop the way that William Penn originally envisioned. In 1684 Penn

returned to England to try to settle the border dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Within Pennsylvania, two political forces were emerging: the proprietary circle eventually led by

31 Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Jo. Severns & Co, 1852): 61-2.32 Jean R. Sotherland, William Penn and the Founding of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: The University of

Pennsylvania Press, 1983), 248-50.33 Thomas J. Scharf and Thompson Wescott, History of Philadelphia 1608-1884 (Philadelphia: L. H. Everts

& Co., 1884), 1557-61.

13

James Logan and the populist led by Thomas Lloyd. By 1688 the Lloyd faction controlled the

government for their own agenda. Lokken writes:

Lloyd exercised his power of appointment to consolidate his personal influence over the Assembly’s business. He appointed as chairman of important committees such stanch partisans as Anthony Morris, Joseph Growdon, William Biles, a former sheriff of Bucks County who had refused to collect the proprietary tax, …34

Penn finally returned to Pennsylvania in 1699. He brought with him his trusted secretary

James Logan. For Penn, the immediate problem was his authority to govern in Pennsylvania.

Penn’s original Charter of Liberties was revised into a Frame of Government. This Frame

proved to be unsatisfactory and the Assembly was hung up in revising it. In 1700 when the

Assembly was proceeding to adjourn, Penn inquired about the new frame. The Assembly

responded that they were still working out disagreements; but, they did agree that they did not

want to be governed under the Charter of 1683. The Assembly then gave its permission for Penn

to govern, but keeping intact the laws already passed. This had to be a relationship based on a

mutual trust. After these decisions were made, in a symbolic gesture, the Charter of 1683 was

delivered back to Penn. This return was made by John Blunston and William Biles representing

the Assembly and Council from the Province (Pennsylvania), along with William Rodney and

John Hill representing the Delaware counties.35

Accordingly, Penn appointed a Council of nine men which first met on 25 June 1700. With

the Council’s approval, Penn ordered a general election for the Assembly. Some of Penn’s

Council members were elected to the Assembly and chose to serve there instead of the Council.

Although not really happy with this, Penn agreed to excuse those from the Council to serve in the

Assembly. He did ask them to return to the Council when the current session of the Assembly

adjourned. To augment his depleted Council, Penn appointed Phinneas Pemberton, John

Blunston, and William Biles to serve on the Council in the interim.14

Continued problems forced Penn’s return to England in 1701. Logan remained in

Pennsylvania to champion the proprietor’s interests. From England in 1703 Penn appointed John

Evans as deputy governor. Evans was only 26 years old. He was appointed by Penn as a favor

to Evans’s father, a friend of Penn. Evans was inexperienced, arrogant, dogmatic, and difficult.

34 Roy N. Lokken, David Lloyd Colonial Lawmaker (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1959), 134.35 Ibid., 216-7.

14

At the time of Evans’s arrival in Pennsylvania, the legislature was embroiled in a

controversy. After declaring war on France in 1702, the British crown ordered Penn to put

Pennsylvania in a state of defense. The Quaker dominated assembly refused to do this.

Surprisingly, the greatest opposition to a militia came from the Anglicans who were acting out of

political motivations to discredit the Pennsylvania government. Almost immediately Evans was

in constant conflict with the Assembly. The manipulative Evans spread a false alarm that a

French fleet was sailing up the Delware.36

Citing the Penn-Logan correspondence, White cites a letter written by Logan to Penn in

which Logan refers to William Biles as “That ridiculous old man.”37 In the Assembly, William

Biles insisted that not one penny will be paid in taxes until all of a citizen’s privileges are

explained and confirmed in law. At the time there was great debate about the Frame of

Government for Pennsylvania, especially about where final power would be vested: the

proprietor or the assembly. Logan said that outside of the assembly the populists were good

men; but, inside the assembly they dared to think that privileges were their native right. The

intrinsic fight was between those that felt that rights were something that flowed from the crown

versus those that felt that rights were something that flowed from an elected assembly. Do

fundamental rights flow from the people or the crown? On a smaller stage, William Biles found

himself in the center of a struggle that was a precursor to the one fought at the Continental

Congress seventy years into the future.

The situation left a triumvirate vying for political control: Lloyd, Logan, and Evans. By the

summer of 1706 Logan was despairing since the proprietary cause was in bad shape. The

Quakers were repulsed by the irresponsible activities of Governor Evans. His false alarm about

the French fleet was bad enough. That was like the frosting on the cake because before that he

had committed another blunder by his callous treatment of William Biles.38

In his book about David Lloyd, Lokken writes the story as follows:

Tempers were once again heated, and one of Lloyd’s lieutenants, William Biles, committed the indiscretion of attacking the Deputy Governor verbally within earshot of one of Evans’ friends. Biles was not in the Assembly’s meeting place and was not engaged in the official business of the Assembly when he committed his indiscretion, and, therefore, his remarks were not privileged. Just what he said

36 Illick, Colonial Pennsylvia, 88.37 White, “William Biles,” 199.38 Frederick B. Tolles, James Logan and the Culture of Provincial America (Boston: Little, Brown and

Company, 1957), 60.

