Built a grist mill near Concordville PA in 1704 on land deeded to his father by William Penn. It ran commercially until 1941 and is now the Newlin Gristmill historical museum and park.
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The following material was suggested by Bryan S. Godfrey:
Nathaniel Newlin was one of the leading settlers of William Penn's Pennsylvania Quaker colony, and a biography of him is better given by quoting Dr. Algie I. Newlin in "The Newlin Family: Ancestors and Descendants of John and Mary Pyle Newlin," (1965), pages 21-26:
Gilbert Cope found in what he called the 'Taylor Papers' a horoscope giving the following biographical data about Nathaniel Newlin: "Netus Nathaniel Nulan anno 1665 desem. 18 d; 3 h; 21 m.PM." Whatever question this may raise about Nathaniel's belief in "fortune telling," it certainly gives almost a stopwatch date of his birth. It is too bad the fortune teller didn't require the place of birth.
Nathaniel was well equipped to follow in his father's footsteps as a versatile leader in Chester County and in Pennsylvania as a whole. The paths followed by the two are very similar. If anything, Nathaniel's career was more illustrious than that of his father; certainly in political and economic activities. It must be remembered that in their life in Pennsylvania Nathaniel had more than twice as long to serve in the areas of his interests.
Nathaniel's interest and work in the Society of Friends was just as evident as that of his father. Among the thirty-four contributions for the construction of Concord Meeting House, his was the largest. That of his father was second and the third was given by John Newlin, who must have been Nathaniel's brother, John. It seems quite likely that Nathaniel revolted against some of the outmoded customs and ideas of his day. He was the first of the Concord Friends to carry an umbrella. Though he was held in high esteem, members of his meeting were astounded and possibly shocked, but not speechless. One elderly "woman Friend," visibly moved and highly articulate, put him to the ultimate test with a finger pointed straight at his face, "How would thee like to have that thing carried over thee as thee goes to thy grave?" So far as is known Nathaniel continued to hold aloft both head and umbrella.
Martin's "Chester in Delaware County" calls Nathaniel Newlin "a prominent man in his day." Albert Cook Myers ranks him next to his father as among the most important of the Quakers who came from Ireland to Pennsylvania. His long and distinguished career in public office, both elective and appointive, seem clear indication of his ability and of the confidence and esteem which people gave him.
In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries American Quakers took a very active interest in the political affairs. They wielded very great influence in New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Of course Pennsylvania was founded as a Quaker venture. Nathaniel Newlin began his career as a public official when he was only twenty-one years of age and continued his public service in one capacity or another until his death, more than forty years later.
His first public office came to him in 1686 when the County Court of Chester appointed him and his brother-in-law, "Benjamin Mildinghall," as "Viewers of the fence for Concord." The following year the Court made Nathaniel Newlin "...Constable for Concord...for the ensuing year." He did jury service on several occasions, and more than once was foreman of the grand jury.
In 1698 he was elected to his first term in the General Assembly of the Legislature of Pennsylvania. In this office he served thirteen terms - twenty-six years of legislative service to his province. In 1700 the Assembly named him as one member of a committee on governmental reorganization and law revision. He served at least five terms as a justice of the Chester County Court. For a short time he was one of the assessors for Chester County and was a Trustee of the General Loan Office from 1723 to 1729. The Loan Office was created in 1723 when the Provincial Government emitted 15,000 pounds in paper money. Nathaniel was on the first board of four members.
Nathaniel Newlin's wealth greatly exceeded that of his father as far as this subject is revealed in the available historical data. The greater part of it was invested in land. By inheritance and purchase he acquired a total of 8,452 acres. Through his father's will the Nicholas Newlin home tract of 552 acres came to him. This is one of the tracts in Concord which Nicholas had bought as a five hundred acre tract on which he built his home and in 1696 built a saw mill. Several historians say he built a mill on this tract. It was here that Nathaniel later built a mill on the West Branch of Chester Creek. "Nathan and Mary Newlin 1704," carved on a stone in the wall of this mill is taken as the equivalent of a cornerstone marker indicating that the mill was erected by Nathaniel Newlin in 1704. It remained in the hands of the Newlins until well into the Nineteenth Century. In 1959 it was acquired by E.M. Newlin, of Philadelphia, a descendant of Nathaniel Newlin. The mill has been reconditioned, opened to the public and the adjacent grounds and mill pond made a place for recreation.
Through his father's will Nathaniel received also "...that two hundred and fifty Akers of land which he now lives upon." It is quite possible that this is what was left of the second tract in Concord, of five hundred acres, which Nicholas acquired in 1683. This shows that Nathaniel inherited 802 acres of land located in Concord Township.
Nathaniel's greatest real estate venture came when he purchased from The Free Society of Traders, on June 10, 1724, for 800 pounds, a great tract of land in the Brandywine Valley which had been surveyed out as containing 7,100 acres. The Society of Free Traders was a company of approximately three hundred Quakers who had bought 20,000 acres of land for speculative purposes. Soon after making this purpose Nathaniel had another survey made which revealed that he had actually purchased 7,700 acres - 600 more than he thought he had acquired. It was this huge rectangle of land that became Newlin Township in 1740. Nathaniel bought it as an investment. During the next three years he sold 1,300 acres in nine tracts for more than one half of what he paid for the entire 7,700 acres. Besides tripling the per acre sales price he also attached a quitrent of one shiling per hundred acres to be paid to him in addition to that which was attached to the land before Nathaniel acquired it.
Nathaniel died intestate in 1729. At that time his estate included 7,643 acres of land to be divided among his six living children and the children of Elizabeth (Newlin) Lewis who had died six years before the death of her father.
In 1699 Nathaniel built for himself a large brick dwelling house in Concord which would be used for 150 years before being torn down.
One of the most noted incidents in the life of Nathaniel Newlin was his involvement in a clash of claims between an Indian tribe and some of the settlers who had bought land in the Brandywine Valley, which the Indians claimed. This dispute broke out in 1725 and involved the rival claimants, the General Assembly, Commissioners of Property and the Governor in discussions and negotiations which lasted for nearly a year before a satisfactory solution was agreed upon.
It seems quite obvious that Nathaniel Newlin's Society Tract was the largest provately owned tract in the disputed area, though land had been sold in the much larger area of the valley in dispute. Nathaniel Newlin had made his noted purchase of 7,100 acres in 1724, and the following year the Indians claimed lands that included two thirds of this purchase. Nathaniel had already sold several tracts of this land.
In 1685 the Indians had sold a vast area of land in Chester County to William Penn. The deed for this sale was on record. In 1705 the Indians claimed that Penn had ceded back to them a strip of land extending the distance of one mile on either side of the stream from the mouth of the Brandywine to the source of the West Branch of that stream. This deed could not be found on record or anywhere. The Indians claimed that their copy of the deed had been burned when a fire destroyed a cabin in which it was kept. In 1705 the Commissioners of Property, in a move to satisfy the Indians, paid them 100 pounds for their claimed rights to the land from the mouth of the Brandywine to a specified point on the West Branch. The clash of claims in 1725 involved the remainder of the valley of the West Branch which was not included in the action of 1705.
In 1725 the Indians protested the construction of dams and weirs which robbed them of their fish supply and the sale of lands which they claimed. They took their grievances first to the Governor and then to the Commissioners of Property. They were not able to get satisfactory action from either. Then they turned to the General Assembly. After extended discussions and negotiations, the Assembly directed the Commissioners of Property to make a full investigation of the whole affair, including, of course, the Indian claims, and give a report to the Assembly. James Logan reporting for the Commission, "...produced an Indian deed, dated 1685, signed by thirteen Indian kings which conveys all the lands..." including the area now in dispute, to the Proprietor. The report continues, "...and says he finds no footsteps for any reconveyance, neither in the land office nor upon the record...that in 1785 the Indians laid claim to all the lands from the mouth of the Brandywine up the West Branch to the head, in bredth one mile on each side of that branch..." Logan also reported that the Commissioners of Property paid the Indians 100 pounds to relinquish their claims from the mouth of the Brandywine to a point in what later became the eastern boundary of the Society Tract.
This report indicates that no legal basis had been found for the claims made by the Indians. This may be the reason whyneither the Governor nor the Commissioners of Property took any action when the Indians first presented their claims to them. The Assembly never at any time asserted that those who had bought land had anything less than full title to it. The purpose of the Assembly was to quiet the Indians and remove the threat to peace by finding a way to give them full use of the lands they claimed, after satisfying the owners who had bought the land.
Nathaniel Newlin, and other land owners, were involved in a dispute with the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property rather than with the Indians. There is no evidence that Newlin was hostile to the Indians or unsympathetic to their plight. It does appear that he was opposed to one aspect of the plan presented by the Assembly, which possibly originated with the Commissioners of Property, that those who had bought land in good faith which the Indians now claimed, should accept an equivalent amount of land to be made available inother areas. Nathaniel Newlin's objection to this plan for settlement was that it was an acre for acre proposition and he was contending that it should be an equal value exchange. The 7,100 acres of the Society Tract which he had bought was a choice piece of land and it is quite possible that there was no available land of comparable value in Chester County. For the government, which had sold the land in the first place, to offer anything less than the value of the land was repugnant to his sense of justice. Nathaniel Newlin was a veteran of more than a quarter of a century's experience in the General Assembly and he had served as a Commissioner of Property. With this background of experience he certainly knew the technique of polotical maneuvers in these two bodies. There can be little doubt that even his seeming reluctance to appear before the Assembly was a part of his plan to bring that body and the Commissioners of Property to see the validity of his claim for equal value compensation. As reported in the records of the Assembly, "He said that expected the value, and not the quantity only of the land, in lieu of that the Indians claimed of him, and that he was to meet the Commissioners of Property this afternoon and then doubted not that they should settle the affair to the satisfaction of the house."
At no time did Nathaniel Newlin show any lack of sympathy for the Indians or any unwillingness to give up to them that part of his land which they claimed but he insisted that the Commissioners of Property must give him adequate compensation. The Minutes of the Commissioners of Property for "10th Mo. 7th and 8th, 1702." show Nathaniel Newlin as one of the four commissioners who satisfied the Ockanickon Indians by setting up a reservation for them in Chester County. This was now definitely a dispute with the Provincial authorities and not with the Indians.
