tist his wife; To Mary Hickes one other of the daus. of said Baptist £50; To the child that my dau. Baptist his wife now goeth withall "yf it be a male childe" £100 & if a female £50 &c Sons Michael & Baptist exrs. Witnesses-Andrew Sumner, ffrancys Mynne. Codicil dat. 1 Sept. 1592 with several small legacies. Pro. 29 Jan 1607 by Sir Baptist Hickes knt one of the exor., reservation to Sir Michael Hickes knt the other exor.-Windebanck 4 1609-William Penne of parish of Belbroughton & diocese of Worcester; will dated 6 June 1609. To daughter Bridget £100; To daus Elizabeth, Dorothie & Anne 100 marks each; To son Gilbert £100 to be paid to him at Michaelmas in 1612; To dau. Anne Westwood one sylver spoone; same to daus. Joane & Margerie To son Oswald all my waynes, Tumbrells, yokes, Towes, Harrowes &c. Residue to son Henry whom I make exor. (No signature) Witnesses—John Hemming, Oswald Penn & Joyce Tollye her marke. Proved 23 Aug 1609 by exr.-Dorset 79 1610-Edward Penn of Middleton, co. Northants, Yeoman; bro. Thomas of Banbury; sons John, Thomas, Edward, William & Mathew; daus. Margarett & Elizabeth. Proved 9 Oct. 1610 by bro John Penn.-Wingfield 84 1611-Robert Penn of Westerleigh, co. Gloucester; dau. Eleanor; son Robert Penn to whom he bequeaths the living of Sherston, co Wilts; dau. Agnes; wife Ann. Pro. 21 Jan. 1611.-Wood 1 1613-Francis Penne of Bobbington, co. Staff., Gent.; to be buried at Bobbington;, daus. Mary, Anne, Margarett & Magdalen; sist.-in-law Margarett Gray; son Edward; wife Constance; Overseers bro.-in-law John Brodock & John Duke, Gent. Pro. 31 Dec. 1613.-Capel 114 1616-Oswald Pen of Belbroughton, co. Worcester, Yeoman; only child William Pen; sisters Ann & Dorothy; Proved 4 May 1616; Admon. de bonis non granted in 1630 to Ann, widow of William Pen.-Cope 47 1617-William Penn of Kings Sutton, co. Northants.; bros. Henry, William, Richard, Thomas & Michael; sist. Margery, Margaret & Elizabeth. Proved 13 Oct. 1617.Weldon 99 1618-Johane Peene late of Tovill in parish of Maydstone, co Kent, widow; (nuncuptative will) In the monethes of Julye & August 1617 declared that her sonne Thomas. Peene should haue her howse & all the goodes therein as yt was hers after her decease & as greate a share in money besides as any other of her children for that she meant he the saied Thomas Peen shoulde giue entertaynment to all the rest of her children, which wordes or like in effect were vttered within the tyme aforesayed at the house of Robert Jackson situate in ffanchurche streete, London, in the p'nce of Barbara Jackson wife of the sayed Robert & Elizabeth Winterborne & dyvers others. Admon. gr. 19 Aug. to son Thomas Peene.-Meade 79. 1618-Thomas Penne of Stony Stratford, co. Bucks., Gent.; sons Michael, Thomas & William Penne; dau. Catherine; grson. Thomas Franklin; grdau. Grace Michell; Thomas, son of bro. Edward Penne; wife Grace, Extrx. Pro. 10 Oct. 1618.-Meade 98 (To be continued.) EXCITEMENT IN PHILADELPHIA ON HEARING OF THE DEFEAT AT BRANDYWINE. [The following letter, addressed to "Mrs. Fergusson, Graeme Park," and in her handwriting endorsed, "Mrs. Stedman's letter to E. F., 1777," was probably written by Margaret, wife of Alexander Stedman, the brother of Charles, who was married in 1749 to Ann Graeme, sister of Mrs. Fergusson. The original letter is in the collection Mr. William J. Buck, to whose courtesy we are indebted for this copy. -ED. PENNA. MAG.] Septemb' y 11, 1777. Knowing that my dear Mrs. Fergusson is a warm patriot, and that this important critical period, so big with diurnal events must create and keep alive a continual anxiety and desire of hearing what is passing, I seize every opportunity of conveying a few lines, and tho' very imperfect and far short of what any of her other Correspondents is qualified to engage in, yet as the motive that prompts me to take this frequent liberty arises merely from esteem and friendship, the goodness of your heart I am well assured is quite sufficient to justify the weak effect it produces. But Oh my dear Madam, how shall I be able to go on with this epistle, for this very moment we have accounts that both armies are, and have been since 7 o'clock in the morning in close engagement, and now it is between 11 and 12. Mr. Stedman with numbers of others is just returned from a walk to the Bettering House, where the firing is very distinctly to be heard, so that it is no vague report. I really tremble for the event, and am so agitated that I must lay down my pen, but if permitted will resume it again, and transmit you all I can collect, tho' it will be inaccurate I am sure. 3 o'clock