Byberry, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Manor of Moreland (now Upper Moreland Township),
Philadelphia County (now Montgomery) County, Pennsylvania
The Society of Friends (Quakers) began in England in the 1650s, when they broke away from the Puritans. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, as a safe place for Friends to live and practice their faith.
The Keithian Schism was a split within the Society of Friends in the last decade of the seventeenth century led by George Keith.
Thomas Walton and Priscilla Hunn married in Pennsylvania on December 24, 1689/90. They declared their intentions at both the Abington and Philadelphia meetings. According to Early Friends Families they soon located on the Horsham Road, in the Manor of Moreland.
In 1691, at the time of the Keithian Separation, the Byberry Friends Meeting went Keithian. Thomas and Priscilla went with those who met at the home
of Henry English.
On November 16 1708 Thomas bought 300 acres in Moreland Township.
On October 14, 1709 he sold 100 acres in Byberry to Daniel Walton.
In the Abington Meeting records of June 27, 1718 is the notation
At this meeting, Thomas Walton appeared and Seemed to Be Some what Sorry that he had Indulged his Children and that for ye future he hopes to be more carefull & desires friends to pass it by.
According to Swayne that was the usual excuse for having served liquor at a wedding.
Before 1717 Thomas deeded some of his land to Caleb.
On May 10, 1717 Priscilla and Thomas deeded 100 of the Moreland acres to Thomas Walton, Jr. for 70 pounds.
On March 29, 1740 he deeded 25 acres to John for 50 pounds.
Thomas died on February 27, 1758 in the Manor of Moreland.
The Manor of Moreland was composed of a tract of ten thousand acres, and was created, in 1682, by a grant from William Penn to Dr. Nicholas More. Most of the Manor was in Philadelphia County, but is now
Moreland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
Byberry is a township in the northeast corner of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The Walton brothers were early settlers. Moreland Township was just west of Byberry. When Montgomery County broke off in 1784, Moreland was divided into two townships, both called Moreland. In 1917 the Montgomery County Moreland split into Upper Moreland Township and Lower Moreland Township.
A History of the Townships of Byberry and Moreland in Philadelphia, Pa: From Their Earliest Settlement by the Whites to the Present Time by Joseph C. Martindale, published by T. Ellwood Zell, 1867
Thomas Walton, the second of the four brothers, settled back of Smithfield (Somerton), on the Horsham Eoad, in the Manor of Moreland. Nothing is known of his history, except that he married Priscilla Hunn, of Philadelphia, 12th mo. 24th, 1689 (O. S.), and that he died in 1758, at a very advanced age, probably near one hundred years. He left several children.