Following Nathaniel Newlin's meeting with the Commissioners of Property the General Assembly convened and the following minute reports the action taken: "3 P.M. The House met. Nathaniel Newlin...delivered on the table a paper subscribed with his hand, which being read, doth declare and promise that neither he nor his heirs will, by any means, disturb or molest the Indians in their posession or claims."
What compensation Nathaniel Nelwin received from the Commissioners of Property has not been ascertained. Both he and the Indians were well pleased with the settlement. When an interpreter read the paper to the Indians, "...they declared that they were well satisfied therewith...so they (Newlin and the Indians) shook hands together and they parted fully reconciled." (Futhey & Cope, "Chester County," p. 192.
In the heat of the long negotiations the Commissioners of Property seem to have lost their patience with Nathaniel Newlin and it is equally evident that the Assembly did, too. Both used rather strong language to describe his stand. If this was done with a view to bringing pressure to induce Nathaniel Newlin to change his mind the political skill of this veteran public servant must have been a match for them. He seems to have won for himself what he considered fair compensation.
Nathaniel Newlin's promise to the Indians was faithfully kept as long as he lived. A few years after his death a letter from the Indian chief charged some of those who owned land in the Society Tract, and even the Commissioners of Property, of violating the rights of Indians. It is not known if the Governor or anyone responded to this complaint. Soon after this protest the Indians moved to another locality. One wonders if it was the wisdom and political skill of Nathaniel that guided the development of a solution which pleased the Indians and satisfied the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property.
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This ends the information from the book by Dr. Algie Newlin. Additional information is given in Russell Newlin Abel's "A Mendenhall-Newlin Alliance" (1989) on pages 162-188, and within these pages Nathaniel's marriage certificate, estate settlement, and estate inventory are reprinted. The following information concerning Nathaniel's 1704 grist mill and the surrounding present-day Newlin Mill Park is quoted from pages 171-172 of this book:
The Nathaniel Newlin Grist Mill was built in 1704, during the reign of Queen Anne, by Nathaniel Newlin and his wife Mary (Mendenhall) Newlin, who were married in 1685 after having emigrated, with their respective families, to this country in 1683.
The mill still survives on the headwaters of the West Branch of Chester Creek in Concord Township, then Chester, now Delaware County, PA. It has been carefully restored to working condition and the surroundings have been made into a Colonial Park that serves to remind us of our heritage.
On 18 Jun 1988, this was the site of the 100th Annivarsary of the annual reunion of the Jacob H. Mendenhall family. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Newlin, and his wife, Hannah Worrilow (Newlin) Mendenhall, was a great-great-great-granddaughter of the mill builder.
The original mill was a 11/2 story stone structure which still contains a datestone reading, "1704 Nathan'l Mary Newlin." Even though it has been added to since Nathaniel's time and passed from the family for a period of time, it was repurchased in 1955 by a great-great-grandson of Nathaniel, Earl Mortimer Newlin of Wayne, PA, a Philadelphia investment broker and president of the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind.
The mill has been lovingly restored to working condition under the supervision of Rudy Fields, the late Executive Director of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation created for the purpose by E. Mortimer Newlin, a direct descendant of Nicholas.
Mr. Field died shortly after the restoration was completed. His wife Betty continues to ba active in the daily operation of the historic site. Since 1959, the mill is again grinding corn into flour.
The process of restoration was an interesting one. Essentially it required a complete replacement of mill machinery to recreate the original handmade design. This included hand fashioning of the huge, 16 foot diameter, 603 inch circumference, 5 foot wide, white oak, wooden overshot water wheel that turns on a shaft 21 feet long. The shaft was cut from a red oak tree and soaked in the millrace for two years before being hewn to final shape prior to installation. It was only with great difficulty that the shaft was maneuvered through a window in the mill and put in place.
The wheel drives the hand fashioned wooden gears that cause the millstones to shear the grains of corn between them. Only one stone turns, the upper of the two. It weighs more than a ton and is driven by a shaft that projects up through a hole in the lower stone. The stones are "dressed" or grooved to allow the ground corn to flow from the center of the stone, where it is added, to the outside edge of the stone, where it is collected. The millstones do not actually touch together, but are controlled by a large lever that precisely adjusts the distance between them. This allows the miller to achieve any degree of fineness--from coarse corn meal to fine corn flour. This process of adjustment is called "tentering."
After collection of the flour coming out of the millstones, it is sifted through a cloth, mounted on a frame like a shaker table, to remove any coarse particles. This process is called "bolting." This process is not only interesting to see in action, but we should also be cognizant that in the colonial days, it provided a principal source of food for the area.
Although no physical evidence remains, it is known that Nathaniel operated one of the first, if not the first, General Stores in the area. His estate inventory lists numerous items for sale, including kitchen utensils, hand tools, household goods, lumber, and cloth and clothing accessories. It is interesting to compare the value of items in those days with the value of similar items still being used today.
The area surrounding the mill has been made into a park-like area containing historical exhibits and recreational facilities.
Probably the most popular activity involves the millrace that is stocked with trout. Fishing is permitted on a fee basis, you pay for what you catch, and this provides a major source of income to support the foundation's activities. Moderate fees are also charged for use of the grounds, picnic area, mill tours, etc.
Those interested in antiques will want to enjoy a tour of the restored miller's house, originally built in 1739, during the reign of George II. The house is located adjacent to the mill. It is completely furnished with appropriate items from the period 1700-1750. The original house consists of two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs with a fireplace in each. The kitchen fireplace is equipped with a beehive oven.
Nearby is a reproduction of a blacksmith shop of the period, which is completely equipped with an original forge, tools, and implements of the period. This was added in 1975. In addition a very old springhouse was reconstructed, stone by stone, and placed over a clear flowing springhead on the property.
There is a log cabin of authentic construction that was hand built in 1965 alongside the stream that feeds the mill. The ten foot fireplace warms visitors in the winter and is available for rental for group activities, such as the Jacob H. Mendenhall family reunion.
In addition to the buildings describes, there is a network of nature trails about three miles long. This allows you to enjoy walking along the millrace and beside the stream. The area is being made into an arboretum and unusual trees are being planted for future enjoyment.
Since 1983 the Executive Director has been Harold Dabbs Woodfin, Jr., Ph.D. He was recruited by Mr. E. Mortimer Newlin from Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown, NY where he was responsible for restoration of buildings in the area made famous in the book, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," by Washington Irving. He is an interesting person to talk to and has a wealth of knowledge of the colonial period in general and the Newlin legacy in particular.
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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, by Futhey and Cope.
Nathaniel Newlin, son of Nicholas, was born about the year 1660, and emigrated from Ireland with his father in 1683, and April 17, 1685, married Mary Mendenhall, who came from Wiltshire, England. He resided at Concord, and was quite a prominent person, both in the meetings of Friends and in the community at large. In 1698 he was elected to the Provincial Assembly as a representative from Chester county and continued in that body at different times for several years. In 1700 he was one of the committee to consider and draw up a new frame of government and to revise the laws. He was subsequently appointed one of the
proprietaries' commissioners of property and a justice of the county courts. In 1722 he became one of the trustees of the general loan-office of the province, which position he continued to hold till the time of his death, when he was succeeded by Justice Richard Hayes.
He continued to reside in Concord as long as he lived and owned a large amount of real estate there as well as elsewhere. A brick dwelling-house, which he erected at concord in 1699, was standing until within a few years ago *(1881). In 1724 he became owner of over 7000 acres in one tract, since known as Newlin twp. It was in relation to the occupancy of this tract that he had the dispute with the Indians.
Although advanced in life he married again 2-17-1729, Mary Fincher, and his death occurred in May of the same year. His widow removed to Londongrove where she died the next year. Nathaniel Newlin was the only son of Nicholas Newlin who left issue. His children were (1) Jamima (2) Elizabeth (3) Nicholas (4) Nathaniel (5) John (6) Kezia (7) Mary,
1) Jamima Newlin was born 12-9-1685/8 married 10-4-1712 Richard Eavenson of Thornbury
2) Elizabeth Newlin was born 1-3-1687/8 married in 1713, Ellis Lewis of Radnor, and left 4 children - Robert, Mary, Nathaniel and Ellis. They resided in Kennet
3) Nicholas NEwlin was born 3-19-1689 - married in 1715 Edith, dau of Nicholas and Abigail Pyle. He became the owner of 250 acres in Birmingham which had belonged to his grandfather, Nicholas Newlin I but he continued to reside in Concord
4) Nathaniel Newlin was born 1-19---1690/1 and married in 1710/1 Jane, daughter of Richard and Jane Woodward, of Middletown. He served in the Provincial Assembly for a number of years as a representative of Chester County. He resided at Concord, where he died in Feb of 1731/2. His widow died in 1737. They left 9 children - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Nathan, Rachel, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary and Martha.
5) John Newlin was born 12-28-1691 married, in 1711, Mary, dau of Richard and Jane Woodard of Middletown. She was a sister of his brother Nathaniel's wife. He died in 1753. His widow, Mary Newlin of Concord, died 11-24-1790 having attained the great age of 101 years. She preserved all her faculties to the last moment of her life. They had children - Nathaniel, John, Jane, Rebecca, Mary and perhaps others. His sons appear to have settled in Newlin twp, but their parents continued to reside in Concord.
6) Kezia Newlin was born in 12-22-1695/6 and married William Baily of Kennet.
7) Mary Newlin was born 2-2-1699 and in 1724 married Richard Clayton, of Concord. She left no children and her property was inherited by her eldest brother, Nicholas Newlin.
Nathaniel Newlin (3) son of Nathaniel (2) married Esther MIdkiff, who survived him. His son, Nathaniel NEwlin (4) was a member of the State Senate and of the Convention which framed the constitution of 1790. It is sid that he was offered a seat in Congress by the dominant party on several occasions, but refused it.
Joseph Newlin, son of Nathaniel (2) married in 1740, Phebe, granddaughter of Ralph Lewis and eminent Welsh settler. He died in 1768, his wife surviving and left his plantation to his eldest son, Ellis Newlin, who, in 1771, married Jane Mason. They had 3 sons - Joseph, William and George.
It will thus be seen that Nathaniel Newlin (1) left 3 sons - Nathaniel, Nicholas and John; that of these Nathaniel had sons - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas and Nathan; and that John had sons - Nathaniel and John. From these the families of Pennsylvania bearing the surname of Newlin have probably all descended.