15

is not clear. According to Logan he said, “He [Evans] is but a boy; he is not fit to be our Governour. We’ll kick him out; we’ll kick him out.” 39

Tolles in his book about James Logan writes:

Biles was a cantankerous old Quaker minister from Bucks County who supported Lloyd in the Assembly. He made no secret of his contempt for the Governor, “he is but a boy,” people had heard him say, “he is not fit to be our Governor. We’ll kick him out, we’ll kick him out.” 40

Word of Biles’s remarks quickly got back to Governor Evans. The fight was on. Evans

reacted in a juvenile and vindictive fashion. Evans reported to the Provincial Council that Biles

accused him of opposing the authority of the queen and of the proprietor. Early in 1705

Governor Evans sued William Biles for £2000 for subverting “the Peace and Quiet of the

Governmt”.41 The sheriff of Philadelphia tried to serve a summons on William Biles in the

Assembly while it was in session; but, Biles ignored the summons claiming legislative privilege.

This situation led to two problems for Biles: the Evans suit and ignoring the summons.

David Lloyd acted as Biles’s attorney and vigorously defended Biles in court against Evans’s

suit. Lloyd argued that Biles’s remarks were made under legislative privilege; but, the court

would have none of that argument. The court found for Governor Evans and awarded Evans

£300 in damages. Biles never paid any of this fine.

Lloyd also made a vigorous address to the Assembly in defense of Biles, pointedly charging

Evans with violation of legislative privilege by trying to have a summons served on Biles while

the Assembly was in session. Evans and his Provincial Council of advisors reacted vehemently.

Evans subsequently berated the Assembly as a threat to his authority. Evans sought to dismiss

the Assembly until the next elections in October. The political heart of the matter here is that

Evans opposed and denied the right of any member of the Assembly to oppose the Executive. In

order to preempt the Governor from dismissing the Assembly, Lloyd beat Evans to the punch

and quickly adjourned the Assembly.

Biles did his best to repair the situation with Governor Evans. He wrote Evans a lengthy and

conciliatory letter of apology and contrition dated 3d mo. 1705.42 However, Biles was concerned

about the behavior of the sheriff violating legislative privilege by trying to serve him a summons

39 Lokken, David Lloyd, 158.40 Tolles, James Logan, 60.41 Lokken, David Lloyd, 200; White, “William Biles,” 200.42 White, “William Biles,” 201.

16

while the assembly was in session. Accordingly, on the 4th mo. 12, 1705 Biles filed a formal

complaint with the Assembly. Just two weeks later the Assembly returned a stern statement

upholding Biles’s legislative privilege, ordered the sheriff to answer for his actions, and

reprimanded the justices of the court who fined Biles for “committing a manifest Breach of

Privilege against this House.”43

In reaction, Governor Evans wrote a letter to the Assembly, which was approved by the

Provincial Council, demanding the expulsion of Biles from the Assembly. The letter was read to

the Assembly and the matter put to a vote after Biles withdrew himself from the proceedings. To

the question whether Biles should be expelled, the vote passed in the negative.44

The Assembly prepared a formal statement that was signed by the speaker, and then

presented to the Governor who passed it to the Council. In the formal statement the Assembly

said that they were not justifying the remarks made by Biles but objecting to the proceedings

against him, especially the violation of legislative privilege. Further, they found insufficient

grounds for expelling Biles from the Assembly. The Council then unanimously decided that the

matter should be dropped entirely. In response, the Governor called a meeting of the full

Assembly, sharply rebuked them, and then immediately dismissed the proceedings.

Some Friends intervened with Evans on Biles’s behalf. Evans promised them that he would

take no further action against Biles without consulting them first.45 Eventually Biles felt that the

situation was defused and felt safe to go to Philadelphia again. He met with Evans in a cordial

meeting and the two shook hands on departing. After the meeting, Evans immediately contacted

the sheriff and had Biles imprisoned. Logan was horrified by this action of Evans and pleaded

intensely but unsuccessfully with Evans. Logan formalized his concerns in a long letter to the

Governor.

Friends became active to insure that Biles was kept in the public part of the jail. Women

Friends regularly tended to him, brought him food and comforts. Intense political pressure was

put on Evans for his overbearing treatment. Finally, after one month, Evans capitulated after

realizing that he would never collect any money from Biles, and that the incident was causing

widespread political damage.

