Guest Post -- The Strouds of Stanton, Delaware

I am always thrilled and proud to host Guest Posts here (if anyone wants to write something, let me know!), and this one is no exception. This particular installment focuses on the Stroud Family, several members of which had impacts on our region, most notably in the Stanton area. Our guest author, Charles Stroud Gawthrop, is a direct descendant of one of these Strouds who resided near Stanton, and whose home will be the focus of an upcoming post of its own. This well-researched account will help your understanding of the family and should help to put these Stroud Family members into better context for us. It's a great example of what amazing things can be accomplished even by someone who is admittedly new to historical/genealogical research. Many thanks to Charles for researching, writing, and sharing his work with us here! Enjoy! --- Scott

Headstone of Samuel Stroud, Jr.,
direct ancestor of the author

My name is Charles Stroud Gawthrop. A few years ago I was reading the The Mill Creek Hundred History Blog and there was a posting about the Stanton Hotel which mentioned James Stroud. Then there was the posting about the Stanton Mills mentioning Joshua Stroud - hmmm! So I started to do a little digging to see if I was related. I’m new to this genealogy thing. Prior to 2021, I had heard of Ancestry.com, but that was about it - so there was a lot to learn. Little did I know how addictive it is (and sadly how expensive Ancestry is). 

Yes, I am related to Samuel Stroud (brother of James and Joshua). Time went by and pieces of the puzzle were falling together, to a point that I realized I have some information to share.

One of the the things that impresses me about Scott Palmer, the webmaster for MCH history blog, is his ability to keep things light - a recitation of dates can be pretty boring - and that he publishes something about once a month! - so “keep it short”! So I have attempted to keep this light. There is so much more that I have missed. There is also the rest of the story - following the next generations. I have not even started that journey.

Summary

This is a tough family to track. They reused names a lot. There are several Edward’s, James’s, and Thomas’es - so you can’t be sure which one you are looking at! Many of them were Quakers, without that there would be no hope of trying to understand who was who. In this paper, I have used parenthesis if a name is duplicated.

Whitemarsh/ Plymouth Townships

Let’s start with James Stroud probably born around 1728. According to Strode and Stroud Families in England and America... v.1¹, James(1) was the son of Edward(1) and Catherine Stroud. Edward(1) and Catherine lived near Plymouth Meeting. They were Quakers and in 1744 Edward(1) was appointed as an overseer for Plymouth Meeting. Edward(1) died in 1782, James(1) administered Edward’s will.

As far as I can tell James(1) always lived northwest of Philadelphia - what is now Montgomery County, PA.²  In 1769 a tax assessment shows that James(1) owned 106 acres in Plymouth township and 170 acres in Montgomery township.

James(1) had two wives. The first, Elizabeth Beane, was born in 1727 and died in 1767. They were married in July, 1749 (both about 21 yrs old) and had 4 children (I was not able to find much information to establish birth dates. What I have is mostly conjecture):

• Edward(2) ancestry.com shows many family trees with Edward(2) born in 1740. But his parents were not married until 1749 and his mother would have been 13 yrs old - so I’m inclined to believe that his birth was around 1750, just after his parents marriage.

• Joshua similarly there is confusing information about Joshua’s birth. Wilmington Quaker records indicate that he was born in 1753 and refer to White Clay Creek, but I think the White Clay Creek was just his residence later in life - not a place of birth. As I said above, I don’t see any indication that James(1) and Elizabeth or Ann - his parents - ever lived outside of Montgomery County, PA.

• Mary(1) was born around 1753. At her death in 1836, her cemetery record indicates that she was 83 yrs old. [Editor: Mary actually likely died in 1825.]

• James(2) like Joshua his birthplace is confusing. Delaware Vital Records show his birth as 1760 “of Mill Creek Rd”. Again, I think the Mill Creek Rd reference is to his residence, not his birthplace.

James(1) second wife was Ann Coulston. She was born in 1747 and died in 1790. They were married in 1768 (she was 21, he was 40) and had 3 children:

• Samuel again there are a range of birthdates, I choose 1768 that would be after James(1) married Ann

• Thomas birth a couple years after Samuel - so about 1770

• Elizabeth another 2 years about 1772

In 1778, James(1) was disowned by the Quakers because he was encouraging others to join the militia. In that same year he was appointed commissioner for Philadelphia County by the Pennsylvania Council of Safety to confiscate property of those fighting for the British.³

James(1) died in 1788 and left a will naming all his children, which actually helps a lot because there isn’t much other evidence of his family. The strange thing is that the Quakers kept pretty good records of births, deaths, even tracking movements from one “meeting” to another. There don’t appear to be any Quaker records of James(1) or Edward(1) family.

Move South

What is clear is that these children didn’t stay in Plymouth Meeting.