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The following material was suggested by Bryan S. Godfrey:
Nathaniel Newlin was one of the leading settlers of William Penn's Pennsylvania Quaker colony, and a biography of him is better given by quoting Dr. Algie I. Newlin in "The Newlin Family: Ancestors and Descendants of John and Mary Pyle Newlin," (1965), pages 21-26:
Gilbert Cope found in what he called the 'Taylor Papers' a horoscope giving the following biographical data about Nathaniel Newlin: "Netus Nathaniel Nulan anno 1665 desem. 18 d; 3 h; 21 m.PM." Whatever question this may raise about Nathaniel's belief in "fortune telling," it certainly gives almost a stopwatch date of his birth. It is too bad the fortune teller didn't require the place of birth.
Nathaniel was well equipped to follow in his father's footsteps as a versatile leader in Chester County and in Pennsylvania as a whole. The paths followed by the two are very similar. If anything, Nathaniel's career was more illustrious than that of his father; certainly in political and economic activities. It must be remembered that in their life in Pennsylvania Nathaniel had more than twice as long to serve in the areas of his interests.
Nathaniel's interest and work in the Society of Friends was just as evident as that of his father. Among the thirty-four contributions for the construction of Concord Meeting House, his was the largest. That of his father was second and the third was given by John Newlin, who must have been Nathaniel's brother, John. It seems quite likely that Nathaniel revolted against some of the outmoded customs and ideas of his day. He was the first of the Concord Friends to carry an umbrella. Though he was held in high esteem, members of his meeting were astounded and possibly shocked, but not speechless. One elderly "woman Friend," visibly moved and highly articulate, put him to the ultimate test with a finger pointed straight at his face, "How would thee like to have that thing carried over thee as thee goes to thy grave?" So far as is known Nathaniel continued to hold aloft both head and umbrella.
Martin's "Chester in Delaware County" calls Nathaniel Newlin "a prominent man in his day." Albert Cook Myers ranks him next to his father as among the most important of the Quakers who came from Ireland to Pennsylvania. His long and distinguished career in public office, both elective and appointive, seem clear indication of his ability and of the confidence and esteem which people gave him.
In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries American Quakers took a very active interest in the political affairs. They wielded very great influence in New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Of course Pennsylvania was founded as a Quaker venture. Nathaniel Newlin began his career as a public official when he was only twenty-one years of age and continued his public service in one capacity or another until his death, more than forty years later.
His first public office came to him in 1686 when the County Court of Chester appointed him and his brother-in-law, "Benjamin Mildinghall," as "Viewers of the fence for Concord." The following year the Court made Nathaniel Newlin "...Constable for Concord...for the ensuing year." He did jury service on several occasions, and more than once was foreman of the grand jury.
In 1698 he was elected to his first term in the General Assembly of the Legislature of Pennsylvania. In this office he served thirteen terms - twenty-six years of legislative service to his province. In 1700 the Assembly named him as one member of a committee on governmental reorganization and law revision. He served at least five terms as a justice of the Chester County Court. For a short time he was one of the assessors for Chester County and was a Trustee of the General Loan Office from 1723 to 1729. The Loan Office was created in 1723 when the Provincial Government emitted 15,000 pounds in paper money. Nathaniel was on the first board of four members.
Nathaniel Newlin's wealth greatly exceeded that of his father as far as this subject is revealed in the available historical data. The greater part of it was invested in land. By inheritance and purchase he acquired a total of 8,452 acres. Through his father's will the Nicholas Newlin home tract of 552 acres came to him. This is one of the tracts in Concord which Nicholas had bought as a five hundred acre tract on which he built his home and in 1696 built a saw mill. Several historians say he built a mill on this tract. It was here that Nathaniel later built a mill on the West Branch of Chester Creek. "Nathan and Mary Newlin 1704," carved on a stone in the wall of this mill is taken as the equivalent of a cornerstone marker indicating that the mill was erected by Nathaniel Newlin in 1704. It remained in the hands of the Newlins until well into the Nineteenth Century. In 1959 it was acquired by E.M. Newlin, of Philadelphia, a descendant of Nathaniel Newlin. The mill has been reconditioned, opened to the public and the adjacent grounds and mill pond made a place for recreation.
Through his father's will Nathaniel received also "...that two hundred and fifty Akers of land which he now lives upon." It is quite possible that this is what was left of the second tract in Concord, of five hundred acres, which Nicholas acquired in 1683. This shows that Nathaniel inherited 802 acres of land located in Concord Township.
Nathaniel's greatest real estate venture came when he purchased from The Free Society of Traders, on June 10, 1724, for 800 pounds, a great tract of land in the Brandywine Valley which had been surveyed out as containing 7,100 acres. The Society of Free Traders was a company of approximately three hundred Quakers who had bought 20,000 acres of land for speculative purposes. Soon after making this purpose Nathaniel had another survey made which revealed that he had actually purchased 7,700 acres - 600 more than he thought he had acquired. It was this huge rectangle of land that became Newlin Township in 1740. Nathaniel bought it as an investment. During the next three years he sold 1,300 acres in nine tracts for more than one half of what he paid for the entire 7,700 acres. Besides tripling the per acre sales price he also attached a quitrent of one shiling per hundred acres to be paid to him in addition to that which was attached to the land before Nathaniel acquired it.
Nathaniel died intestate in 1729. At that time his estate included 7,643 acres of land to be divided among his six living children and the children of Elizabeth (Newlin) Lewis who had died six years before the death of her father.
In 1699 Nathaniel built for himself a large brick dwelling house in Concord which would be used for 150 years before being torn down.
One of the most noted incidents in the life of Nathaniel Newlin was his involvement in a clash of claims between an Indian tribe and some of the settlers who had bought land in the Brandywine Valley, which the Indians claimed. This dispute broke out in 1725 and involved the rival claimants, the General Assembly, Commissioners of Property and the Governor in discussions and negotiations which lasted for nearly a year before a satisfactory solution was agreed upon.
It seems quite obvious that Nathaniel Newlin's Society Tract was the largest provately owned tract in the disputed area, though land had been sold in the much larger area of the valley in dispute. Nathaniel Newlin had made his noted purchase of 7,100 acres in 1724, and the following year the Indians claimed lands that included two thirds of this purchase. Nathaniel had already sold several tracts of this land.
In 1685 the Indians had sold a vast area of land in Chester County to William Penn. The deed for this sale was on record. In 1705 the Indians claimed that Penn had ceded back to them a strip of land extending the distance of one mile on either side of the stream from the mouth of the Brandywine to the source of the West Branch of that stream. This deed could not be found on record or anywhere. The Indians claimed that their copy of the deed had been burned when a fire destroyed a cabin in which it was kept. In 1705 the Commissioners of Property, in a move to satisfy the Indians, paid them 100 pounds for their claimed rights to the land from the mouth of the Brandywine to a specified point on the West Branch. The clash of claims in 1725 involved the remainder of the valley of the West Branch which was not included in the action of 1705.
In 1725 the Indians protested the construction of dams and weirs which robbed them of their fish supply and the sale of lands which they claimed. They took their grievances first to the Governor and then to the Commissioners of Property. They were not able to get satisfactory action from either. Then they turned to the General Assembly. After extended discussions and negotiations, the Assembly directed the Commissioners of Property to make a full investigation of the whole affair, including, of course, the Indian claims, and give a report to the Assembly. James Logan reporting for the Commission, "...produced an Indian deed, dated 1685, signed by thirteen Indian kings which conveys all the lands..." including the area now in dispute, to the Proprietor. The report continues, "...and says he finds no footsteps for any reconveyance, neither in the land office nor upon the record...that in 1785 the Indians laid claim to all the lands from the mouth of the Brandywine up the West Branch to the head, in bredth one mile on each side of that branch..." Logan also reported that the Commissioners of Property paid the Indians 100 pounds to relinquish their claims from the mouth of the Brandywine to a point in what later became the eastern boundary of the Society Tract.
This report indicates that no legal basis had been found for the claims made by the Indians. This may be the reason whyneither the Governor nor the Commissioners of Property took any action when the Indians first presented their claims to them. The Assembly never at any time asserted that those who had bought land had anything less than full title to it. The purpose of the Assembly was to quiet the Indians and remove the threat to peace by finding a way to give them full use of the lands they claimed, after satisfying the owners who had bought the land.
Nathaniel Newlin, and other land owners, were involved in a dispute with the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property rather than with the Indians. There is no evidence that Newlin was hostile to the Indians or unsympathetic to their plight. It does appear that he was opposed to one aspect of the plan presented by the Assembly, which possibly originated with the Commissioners of Property, that those who had bought land in good faith which the Indians now claimed, should accept an equivalent amount of land to be made available inother areas. Nathaniel Newlin's objection to this plan for settlement was that it was an acre for acre proposition and he was contending that it should be an equal value exchange. The 7,100 acres of the Society Tract which he had bought was a choice piece of land and it is quite possible that there was no available land of comparable value in Chester County. For the government, which had sold the land in the first place, to offer anything less than the value of the land was repugnant to his sense of justice. Nathaniel Newlin was a veteran of more than a quarter of a century's experience in the General Assembly and he had served as a Commissioner of Property. With this background of experience he certainly knew the technique of polotical maneuvers in these two bodies. There can be little doubt that even his seeming reluctance to appear before the Assembly was a part of his plan to bring that body and the Commissioners of Property to see the validity of his claim for equal value compensation. As reported in the records of the Assembly, "He said that expected the value, and not the quantity only of the land, in lieu of that the Indians claimed of him, and that he was to meet the Commissioners of Property this afternoon and then doubted not that they should settle the affair to the satisfaction of the house."
At no time did Nathaniel Newlin show any lack of sympathy for the Indians or any unwillingness to give up to them that part of his land which they claimed but he insisted that the Commissioners of Property must give him adequate compensation. The Minutes of the Commissioners of Property for "10th Mo. 7th and 8th, 1702." show Nathaniel Newlin as one of the four commissioners who satisfied the Ockanickon Indians by setting up a reservation for them in Chester County. This was now definitely a dispute with the Provincial authorities and not with the Indians.
Following Nathaniel Newlin's meeting with the Commissioners of Property the General Assembly convened and the following minute reports the action taken: "3 P.M. The House met. Nathaniel Newlin...delivered on the table a paper subscribed with his hand, which being read, doth declare and promise that neither he nor his heirs will, by any means, disturb or molest the Indians in their posession or claims."
