William Baines (1681 - 1729)

Born 14 May 1681 in Wyresdale, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Russell) Bean Baines — married 1701 in Southampton Township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 23 May 1729 at age 48 in Southampton Twp, Bucks County, PA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Alan Peet [send private message] and Fred Smith [send private message]

Biography

William Baines was a part of William Penn's Pennsylvania Settlers community.

William was a Friend (Quaker)

William Baines (later Banes, Beans) was the son of Matthew Baines and Margaret (Hatton) Baines. The event of his birth was recorded in Quaker records of Lancaster, Lancashire on "14 5th mo. 1681 (14 Jul 1681).^[1] It is documented that William emigrated from England in autumn 1686^[2] (likely fall 1687) with his father Mathew and sister Elinor and that Mathew died during the crossing leaving William and Elinor orphaned.^[3] It is presumed that the documented trio were also traveling with wife and mother, Margaret, and perhaps 4 additional children, William's siblings. Disease apparently broke out aboard ship taking the lives of all family members save William and Elinor.

Sometime after landing near Chester, the cause of the surviving siblings William and Elin Baines was heard in the Chester County Orphans Court on the "6th day of the 1th month, 1687" (6 Mar 1687). The Court "ordered that Francis Little give security to this Court to pay unto John Simcock and Thomas Brasse as trustees to William and Elin Baines for ye sum of twenty eight shillings."^[4] William was contracted out to Joseph Stedman, and Elin was taken in by John Simcock, both heads of Quaker families.^[3][5]

Francis Little was an attorney, however he had to be cajouled into paying over his debt to the orphans. At an Orphans Court held in Chester County on "the 3rd day of ye 1th week of ye 8th month, 1688" (3 Oct 1688) "Francis Little was called in the case of William and Elin Baines Butt satisfying ye court that he had paid part he was ordered to pay ye rest before ye next court."^[6] Once again, at an Orphan's Court held on "the 3rd day of ye 1th week of ye 1th month" (3 Mar 1688), "Francis Little was called in the case of William and Elin Baines. Ordered that he make them satsfaction of what remains behind in one week."^[7] And finally, 18 months after their arrival, William and Elin Baines were reported to have been made whole by a report of full satsfaction delivered to the Orphan's Court by Francis Little on the 4th day of the 1th week of the 8th month, 1689 (4 Oct 1689).^[8]

See also Phineas Pemberton's Letter: Pemberton to Walker re: Baines orphans

Stedman was a Husbandman, a farmer, and Simcock a Judge and Proprietary commissioner. Their properties were adjacent though Stedman's plantation was in Springfield township and Simcock's was in Ridley township.^[9] See Map of Pennsylvania Province: 1681 - c1705. Noneteless, it is likely that the Baines siblings remained in close contact at least for a few years after their 'adoption.'

William was about 13 years old in 1694 when Joseph Stidman made his will. William is identified in the will as "Wm Beans." The will was proved in Philadelphia County Court in 1698 and stated William was to be free of his covenant service when he arrived at the age of twenty or upon the death of both Joseph and his wife Margaret.^[10] The relevant passage from the will reads:

"Item, my mind & will is concerning Wm Beans my Covenant Servant, that if I dye before the s’d Wm come to the age of twentie years, that then the s’d Wm at the age of twentie years shall be free & Quitt of the Covenant Service, And further my mind & will is & I doe hereby appoint that at the decease of the Longer Liver of my self & wife the s’d Wm shall be free and Quitt of his said Covenant Service & that no heir or exe’r of either of us shall Detain him any Longer."

See the Will of Joseph Stidman, Chester County, 1698 for a complete transcription.

Margaret Stidman, Joseph's widow, remarried several times and lived until 1732 thus it is expected that William served his complete term of covenant service through c1701.

William Baines, probably soon after the termination of his term of service, married and located in Southampton township, Bucks county, where a tract of land is marked with his name on an early survey, though no deeds appear of record to or from him.^[3] (see image). He settled near the Warminster township line and married out of meeting, his family becoming associated with the Old Southampton Baptist Meeting House and the Old Pennepack Baptist Church.^[11] Several decendants are buried in these church cemeteries.^[12][13]

William died prior to May 23, 1729, when letters of administration were granted on his estate.^[14][3] His widow Elizabeth, maiden name unknown, survived him many years, her will dated December 27, 1768, being probated September 16, 1771. The children of William and Elizabeth Banes were ten in number.... ^[3] (see image)

Timeline

William lived his entire life by the British Julian Calendar. Thus his 'New Year' formally began each spring on the 25th of March. Quakers avoided using names such as "March" to identify the months of the year, referring to them numerically instead. Nonetheless, their 12th month equated to February for non-Friends followed by the Quaker "1 th month" which was March. However, the 1st day of March did not mark the 'New Year.' March 1st - 24th was the end of ye olde year and the 25th began ye new one.^[15] So, when Willliam's cause was heard "At a Orphan's Court held for Chester County on the 6th day of the 1 th month, 1687," the date was actually 6 March 1687.