43 Ibid, 204.44 Ibid, 205.45 Tolles, James Logan, 60-1.

17

Some books have derided Evans for picking on the little guy. Tolles portrays Biles as “a

cantakerous old Quaker”. Further, “Most Friends felt that …Biles, a poor man, should be

forgiven the heavy damages.”24 Nash writes that “Biles, a Bucks County farmer, could never be

expected to pay the fine without auctioning half his estate.”46 The portrayal of Biles as a

cantankerous old man of limited means is not correct. Biles was held in highest esteem by the

Quaker community; and, he was not of poor means. He was a recognized Quaker minister,

landholder, attorney, legislator, yeoman farmer, and merchant in Bucks County. In his will (see

Appendix) Biles bequeaths over £400 to his heirs in addition to several hundreds of acres of land

to his sons. Davis refers to Biles as “a large landowner”.47 In particular, Davis cites a land sale

by William Biles of 5000 acres. Jordan writes that William Biles was “far the largest landowner

in Bucks county”.48 It is not that William Biles could not pay the fine; I believe that he chose not

to pay it as a matter of principle.

The political fallout of this incident was a complete disaster for the proprietary, especially in

the subsequent October elections. No assemblyman friendly to the proprietary was re-elected.

In fact, the situation was even worse. Those upper-class moderates who were friendly to Penn’s

interests refused to run for re-election to the Assembly in disgust of Evans. The Assembly voted

Lloyd speaker. In reaction, Evans, who had at least previously consulted with the Council, now

took up his residence out of town and ignored the advice of the Council.25

The stage was set for a clash of the titans. The battle began over the courts. Recently Queen

Anne had disallowed an act of the Assembly establishing a system of provincial courts.49 As a

result the judicial system was in limbo. Until a new act was passed, the courts were at a

standstill. The impact was that debts could not be collected, contracts could not be enforced,

wills could not be submitted and approved in court. The jails were filling with those awaiting

trial. It was judicial gridlock.

The Executive believed that under Penn’s original charter from the king, the Governor could

establish courts by executive decree. Earlier, the Assembly had acknowledged this, but the

Governor and the Assembly came to agreement that the Governor would not act by executive

46 Gary B. Nash, Quakers and Politics Pennsylvania, 1681-1726 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968), 258-260.

47 Davis, History of Bucks County, 66.48 John W. Jordan, Colonial and Revolutionary Familes of Pennsylvania Volume I (Baltimore: Clearfield

Company, Inc., 1994): 1132.49 Tolles, James Logan, 62.

18

decree, but submit the matter by law through the Assembly. Accordingly, Evans greeted the new

Assembly with a bill drawn up by the Provincial Council for a court system.

Lloyd ignored the bill presented to the Assembly. Instead, he drafted an entirely new court

system bill, one that was independent of the Executive. Lloyd took his cue from the Glorious

Revolution which had given England an independent judiciary in 1688. The situation erupted

into open political warfare, perhaps the ugliest in colonial Pennsylvania history. Finally in

January 1707 the Governor got the courts moving again by decree.

Two years later with nothing accomplished but gridlock and wrangling, Penn finally replaced

Governor Evans. Riddell writes that Evans “was a Gentleman remarkable for being destitute of

every Virtue, either moral, Political or religious. The Government was in a continual Ferment

during his whole Administration; The Rights of the people in perpetual jeopardy by his Arbitrary

and unjust invasions.”28 William Biles was correct; Evans was but a boy and not fit to be

governor.

Evans’s replacement was soon introduced to Pennsylvania politics. Tolles describes the

event as follows:

When the new governor, Captain Gookin, finally arrived, at the end of January, 1709, Logan found him “a plain, honest man and of a temper best suiting a soldier,” obviously innocent of political experience, but apparently zealous and willing to learn. Logan could only hope his zeal and patience would continue, “for were he a Solomon,” he wrote Penn, “he certainly will meet with enough to try his temper.”

Captain Gookin soon had a taste of the Assembly’s insubordination. On March 7, old William Biles and three other members waited on him at his lodgings to announce that the House was met, pursuant to its adjournment. Gookin was stiff and formal. In her Majesty’s other provinces, he told them, the Governor called the Assembly. Was it the custom in Pennsylvania for the Assembly to call the Governor? 50

Again William Biles stood center stage in a drama that would determine separation of powers in

colonial Pennsylvania.

Rum

The literature has several interesting stories motivated by the following petition to Sir Edmund

Andros dated April 12, 1680:

“To the Worthy Governor of New York

50 Tolles, James Logan, 71.

19

Whereas wee the Inhabitants of the new seated Towne nere the falls of Delloware (called Crewcorne) findeing our selves agreived by the Indians when drunck, Insomuch that we be and have been in great danger of our Lives, of houses burning of our goods Stealeing and of our Wives and children a Frighting, Insomuch that wee are affeared to go about our Lawfull occasions, least when wee come home we [. . .] finde them and our concernes damnifyed. These things considered we doe humbly and Jointly desire that the selling [. . .] and other strong liquors to the Indians may be wholly suppressed which if done we shall live peaceable.[signed] Willi Biles, Rich Regway, Samuel Field, John Akarman, Robt [Lucas], Robt Scholey, Tho: Scholey, Danial Brinson, William Cooper, George Browne.”Mr. Gilbert Wheelers house broake open by Indians and Peter Aldrix Mans house on The Island and another hou[s] [signed] Gilbert Wheeler.” 51

One interesting feature of this petition is the special complaint filed by Gilbert Wheeler

because he is the principal seller of rum to the Indians. On 21 April 1680 Biles went to the court

at New York to present the petition. In response, Governor Edmund Andros issued papers for a

new court at Crewcorne with a commission for William Biles. Included in the papers was “A

warrant to summon Gilb. Wheeler & P. Abr. to appeare here for selling drincks to ye Indyans.”52

On 17 May William Biles sent a note to Governor Andros that he had summoned Wheeler in

accordance with the Governor’s warrant.