What compensation Nathaniel Nelwin received from the Commissioners of Property has not been ascertained. Both he and the Indians were well pleased with the settlement. When an interpreter read the paper to the Indians, "...they declared that they were well satisfied therewith...so they (Newlin and the Indians) shook hands together and they parted fully reconciled." (Futhey & Cope, "Chester County," p. 192.
In the heat of the long negotiations the Commissioners of Property seem to have lost their patience with Nathaniel Newlin and it is equally evident that the Assembly did, too. Both used rather strong language to describe his stand. If this was done with a view to bringing pressure to induce Nathaniel Newlin to change his mind the political skill of this veteran public servant must have been a match for them. He seems to have won for himself what he considered fair compensation.
Nathaniel Newlin's promise to the Indians was faithfully kept as long as he lived. A few years after his death a letter from the Indian chief charged some of those who owned land in the Society Tract, and even the Commissioners of Property, of violating the rights of Indians. It is not known if the Governor or anyone responded to this complaint. Soon after this protest the Indians moved to another locality. One wonders if it was the wisdom and political skill of Nathaniel that guided the development of a solution which pleased the Indians and satisfied the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property.
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This ends the information from the book by Dr. Algie Newlin. Additional information is given in Russell Newlin Abel's "A Mendenhall-Newlin Alliance" (1989) on pages 162-188, and within these pages Nathaniel's marriage certificate, estate settlement, and estate inventory are reprinted. The following information concerning Nathaniel's 1704 grist mill and the surrounding present-day Newlin Mill Park is quoted from pages 171-172 of this book:
The Nathaniel Newlin Grist Mill was built in 1704, during the reign of Queen Anne, by Nathaniel Newlin and his wife Mary (Mendenhall) Newlin, who were married in 1685 after having emigrated, with their respective families, to this country in 1683.
The mill still survives on the headwaters of the West Branch of Chester Creek in Concord Township, then Chester, now Delaware County, PA. It has been carefully restored to working condition and the surroundings have been made into a Colonial Park that serves to remind us of our heritage.
On 18 Jun 1988, this was the site of the 100th Annivarsary of the annual reunion of the Jacob H. Mendenhall family. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Newlin, and his wife, Hannah Worrilow (Newlin) Mendenhall, was a great-great-great-granddaughter of the mill builder.
The original mill was a 11/2 story stone structure which still contains a datestone reading, "1704 Nathan'l Mary Newlin." Even though it has been added to since Nathaniel's time and passed from the family for a period of time, it was repurchased in 1955 by a great-great-grandson of Nathaniel, Earl Mortimer Newlin of Wayne, PA, a Philadelphia investment broker and president of the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind.
The mill has been lovingly restored to working condition under the supervision of Rudy Fields, the late Executive Director of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation created for the purpose by E. Mortimer Newlin, a direct descendant of Nicholas.
Mr. Field died shortly after the restoration was completed. His wife Betty continues to ba active in the daily operation of the historic site. Since 1959, the mill is again grinding corn into flour.
The process of restoration was an interesting one. Essentially it required a complete replacement of mill machinery to recreate the original handmade design. This included hand fashioning of the huge, 16 foot diameter, 603 inch circumference, 5 foot wide, white oak, wooden overshot water wheel that turns on a shaft 21 feet long. The shaft was cut from a red oak tree and soaked in the millrace for two years before being hewn to final shape prior to installation. It was only with great difficulty that the shaft was maneuvered through a window in the mill and put in place.
The wheel drives the hand fashioned wooden gears that cause the millstones to shear the grains of corn between them. Only one stone turns, the upper of the two. It weighs more than a ton and is driven by a shaft that projects up through a hole in the lower stone. The stones are "dressed" or grooved to allow the ground corn to flow from the center of the stone, where it is added, to the outside edge of the stone, where it is collected. The millstones do not actually touch together, but are controlled by a large lever that precisely adjusts the distance between them. This allows the miller to achieve any degree of fineness--from coarse corn meal to fine corn flour. This process of adjustment is called "tentering."
After collection of the flour coming out of the millstones, it is sifted through a cloth, mounted on a frame like a shaker table, to remove any coarse particles. This process is called "bolting." This process is not only interesting to see in action, but we should also be cognizant that in the colonial days, it provided a principal source of food for the area.
Although no physical evidence remains, it is known that Nathaniel operated one of the first, if not the first, General Stores in the area. His estate inventory lists numerous items for sale, including kitchen utensils, hand tools, household goods, lumber, and cloth and clothing accessories. It is interesting to compare the value of items in those days with the value of similar items still being used today.
The area surrounding the mill has been made into a park-like area containing historical exhibits and recreational facilities.
Probably the most popular activity involves the millrace that is stocked with trout. Fishing is permitted on a fee basis, you pay for what you catch, and this provides a major source of income to support the foundation's activities. Moderate fees are also charged for use of the grounds, picnic area, mill tours, etc.
Those interested in antiques will want to enjoy a tour of the restored miller's house, originally built in 1739, during the reign of George II. The house is located adjacent to the mill. It is completely furnished with appropriate items from the period 1700-1750. The original house consists of two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs with a fireplace in each. The kitchen fireplace is equipped with a beehive oven.
Nearby is a reproduction of a blacksmith shop of the period, which is completely equipped with an original forge, tools, and implements of the period. This was added in 1975. In addition a very old springhouse was reconstructed, stone by stone, and placed over a clear flowing springhead on the property.
There is a log cabin of authentic construction that was hand built in 1965 alongside the stream that feeds the mill. The ten foot fireplace warms visitors in the winter and is available for rental for group activities, such as the Jacob H. Mendenhall family reunion.
In addition to the buildings describes, there is a network of nature trails about three miles long. This allows you to enjoy walking along the millrace and beside the stream. The area is being made into an arboretum and unusual trees are being planted for future enjoyment.
Since 1983 the Executive Director has been Harold Dabbs Woodfin, Jr., Ph.D. He was recruited by Mr. E. Mortimer Newlin from Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown, NY where he was responsible for restoration of buildings in the area made famous in the book, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," by Washington Irving. He is an interesting person to talk to and has a wealth of knowledge of the colonial period in general and the Newlin legacy in particular.
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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, by Futhey and Cope.
Nathaniel Newlin, son of Nicholas, was born about the year 1660, and emigrated from Ireland with his father in 1683, and April 17, 1685, married Mary Mendenhall, who came from Wiltshire, England. He resided at Concord, and was quite a prominent person, both in the meetings of Friends and in the community at large. In 1698 he was elected to the Provincial Assembly as a representative from Chester county and continued in that body at different times for several years. In 1700 he was one of the committee to consider and draw up a new frame of government and to revise the laws. He was subsequently appointed one of the
proprietaries' commissioners of property and a justice of the county courts. In 1722 he became one of the trustees of the general loan-office of the province, which position he continued to hold till the time of his death, when he was succeeded by Justice Richard Hayes.
He continued to reside in Concord as long as he lived and owned a large amount of real estate there as well as elsewhere. A brick dwelling-house, which he erected at concord in 1699, was standing until within a few years ago *(1881). In 1724 he became owner of over 7000 acres in one tract, since known as Newlin twp. It was in relation to the occupancy of this tract that he had the dispute with the Indians.
Although advanced in life he married again 2-17-1729, Mary Fincher, and his death occurred in May of the same year. His widow removed to Londongrove where she died the next year. Nathaniel Newlin was the only son of Nicholas Newlin who left issue. His children were (1) Jamima (2) Elizabeth (3) Nicholas (4) Nathaniel (5) John (6) Kezia (7) Mary,
1) Jamima Newlin was born 12-9-1685/8 married 10-4-1712 Richard Eavenson of Thornbury
2) Elizabeth Newlin was born 1-3-1687/8 married in 1713, Ellis Lewis of Radnor, and left 4 children - Robert, Mary, Nathaniel and Ellis. They resided in Kennet
3) Nicholas NEwlin was born 3-19-1689 - married in 1715 Edith, dau of Nicholas and Abigail Pyle. He became the owner of 250 acres in Birmingham which had belonged to his grandfather, Nicholas Newlin I but he continued to reside in Concord
4) Nathaniel Newlin was born 1-19---1690/1 and married in 1710/1 Jane, daughter of Richard and Jane Woodward, of Middletown. He served in the Provincial Assembly for a number of years as a representative of Chester County. He resided at Concord, where he died in Feb of 1731/2. His widow died in 1737. They left 9 children - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Nathan, Rachel, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary and Martha.
5) John Newlin was born 12-28-1691 married, in 1711, Mary, dau of Richard and Jane Woodard of Middletown. She was a sister of his brother Nathaniel's wife. He died in 1753. His widow, Mary Newlin of Concord, died 11-24-1790 having attained the great age of 101 years. She preserved all her faculties to the last moment of her life. They had children - Nathaniel, John, Jane, Rebecca, Mary and perhaps others. His sons appear to have settled in Newlin twp, but their parents continued to reside in Concord.
6) Kezia Newlin was born in 12-22-1695/6 and married William Baily of Kennet.
7) Mary Newlin was born 2-2-1699 and in 1724 married Richard Clayton, of Concord. She left no children and her property was inherited by her eldest brother, Nicholas Newlin.
Nathaniel Newlin (3) son of Nathaniel (2) married Esther MIdkiff, who survived him. His son, Nathaniel NEwlin (4) was a member of the State Senate and of the Convention which framed the constitution of 1790. It is sid that he was offered a seat in Congress by the dominant party on several occasions, but refused it.
Joseph Newlin, son of Nathaniel (2) married in 1740, Phebe, granddaughter of Ralph Lewis and eminent Welsh settler. He died in 1768, his wife surviving and left his plantation to his eldest son, Ellis Newlin, who, in 1771, married Jane Mason. They had 3 sons - Joseph, William and George.
It will thus be seen that Nathaniel Newlin (1) left 3 sons - Nathaniel, Nicholas and John; that of these Nathaniel had sons - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas and Nathan; and that John had sons - Nathaniel and John. From these the families of Pennsylvania bearing the surname of Newlin have probably all descended.
Built a grist mill near Concordville PA in 1704 on land deeded to his father by William Penn. It ran commercially until 1941 and is now the Newlin Gristmill historical museum and park.