in the afternoon, desirous to communicate all I can, and agreeable to promise I shall endeavour to proceed a little with my narative. First I must inform you that a Man at this very instant is parading through the City ringing a Bell and ordering all Houses to be immediately shut up, alarming the inhabitants that General Howe is advancing and that every man who can carry a Gun must appear on the Commons. The morning has been chiefly employed in pressing Carts, Horses and Wagons, a great number of Boats and Cannon are sent down to Schuylkill. We are now so closely shut up that I can scarcely tell what is going on in the busy scene, nor have I yet heard whether any express is came in with an account of the Battle. From the various reports that are circulating, no true judgment is to be formed, but as it comes to hand I will anex it, in the interim proceed to give you a sketch or two relative to Mr. Comb, who I much fear and sorry I am to say it, has acted a part that will forever throw an indelible reflection on his character. Innocently I believe he embarked in the same difficulties with his fellow Prisoners, he promised to stand by and with them to the last extremities, and with them to share his fate, be their doom ever so severe, and was included as adhearing to said determination in their mode of redress of grievances, as you see by the papers sent. But somehow or other yesterday afternoon, permission being granted him for an hour or two to go home, before he was sent away his resolution failed, and without acquainting any of the confined Gentlemen he patched up a queer kind of a parole, much worse in my opinion than if he had gone with the rest, perhaps the sweets of liberty was the tempting snare, for here he is to have no abiding place, but as soon as possible repair to Virginia and surrender himself to the Governor as a Prisoner of war, and from thence be shipped to Eustacia. His main drift I fancy was to go home on any lay almost, poor man he has been hardly treated, and by this last piece of conduct lost all credit with friends. The rest of the Gentlemen are sent off this afternoon with a strong guard, but how inadequate are words to represent the agonizing distresses of the day, the subject is too tender, I must leave it to your sympathy to imagine it drew tears from several men who were by standers, and so shook their resolution that they could not help confessing their eyes had never beheld so moving a scene before. VOL. XIV.-5 One imprudent subordinate Jack in an officer insulted our neighbour Wharton, as they were forcing him into the waggon and called him a D-Tory, but he was soon intimidated by Murdoc Taylor (tho' only one of the gazers) whose compassion was so raised that he flew at the miscreant and swore he would thrust his hands down his throat and pull out his heart if he dared abuse a Prisoner-an assertion of humanity highly to be commended. P. Bond I find is not gone but the conditions of his stay I have not heard and Mr. Comb, as above mentioned has obtained leave to go to New England, but he is taken so ill, that it is more than probable he will fall into other hands. soon. An address from the Vestry was presented in his favour, but their answer was that it came too late, as the Warrant for their departure was signed and issued, as to his belonging to Church it was no recommendation at all. It is whispered about that Capt" George Morgan has been lately taken up with a Commission in his pocket from General Howe, indeed my dear Madam calamities of all sort prevail, and as I know not when or whether ever I shall write you again if it is but nonsense I will scribble on, but I must turn to a more tragick scene. Friday 11 o'clock,-Jemmy is this moment came from the Coffee House, where he saw on the Book that eight hundred of our People fell yesterday, and as our army continues to retreat this way and the English to persue, every hour becomes more important and perhaps before you peruse this, the Conflict will be in part over with us, as they are making fast advances. Some of the wounded are coming and the Town is all in confusion, the last effort will be at Schuylkill, where preparations are now forming, but I fear in vain.— Gracious God, look down upon us and send help from above, every face you see, looks wild and pale with fear and amazement, and quite overwhelmed with distress. Some flying and some moving one way some another and the slaughter some think much greater than what is yet made public. Strange it is tho' at no greater distance than Chester, the accounts should be so very various, that one can scarce |