Edward(2) Stroud

Edward(2) married Hannah Foulk in April, 1776 and transferred from Gwynedd Meeting to Abington Meeting and then to Byberry Meeting (in northern Philadelphia). They had three children:

• Tacy b. 3/5/1777

• Margaret b. 1778

• Edward(3) b. 1780

Around 1780, Edward(2) and Hannah started to explore moving to New London, Pa. but Hannah died in 1781 - she was only 25 yrs old - leaving three children under 5 yrs old. The New Garden Monthly Meeting recorded her death (6/24/1781) and she was buried the Byberry Meeting. Shortly after her death the two daughters moved from Byberry meeting back to Gwynedd - I’m guessing to live with relatives. Edward(2) and his son, Edward(3) officially transferred from Byberry meeting to New Garden Meeting.

In 1783, Edward(2) sold 162 acres in New London to Joshua Hallowell. He and his son moved to Wilmington in the fall of 1783. What is strange is that in 1786 he bought back the 162 acres in New London! In 1787 he died. In 1788 John Evans and Jesse Foulk were appointed guardians for Tacy (age 12), Margaret (age 10) and Edward (age 8).

Joshua Stroud

By 1784, Joshua had moved to Wilmington, DE. He bought some land in Stanton, DE, is referred to as a miller and joins the Wilmington Quaker meeting. Joshua married Martha Byrnes in January, 1785. Martha was the daughter of Caleb and Mary Byrnes of Mill Creek Hundred. Joshua and Martha had five children:

• Samuel b. 11/13/1785 d. 1793

• Caleb b 7/13/1787

• Mary(2) b 8/25/1789

• James B b about 1791

• Elizabeth b. 7/27/1793

1795 - Joshua Stroud - 50% interest in Mill property

This family moved around quite a bit. In 1785 he bought 2.3 acres along Limestone Road in Stanton from Thomas Stapler. In 1790 he sold that land to his brother James(2) and moved to New Garden - perhaps to the land left by his brother Edward(2). They moved back in 1791. In 1792 Joshua is shown as owning land in Stanton, DE. Joshua is listed as a resident of Wilmington in 1794. In 1795 he bought 50% interest in 54 acres and mill along Red Clay Creek. In 1800, as Quakers he and his family transferred to the Philadelphia Southern District, in the 1810 Census he is shown in Brandywine Hundred and in 1812 they transferred back to Wilmington. All this time he held the 50% ownership of the mill along Red Clay Creek. In May, 1812 he sold it to Jonathan and Caleb Byrnes, then, the next month, bought it back, then in January, 1813 sold it to Stephen Stapler. 

The 1820 and 1830 Census shows Joshua in Wilmington. Martha died 4/8/1833 Joshua died 4/4/1834. They are buried at the Stanton Friends meeting house.⁴

Mary(1)

Mary(1) stayed in Pennsylvania marrying Jonathan Bell in 1770 and, after he died, she married Joseph Jeanes in 1780. She died April 19, 1836. I think she had two children with Jonathan Bell [Editor: Probate evidence indicates that Mary likely died in 1825, after having raised eight more children with Jeanes. They included future MCH residents Abel and Elizabeth, who married David Eastburn.]:

• James Bell b 3/8/1771

• Isaiah Bell b 8/2/1772.

James (2)

James(2) and his wife, Rachel, moved south in late 1782⁵. They appear to have settled in Mill Creek Hundred. James(2) asked to join the Quaker meeting and was accepted in 1784. In January, 1790 James(2) bought 13 1/2 acres in Stanton at a sheriff’s sale. Also in 1790 he bought about 2 acres in Stanton from his brother Joshua. I’m not sure how many children James(2) and Rachel had (In Rachel’s will she shows Reece and John as heirs):

• Perhaps William,

• Perhaps James(3) (I’ve seen a James Jr mentioned, hmmm)

• Reece Stroud

• John Stroud

1790 James Stroud property

Over the next 20 years, James is involved in many land transactions - selling and buying - in the Stanton area. For example in 1792, James(2) bought about 3,000 sq ft of land from Stephen Stapler and combined it with part of the 13 1/2 acres that he bought in 1790 to create a 4.5 acre lot which he sold to Peter Springer in 1793. The Riseing Sun Hotel was on this property. In 1796 Samuel and James(2) bought a property “on the northwest side of Orange Street” from William Woodcock for $170.

In 1806 James(2) married Hannah Springer (Peter’s wife? - Peter died in 1805). In 1807 James Stroud(2) & Hannah and Samuel Stroud and Elizabeth sold the house on Orange Street in Wilmington that they bought in 1796 -- worth noting is Hannah is listed as James'(2) wife (not Rachel). Also in 1807 James(2) participated on a commission to “site the bridge and layout the road” for the Market Street bridge over the Christiana River in Wilmington.⁶

Then in 1808 he built a house in Stanton on the land he bought from Joshua back in 1790. The house was converted to a hotel in 1830.⁷

In 1813 Rachel married Joseph R. Foreman. Rachel died in 1824. James(2) died in 1825.