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The following material was suggested by Bryan S. Godfrey:
Nathaniel Newlin was one of the leading settlers of William Penn's Pennsylvania Quaker colony, and a biography of him is better given by quoting Dr. Algie I. Newlin in "The Newlin Family: Ancestors and Descendants of John and Mary Pyle Newlin," (1965), pages 21-26:
Gilbert Cope found in what he called the 'Taylor Papers' a horoscope giving the following biographical data about Nathaniel Newlin: "Netus Nathaniel Nulan anno 1665 desem. 18 d; 3 h; 21 m.PM." Whatever question this may raise about Nathaniel's belief in "fortune telling," it certainly gives almost a stopwatch date of his birth. It is too bad the fortune teller didn't require the place of birth.
Nathaniel was well equipped to follow in his father's footsteps as a versatile leader in Chester County and in Pennsylvania as a whole. The paths followed by the two are very similar. If anything, Nathaniel's career was more illustrious than that of his father; certainly in political and economic activities. It must be remembered that in their life in Pennsylvania Nathaniel had more than twice as long to serve in the areas of his interests.
Nathaniel's interest and work in the Society of Friends was just as evident as that of his father. Among the thirty-four contributions for the construction of Concord Meeting House, his was the largest. That of his father was second and the third was given by John Newlin, who must have been Nathaniel's brother, John. It seems quite likely that Nathaniel revolted against some of the outmoded customs and ideas of his day. He was the first of the Concord Friends to carry an umbrella. Though he was held in high esteem, members of his meeting were astounded and possibly shocked, but not speechless. One elderly "woman Friend," visibly moved and highly articulate, put him to the ultimate test with a finger pointed straight at his face, "How would thee like to have that thing carried over thee as thee goes to thy grave?" So far as is known Nathaniel continued to hold aloft both head and umbrella.
Martin's "Chester in Delaware County" calls Nathaniel Newlin "a prominent man in his day." Albert Cook Myers ranks him next to his father as among the most important of the Quakers who came from Ireland to Pennsylvania. His long and distinguished career in public office, both elective and appointive, seem clear indication of his ability and of the confidence and esteem which people gave him.
In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries American Quakers took a very active interest in the political affairs. They wielded very great influence in New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Of course Pennsylvania was founded as a Quaker venture. Nathaniel Newlin began his career as a public official when he was only twenty-one years of age and continued his public service in one capacity or another until his death, more than forty years later.
His first public office came to him in 1686 when the County Court of Chester appointed him and his brother-in-law, "Benjamin Mildinghall," as "Viewers of the fence for Concord." The following year the Court made Nathaniel Newlin "...Constable for Concord...for the ensuing year." He did jury service on several occasions, and more than once was foreman of the grand jury.
In 1698 he was elected to his first term in the General Assembly of the Legislature of Pennsylvania. In this office he served thirteen terms - twenty-six years of legislative service to his province. In 1700 the Assembly named him as one member of a committee on governmental reorganization and law revision. He served at least five terms as a justice of the Chester County Court. For a short time he was one of the assessors for Chester County and was a Trustee of the General Loan Office from 1723 to 1729. The Loan Office was created in 1723 when the Provincial Government emitted 15,000 pounds in paper money. Nathaniel was on the first board of four members.
Nathaniel Newlin's wealth greatly exceeded that of his father as far as this subject is revealed in the available historical data. The greater part of it was invested in land. By inheritance and purchase he acquired a total of 8,452 acres. Through his father's will the Nicholas Newlin home tract of 552 acres came to him. This is one of the tracts in Concord which Nicholas had bought as a five hundred acre tract on which he built his home and in 1696 built a saw mill. Several historians say he built a mill on this tract. It was here that Nathaniel later built a mill on the West Branch of Chester Creek. "Nathan and Mary Newlin 1704," carved on a stone in the wall of this mill is taken as the equivalent of a cornerstone marker indicating that the mill was erected by Nathaniel Newlin in 1704. It remained in the hands of the Newlins until well into the Nineteenth Century. In 1959 it was acquired by E.M. Newlin, of Philadelphia, a descendant of Nathaniel Newlin. The mill has been reconditioned, opened to the public and the adjacent grounds and mill pond made a place for recreation.
Through his father's will Nathaniel received also "...that two hundred and fifty Akers of land which he now lives upon." It is quite possible that this is what was left of the second tract in Concord, of five hundred acres, which Nicholas acquired in 1683. This shows that Nathaniel inherited 802 acres of land located in Concord Township.
Nathaniel's greatest real estate venture came when he purchased from The Free Society of Traders, on June 10, 1724, for 800 pounds, a great tract of land in the Brandywine Valley which had been surveyed out as containing 7,100 acres. The Society of Free Traders was a company of approximately three hundred Quakers who had bought 20,000 acres of land for speculative purposes. Soon after making this purpose Nathaniel had another survey made which revealed that he had actually purchased 7,700 acres - 600 more than he thought he had acquired. It was this huge rectangle of land that became Newlin Township in 1740. Nathaniel bought it as an investment. During the next three years he sold 1,300 acres in nine tracts for more than one half of what he paid for the entire 7,700 acres. Besides tripling the per acre sales price he also attached a quitrent of one shiling per hundred acres to be paid to him in addition to that which was attached to the land before Nathaniel acquired it.
Nathaniel died intestate in 1729. At that time his estate included 7,643 acres of land to be divided among his six living children and the children of Elizabeth (Newlin) Lewis who had died six years before the death of her father.
In 1699 Nathaniel built for himself a large brick dwelling house in Concord which would be used for 150 years before being torn down.
One of the most noted incidents in the life of Nathaniel Newlin was his involvement in a clash of claims between an Indian tribe and some of the settlers who had bought land in the Brandywine Valley, which the Indians claimed. This dispute broke out in 1725 and involved the rival claimants, the General Assembly, Commissioners of Property and the Governor in discussions and negotiations which lasted for nearly a year before a satisfactory solution was agreed upon.
It seems quite obvious that Nathaniel Newlin's Society Tract was the largest provately owned tract in the disputed area, though land had been sold in the much larger area of the valley in dispute. Nathaniel Newlin had made his noted purchase of 7,100 acres in 1724, and the following year the Indians claimed lands that included two thirds of this purchase. Nathaniel had already sold several tracts of this land.
In 1685 the Indians had sold a vast area of land in Chester County to William Penn. The deed for this sale was on record. In 1705 the Indians claimed that Penn had ceded back to them a strip of land extending the distance of one mile on either side of the stream from the mouth of the Brandywine to the source of the West Branch of that stream. This deed could not be found on record or anywhere. The Indians claimed that their copy of the deed had been burned when a fire destroyed a cabin in which it was kept. In 1705 the Commissioners of Property, in a move to satisfy the Indians, paid them 100 pounds for their claimed rights to the land from the mouth of the Brandywine to a specified point on the West Branch. The clash of claims in 1725 involved the remainder of the valley of the West Branch which was not included in the action of 1705.
In 1725 the Indians protested the construction of dams and weirs which robbed them of their fish supply and the sale of lands which they claimed. They took their grievances first to the Governor and then to the Commissioners of Property. They were not able to get satisfactory action from either. Then they turned to the General Assembly. After extended discussions and negotiations, the Assembly directed the Commissioners of Property to make a full investigation of the whole affair, including, of course, the Indian claims, and give a report to the Assembly. James Logan reporting for the Commission, "...produced an Indian deed, dated 1685, signed by thirteen Indian kings which conveys all the lands..." including the area now in dispute, to the Proprietor. The report continues, "...and says he finds no footsteps for any reconveyance, neither in the land office nor upon the record...that in 1785 the Indians laid claim to all the lands from the mouth of the Brandywine up the West Branch to the head, in bredth one mile on each side of that branch..." Logan also reported that the Commissioners of Property paid the Indians 100 pounds to relinquish their claims from the mouth of the Brandywine to a point in what later became the eastern boundary of the Society Tract.
This report indicates that no legal basis had been found for the claims made by the Indians. This may be the reason whyneither the Governor nor the Commissioners of Property took any action when the Indians first presented their claims to them. The Assembly never at any time asserted that those who had bought land had anything less than full title to it. The purpose of the Assembly was to quiet the Indians and remove the threat to peace by finding a way to give them full use of the lands they claimed, after satisfying the owners who had bought the land.
Nathaniel Newlin, and other land owners, were involved in a dispute with the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property rather than with the Indians. There is no evidence that Newlin was hostile to the Indians or unsympathetic to their plight. It does appear that he was opposed to one aspect of the plan presented by the Assembly, which possibly originated with the Commissioners of Property, that those who had bought land in good faith which the Indians now claimed, should accept an equivalent amount of land to be made available inother areas. Nathaniel Newlin's objection to this plan for settlement was that it was an acre for acre proposition and he was contending that it should be an equal value exchange. The 7,100 acres of the Society Tract which he had bought was a choice piece of land and it is quite possible that there was no available land of comparable value in Chester County. For the government, which had sold the land in the first place, to offer anything less than the value of the land was repugnant to his sense of justice. Nathaniel Newlin was a veteran of more than a quarter of a century's experience in the General Assembly and he had served as a Commissioner of Property. With this background of experience he certainly knew the technique of polotical maneuvers in these two bodies. There can be little doubt that even his seeming reluctance to appear before the Assembly was a part of his plan to bring that body and the Commissioners of Property to see the validity of his claim for equal value compensation. As reported in the records of the Assembly, "He said that expected the value, and not the quantity only of the land, in lieu of that the Indians claimed of him, and that he was to meet the Commissioners of Property this afternoon and then doubted not that they should settle the affair to the satisfaction of the house."
At no time did Nathaniel Newlin show any lack of sympathy for the Indians or any unwillingness to give up to them that part of his land which they claimed but he insisted that the Commissioners of Property must give him adequate compensation. The Minutes of the Commissioners of Property for "10th Mo. 7th and 8th, 1702." show Nathaniel Newlin as one of the four commissioners who satisfied the Ockanickon Indians by setting up a reservation for them in Chester County. This was now definitely a dispute with the Provincial authorities and not with the Indians.
Following Nathaniel Newlin's meeting with the Commissioners of Property the General Assembly convened and the following minute reports the action taken: "3 P.M. The House met. Nathaniel Newlin...delivered on the table a paper subscribed with his hand, which being read, doth declare and promise that neither he nor his heirs will, by any means, disturb or molest the Indians in their posession or claims."
What compensation Nathaniel Nelwin received from the Commissioners of Property has not been ascertained. Both he and the Indians were well pleased with the settlement. When an interpreter read the paper to the Indians, "...they declared that they were well satisfied therewith...so they (Newlin and the Indians) shook hands together and they parted fully reconciled." (Futhey & Cope, "Chester County," p. 192.
