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Lot 300
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Quakers in Philadelphia and London Work to Resolve Land Transaction, 1802
Quakers in Philadelphia and London Work to Resolve Land Transaction, 1802
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Description:

Quakers
London, England, October 20, 1801; March 25, 1802
Quakers in Philadelphia and London Work to Resolve Land Transaction, 1802
MDS
[QUAKERS]. George Dillwyn, Manuscript Document Signed, Power of Attorney to Richard Hill Morris and John Cox, October 20, 1801, Buckinghamshire, England; Joseph Savage, Manuscript Document Signed, Affidavit, March 25, 1802, London, England; [William] Windale, Partially Printed Document Signed, Certification, March 25, 1802, London, England. 4 pp., 10" x 13.5". Expected folds; light toning.

This compound document from London had the purpose of allowing fellow Quakers Richard Hill Morris of Philadelphia or his brother-in-law John Cox of Burlington, New Jersey, to act legally on behalf of George Dillwyn, an American Quaker then living in England, in a land transaction in which Morris and Dillwyn were involved.

In 1787, Richard and Rachel Wells had sold a house and two adjoining lots in Philadelphia to a partnership of brothers-in-law Dr. Charles Moore, Henry Hill, and George Dillwyn, and their nephew Richard Hill Morris. Apparently, Dillwyn's brother in England, William Dillwyn, held a mortgage on the house and lots. Richard Wells died in February 1801 before paying the mortgage, and William Dillwyn demanded the sale of the property to pay Wells's debt. The partnership had arranged a sale for $13,450, but according to George Dillwyn's power of attorney, that sum was "insufficient for the Discharge of the said Bond and the Interest due thereon," so with these documents he gave his power of attorney to partner Richard Hill Morris and/or his brother-in-law John Cox to resolve the matter.

The house and lots were "on the West Side of the third Street from Delaware between High and Mulberry Streets." High Street is now Market Street, and Mulberry Street is now Arch Street. The block on the west side of Third Street now contains the Arch Street Quaker Meeting House, built in 1804 and 1811, and an associated burial ground.

Excerpts
[Certification:]
"To all to whom these Presents shall come I Paul de Mesurier Esquire Locum Tenens for Sir John Eamer Knight Lord Mayor of the City of London Do hereby Certifie that on the Day of the Date hereof personally came and appeared before me Joseph Savage the Deponent named in the Affidavit hereunto annexed...."

[Affidavit:]
"Joseph Savage of Old Broad Street in the City of London Gentleman Maketh Oath and Saith that he this Deponent together with Thomas Fothergill of Old Broad Street aforesaid Gentleman were present and did see George Dillwyn late of Burlington in the State of New Jersey but now of Amersham in the County of Bucks in that part of Great Britain called England Sign Seal and duly Execute and as his Act and Deed deliver the Deed Poll or Letter of Attorney hereunto Annexed Marked with the Letter A bearing date the Twentieth day of October One thousand Eight hundred and one Whereby the said George Dillwyn hath Constituted and Appointed Richard Hill Morris now of the City of Philadelphia Timber Merchant and John Cox of the County of Burlington in the State of New Jersey his Attorneys for the purposes therein mentioned...."

[Power of Attorney:]
"Whereas by an Indenture dated the first Day of October One thousand and Seven hundred and Eighty seven Between Richard Wells and Rachel his wife of the City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsilvania of the one part and Charles Moore Practitioner of Physic and Henry Hill Esquire both of the same City George Dillwyn late of Burlington and then of Great Britain Merchant and Richard Hill Morris Esquire of the County of Chester and State of Pennsilvania of the other part Reciting that Hannah Moore Widow of Samuel Preston Moore late of the said City of Philadelphia by an Indenture bearing the twenty ninth Day of September One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty seven had granted and conveyed unto the said Richard Wells a certain House and two adjoining Lots of ground situated on the West Side of the third Street from Delaware between High and Mulberry Streets in the said City of Philadelphia.... It was witnessed that the said Richard Wells being thereof so seized with Rachel his wife for the Consideration, and on the Conditions therein mentioned and declared grant bargain and sell to the said Charles Moore Henry Hill George Dillwyn and Richard Hill Morris and the Survivor of them and the Heirs of such Survivor all the said abovementioned House Lots Premises and Appurtenances whatsoever Subject to the Payment of a certain Bond and Obligation for Four thousand pounds Sterling Money of Great Britain Conditioned for the Payment of Two thousand pounds like Money and the Interest thereof given by the said Richard Wells to William Dillwyn of Walthamstow near London and dated the first Day of September One thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven with full Power and Authority to see the whole or any Part of the said Estates in order to the Payment of the said principal Sum of Two thousand pounds and the interest thereof.... And whereas the said Richard Wells lately died without having paid the said principal Sum of Two thousand Pounds Sterling and whereon a considerable Sum also remained to be due for Interest And the said Wiliam Dillwyn by himself or by his lawful Attorney having demanded the Sale of the Estates abovementioned to be subjected to the Payment thereof They the said Charles Moore George Dillwyn and Richard Hill Morris (who on the decease of Henry Hill were the only surviving Devisees in Trust abovementioned) have lately sold or contracted for the sale of the same to and with William Wister of the City of Philadelphia aforesaid or to and with some other Person or Persons for the Sum of Thirteen thousand Four hundred and fifty Dollars which appear to be insufficient for the Discharge of the said Bond and the Interest due thereon Now know all Men by these Presents that I George Dillwyn...being one of the surviving Devisees in Trust...do hereby make constitute and appoint the said Richard Hill Morris now of the City of Philadelphia Timber Merchant and now the only other surviving Devisee in the said Trusts named and John Cox of the County of Burlington in the State of New Jersey or either of them my true and lawful attornies or Attorney...."