Samuel

In 1783 Samuel moved from Pennsylvania to northern Delaware. In 1789 he married Elizabeth Richardson. She was the eldest daughter of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson. They had 7 children:

• Ann b 12/16/1795

• Mary(3) b 9/21/1797

• Edward b 1/19/1800

• Samuel b 1/20/1803

• Sarah Richardson b 6/21/1806

• Elizabeth Richardson b 1808, d 2/7/1813 age 5

• James(4) b 8/23/1811

1790 Samuel Stroud property

In 1790 he bought 32 acres plus a mill race from Charles Springer near Milltown - between Dickinson High School and Kirkwood Highway. An old house still stands on that property and shows 1790 in the gable. He sold that property in 1798 to Andrew Reynolds.

The 1800 census shows “Sam’l Stroud” in Wilmington. Then in 1804 he and his family moved south of Dover to Motherkiln Quaker meeting - his brother Thomas was already there, but in 1805 they moved back. As mentioned above, in 1807 he and his wife along with James(2) and Hannah sold the property on Orange Street.

In 1814, he is listed as living on Shipley Street and died 7/23/1832 and is buried at the Friends meeting in Wilmington.

Thomas

In late 1783, Thomas moved to Stanton. In 1787 he moved to Duck Creek Quaker meeting and married Arcada (or Arcadia, or Areada) They were members of the Quaker meeting in Motherkiln (near Magnolia). They had a large family - 8 children:

• James(5) b 6/19/1790

• Nancy b 7/12/1792, d 12/9/1792

• Jacob b 12/6/1793

• Anna b 3/28/1796

• William b 10/14/1798

• Elizabeth b 4/1/1801, d 9/13/1802

• Mary(4) b 3/2/1803

In 1790, Thomas was one of five persons purchasing 5 acres from John Dickinson to be used as the site for the Motherkiln Monthly Meeting. In 1803 Thomas bought 69 acres in Murderkill Hundred. Arcada died 1/13/1805. She was 35 years old. Thomas died 1/22/1812, and is buried at the Stanton Friends Meeting House.

Footnotes:

¹ James Strode Elston, Tuttle PublishingCo., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, page 92

² Biographical and Genealogical History of the State of Delaware Vol 1 states that when Samuel got married (in 1789) his parents - James(1) and Ann were from Wilmington, but the Quaker marriage certificate for this wedding indicates they were from Plymouth township.

³ Gwynedd Monthly Meeting minutes, 7/25/1777 to 4/28/1778

⁴  Descendants of Daniel Byrnes, https://www.halebyrnes.org/history/descendants.pdf

⁵ In October, 1782 Rachel Stroud, James’ wife petitioned Abington Monthly Meeting for a certificate to transfer to Wilmington.

⁶ History_of_Delaware_Scharf 1609-1888 Vol II, page 671

⁷ History_of_Delaware_Scharf 1609-1888 Vol II, page 930

Chronology of Events

1776 - Edward(2) marries Hannah Foulk

1780 - Edward and Hannah looking at New Garden

1781 - Hannah dies

1782 - James(2) and Rachel move to Stanton

1783 - Edward sells land in New London, moves to Wilmington

         - Samuel moves to Wilmington

         - Thomas moves to Wilmington

1784 - Joshua moves to Wilmington

         - James joins Wilmington Quaker meeting

1785 - Joshua marries Martha Byrne and buys land in Stanton

1786 - Edward buys back the land in New London

1787 - Edward dies

         - Thomas moves to Duck Creek and marries Arcada

1788 - James(1) dies

1789 - Samuel marries Elizabeth Richardson

1790 - Joshua sells land in Stanton to James(2) and moves to New London

         - James(2) buys 13 1/2 acre property in Stanton

         - Samuel buys 34 acre near Milltown

         - Thomas buys land from John Dickinson for the Motherkiln Quaker meeting

1791 - Joshua returns to Stanton

1795 - Joshua buys 50% interest in Mill

1798 - Samuel sells 34 acres near Milltown

1800 - Joshua moves to Philadelphia Southern District

1804 - Samuel moves to Motherkiln

1805 - Samuel moves back to Wilmington

         - Arcada dies

1806 - James(2) marries Hannah Springer

1807 - James(2)/Hannah and Samuel/Elizabeth sell house on Orange Street

1808 - James(2) builds stone house in Stanton

1810 - Joshua living in Brandywine Hundred

1812 - Joshua moves back to Wilmington MM

         - Thomas dies

1813 - Joshua sells 50% interest in Mill

1814 - Samuel lives on Shipley Street

1824 - Rachel dies

1825 - James(2) dies

1832 - Samuel dies

1834 - Joshua dies