In the heat of the long negotiations the Commissioners of Property seem to have lost their patience with Nathaniel Newlin and it is equally evident that the Assembly did, too. Both used rather strong language to describe his stand. If this was done with a view to bringing pressure to induce Nathaniel Newlin to change his mind the political skill of this veteran public servant must have been a match for them. He seems to have won for himself what he considered fair compensation.
Nathaniel Newlin's promise to the Indians was faithfully kept as long as he lived. A few years after his death a letter from the Indian chief charged some of those who owned land in the Society Tract, and even the Commissioners of Property, of violating the rights of Indians. It is not known if the Governor or anyone responded to this complaint. Soon after this protest the Indians moved to another locality. One wonders if it was the wisdom and political skill of Nathaniel that guided the development of a solution which pleased the Indians and satisfied the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property.
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This ends the information from the book by Dr. Algie Newlin. Additional information is given in Russell Newlin Abel's "A Mendenhall-Newlin Alliance" (1989) on pages 162-188, and within these pages Nathaniel's marriage certificate, estate settlement, and estate inventory are reprinted. The following information concerning Nathaniel's 1704 grist mill and the surrounding present-day Newlin Mill Park is quoted from pages 171-172 of this book:
The Nathaniel Newlin Grist Mill was built in 1704, during the reign of Queen Anne, by Nathaniel Newlin and his wife Mary (Mendenhall) Newlin, who were married in 1685 after having emigrated, with their respective families, to this country in 1683.
The mill still survives on the headwaters of the West Branch of Chester Creek in Concord Township, then Chester, now Delaware County, PA. It has been carefully restored to working condition and the surroundings have been made into a Colonial Park that serves to remind us of our heritage.
On 18 Jun 1988, this was the site of the 100th Annivarsary of the annual reunion of the Jacob H. Mendenhall family. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Newlin, and his wife, Hannah Worrilow (Newlin) Mendenhall, was a great-great-great-granddaughter of the mill builder.
The original mill was a 11/2 story stone structure which still contains a datestone reading, "1704 Nathan'l Mary Newlin." Even though it has been added to since Nathaniel's time and passed from the family for a period of time, it was repurchased in 1955 by a great-great-grandson of Nathaniel, Earl Mortimer Newlin of Wayne, PA, a Philadelphia investment broker and president of the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind.
The mill has been lovingly restored to working condition under the supervision of Rudy Fields, the late Executive Director of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation created for the purpose by E. Mortimer Newlin, a direct descendant of Nicholas.
Mr. Field died shortly after the restoration was completed. His wife Betty continues to ba active in the daily operation of the historic site. Since 1959, the mill is again grinding corn into flour.
The process of restoration was an interesting one. Essentially it required a complete replacement of mill machinery to recreate the original handmade design. This included hand fashioning of the huge, 16 foot diameter, 603 inch circumference, 5 foot wide, white oak, wooden overshot water wheel that turns on a shaft 21 feet long. The shaft was cut from a red oak tree and soaked in the millrace for two years before being hewn to final shape prior to installation. It was only with great difficulty that the shaft was maneuvered through a window in the mill and put in place.
The wheel drives the hand fashioned wooden gears that cause the millstones to shear the grains of corn between them. Only one stone turns, the upper of the two. It weighs more than a ton and is driven by a shaft that projects up through a hole in the lower stone. The stones are "dressed" or grooved to allow the ground corn to flow from the center of the stone, where it is added, to the outside edge of the stone, where it is collected. The millstones do not actually touch together, but are controlled by a large lever that precisely adjusts the distance between them. This allows the miller to achieve any degree of fineness--from coarse corn meal to fine corn flour. This process of adjustment is called "tentering."
After collection of the flour coming out of the millstones, it is sifted through a cloth, mounted on a frame like a shaker table, to remove any coarse particles. This process is called "bolting." This process is not only interesting to see in action, but we should also be cognizant that in the colonial days, it provided a principal source of food for the area.
Although no physical evidence remains, it is known that Nathaniel operated one of the first, if not the first, General Stores in the area. His estate inventory lists numerous items for sale, including kitchen utensils, hand tools, household goods, lumber, and cloth and clothing accessories. It is interesting to compare the value of items in those days with the value of similar items still being used today.
The area surrounding the mill has been made into a park-like area containing historical exhibits and recreational facilities.
Probably the most popular activity involves the millrace that is stocked with trout. Fishing is permitted on a fee basis, you pay for what you catch, and this provides a major source of income to support the foundation's activities. Moderate fees are also charged for use of the grounds, picnic area, mill tours, etc.
Those interested in antiques will want to enjoy a tour of the restored miller's house, originally built in 1739, during the reign of George II. The house is located adjacent to the mill. It is completely furnished with appropriate items from the period 1700-1750. The original house consists of two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs with a fireplace in each. The kitchen fireplace is equipped with a beehive oven.
Nearby is a reproduction of a blacksmith shop of the period, which is completely equipped with an original forge, tools, and implements of the period. This was added in 1975. In addition a very old springhouse was reconstructed, stone by stone, and placed over a clear flowing springhead on the property.
There is a log cabin of authentic construction that was hand built in 1965 alongside the stream that feeds the mill. The ten foot fireplace warms visitors in the winter and is available for rental for group activities, such as the Jacob H. Mendenhall family reunion.
In addition to the buildings describes, there is a network of nature trails about three miles long. This allows you to enjoy walking along the millrace and beside the stream. The area is being made into an arboretum and unusual trees are being planted for future enjoyment.
Since 1983 the Executive Director has been Harold Dabbs Woodfin, Jr., Ph.D. He was recruited by Mr. E. Mortimer Newlin from Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown, NY where he was responsible for restoration of buildings in the area made famous in the book, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," by Washington Irving. He is an interesting person to talk to and has a wealth of knowledge of the colonial period in general and the Newlin legacy in particular.
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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, by Futhey and Cope.
Nathaniel Newlin, son of Nicholas, was born about the year 1660, and emigrated from Ireland with his father in 1683, and April 17, 1685, married Mary Mendenhall, who came from Wiltshire, England. He resided at Concord, and was quite a prominent person, both in the meetings of Friends and in the community at large. In 1698 he was elected to the Provincial Assembly as a representative from Chester county and continued in that body at different times for several years. In 1700 he was one of the committee to consider and draw up a new frame of government and to revise the laws. He was subsequently appointed one of the
proprietaries' commissioners of property and a justice of the county courts. In 1722 he became one of the trustees of the general loan-office of the province, which position he continued to hold till the time of his death, when he was succeeded by Justice Richard Hayes.
He continued to reside in Concord as long as he lived and owned a large amount of real estate there as well as elsewhere. A brick dwelling-house, which he erected at concord in 1699, was standing until within a few years ago *(1881). In 1724 he became owner of over 7000 acres in one tract, since known as Newlin twp. It was in relation to the occupancy of this tract that he had the dispute with the Indians.
Although advanced in life he married again 2-17-1729, Mary Fincher, and his death occurred in May of the same year. His widow removed to Londongrove where she died the next year. Nathaniel Newlin was the only son of Nicholas Newlin who left issue. His children were (1) Jamima (2) Elizabeth (3) Nicholas (4) Nathaniel (5) John (6) Kezia (7) Mary,
1) Jamima Newlin was born 12-9-1685/8 married 10-4-1712 Richard Eavenson of Thornbury
2) Elizabeth Newlin was born 1-3-1687/8 married in 1713, Ellis Lewis of Radnor, and left 4 children - Robert, Mary, Nathaniel and Ellis. They resided in Kennet
3) Nicholas NEwlin was born 3-19-1689 - married in 1715 Edith, dau of Nicholas and Abigail Pyle. He became the owner of 250 acres in Birmingham which had belonged to his grandfather, Nicholas Newlin I but he continued to reside in Concord
4) Nathaniel Newlin was born 1-19---1690/1 and married in 1710/1 Jane, daughter of Richard and Jane Woodward, of Middletown. He served in the Provincial Assembly for a number of years as a representative of Chester County. He resided at Concord, where he died in Feb of 1731/2. His widow died in 1737. They left 9 children - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Nathan, Rachel, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary and Martha.
5) John Newlin was born 12-28-1691 married, in 1711, Mary, dau of Richard and Jane Woodard of Middletown. She was a sister of his brother Nathaniel's wife. He died in 1753. His widow, Mary Newlin of Concord, died 11-24-1790 having attained the great age of 101 years. She preserved all her faculties to the last moment of her life. They had children - Nathaniel, John, Jane, Rebecca, Mary and perhaps others. His sons appear to have settled in Newlin twp, but their parents continued to reside in Concord.
6) Kezia Newlin was born in 12-22-1695/6 and married William Baily of Kennet.
7) Mary Newlin was born 2-2-1699 and in 1724 married Richard Clayton, of Concord. She left no children and her property was inherited by her eldest brother, Nicholas Newlin.
Nathaniel Newlin (3) son of Nathaniel (2) married Esther MIdkiff, who survived him. His son, Nathaniel NEwlin (4) was a member of the State Senate and of the Convention which framed the constitution of 1790. It is sid that he was offered a seat in Congress by the dominant party on several occasions, but refused it.
Joseph Newlin, son of Nathaniel (2) married in 1740, Phebe, granddaughter of Ralph Lewis and eminent Welsh settler. He died in 1768, his wife surviving and left his plantation to his eldest son, Ellis Newlin, who, in 1771, married Jane Mason. They had 3 sons - Joseph, William and George.
It will thus be seen that Nathaniel Newlin (1) left 3 sons - Nathaniel, Nicholas and John; that of these Nathaniel had sons - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas and Nathan; and that John had sons - Nathaniel and John. From these the families of Pennsylvania bearing the surname of Newlin have probably all descended.
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The following material was suggested by Bryan S. Godfrey:
Nathaniel Newlin was one of the leading settlers of William Penn's Pennsylvania Quaker colony, and a biography of him is better given by quoting Dr. Algie I. Newlin in "The Newlin Family: Ancestors and Descendants of John and Mary Pyle Newlin," (1965), pages 21-26:
Gilbert Cope found in what he called the 'Taylor Papers' a horoscope giving the following biographical data about Nathaniel Newlin: "Netus Nathaniel Nulan anno 1665 desem. 18 d; 3 h; 21 m.PM." Whatever question this may raise about Nathaniel's belief in "fortune telling," it certainly gives almost a stopwatch date of his birth. It is too bad the fortune teller didn't require the place of birth.
