Samuel Bishop (abt. 1660 - bef. 1741)

Born about 1660 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 14 Dec 1741 before about age 81 in West Caln Township, Chester, Pennsylvania

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Samuel Bishop was a part of William Penn's Pennsylvania Settlers community. Join: William Penn and Early Pennsylvania Settlers Project Discuss: penn

Biography

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

Samuel Bishop's ancestors and parents are unknown. He was born around the year 1660. He is most likely the same as Samuel Bishop of Gloucestershire, England, who was arrested in 1681 along with Alice Curtis and others for attending Society of Friends meetings; Samuel was committed to prison and paid the price for doing so twice in 1681, according to Joseph Besse's "A Collection of the Sufferings of the People Called Quakers" (1753).^[1] He worshipped at Sadbury, possibly also known as Sedbury in Gloucestershire, and paid the fines for going to worship, according to the same citation above on page 222, which provides a crucial hint as to his exact location of worship. The context of that citation on pages 221 and 222 shows his association with the Curtis family and other people who were at the places of worship and residence, apparently in the southwest and southeast areas of Gloucester.

He was transferred to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1682 after serving time in prison in 1681; however, it is unclear what ship he boarded. It is confirmed in the 1716 grant record that he immigrated to America in 1682.

The grant record demonstrates that surveyor Isaac Taylor of the County of Chester presented a certificate to Caleb Pusey and Henry Worley stating that Samuel Bishop arrived in the province in 1682 as a servant and served James Sandilands. Isaac Taylor obtained a number of rights over his headland, and on September 20, 1716, he was granted a warrant to lay it out.

Samuel Bishop was taxed to pay six shillings in the township of Chester in 1693.

In Chester, Province of Pennsylvania, Samuel Bishop finally wed Alice Curtis around 1694 or thereabouts. He had most likely met her at Gloucestershire Society of Friends gatherings back then, but in 1681 they were all imprisoned after being captured for attending the meetings.

In 1703, St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church was established there, with Samuel Bishop among its founders. During 1704 and 1705, Samuel Bishop served as a vestryman and was one of the parish organizers. In 1704, Joseph, Rachel, Hannah, and Sarah—four of his children—were baptized this location. Evidently, they were born before 1704. Following that, nine more children were born.

The following thirteen children are the ones that Samuel Bishop and Alice Curtis have had thus far:

1. Joseph Bishop was baptized on September 10, 1704 and died in 1781.
2. Rachel Bishop was baptized on September 10, 1704 and died before 1741 but was not named in her father's will.
3. Hannah Bishop was baptized on December 16, 1704.
4. Sarah Bishop was baptized on December 16, 1704 and wed Jason Cloud.
5. Susanna Bishop wed Abraham Davis and was murdered on January 3-4, 1782.
6. Alice Bishop wed John Peirsol and died in 1789.
7. Lydia Bishop.
8. Mary Bishop wed Andrew Cox on January 5, 1730.
9. Samuel Bishop wed Esther Tranter and died 1741.
10. John Bishop.
11. Priscilla Bishop.
12. Charles Bishop died in early 1753, and his widow Patience (Miller) Bishop wed his nephew, James Davis, son of Abraham & Susanna (Bishop) Davis on 30 May 1754. Thus, Patience's sister-in-law, Susanna, became her mother-in-law.
13. Rose Bishop.

On March 11, 1700/01, Samuel Bishop purchased a parcel of land in Chester from James Sandilands, but he appears to have served as constable for Edgmont township in 1701, having purchased 98 acres of land there by deed on February 21, 1700. He purchased one hundred and fifty-two acres just north of his land in Willistown around 1707, and thirty-five acres adjacent in Edgmont in 1713. From 1715 to 1722, he was taxed in Willistown, until he sold his land there and the thirty-five acres in Edgmont to William Morris and moved his family to Caln township.

The court received a petition on November 26, 1728. Among the petitioners was Samuel Bishop, who requested that the court consider the challenges posed by the size of the township of Caln, which could be split in two. The township had no boundaries, and the residents living furthest from the main route to Philadelphia hardly ever received notice to fix it. The petitioners respectfully asked that the township's borders be redrawn. The petitioners asked that the township be divided and bounded as originally established because the remaining portion of the town was big enough to constitute a township. After they prayed for the court to take the township's division into consideration, the division was ultimately authorized. The new two boundaries were called West Caln Township and East Caln Township. As a result, Samuel Bishop lived in West Caln Township.

Samuel Bishop died in West Caln Township in December 1741. His will was dated November 28, 1741, and proved on December 14, 1741. Alice, his "beloved wife," was chosen executrix. His son Joseph received five shillings, his other ten living children received one shilling apiece, and his wife Alice received the remainder of the inheritance.

After Samuel Bishop signed his will on November 28, 1741, he died sometime before his inventory was appraised on December 12, 1741 and filed on December 14, 1741, in the Chester County courthouse.^[2]

On June 21, 1743, the executors of Samuel Bishop, deceased, presented the administration account to the court, which was approved and ordered to be submitted.

Here is the list of historical documents, as follows:

Minutes of the Board of Property of the Province of Pennsylvania: Minute Book H: "William Beckingham, John Beckingham, James Hayward and Sam’l Bishop Came Servants into this Province in or about the year 1682 and served their Time accordingly, as appears by attested Certificates, and have now respectively sold the Right belonging to them to their head Land unto Isaac Taylor, of the County of Chester, Survey’r, who thereupon request a Warrant to take up, being 200 acres Granted, dated 20th 7 mo., 1716.

