An American Family History

Ann Walton Boutcher was born about 1733 in the Manor of Moreland, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It is now Upper Moreland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Caleb Walton. 

She married Samuel Boutcher on April 29, 1758 at Christ Church, Philadelphia. Reverend William Sturgeon performed the ceremony. Reverend Sturgeon was curate and assistant minister at Christ Church and St. Peter’s, Philadelphia, and catechist of the school for African American children. The Boutcher genealogy is confusing and it is not clear exactly how Samuel is related to the others.

In 1774, Samuel Boutcher lived in the Manor of Moreland and had 140 acres, a house, 5 horses, and 5 cows. He enslaved one person. Joseph Butcher was his closest neighbor.

In the 1776 assessment of the Manor of Moreland he had 200 acres, 2 negroes, 3 horses, and 8 cows.

Samuel Boutcher was paid £402 for damage to his estate during the Revolution by British forces during some of their incursions while they occupied Philadelphia.

In 1778 Samuel Boucher of Moreland was assistant weighmaster and

John and Samuel Boutcher [brothers], offered for sale their "plantation in Moorland, chiefly in Philadelphia County, 100 acres or upwards."

In 1782 Samuel Boutcher of Moreland had 200 acres and a house, 5 horses, 5 cows, 12 sheep, a chair or chain. He enslaved 2 people.

In 1790 the Samuel Boutcher family lived in the Manor of Moreland, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The 11 member household included two enslaved people.

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.

from Bean's 1884 History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: Moreland Township, contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan Walters

In the vicinity of Huntingdon Valley, in 1702, three hundred and fifty acres were sold to John Boutcher. . .

John Boutcher, of Moreland, by his will, dated June 25, 1707, bequeathed to his son Samuel three hundred and fifty acres of land, with all its improvements, and mentioned it as being "at Huntingdon."

In 1734 [assessment] John Boutcher had 100 acres and Samuel Boutcher had 50 acres.

In the Revolution the British did some damage in Moreland, -most likely in some of their incursions while in possession of Philadelphia. For this cause Samuel Boutcher, residing near Huntingdon Valley, was allowed £402.

From The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography

Samuel Boucher [Butcher] was the son of George Dietrich Bucher,who, in 1778, lived in New Hanover township, Philadelphia County.

That year, Samuel Boucher, assistant weighmaster, lived in Moreland Manor, Philadelphia County.

They were descendants of John Boutcher, who died in Moreland township, in 1707, leaving two sons, John and Samuel, and several daughters, one of whom, Sarah, married Henry, son of Francis Daniel Pastorius, in 1720.

Samuel Boucher, of the Northern Liberties, took the oath of allegiance to the State on July 5, 1777; was a member of Captain Faries' Troop of Horse that year; is recorded as being with the Troop at Newtown in October, 1781; and continued with that body until 1782 at least.

In the records of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, on October 4, 1781, there is an

order in favor of Mr. Samuel Boutcher for 64 pounds 10 shillings, State money emitted by. Act of Assembly of the 7th of April, 1781, amount of his account for the hire of waggons called into service from the County of Philadelphia in August, 1780, agreeably to requisitions of Congress.

In 1788, John and Samuel Boutcher [brothers], offered for sale their

plantation in Moorland, chiefly in Philadelphia County, 100 acres or upwards.

On May 28, 1788, Samuel Butcher married Mary Highbee. He died on May 5, 1797, letters of administration being granted to Jesse Butcher.

New Hanover Township, Montgomery (was Philadelphia) County, Pennsylvania was a section of the Frankfort Land Development Company in the early eighteenth century. It was called Falkner's Swamp because it was controlled by Daniel Falkner. He ceded to John Sprogell in 1708. Sprogell ousted many first settlers claiming that their titles were not legal. In spite of this fraud, Sprogell kept control of 22,000 acres. Many settlers were forced to buy back their own land. The villages in the township included Swamp, Fagleysville, New Hanover Square, and Pleasant Run.