William Hewes

  General Notes:

William Hewes, first in the American line, came from London, England, with his wife, Deborah, about 1674-5 and not later than 1684, and located on Ouldman's creek, Salem county, N.J., where he died in 1698. His only child appears to have been William Hewes, Jr., who succeeded his father on Ouldman's creek, and in 1689, was married to Sarah Bezer, a daughter of Edward Bezer. The junior Hewes, like his father, was a member of the Society of Friends, a religious organization resembling the Quakers. The second William and Sarah had ten children, William, Sarah, Moses, Ruth, Deborah, Edward, James, Thomas, Aaron, and Joseph. Thomas was married to a woman, whose Christian name is given as Mary. He died in 1735, leaving the widow, Mary Pedrick or Tedrick, and three children, Joseph, Thomas, and an unnamed daughter. Aaron, the next child in the family of William and Sarah Hewes, was a brother of Thomas, the father of the second Thomas, who is supposed to be the same Thomas killed by Indians. Aaron was the father of Joseph Hewes, the signer, and the latter's mother was Providence Worth, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Giles Worth.

  Research Notes:

William Hewes succeeded his father at Ouldman's Creek and was a Quaker. He died shortly before 16 May 1733, when inventory of his estate was made.

The following is from History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches, by J. Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope, Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881, Press of J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, page 171:

Chichester
This name was given to Marcus Hook April 20, 1682, and the name was subsequently applied to the townships styled Upper and Lower Chichester, both now in Delaware County. In 1715 the taxables in the lower part were: Philip Roman, Jonah Roman, Robert Roman, John Rawson, Richard Bezer, Philip Pedrick, Anthony Baldwin, William Flower, Mordecai Howell, John Royley, Richard Edwards, William Clayton, William Hewes, William Hewes, Jr., John Hopton, Richard Crosby, John Boss.

The following is from page 500 of Chester (and its Vicinity,) Delaware County in Pennsylvania with Genealogical Sketches of some old families, by John Hill Martin, Esq., originally published 1877, reprinted by John A. Bullock III, Graphic Details, Reidsville, NC, 1999:

William Hewes, Jr., was married in 1689 to Sarah, the daughter of Edward and Ann Bezer. The proceedings of the meeting in regard to this marriage are given by Dr. Smith, omitting names; but they must possess additional interest when we know to whom they refer. 'The friends ordered to inquire of their clearness, life, & conversation, report to this meeting they find nothing to obstruct: And whereas the young man heretofore has been given to be something wild, he of late years was become more somber. - it was proposed by friends to the young man and woman.

1st. Whether he did beleeve yet was the truth which wee proffessed & walked in according to our measure - further shewing that if wee did not walk in the truth according to our measure given us, wee were but a Community of men and women, and not a Church of Christ: And then marriage would be as well by the law of the Province as among us: And your comeing to us to propose your intention of marriage, and desireing our consent, is as wee are a Church of Christ, which we cannot be without we walke in Truth: Therefore whether thou dost beleeve That is the Truth we profes & walke in: His answer was Yes. He did beleeve it is. Also the young woman was asked the same. She answered, Yes, I doe beleeve it is.

2dly. Whether you do beleeve that this way of marriage Among friends is According to the order of Truth:

3dly. Whether you do beleeve it is your duty thus to proceed; they, both Answer, Yes. ffriends said, as Paul to the church of the Romans, chap. 14, 1, Him yt is weake in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. Whereupon friends left them to proceed According to the good order of Truth, They both having their parents' Consent Thereunto.

Dr. Smith supposed that the reason of this unusual catechism was owning to the parties not being members, but as their parents were, so would they be considered, in this Society.

The bride's mother manifested so much dissatisfaction with the proceedings, that her case was referred to the Quarterly Meeting, which "finds that the said monthly meeting did beare a little too hard upon the young couple."

1733, 2 mo. (Apr.), 7 da. Hewes (Hews), William, of Oldmans Creek, Salem Co.; will of. Wife, Sarah. Legacy to daughter Ruth. Son Edward to have dwelling house and plantation, woodland and meadow "adjoining to James, with a slip of land 20 rod broad to be taken from the lands I bought of James Logan, to run parallel with formerly Pinick's line, in all about 210 acres." Son Thomas remainder of that land (194 acres) bought of James Logan, where he now lives, and six acres of meadow down the Creek. Executors' wife Sarah and sons Edward and Thomas. Witnesses: Mikel Pedrick, Thos. Pedrick, Philip Pedrick. Proved 22 May 1733.

1733, 3 mo. (May), 16 da. Inventory, £134.5.2; made by Michel Pedrick, Thomas Pedrick.
(Salem Wills, 3:320; NJ Arch 30:235)

According to Jacob Hewes, great grandson, tradition says, William came from Wales. [NOTE: Jacob's great-grandfather was grandson of the William who came from England.] .. . . . He first took up land in New Jersey, near Salem, but abandoned it and took up a part of 1000 acres in Lower Chichester, and built a brick house on his purchase. On the sill of the front door the letters W. H. are cut. His grandson and great grandson were born in this house. William Hewes, was, so says tradition, one of the founders of the meeting house at Cichester, and lays in the graveyard there.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Will, 2 Jul 1733. He left a will dated 7-2 mo., 1733, proved 22 May following, in which he bequeathed to wife Sarah, and daughter Ruth the bed she lies on, all furniture, and œ15. To son Thomas, his riding coat, son Edward, tools, dwelling house, and plantation adjoining James, with a strip taken from the land "I bought of James Logan, 210 acres," son Thomas, "the rest of land bought of Logan, 194 acres, where he now lives, adjoining Edward's land" (Salem Wills, 3:320).

William married Sarah Bezer, daughter of Edward Bezer and Ann Fry, on 14 Oct 1689 in Concord Township, Chester, Pennsylvania. (Sarah Bezer was born on 17 May 1674 in Bishops Cannings, Wiltshire, England and died on 30 Jan 1749 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA.)