George Dillwyn (1738-1820) was born in Philadelphia. In 1759, he married Sarah Hill, a daughter of Dr. Richard Hill and Deborah Moore Hill, and they had no children. He was unsuccessful in business and was recognized as a minister in 1766. They lived in Burlington, New Jersey. In 1784, he and his wife traveled to England and Europe on a religious visit. From 1793 to 1802, they again lived in England. He died in Burlington, New Jersey.

William Dillwyn (1743-1824) was born in Philadelphia, the younger brother of George Dillwyn. He was a Quaker and attended the Friends' English School of Philadelphia. He was active in the abolitionist movement in colonial America and after 1774, in Great Britain. He was one of the twelve committee members of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade when it was formed in 1787.

Richard Hill Morris (1762-1841) was born in Philadelphia into the Quaker home of Willam Morris Jr. (d. 1766) and Margaret Hill Morris (1737-1816) and named for his maternal grandfather, a Quaker physician. In 1770, his widowed mother relocated the family to Burlington, New Jersey, to be near her sister, Sarah Hill Dillwyn, and she opened a medical and apothecary practice in 1779. As pacifists, the Morris family refused to participate in the Revolutionary War. In 1786, he married Mary Mifflin (d. 1789), and in 1798, he married Mary Smith, with whom he had five children.

Dr. Charles Moore (1724-1801) graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1752 and practiced medicine in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, before moving to Philadelphia. In 1767, he married Milcah Martha Hill (1740-1829), the daughter of Quaker Dr. Richard Hill, making him the uncle by marriage of Richard Hill Morris and brother-in-law of Henry Hill. The meeting disowned the couple because they were cousins, but she was later reinstated after his death.

Henry Hill (1732-1798) was born in Maryland, the son of Dr. Richard Hill (1698-1762), a Quaker physician and shipping merchant, and his wife Deborah Moore Hill. In 1739, his father, mother, and two of his sisters fled the country for Madeira to avoid his father's creditors. He and five of his siblings remained with his older sister, sixteen-year-old Hannah, and her husband Dr. Samuel Preston Moore. He became a prominent Philadelphia merchant and became rich by importing Madeira wine in partnership with his father in Madeira and his English brothers-in-law, and "Harry Hill's wine" was well regarded. He married Ann Meredith (d. 1785), but they had no children.

Richard Wells (1734-1801) was born in England as the son of Dr. Gideon Wells and Mary Partridge Wells, whose father Richard Partridge was at one time Agent for the Colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut in London. Richard Wells came to America in 1750 and settled for a time in Burlington, New Jersey. In 1759, he married Rachel Hill (1746-1796), a daughter of Richard Hill, and they had at least five children. He settled in Philadelphia, where he became a wealthy merchant. He was a member of the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Quakers) and the Pennsylvania Assembly and served as cashier of the Bank of North America (1792-1800).

John Cox (1754-1847) was born in New Jersey and married Hannah Smith (d. 1783). After her death, he married Ann Dillwyn and lived in Burlington County, New Jersey. He was recognized as a Quaker minister but traveled little. He was particularly interested in maintaining peaceful relationships with local Native American tribes. He served as clerk of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in 1808 and from 1811 to 1816. In the schism of 1827 that led to the creation of the Hicksite and Orthodox branches of the Society of Friends, Cox was a moderating influence.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 10" x 13.5"
  • Medium: MDS

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
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$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
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