At this time, as constable for Crewcorne, William Biles gathered the locals to select

commissioners as a local government. Those selected were George Browne, Robert Scooly,

Robert Lucas, and Samuel Field. Biles reported to the group that things were going well and

that “the people heare are very well satisfied with what thee hath done in order to Keepe them

quiet.”32 However, this did not solve the problem of the Indians and rum. In a complaint of

some residents of Crewcorne on Sep. ye 13th 1680:

“To ye Honorable Governor of N. Yorke,…strong Liquors may be wholely suppressed amongst us by virtue of a Warrant from yor Honor to make distress upon proof given to ye Elected Commissioner for ye time to Come for breach of that Abreviate of ye Law which Will. Biles brought us; wch when we made our Complaint to him he told us his order ws nothing worth, wcvh we accounted ws sufficient but by his words we persearve that he intends to sell Rum himself; so hopeing yor Honor in charity will help us we remain, …”53

51 Goodspeed, “Life in West New Jersey”; Nash, Quakers and Politics, 258-260.5232 Goodspeed, “Life in West New Jersey.”53 White, “William Biles,” 68-9.

20

This petition was signed by Robert Lucas, George Browne, Samuel Griffield, Nancy

Acreman, Richard Ridgeway, Lyonel Britton and Robert Schooly, all residents of Bucks County.

Recall from the section on the Upland Court that William Biles had testified against Gilbert

Wheeler for selling rum to the Indians and that Wheeler was fined £4 for the offense. Colonial

Pennsylvania’s policy on selling rum to the Indians was confusing and ineffective. In 1682 the

Provincial Council banned selling liquor to the Indians. However, the proprietary government

used liquor in conferences with the Indians, especially in conferences dealing with the sale of

land. This government practice was not banned by statute.54

Sugrue also notes that enterprising traders met Indian demand. In particular, Sugrue cites

William Biles as a leading Quaker merchant who traded rum with the Indians until 1687 when

the Falls Monthly Meeting admonished him for this practice. White writes that in 1687 William

Biles was the only merchant along the Delaware River who imported and sold rum. The

Quakers took a dim view of selling liquor to the Indians. Finally fellow Friends appointed

Thomas Janney and William Yardley to confront Biles about the matter. Biles responded that it

was “not against the Law neither doth he know that it is any evil to do so, but however, if Friends

desire him not to do it, he will for the future forbear it”.55

Different authors interpret Biles response differently. For example, Sugrue views Biles’s

response negatively and writes that “Biles was unrepentant.” On the other hand, White quotes

the Friends’ Intelligencer, “It was a remarkable act of a Christian man that he should discontinue

to sell rum to the Indians, on account of the desire of his brethren, when it was neither a violation

of law nor the Discipline.” I do note that after this incident I have not found any further

reference of Biles selling liquor to the Indians.

Quaker ActivitiesWilliam Biles’s endeavors as a Quaker were as extensive as his political career. After Biles

arrived in America he attended Quaker monthly meetings in Burlington. After his move to Biles

Island, and with an increasing population on the west side of the Delaware, there came a need for

Quaker meetings there. The first Quaker mens monthly meeting in Bucks County was held at

the home of William Biles on 2 May 1683.56 Present were William Biles, James Harrison, 54 Thomas J. Sugre, “The Peopling and Depeopling of Early Pennsylvania: Indians and Colonists,” The

Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 116:1 (Jan., 1992): 25.55 White, “William Biles,” 194.56 Davis, History of Bucks County, 67.

21

Phineas Pemberton, William Beaks, William Yardley, William Darke, and Lyonel Britton. The

first quarterly meeting was held at Biles’s home on 7 May 1684. Even earlier, the first meeting

for discipline was held at his home on 3d mo. 2, 1683.57 Biles’s home was comfortable for these

meetings since it was a newly constructed home of brick brought over from England.

William Biles was respected and active in the Quaker community throughout his life in

Pennsylvania. For example, the first meeting house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was built in

Fallsington in 1690. The property was deeded to Thomas Janney, William Biles, Richard

Hough, and Joshua Hoopes to be held in trust in behalf of the Quakers.37 In 1692 Biles paid the

balance of the carpenters’ expense for the building of this meeting house. On several occasions

he was appointed on committees to settle disputes or act as attorney. Hough writes that “William

Biles was one of the most noted men in the Province of Pennsylvania, a minister of the Society

of Friends, and a large landowner in Bucks County.” He also notes that all of William Biles’s

children married prominent members in Bucks County and West New Jersey.58

William Biles had a cordial relationship with Richard Hough, a prominent member in the

political and Quaker community. Davis writes that Hough was

intimately associated with Phineas Pemberton, Thomas Janney, William Yardley, William Biles, Nicholas Waln, Joseph Kirkbride and others, who, with him, were the leaders in the affairs of the county and province, though some of them, notably William Biles, with whom he was intimately associated in private affairs, differed from him in provincial politics. Biles being the Bucks county leader of the Popular party, with strong Democratic tendencies, while Richard Hough was a strong adherent of the proprietary party headed by James Logan.59

Davis continues that upon his death in 1705, Richard Hough

made his wife Margery and son Richard residuary legatees, and appointed them, with his “friend and brother,” William Biles, the executors.

