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Return to Woodward Home Page Return to Abraham Marshall Page Return to John Bartram Page Humphry and Sarah Pennock Marshall and Margaret Minshall MarshallHumphry Marshall was the sixth son and eighth child of Abraham & Mary Hunt Marshall of Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was born 8/10/1722 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He had no children by either of his marriages so the format of this page is a little different. The recording of his accomplishments is important to the family history because it demonstrates the heritage that Abraham Woodward had as a descendant of Abraham & Mary Hunt Marshall. Humphry Marshall was Abraham Woodward's uncle as he was brother of Abraham's mother, Elizah Marshall Woodward.Sarah Pennock was the first wife of Humphry Marhsall and was the daughter of Joseph & Mary Levis Pennock of England and Chester County, Pennsylvania. Joseph Pennock was a long-time member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, a Justice of the Peace, and an important figure in the province. Mary Levi Pennock's sister Elizabeth Levis Shipley was a Quaker minister who often made horseback journeys to other provinces. The Shipleys were instrumental in the establishment of Wilmington Meeting. For more on the Pennocks see the Pennock Web Site. Humphry Marshall & Sarah Pennock were married 9/16/1748 in a double ceremony with Humphry's brother Jacob and Sarah's sister Hannah. Although Humphry and Sarah Pennock Marshall had no children, they did raise two orphans, Sarah's niece, Alice Pennock, and Humphry's nephew, Abraham Marshall. From the Pennock Marshall Bible: "The above mentioned were orphaned and were brought up in the house of Humphry Marshall, the botanist, in Chester County. Abraham being the nephew and Alice a niece of his wife. She was granddaughter of Joseph Pennock who built Pennock Hall." Alice was daughter of William & Alice Mendenhall Pennock and Abraham was son of John & Hannah Caldwell Marshall [and grandson of Abraham and Mary Hunt Marshall]. Abraham served in the Revolutionary War. He married Alice Pennock on 3/3/1776 in Chester County and they had a son Pennock Marshall, born 7/29/1806, the owner of the Bible mentioned. Their other children, according to the History of Chester County were: Hannah, John, Joseph, George, Levi, Vincent, Israel, Eliza, Abraham, Milton, and Mira. Humphry Marshall was married second to Margaret Minshall on 1/10/1788. She was daughter of Thomas and Agnes Minshall. Biography of Humphry MarshallThere are many good summaries of the life of Humphry Marshall. We have chosen to use the one from the History of Chester County, Pennsylvania because it is colorful and presents no copyright difficulties."Humphry Marshall...was born in West Bradford, Chester County, Pennsylvania...In the days of his childhood educational facilities were scanty and limited, and Humphry used often to state that he never went to school a day after he was twelve years of age. Being constitutionally robust and active, he was employed in agricultural labors until he was old enough to be apprenticed to the business of a stone-mason. This trade he learned and followed for a few years. The walls of his residence at Marshallton still testify to his skill as a practical workman. His first purchase of land, in what is now the village of Marshallton, was a tract of something like thirty acres, bought in 1772 of Sarah Arnold for 151 pounds...11/3/1774 he purchased of George Martin and wife seventy acres for 210 pounds; and 8/27/1782, he bought four acres and twenty-five perches of Thomas Carpenter and wife for 30 pounds in gold and silver. His leisure hours in the winter season were devoted to scientific studies, and he soon evinced a decided partiality for astronomy and natural history. His taste for natural history no doubt was awakened and promoted by his intercourse with and the example of his cousin Bartram. In the year 1773 he commenced his 'Botanic Garden,' at Marshallton, and it soon contained a rich collection of the forest-trees and ornamental shrubs of our country. The noble magnolias, still flourishing there, are worthy of a visit on any summer day. With the aid of his nephew, Dr. Moses Marshall, he was soon engaged in an active correspondence with Dr. Fothergill, Dr. Lettsom, Sir Joseph Banks, and others, by which England was largely supplied with our vegatable treasures. "These active and interesting engagements did not prevent him from attending to the [words missing] an influential member. He also performed the duties of county treasurer and trustee of the provincial loan-office for several years with exemplary fidelity. In 1785 he published an account of the forest-trees and shrubs of this country, under the title of Arbustum Americanum, the American Grove (for a scan of the title page, click) This is believed to be the first truly indigenous botanical essay prepared and published in this western hemisphere, and was a creditable performance. Like its respectable author, however, it was half a century in advance of the community in which it appeared. "In 1786 he was elected a member of the American Philisophical Society. In Schreber's edition of the Genera Plantarum in 1791, a genus of American plants belonging to the natural family of Compositae was dedicated to Humphry Marshall and his nephew, by the name of Marshallia. "In the latter years of his life Humphry's vision was much impaired by cataract, and on the 5th of November, 1801, he finally sank under an attack of dysentery, aged seventy-nine years. He was twice married, but had no children. A few years since the authorities of West Chester manifested a becoming sense of what was due to the character and memory of Humphry Marshall by dedicating a public square to the use of the citizens and naming it 'Marshall Square.'" Gail Steckel of the Chester County mailing list recently sent us the newspaper article that was written some time after the dedication of Marshall Square - while it repeats some of the Chester County History it adds some colorful comments: July 14, 1860 VILLAGE RECORD "Biography HUMPHREY MARSHALL was born in the township of West Bradford, Chester county, on the 10th day of October, 1722. His father, Abraham Marshall, was a native of Gratton, in Lincolnshire, England, born in the year 1669. came to Pennsylvania about the year 1697, and settled near Darby, where, on the 17th of January, 1702-3, he married Mary, the daughter of James Hunt, of Kingsessing, also an emigrant from England, and one of the companions of William Penn. (It is