Nathaniel was well equipped to follow in his father's footsteps as a versatile leader in Chester County and in Pennsylvania as a whole. The paths followed by the two are very similar. If anything, Nathaniel's career was more illustrious than that of his father; certainly in political and economic activities. It must be remembered that in their life in Pennsylvania Nathaniel had more than twice as long to serve in the areas of his interests.
Nathaniel's interest and work in the Society of Friends was just as evident as that of his father. Among the thirty-four contributions for the construction of Concord Meeting House, his was the largest. That of his father was second and the third was given by John Newlin, who must have been Nathaniel's brother, John. It seems quite likely that Nathaniel revolted against some of the outmoded customs and ideas of his day. He was the first of the Concord Friends to carry an umbrella. Though he was held in high esteem, members of his meeting were astounded and possibly shocked, but not speechless. One elderly "woman Friend," visibly moved and highly articulate, put him to the ultimate test with a finger pointed straight at his face, "How would thee like to have that thing carried over thee as thee goes to thy grave?" So far as is known Nathaniel continued to hold aloft both head and umbrella.
Martin's "Chester in Delaware County" calls Nathaniel Newlin "a prominent man in his day." Albert Cook Myers ranks him next to his father as among the most important of the Quakers who came from Ireland to Pennsylvania. His long and distinguished career in public office, both elective and appointive, seem clear indication of his ability and of the confidence and esteem which people gave him.
In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries American Quakers took a very active interest in the political affairs. They wielded very great influence in New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Of course Pennsylvania was founded as a Quaker venture. Nathaniel Newlin began his career as a public official when he was only twenty-one years of age and continued his public service in one capacity or another until his death, more than forty years later.
His first public office came to him in 1686 when the County Court of Chester appointed him and his brother-in-law, "Benjamin Mildinghall," as "Viewers of the fence for Concord." The following year the Court made Nathaniel Newlin "...Constable for Concord...for the ensuing year." He did jury service on several occasions, and more than once was foreman of the grand jury.
In 1698 he was elected to his first term in the General Assembly of the Legislature of Pennsylvania. In this office he served thirteen terms - twenty-six years of legislative service to his province. In 1700 the Assembly named him as one member of a committee on governmental reorganization and law revision. He served at least five terms as a justice of the Chester County Court. For a short time he was one of the assessors for Chester County and was a Trustee of the General Loan Office from 1723 to 1729. The Loan Office was created in 1723 when the Provincial Government emitted 15,000 pounds in paper money. Nathaniel was on the first board of four members.
Nathaniel Newlin's wealth greatly exceeded that of his father as far as this subject is revealed in the available historical data. The greater part of it was invested in land. By inheritance and purchase he acquired a total of 8,452 acres. Through his father's will the Nicholas Newlin home tract of 552 acres came to him. This is one of the tracts in Concord which Nicholas had bought as a five hundred acre tract on which he built his home and in 1696 built a saw mill. Several historians say he built a mill on this tract. It was here that Nathaniel later built a mill on the West Branch of Chester Creek. "Nathan and Mary Newlin 1704," carved on a stone in the wall of this mill is taken as the equivalent of a cornerstone marker indicating that the mill was erected by Nathaniel Newlin in 1704. It remained in the hands of the Newlins until well into the Nineteenth Century. In 1959 it was acquired by E.M. Newlin, of Philadelphia, a descendant of Nathaniel Newlin. The mill has been reconditioned, opened to the public and the adjacent grounds and mill pond made a place for recreation.
Through his father's will Nathaniel received also "...that two hundred and fifty Akers of land which he now lives upon." It is quite possible that this is what was left of the second tract in Concord, of five hundred acres, which Nicholas acquired in 1683. This shows that Nathaniel inherited 802 acres of land located in Concord Township.
Nathaniel's greatest real estate venture came when he purchased from The Free Society of Traders, on June 10, 1724, for 800 pounds, a great tract of land in the Brandywine Valley which had been surveyed out as containing 7,100 acres. The Society of Free Traders was a company of approximately three hundred Quakers who had bought 20,000 acres of land for speculative purposes. Soon after making this purpose Nathaniel had another survey made which revealed that he had actually purchased 7,700 acres - 600 more than he thought he had acquired. It was this huge rectangle of land that became Newlin Township in 1740. Nathaniel bought it as an investment. During the next three years he sold 1,300 acres in nine tracts for more than one half of what he paid for the entire 7,700 acres. Besides tripling the per acre sales price he also attached a quitrent of one shiling per hundred acres to be paid to him in addition to that which was attached to the land before Nathaniel acquired it.
Nathaniel died intestate in 1729. At that time his estate included 7,643 acres of land to be divided among his six living children and the children of Elizabeth (Newlin) Lewis who had died six years before the death of her father.
In 1699 Nathaniel built for himself a large brick dwelling house in Concord which would be used for 150 years before being torn down.
One of the most noted incidents in the life of Nathaniel Newlin was his involvement in a clash of claims between an Indian tribe and some of the settlers who had bought land in the Brandywine Valley, which the Indians claimed. This dispute broke out in 1725 and involved the rival claimants, the General Assembly, Commissioners of Property and the Governor in discussions and negotiations which lasted for nearly a year before a satisfactory solution was agreed upon.
It seems quite obvious that Nathaniel Newlin's Society Tract was the largest provately owned tract in the disputed area, though land had been sold in the much larger area of the valley in dispute. Nathaniel Newlin had made his noted purchase of 7,100 acres in 1724, and the following year the Indians claimed lands that included two thirds of this purchase. Nathaniel had already sold several tracts of this land.
In 1685 the Indians had sold a vast area of land in Chester County to William Penn. The deed for this sale was on record. In 1705 the Indians claimed that Penn had ceded back to them a strip of land extending the distance of one mile on either side of the stream from the mouth of the Brandywine to the source of the West Branch of that stream. This deed could not be found on record or anywhere. The Indians claimed that their copy of the deed had been burned when a fire destroyed a cabin in which it was kept. In 1705 the Commissioners of Property, in a move to satisfy the Indians, paid them 100 pounds for their claimed rights to the land from the mouth of the Brandywine to a specified point on the West Branch. The clash of claims in 1725 involved the remainder of the valley of the West Branch which was not included in the action of 1705.
In 1725 the Indians protested the construction of dams and weirs which robbed them of their fish supply and the sale of lands which they claimed. They took their grievances first to the Governor and then to the Commissioners of Property. They were not able to get satisfactory action from either. Then they turned to the General Assembly. After extended discussions and negotiations, the Assembly directed the Commissioners of Property to make a full investigation of the whole affair, including, of course, the Indian claims, and give a report to the Assembly. James Logan reporting for the Commission, "...produced an Indian deed, dated 1685, signed by thirteen Indian kings which conveys all the lands..." including the area now in dispute, to the Proprietor. The report continues, "...and says he finds no footsteps for any reconveyance, neither in the land office nor upon the record...that in 1785 the Indians laid claim to all the lands from the mouth of the Brandywine up the West Branch to the head, in bredth one mile on each side of that branch..." Logan also reported that the Commissioners of Property paid the Indians 100 pounds to relinquish their claims from the mouth of the Brandywine to a point in what later became the eastern boundary of the Society Tract.
This report indicates that no legal basis had been found for the claims made by the Indians. This may be the reason whyneither the Governor nor the Commissioners of Property took any action when the Indians first presented their claims to them. The Assembly never at any time asserted that those who had bought land had anything less than full title to it. The purpose of the Assembly was to quiet the Indians and remove the threat to peace by finding a way to give them full use of the lands they claimed, after satisfying the owners who had bought the land.
Nathaniel Newlin, and other land owners, were involved in a dispute with the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property rather than with the Indians. There is no evidence that Newlin was hostile to the Indians or unsympathetic to their plight. It does appear that he was opposed to one aspect of the plan presented by the Assembly, which possibly originated with the Commissioners of Property, that those who had bought land in good faith which the Indians now claimed, should accept an equivalent amount of land to be made available inother areas. Nathaniel Newlin's objection to this plan for settlement was that it was an acre for acre proposition and he was contending that it should be an equal value exchange. The 7,100 acres of the Society Tract which he had bought was a choice piece of land and it is quite possible that there was no available land of comparable value in Chester County. For the government, which had sold the land in the first place, to offer anything less than the value of the land was repugnant to his sense of justice. Nathaniel Newlin was a veteran of more than a quarter of a century's experience in the General Assembly and he had served as a Commissioner of Property. With this background of experience he certainly knew the technique of polotical maneuvers in these two bodies. There can be little doubt that even his seeming reluctance to appear before the Assembly was a part of his plan to bring that body and the Commissioners of Property to see the validity of his claim for equal value compensation. As reported in the records of the Assembly, "He said that expected the value, and not the quantity only of the land, in lieu of that the Indians claimed of him, and that he was to meet the Commissioners of Property this afternoon and then doubted not that they should settle the affair to the satisfaction of the house."
At no time did Nathaniel Newlin show any lack of sympathy for the Indians or any unwillingness to give up to them that part of his land which they claimed but he insisted that the Commissioners of Property must give him adequate compensation. The Minutes of the Commissioners of Property for "10th Mo. 7th and 8th, 1702." show Nathaniel Newlin as one of the four commissioners who satisfied the Ockanickon Indians by setting up a reservation for them in Chester County. This was now definitely a dispute with the Provincial authorities and not with the Indians.
Following Nathaniel Newlin's meeting with the Commissioners of Property the General Assembly convened and the following minute reports the action taken: "3 P.M. The House met. Nathaniel Newlin...delivered on the table a paper subscribed with his hand, which being read, doth declare and promise that neither he nor his heirs will, by any means, disturb or molest the Indians in their posession or claims."
What compensation Nathaniel Nelwin received from the Commissioners of Property has not been ascertained. Both he and the Indians were well pleased with the settlement. When an interpreter read the paper to the Indians, "...they declared that they were well satisfied therewith...so they (Newlin and the Indians) shook hands together and they parted fully reconciled." (Futhey & Cope, "Chester County," p. 192.
In the heat of the long negotiations the Commissioners of Property seem to have lost their patience with Nathaniel Newlin and it is equally evident that the Assembly did, too. Both used rather strong language to describe his stand. If this was done with a view to bringing pressure to induce Nathaniel Newlin to change his mind the political skill of this veteran public servant must have been a match for them. He seems to have won for himself what he considered fair compensation.