The term “brother” used in the will of Richard Hough was in a religious, not a genealogical,

sense. Now, this hardly sounds like the behavior of “a cantankerous old Quaker”.60

William Biles was a signatory to many legal documents

in Colonial Pennsylvania, especially wills, deeds, and

matters dealing with the Quaker meetings. Miles White presents this signature as “taken from

57 White, “William Biles,” 349-50.58 Oliver Hough, “Atkinson Families of Bucks County, Pennsylvania,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History

and Biography 30, no. 1 (1906): 77.59 Davis, History of Bucks County, 1905: 5.60 Tolles, James Logan, 60.

22

the will of Jacob Janney, of Bucks County, dated 8th mo. 2, 1708, and still preserved in the office

of the Register of Wills at Philadelphia.”61

White provides an example of William Biles’s social prominance:

The records of Falls Mo. Mtg., Pa., show that 11 mo. 8th, 1700, “Francis Haige of Makefield Twp. Bucks Co. husbandman, and Pleassent late wife of Joseph Millner, of same place: were married at Falls meeting, William Penn, William Biles, and other prominent residents of the Colony being witnesses thereto, …62

William Biles was involved in the Keith schism, the first serious Quaker religious difficulty

in Pennsylvania.16 George Keith was a Quaker from Aberdeen, Scotland. Keith had an interest

in doctrinal issues. He started a schism in Pennsylvania in the early 1690s over what he regarded

as insufficient attention Pennsylvania Quakers paid to Christian doctrine. The Keithian schism

drew nearly all of the Scottish Quakers in the mid-Atlantic region out of the Society of Friends.

Most of these became Baptists or Anglicans.

William Biles signed at least four documents testifying against George Keith. First, Biles

and William Yardley took the lead in a letter dated 4th mo. 17, 1692, to London friends

describing the divisions wrought by Keith. On 4th mo. 20, 1692, he signed the Testimony of

Denial from the Meeting of Public Friends in Philadelphia. Biles was one of over two hundred

signers of a Testimony against Keith issued by the Burlington Yearly Meeting. In 1695 T. Sowle

in London published a pamphlet in which he detailed the complaints against Keith. The contents

were later published in 1696 in America with thirty-nine signers, including William Biles.

In 1687 a great flood occurred at the falls. This was followed by much sickness. William

Biles’s wife, Johanna, died. She was buried on 7th mo. 4 in 1687. A little over one year later, he

remarried to Jane (nee Bond) Atkinson, widow of Thomas Atkinson, who also died in 1687.

They were married with the full blessing of the Quaker assembly. Miles White reports that

Quaker records show,

In her he had a faithful helpmeet, and one well calculated to assist him on his journey heavenward.” She was a minister, and is said to have had an eminent public testimony, and is shown by the Minutes of Falls Monthly Meeting to have been useful in meetings for discipline, and to have served on numerous committees. 63

61 White, “William Biles,” 192.62 Miles White, “William Haige,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 24, no. 1 (1902): 98.63 White, “William Biles,” 353-5.

23

William and Jane were married at William’s home on 11 December 1688. Jane was attracted

to William because of his faith and generosity. When Jane was still married to Thomas, they

were in need. On one occasion William, along with some friends, bought the Atkinsons a cow

and a calf to help them in their needs. William and Jane did not have any children together. Jane

had three children by her first marriage. The children were still young when Jane and William

were married. For example, Jane’s youngest son, Samuel, was only 3 years old at the time of the

marriage. Samuel lived with Jane and William until he was 26 and moved to Burlington county,

New Jersey, to marry Ruth Beakes, widow of William Beakes. Ruth was the daughter of

Mahlon Stacy and Rebecca (nee Ely), among the most prominent people residing in Burlington

County.64 William placed all of Jane’s inherited property in trust for her children. Hough

describes many land transactions that the Biles family made for the future security of Jane’s

children.65

The Quakers issued William and Jane letters of introduction for travel. They made several

trips on behalf of Quaker causes, including East New Jersey, Long Island, and Boston. In

addition they traveled to England and Ireland, leaving in the early part of 1701 and returning the

later part of 1702.