remarkable, that Mary Hunt, the mother of Humphrey Marshall, was the sister of Elizabeth Hunt, the mother of John Bartram; and thus the two earliest and most eminent Botanists of Pennsylvania, were first cousins, the sons of two sisters; and both the sons natives of Chester county. The Mothers were born in England. Happy old gentleman was James Hunt, to have two such noble grand-sons!) In the year 1707, Abraham Marshall removed to the forks of the Brandywine, near the western branch of that stream, where he purchased large tracts of land, among the Indians, and continued to reside until his death, which took place, December 17th, 1767, at the age of about 98 years. His wife died in the spring of 1769, in her 87th year. Abraham and Mary Marshall had seven sons and two daughters. Of these nine children, Humphrey was the eighth. In those primitive times, the opportunities for school learning, in Chester county, were scanty and limited. The children of the earliest settlers were, from necessity, kept at home and put to hard work, as soon as they had acquired sufficient muscular strength to be serviceable. - Humphrey Marshall used often to state, that he never went to school a day, after he was twelve years of age. Being constitutionally robust and active, he was employed in agricultural labours until he was old enough to be apprenticed to the business of stone mason. This trade he learned and followed for a few years. The walls of his residence, at Marshallton, still testify to his skill as a practical workman. His leisure hours, in the winter season, were devoted to scientific studies, and he soon evinced a decided partiality for Astronomy and Natural History. His taste for Natural History, no doubt, was awakened and promoted by his intercourse with, and the example of his cousin Bartram. In the year 1773, he commenced his BOTANIC GARDEN, at Marshallton, and it soon contained a rich collection of the forest trees, and ornamental shrubs of our country. The noble Magnolias, still flourishing there, are worthy of a visit on any summer day. With the aid of his nephew, Dr. Moses Marshall, he was soon engaged in an active correspondence with Dr. Fothergill, Dr. Lettsom, Sir Joseph Banks, and others, by which England was largely supplied with our Vegetable Treasures. These active and interesting engagements did not prevail him from attending to the business of the Religious Society of 'Friends,'of which he was an influential member. He also performed the duties of County Treasurer, and Trustee of the Provincial Loan Office for several years, with exemplary fidelity.- In 1785, he published an account of the Forrest trees and shrubs of this country, under the title of 'ARBUSTUM AMERICANUM, The American Grove.' This is believed to be the first truly indigenous Botanical Essay, prepared and published in this Western Hemisphere, and was a creditable performance. Like its respectable author, however, it was half a century in advance of the community in which it appeared. But such services are not wholly lost. 'A remarkable man moves through his age like a lamp throwing light round him on all sides.'In 1786, he was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society. In Schreber edition of the GENERA PLANTARUM, in 1791, a genus of American Plants belonging to the Natural family of COMPOSITAE, was dedicated to Humphrey Marshall and his Nephew, by the name of MARSHALLIA. In the latter years of his life, Humphrey's vision was much impaired by Cataract; and on the 5th of November, 1801, he finally sank under an attack of dysentery, aged 79 years. He was twice married, but had no children. A few years since, the authorities of West Chester manifested a becoming sense of what was due to the character and memory of Humphrey Marshall, by dedicating a Public Square to the use of the citizens, with the name of MARSHALL SQUARE; which if properly attended to, will be an honor and an ornament to the beautiful Borough, [NOTAE CESTRIENSES]" A note about nephew Dr. Moses Marshall, son of James and Sarah Waite Marshall: Moses studied medicine in Wilmington Delaware under Dr. Nicholas Way, according to the Marshall papers on file at the Clements Library. He sharpened his surgical skills during the Revolution but abandoned his medical practice in favor of assisting his uncle in his botanical enterprise. He is credited with the preparation of the Arbustum Americanum. He was appointed a justice of the peace April 6, 1796 and continued in office till his death which occurred October 1, 1813. His district embraced East Fallowfield, East and West Bradford, Newlin and Pennsbury. His docket of marriages performed while in office was copied by George Passmore Harlan and is a wonderful source for Chester County genealogy. *The Clements Library, University of Michigan, has a web page up about Humphry and Moses Marshall. A list is included of the Marshall papers held by the Library. Another interesting snippet of history about Humphry Marshall comes via the Old Chester Pa mailing list. In 1787, in an attempt to raise money to pay for the US and State debts, the following carriages were taxed within Chester County limits:..."West Bradford...Humphry Marshall, chair". A chair was a fairly common mode of transportation in British Colonial US, and was even a sort of the forerunner of the taxi.... according to the tax list they were also owned by individuals. It consisted of an enclosed chair, with rails that ran from front to back on each side, and was carried by 2 men, one in front and one in back, who supported the weight on their shoulders. It was used to transport one person usually, and quite handy, for many of the roads were little more than paths, and much too narrow for carriages to use. Obviously it was used only by folks with money, for not only did it require purchasing a sedan, but also 2 men to carry it! (history courtesy of Sandra Ferguson, list owner) Some historians speculate that Humphry was somewhat eclipsed by his more famous Bartram cousins and did not get his just due for the scientist he was. His book has been reprinted and is available on interlibrary loan for anyone to see who is interested. br>There is a sketch of Humphry's house in the History of Chester County which gives an idea of his skill as stone mason (Humphry Marshall House). The house was located just across the road from Bradford Monthly Meeting house. Humphry and his two wives are buried in the Bradford Meeting House burial ground. We have included a synopsis of Humphry's estate inventory on the Marshall Wills & Inventories page. It is interesting for the scientific instruments included. |