Nathaniel Newlin's promise to the Indians was faithfully kept as long as he lived. A few years after his death a letter from the Indian chief charged some of those who owned land in the Society Tract, and even the Commissioners of Property, of violating the rights of Indians. It is not known if the Governor or anyone responded to this complaint. Soon after this protest the Indians moved to another locality. One wonders if it was the wisdom and political skill of Nathaniel that guided the development of a solution which pleased the Indians and satisfied the Assembly and the Commissioners of Property.
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This ends the information from the book by Dr. Algie Newlin. Additional information is given in Russell Newlin Abel's "A Mendenhall-Newlin Alliance" (1989) on pages 162-188, and within these pages Nathaniel's marriage certificate, estate settlement, and estate inventory are reprinted. The following information concerning Nathaniel's 1704 grist mill and the surrounding present-day Newlin Mill Park is quoted from pages 171-172 of this book:
The Nathaniel Newlin Grist Mill was built in 1704, during the reign of Queen Anne, by Nathaniel Newlin and his wife Mary (Mendenhall) Newlin, who were married in 1685 after having emigrated, with their respective families, to this country in 1683.
The mill still survives on the headwaters of the West Branch of Chester Creek in Concord Township, then Chester, now Delaware County, PA. It has been carefully restored to working condition and the surroundings have been made into a Colonial Park that serves to remind us of our heritage.
On 18 Jun 1988, this was the site of the 100th Annivarsary of the annual reunion of the Jacob H. Mendenhall family. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Newlin, and his wife, Hannah Worrilow (Newlin) Mendenhall, was a great-great-great-granddaughter of the mill builder.
The original mill was a 11/2 story stone structure which still contains a datestone reading, "1704 Nathan'l Mary Newlin." Even though it has been added to since Nathaniel's time and passed from the family for a period of time, it was repurchased in 1955 by a great-great-grandson of Nathaniel, Earl Mortimer Newlin of Wayne, PA, a Philadelphia investment broker and president of the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind.
The mill has been lovingly restored to working condition under the supervision of Rudy Fields, the late Executive Director of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation created for the purpose by E. Mortimer Newlin, a direct descendant of Nicholas.
Mr. Field died shortly after the restoration was completed. His wife Betty continues to ba active in the daily operation of the historic site. Since 1959, the mill is again grinding corn into flour.
The process of restoration was an interesting one. Essentially it required a complete replacement of mill machinery to recreate the original handmade design. This included hand fashioning of the huge, 16 foot diameter, 603 inch circumference, 5 foot wide, white oak, wooden overshot water wheel that turns on a shaft 21 feet long. The shaft was cut from a red oak tree and soaked in the millrace for two years before being hewn to final shape prior to installation. It was only with great difficulty that the shaft was maneuvered through a window in the mill and put in place.
The wheel drives the hand fashioned wooden gears that cause the millstones to shear the grains of corn between them. Only one stone turns, the upper of the two. It weighs more than a ton and is driven by a shaft that projects up through a hole in the lower stone. The stones are "dressed" or grooved to allow the ground corn to flow from the center of the stone, where it is added, to the outside edge of the stone, where it is collected. The millstones do not actually touch together, but are controlled by a large lever that precisely adjusts the distance between them. This allows the miller to achieve any degree of fineness--from coarse corn meal to fine corn flour. This process of adjustment is called "tentering."
After collection of the flour coming out of the millstones, it is sifted through a cloth, mounted on a frame like a shaker table, to remove any coarse particles. This process is called "bolting." This process is not only interesting to see in action, but we should also be cognizant that in the colonial days, it provided a principal source of food for the area.
Although no physical evidence remains, it is known that Nathaniel operated one of the first, if not the first, General Stores in the area. His estate inventory lists numerous items for sale, including kitchen utensils, hand tools, household goods, lumber, and cloth and clothing accessories. It is interesting to compare the value of items in those days with the value of similar items still being used today.
The area surrounding the mill has been made into a park-like area containing historical exhibits and recreational facilities.
Probably the most popular activity involves the millrace that is stocked with trout. Fishing is permitted on a fee basis, you pay for what you catch, and this provides a major source of income to support the foundation's activities. Moderate fees are also charged for use of the grounds, picnic area, mill tours, etc.
Those interested in antiques will want to enjoy a tour of the restored miller's house, originally built in 1739, during the reign of George II. The house is located adjacent to the mill. It is completely furnished with appropriate items from the period 1700-1750. The original house consists of two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs with a fireplace in each. The kitchen fireplace is equipped with a beehive oven.
Nearby is a reproduction of a blacksmith shop of the period, which is completely equipped with an original forge, tools, and implements of the period. This was added in 1975. In addition a very old springhouse was reconstructed, stone by stone, and placed over a clear flowing springhead on the property.
There is a log cabin of authentic construction that was hand built in 1965 alongside the stream that feeds the mill. The ten foot fireplace warms visitors in the winter and is available for rental for group activities, such as the Jacob H. Mendenhall family reunion.
In addition to the buildings describes, there is a network of nature trails about three miles long. This allows you to enjoy walking along the millrace and beside the stream. The area is being made into an arboretum and unusual trees are being planted for future enjoyment.
Since 1983 the Executive Director has been Harold Dabbs Woodfin, Jr., Ph.D. He was recruited by Mr. E. Mortimer Newlin from Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown, NY where he was responsible for restoration of buildings in the area made famous in the book, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," by Washington Irving. He is an interesting person to talk to and has a wealth of knowledge of the colonial period in general and the Newlin legacy in particular.
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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, by Futhey and Cope.
Nathaniel Newlin, son of Nicholas, was born about the year 1660, and emigrated from Ireland with his father in 1683, and April 17, 1685, married Mary Mendenhall, who came from Wiltshire, England. He resided at Concord, and was quite a prominent person, both in the meetings of Friends and in the community at large. In 1698 he was elected to the Provincial Assembly as a representative from Chester county and continued in that body at different times for several years. In 1700 he was one of the committee to consider and draw up a new frame of government and to revise the laws. He was subsequently appointed one of the
proprietaries' commissioners of property and a justice of the county courts. In 1722 he became one of the trustees of the general loan-office of the province, which position he continued to hold till the time of his death, when he was succeeded by Justice Richard Hayes.
He continued to reside in Concord as long as he lived and owned a large amount of real estate there as well as elsewhere. A brick dwelling-house, which he erected at concord in 1699, was standing until within a few years ago *(1881). In 1724 he became owner of over 7000 acres in one tract, since known as Newlin twp. It was in relation to the occupancy of this tract that he had the dispute with the Indians.
Although advanced in life he married again 2-17-1729, Mary Fincher, and his death occurred in May of the same year. His widow removed to Londongrove where she died the next year. Nathaniel Newlin was the only son of Nicholas Newlin who left issue. His children were (1) Jamima (2) Elizabeth (3) Nicholas (4) Nathaniel (5) John (6) Kezia (7) Mary,
1) Jamima Newlin was born 12-9-1685/8 married 10-4-1712 Richard Eavenson of Thornbury
2) Elizabeth Newlin was born 1-3-1687/8 married in 1713, Ellis Lewis of Radnor, and left 4 children - Robert, Mary, Nathaniel and Ellis. They resided in Kennet
3) Nicholas NEwlin was born 3-19-1689 - married in 1715 Edith, dau of Nicholas and Abigail Pyle. He became the owner of 250 acres in Birmingham which had belonged to his grandfather, Nicholas Newlin I but he continued to reside in Concord
4) Nathaniel Newlin was born 1-19---1690/1 and married in 1710/1 Jane, daughter of Richard and Jane Woodward, of Middletown. He served in the Provincial Assembly for a number of years as a representative of Chester County. He resided at Concord, where he died in Feb of 1731/2. His widow died in 1737. They left 9 children - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Nathan, Rachel, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary and Martha.
5) John Newlin was born 12-28-1691 married, in 1711, Mary, dau of Richard and Jane Woodard of Middletown. She was a sister of his brother Nathaniel's wife. He died in 1753. His widow, Mary Newlin of Concord, died 11-24-1790 having attained the great age of 101 years. She preserved all her faculties to the last moment of her life. They had children - Nathaniel, John, Jane, Rebecca, Mary and perhaps others. His sons appear to have settled in Newlin twp, but their parents continued to reside in Concord.
6) Kezia Newlin was born in 12-22-1695/6 and married William Baily of Kennet.
7) Mary Newlin was born 2-2-1699 and in 1724 married Richard Clayton, of Concord. She left no children and her property was inherited by her eldest brother, Nicholas Newlin.
Nathaniel Newlin (3) son of Nathaniel (2) married Esther MIdkiff, who survived him. His son, Nathaniel NEwlin (4) was a member of the State Senate and of the Convention which framed the constitution of 1790. It is sid that he was offered a seat in Congress by the dominant party on several occasions, but refused it.
Joseph Newlin, son of Nathaniel (2) married in 1740, Phebe, granddaughter of Ralph Lewis and eminent Welsh settler. He died in 1768, his wife surviving and left his plantation to his eldest son, Ellis Newlin, who, in 1771, married Jane Mason. They had 3 sons - Joseph, William and George.
It will thus be seen that Nathaniel Newlin (1) left 3 sons - Nathaniel, Nicholas and John; that of these Nathaniel had sons - Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas and Nathan; and that John had sons - Nathaniel and John. From these the families of Pennsylvania bearing the surname of Newlin have probably all descended.
Inscription
Near This Spot Were Buried
NICHOLAS NEWLIN
Born 1619, died 1699; He purchased 7000 acres of land in Pennsylvania and emigrated from Mount Melick, County Tyrone, Ireland, Settling in Concord Township: He was one of the founders of this Meeting; served in William Penn's Provincial Council, 1685-89; sat as a Justice in the Courts at Chester, 1685-91; Elizabeth Newlin, his wife, died 1719, prominent in this Meeting; their son
NATHANIEL NEWLIN
Born in Ireland, 1665, died 1729; A member of this Meeting,, served in the Assembly of the Province during fourteen sessions, 1698-1722; sat as a Justice in the Courtns of Chester at various terms, 1703-26; Founder of Newlin Township on the Brandywine 1724, and his wife, Mary Mendenhall Newlin, who came from Wiltsire, England, with her brothers. Joined this Meeting and was here married in 1685.
This marker was placed here in 1916 as a record by the descendants, Lewis Palmer and William C. Sproul.