Jane died in Pennsylvania and was soon buried on 10th mo. 21, 1709. William Biles died

shortly afterwards and was buried on 3d mo. 19, 1710. Miles White notes that on William

Biles’s property near Penn’s Manor there stands a large brick building believed to be the home of

William Biles. The building was made of bricks that were brought over from England.66

In general, the literature and Friends testimony hold William Biles in high regard. George

Smith writes that “he was a man of ability and integrity—was frequently a member of Council

and of the Provincial Assembly, but withal, was a preacher, and an active and influential member

of the Society of Friends.”67 Miles White writes “William Biles seems always to have been a

clear-headed advocate of the principles of Quakerism.” White also quotes from The Friend, vol.

xxviii, p. 109:

There appears to be good evidence in the testimonies of various kinds left concerning this Friend, that he was one qualified by the Great Minister of

64 Jordan, Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, 654-5.65 Oliver Hough, “Atkinson Families of Bucks County, Pennsylvania,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of

History and Biography 30, no. 1 (1906): 57-79; no. 2, 220-237; no. 3, 332-347; no. 4, 479-502.66 White, “William Biles,” 355.67 George Smith, History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, from the Discovery of the Territory included

within its Limits to the Present Time (Philadelphia: Henry B. Ashmead, 1862), 447.

24

Ministers, to labour in his cause, and that his Gospel labours were blessed to the good of the church. How much more useful in the Lord’s hand, he and many of his fellow-ministers would have been, if they had refused all public offices, we cannot tell.” 68

Conclusion

William Biles is an excellent example of an Englishman who had a comfortable life in England

but chose to come to America. His push and pull factors were related to his Quaker beliefs.

Quakers were not popular, even persecuted, in England. But, Quakers were welcome in West

New Jersey. Biles had the financial means to successfully emigrate to America. He had enough

wealth to pay for passage for his family, his brother, some home furnishings, and two indentured

servants. He also had a good education that would allow him to navigate new legal territory.

After settling his physical life on Biles Island, he worked to establish a place for the Quaker

community on the east side of the Delaware River in the general upland region. He was

instrumental in establishing the structure for Quaker meetings and for local government in what

is now Bucks County, Pennsylvania. During his life he was a farmer, landowner, merchant,

attorney, politician, judge, and minister. As a politician at various times he served both on the

Provincial Council and the Assembly. The Lloyd-Logan rivalry sharply defined the political

options of government for colonial Pennsylvania, Popular versus Proprietary. Biles was at the

center of a key event involving Governor Evans which defined the roles of the popular side of

the controversy. Throughout his political career, Biles sided with the general notion that the

ultimate power should flow from the governed, the people.

68 White, “William Biles,” 351.

25

Epilogue

The two most important viewpoints in studying history are:

1. What was it like to live back then?

2. How did we get to where we are today?

The transition to today from Biles Island involves many generations. William Biles’s fifth child

was a son, John, born on 13 March 1678 in Dorchester, Dorset County, England. John was an

infant when his parents brought the family to America. John married Mary Lambert on 2

February 1707 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They made their home in West New Jersey.

Their second child, Thomas, was born on 12 March 1710. Thomas married Elizabeth Lambert

on 7 November 1729 in West New Jersey.

Due mainly to a falling out with the Quakers, several of the Biles families, including Thomas

and Elizabeth, moved from New Jersey to Rowan County, North Carolina. Thomas and

Elizabeth had nine children. Their eighth child, John, was born in North Carolina. John’s first

wife Margaret Whitiker died soon after their marriage on 2 July 1790. John soon married Betsy

(Elizabeth) Smith on 12 March 1792. Their first child, Obadiah, was born in 1794. He moved to

Rutherford County, Tennessee, where he married Sally Espy. They had three children. Their

third child, William, was born in February, 1827. William moved to Canaan, Gasconade

County, Missouri. There he married Rebecca J. Walton on 16 May 1848. They had thirteen

children. Their fourth child, Robert, was born around 1853. Robert and his wife Martha had

five surviving children. Their first child, Charles, was born in September, 1873, in Bourbois,

Gasconade County, Missouri. Charles moved to Enumclaw, Washington. Charles and his wife

Mabel had three children. Their youngest, Floyd, was born on 23 April 1906. In 1939 Floyd

married Rose Rambousek.

Floyd and Rose had six children. Their oldest, Charles Morgan Biles, was born on 29

November 1939. William Biles of Biles Island is Charles’s 7th-great grandfather. Charles is the

author of this paper, and that is how you got to be reading this essay today.

26

AppendixThe Will of William Biles

The will of William Biles is dated January 5,1709, and contains the following bequests:

To my son John Biles, 300 acres of land.To my daughter Elizabeth Hewes, wife of Matthew Hewes, the sum of twenty

shillings.To my three grandchildren, John, Mary, and Grace Beakes, the sum of fifty

pounds, to be equally divided between them.To my daughter, Johannah Beakes, the wife of Samuel Beakes, the sum of twenty

shillings.To my daughter, Rebeckah Janney, the wife of Joseph Janney, the sum of one

hundred and forty pounds.To their two daughters, Martha and Ann Janney, the sum of ten pounds, to be

equally divided between them.To my daughter, Ann, the wife of Thomas Yardley, the sum of one hundred and

fifty pounds.To my daughter-in-law, Martha Biles, the sum of five pounds.To my three grandchildren, Johannah, Phebe, and Sarah Biles, the daughters of

my children George and Martha Biles, the sum of fifteen pounds to be equally divided between them.