Research Notes

• Perhaps the first evidence of the surname transition from 'Baines' to 'Beans' occured in the Will of Joseph Stidman, when he referred to William as 'Wm Beans'.
• "Chester", the name of the ship said to have carried Baines orphans William and Elin from England is suspect. Refernce to a ship called Chester is lacking. It is documented however that the orphans landed at Chester on the Delaware River. Perhaps therein lies the confusion. The date of their arrival can be bracked to the 6 month period between the death of James Harrison who "died before they came in" on 6 Oct 1687 and the date of their Orphans Court hearing on 6 Mar 1687.
• A ship named "Margaret" is said to have arrived to Pennsylvania in Nov 1687.

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch.org, Birth, William ?, 14 Jul 1681, father: Mathew; citing p. 121, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London. Surname is not transcribed however all facts are consistent with other records including births of siblings.
2. ↑ Jordan, John W., LL. D., Colonial families of Philadelphia, Volume Ii, New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911, 1210. Closson Family: Josephine (Banes) Closson. https://archive.org/details/cu31924092544133/page/n331
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} History of Bucks County Pennsylvania: from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, editors William Watts Hart Davis, Warren Smedly Ely, John Wolf Jordan, 2nd edition, vol IIi, New York & Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1905. Biographical Sketches, p722. https://archive.org/details/historyofbucksco03davi/page/722
4. ↑ Court records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1681-1712, FamilySearch.org citing p83, image 46. Top of page: "At an Orphans Court held at Chester on ye 6th day of 1th month 1687". Fifth and last entry on page before Court adjourned: "Ordered that Francis Little give security to this Court to pay unto John Simcock and Thomas Brasse as trustees to William and Elin Baines for ye sum of twenty eight shillings." https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-R94N-Q
5. ↑ Clan MacBean in North America, Volume II, Fifth Edition, Revised 1993, by Joseph S. Bean, page 818
6. ↑ Court records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1681-1712, FamilySearch.org citing p97, image 53. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-R94X-K?i=52
7. ↑ Court records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1681-1712, FamilySearch.org citing p103, image 56. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-R946-4?i=55
8. ↑ Court records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1681-1712, FamilySearch.org citing p122, image 66. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-R94X-M?i=65
9. ↑ A map of the improved part of the Province of Pennsilvania in America: begun by Wil. Penn, Proprietary & Governour thereof anno 1681. Map of the Province of Pennsilvania containing the three countyes of Chester, Philadelphia & Bucks. Thomas Holme, Surveyor, c1705. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3820.ct001815/?r=0.006,0.033,0.659,0.38,0
10. ↑ Pennsylvania Probate Records, Philadelphia County Wills 1682-1916, Will Book A, 1683-1693, image 479-80, p403, record 173. FamilySearch.org, online database, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9B2-RH7Y-J?i=478&cat=353446
11. ↑ History of Bucks County Pennsylvania: from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, editors William Watts Hart Davis, Warren Smedly Ely, John Wolf Jordan, 2nd edition, vol I, New York & Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1905. Chapter XIII, Southampton, v1, p167. https://archive.org/details/historyofbucksco01davi/page/167
12. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1985524/old-pennepack-baptist-church-cemetery
13. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1978882/old-school-baptist-meeting-house-cemetery
14. ↑ FamliySearch.org, Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, Bucks County, Wills Index 1684-1831, image 104, citing Bucks County, Administation Index, 1713-1831, volume A, p3. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899B-R9X6?i=103&wc=9PMD-16J%3A268497401%2C268633601&cc=1999196
15. ↑ Wikipedia.org: Julian Calendar; Gregorian Calendar.

See also:

• Jordan, John W., LL. D., Colonial families of Philadelphia, Volume Ii, New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911, 1210. Closson Family: Josephine (Banes) Closson. https://archive.org/details/cu31924092544133/page/n331

Acknowledgements

Baines-255 was created by Fred Smith through the import of fdsmith2.GED on Jan 15, 2014.