"Isaac Taylor, of the County of Chester, Surveyor, produces Certificates under the Hands of Caleb Pusey and Henry Worley setting forth that Wm. Beckingham and John Beckingham came Servants into this Province in or about the year 1682 and served their Time with Joseph Richards, and that Samuel Bishop came in about the same and served James Sandilands, also a Certificate under the Hand of Nich. Pyle. certifying that James Hayward came also about the aforesaid Time and served Edward Bezer. The said Is. Taylor having purchased the severall Rights of the said Servants to their headland desires a Warrant to lay out the same, which is granted, signed and dated 20, 7ber, 1716."

Minute Book I: 20th 7th mo., 1716: Isaac Taylor, of the County of Chester, Surveyor, produces Certificates Under the hands of Caleb Pusey and Henry Worley Declaring that William Berkingham and John Berkingham came Servants into this province in or about the year 1682, and Served their Time to Jos. Richards, and that Samuel Bishop about the same Time came in and served James Sandilands. Also a Certificate under the hand of Nich. Pile Declaring that James Hayward came about the aforesaid Time Servant to Edward Bezer. The said Isaac having Purchased the Several Rights of the s'd Servants to their head Land, desires a Warrant to Lay out the same. Granted, Dated this day."

Here is the will abstract, as follows:

Samuel Bishop of West Caln Township, yeoman signed his will on November 28, 1741, and his will proved December 14, 1741 in Chester County courthouse. To son Joseph 5 shillings. To daughters Susanna, Hannah, Sarah, Alice, Lydia, Mary, son John, daughter Priscilla, son Charles and daughter Rose 1 shilling each. All remainder of estate real and personal to wife Alice also executrix. Witnesses: Jason Cloud, Geo. Jefferis, John McNabb.^[3]

Research Notes

Parentage

DISPROVEN:

• Samuel Bishop is not the son of Samuel Bishop and Hannah (Yale) Talmage.

Based on New England Marriages Prior to 1700 by Clarence Almon Torrey, many Ancestry.com family trees state that Samuel Bishop was the son of Samuel Bishop, who married Hannah (Yale) Talmage, widow of Enos Talmage (died 1744), on November 14, 1695, in New Haven, Connecticut. They could not have been his parents, though, since Samuel Bishop had already traveled to Philadelphia in 1682 and had lived in Chester afterwards. He was born in England long before they were married in Connecticut in 1695. They obviously misattributed the source and gave false information about his lineage.

However, Samuel Bishop and Hannah (Yale) Talmage already had a son named Samuel Bishop (1698–1779) of New Haven, but he is not identical to Samuel Bishop (1660–1741) of Chester.

According to the current research, his parents are still unidentified.

YDNA

The Big Y-700 test results of a patrilineal descendant of Samuel Bishop reveal that the YDNA haplogroup is R-BY152678.

The R-BY152678 Story

R-BY152678's paternal line was formed when it branched off from the ancestor R-BY152910 and the rest of mankind around 950 BCE.

This date is an estimate based on genetic information only. With a 95% probability, the ancestor R-BY152910 was born between the years 2104 and 39 BCE. The most likely estimate is 929 BCE, rounded to 950 BCE.

The man who is the most recent common ancestor of this line is estimated to have been born around 600 BCE.

This date is an estimate based on genetic information only. With a 95% probability, the most recent common ancestor of all members of haplogroup R-BY152678 was born between the years 1844 BCE and 311 CE. The most likely estimate is 601 BCE, rounded to 600 BCE.

This estimate will likely change in the future as more people test and genetic scientists improve the method.

Sources

1. ↑ Besse, Joseph. A Collection of the Sufferings of the People Called Quakers: For the Testimony of a Good Conscience, from the Time of Their Being First Distinguished by That Name in the Year 1650, to the Time of the Act, Commonly Called the Act of Toleration, Granted to Protestant Dissenters in the First Year of the Reign of King William the Third and Queen Mary, in the Year 1689. Taken from Original Records and Other Authentick Accounts. London: L. Hinde, 1753, p. 221, 222.
2. ↑ Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, image 174 of 885, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 2016), Chester County, Pennsylvania, Estates 1700-1810, estate paper no. 775, Samuel Bishop, Chester County courthouse, Pennsylvania.
3. ↑ Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, image 168 of 885, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 2016), Chester County, Pennsylvania, Estates 1700-1810, estate paper no. 775, Samuel Bishop; Chester County courthouse, Pennsylvania.

• Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records

• Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records

• Chester County Pennsylvania Estate Papers

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235334299/samuel-bishop: accessed 05 April 2022), memorial page for Samuel Bishop (unknown–Dec 1741), Find A Grave: Memorial #235334299 citing Saint Paul's Burying Ground, Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Salkeld Genealogy Research (contributor 48113546).

• Coulter, Steven E. Our Quaker Kin and Allied Families: Ancestors and Descendants of Adam Davis (1781-1861) and His Wife, Lydia Commons (1781-1841). Des Moines: Coulter, 1974. Print. Page 53.

• Hannum, Joshua E. Genealogy of the Bishop Family of Delaware County, Pennsylvania: A Record of the Descendents of Samuel and Alice (Curtis?) Bishop. Auburn, Ala: Joshua Eyre Hannum, 1957. Print.

• Cope, Gilbert, and Henry Graham Ashmead. Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania. Vol. 1. New York: Lewis, 1904. Print. Page 54.

• Futhey, J S, and Gilbert Cope. History of Chester County, Pennsylvania: With Genealogical and Biographical Sketches. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1881. Print. Pages 168 and 220.

• Linn, John B, and William H. Egle. Pennsylvania Archives: Second Series. Harrisburg: Lane S. Hart, 1879. Print. Pages 607, 610 and 674.

• Martin, John H. Chester (and Its Vicinity), Delaware County, in Pennsylvania: With Genealogical Sketches of Some Old Families. Philadelphia: Printed by W.H. Pile & Sons, 1877. Print. Page 125.