To my three granddaughters, Ann, Grace, and Sarah Biles, the daughters of my son and daughter, William and Sarah Biles, the sum of fifteen pounds, to be equally divided between them.

To my sister-in-law, Mary Biles, the widow of my brother, Thomas Biles, of Dorchester, in the county of Dorset, in old England, eight pounds.

To my grandson, William Bobbins, the son of my daughter, Mary Bobbins, the plantation where I last lived, lying betwixt the land of Anthony Burton, and the land of my son John Biles. It being part of the same land I purchased from Henry Barkar, by estimation, about 200 acres.

To my grandchildren, Johannah and Rebeckah Beakes, the daughters of my son and daughter, Samuel and Johannah Beakes, the sum of twenty four pounds.

To my son William Biles, all the rest, residue of my lands in West Jersey, etc.

Signed, published, and declared this fifth day of the Eleventh month called January, 1709, in the presence of us. Jer. Langhorn, Jas. Kirkbride, Robert Scotcher. H. D. B.69

69 Notes and Queries, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 15, no. 4 (1891): 503.

27

This map shows the area around Pennsbury.70 Davis states that it is the first map of Bucks

County; but provides no date. The plot shaded in green is owned by William Biles; the plot in y

ellow is owned jointly by William and Charles Biles; Biles Island is shaded in blue.

70 Davis, History of Bucks County, 83.

28

Annotated Bibliography

Battle, J. H., editor. History of Bucks County Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: A. Warner and Company, 1887.

This book is an essential read for the study of the colonial history of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is available as a Google book in the public domain. Biles Island is located in Bucks County.

Biles, Bryon W. The Biles Family

This is an unpublished genealogy document based on Mr. Bryon W. Biles’s research and trips to heritage sights, including County Dorset, England. The particular information cited here is also contained in the following web site:http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=debra_richards1&id=I00299

Bronner, Edwin B. William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” The Founding of Pennsylvania 1681-1701. New York: Temple University Publications, 1962.

This book is a chronological study of Pennsylvania for 1681-1701. The book focuses on the political history of Pennsylvania, especially as it relates to Penn’s original vision as a “holy experiment” for a Quaker colony. William Biles was a Quaker minister. The first Quaker mens monthly meetings west of the Delaware were held at the home of William Biles.

Davis, William W. H. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania from the Discovery of the Delaware to the present Time, Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905.

Volumes I and II contain the general history of Bucks County. Volume III contains a genealogical and personal history of Bucks County prepared under the supervision of Warren S. Ely and John Gordon, members of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Volume III contains genealogical stories of many immigrants listed on Pemberton’s List of Arrivals. Many of these stories contain interactions with William Biles. The books are available in the public domain as Google digital books.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania. “A Partial List of the Families Who Resided in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Prior to 1687, with the Date of Their Arrival Source.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 9, no. 2 (July, 1885): 223-233.

This article lists some early colonial arrivals to Pennsylvania, including William Biles and family arriving on the Elizabeth and Sarah from Weymouth, England.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania . “Notes and Queries.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 15:1 (July, 1891): 493-504.

On page 503 there is a note about Biles that gives the will of William Biles.

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Historical Society of Pennsylvania . “Notes and Queries.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 15, no. 1 (April, 1892): 118-128.

Page 126 has a note about “Extracts from William Beaks of Bucks County, Penna.” that shows William Biles as one of 3 appraisers of yeoman Beaks’s property.

Hough, Oliver. “Richard Hough, Provincial Councilor.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 18, no. 1 (1894): 20-34.

This article is about Richard Hough, a member of the Provincial Council in colonial Pennsylvania. It describes several interactions with William Biles.

Hough, Oliver. “Atkinson Families of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 30, no. 1 (1906): 57-79; no. 2, 220-237; no. 3, 332-347; no. 4, 479-502.

Jane Atkinson was the first wife of Thomas Atkinson, a respected member of the Quaker community. Shortly after Thomas’s death, she became William Biles’s second wife after his first wife Johanna died. This 4-part article details many interactions between members of the Atkinson and Biles families. There are 49 specific references to Biles in the series.

Illick, Joseph E. Colonial Pennsylvania: a history. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976.

This book provides a readable overview of colonial Pennsylvania history from first European colonization to the Revolutionary War. The goal of the author was to do this one volume.

Lee, Francis Bazley, editorial supervisor. Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey. New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1907.

William Biles first settled in Burlington, West New Jersey, before moving across the Delaware to Biles Island. This work contains several references to the Biles family as well as a comprehensive description of the colonial history of the area. The Google digital book was digitized from the University of Virginia Library and can be obtained from the web site:http://www.archive.org/stgream/genealogicaland03compgoog#page/n10/mode/1up.

Lokken, Roy N. David Lloyd Colonial Lawmaker. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1959.

This book is about the significance of David Lloyd as an historic person in colonial Pennsylvania. The book is an excellent source for describing the political turmoil of establishing the government for colonial Pennsylvania. William Biles was a participant in the Logan-Lloyd controversy pitting the proprietary interests against the common interests.

McNealy, Terry A. “Morrisville.” Bucks County Magazine (11 June 2007).

This article describes the early history of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and contains a description of Crewcorne, the first European settlement around Biles Island. I obtained a copy of the article from a link on the Marfy Goodspeed blogspot.

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Nash, Gary B. Quakers and Politics Pennsylvania, 1681-1726. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968.

This book details the role of the Quakers in the early colonial history of Pennsylvania.

Neill, Edward Duffield. Biographical sketch of John Evans, deputy governor of Pennsylvania, with letters from the proprietor, William Penn, now first printed. Boston: D. Clapp & son, 1872.

This book describes John Evans and his term as deputy governor of colonial Pennsylvania. There is an interesting letter from William Penn to John Evans about the Biles incident with John Evans. This book is available with an on-line guest account at the University of Michigan Library: http://www.lib.umich.edu.

Pennsylvania Colonial Records, Volume I. Harrisburg: Published by the State, 1838.

This volume contains the minutes of the Provincial Council of colonial Pennsylvania from 10 March 1683 to 27 November 1700. There are numerous references to William Biles since he was elected to the first Provincial Council in Pennsylvania.

Proud, Robert. The History of Pennsylvania, Volume I. Philadelphia: Zachariah Poulson, 1797.

This is must reading for the early history of Pennsylvania has several references to William Biles. The book is available in the public domain through Google digital books.

Riddell, William Renwick. “Libel on the Assembly: A Prerevolutionary Episode.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 52, no. 3 (1928): 249-279.

This fascinating read of some colonial libels contains interesting commentary about Deputy Governor Evans in colonial Pennsylvania.

Sotherland, Jean R., editor. William Penn and the Founding of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983.

This book is available as a Google book in the public domain.

Smith, George. History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, from the Discovery of the Territory included within its Limits to the Present Time. Philadelphia: Henry B. Ashmead, 1862.

This book describes the early history of the Delaware, including the colonial history of Upland and the Upland court. On page 447 there is a biographical note about William Biles. The book is available at http://delawarecountyhistory.com/documents/delco.pdf.

Sugre, Thomas J. “The Peopling and Depeopling of Early Pennsylvania: Indians and Colonists.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 116:1 (Jan., 1992): 3-31.

This article negatively portrays the selling of rum to the Indians by William Biles.

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Tolles, Frederick B. James Logan and the Culture of Provincial America. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1957.

Tolles does for James Logan what Lokken does for David Lloyd. It is an essential read for understanding the Logan-Lloyd controversy in the history of colonial Pennsylvania. The book paints William Biles in an unfavorable light as a lieutenant of David Lloyd.

White, Miles. “William Biles.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 26, no. 1 (1902): 58-70; no. 2, 192-206; no. 3, 348-359.

This is the definitive published work on William Biles. This 3-part series details much of the life of William Biles, including his arrival in America, the highlights of his political career, his activities as a Quaker, and a copy of his will.

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Internet Sites

http://trentonhistory.org/Documents/MillHill/FigureA04.jpg

The 1679 Jasper Dankers map was obtained from this site.

http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/pennsylvania/dutch-and-swedes.htm

This site details the early colonial history along the Delaware River

http://hunterdonfamilies.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

Goodspeed, Marfy, Life in West New Jersey, 1680, published 29 October 2009. This blogspot article contains the most details of selling rum to the Indians associated with William Biles. Ms. Goodspeed is a local historian for Hunterdon county.

http://www.stenton.org/research/landsman_enlightenment.cfm

This site contains some details of George Keith and the Quaker Keithian schism.

http://www.nockamixon.us/BC/township.html

This website describes the first county seat in Bucks County, PA.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~buckscounty/falls.htmlhttp://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~buckscounty/quakers.html

This first link contains the early history of Falls, Bucks County, PA. The second link describes the first Quaker meetings held west of the Delaware River.

http://www.ristenbatt.com/genealogy/lizsarsp.htm

This website gives the passenger list for the Elizabeth and Sarah of Weymouth. The information is taken from Passengers and Ships Prior to 1684, Penn's Colony Volume I by Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., 1970. However, I have been unable to locate the book.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fordingtondorset/Files/DorchesterRevJohnWhite1575-1648.html

This internet site details Rev. John White, a minister in Dorchester, County Dorset, England, and portrays him as the Patriarch of Dorchester and the Founder of Massachusetts.

http://www.usahistory.info/colonies/New-Jersey.html

This internet site details the colonial history of New Jersey. When William Biles arrived in America, he landed at Burlington, West New Jersey. He lived there a short while before obtaining land and moving to the east side of the Delaware River. William’s brother Charles, who made the trip to America with William, resided in West New Jersey.

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