Herford Evans Downing 1888

Herford Evans Downing (Grand Uncle) was born on September 4, 1888 and died in Pottstown Hospital, Pottstown, Pa. at 10:00 PM on December 8, 1958, he was 70. He was buried on December 12, 1958 in St. Matthews Lutheran Cemetery, Chester Springs, Pa. He resided in Malvern, Pa. in 1916. Cause of death: Stricken while at work on Monday December 8, 1958.

On April 28, 1915, when Herford Evans was 26, he first married Helen Wilson (G Aunt), daughter of William Frederick Wilson Jr. and Anna Margaret Dunlap. Born on February 13, 1890, Helen died on June 24, 1919, she was 29. She resided in Malvern, Pa. in 1916. Namesake: Named for Grandmother: Esther Helen Bicking. Cause of death: Died of complications following birth of Emily Margaret. [See Wilson Family Posting.]

Apparently, Helen died from complications resulting from the birth of her second child, Emily. Emily was subsequently adopted by Helen's oldest brother, William and his wife Lizzie, who were childless. Her first child, Herford remained with his father.


They had the following children:

Herford Evans (1C1R) was born on 18 March 18, 1917 and died on August 28, 1994, he was 77. Alias/AKA: Evans.

On November 15, 1940, when Herford Evans was 23, he married Ruth Henzie, born in 1916.

Emily Margaret (1C1R) was born on May 2, 1919.


In 1920, when Herford Evans was 31, he second married Sadie Guest, born about 1900. Sadie died on June 6, 1983, she was 83.

The Guests and Whites were regular attendees of the annual Wilson Family Reunion. I used to associate with Audrey quite a bit at these affairs, since she was close to my own age. I always thought she was a cousin. I knew that Beulah White was Audrey's mother. I was never quite certain who Sadie was, although I knew she always came with Beulah. I never heard anyone in my family refer to her by anything other than Sadie Guest. They never called her Sadie Downing. After I found out that she was Uncle Herford's second wife, I realized that none of the Guests or Whites were really relatives of myself or of the Wilsons. How strange, but civil it strikes me that a family would continue to include the family of the second wife of Helen's husband in the reunions as part of the family, even after Herford's death.--LEM


They had the following children:
Quinton Guest, born on March 8, 1925. and died on June 3, 1989, he was 64. On June 21, 1945 when Quinton Guest was 20, he married Doris Zeigler, who was born About 1925.

Beulah L. was born on August 25, 1921. On January 6, 1940, when Beulah L. was 18, she married Earl Woodrow White Sr. Earl Woodrow is deceased.

Earliest Meredith in America

As far as I can determine, the first Meredith of my father’s family to arrive in America was David Meredith. David was born in Wales and arrived in America in 1683. He was a member of the Welsh Quaker group chartered land in Chester County, Pennsylvania by William Penn. This tract became known as West Whiteland and the Meredith family own property called Whiteland Farms.

David died in 1754 in Whiteland Township, Chester, Pa.

On January 3, 1704, David married Sarah Rush (sometimes given as Aurelia Sarah Rush) in St. Paul's Episcopal, Chester County, Pa. She was daughter of William and Aurelia Rush,. Born in 1685 in Byberry Township, Philadelphia, Pa. Sarah died in Whiteland Twp, Chester Co., Pa. on 14 Jan 1770 at age 85. She was buried in St. Paul’s Churchyard, Whiteland, Chester Co., Pa.

Meredith - "On Sunday, the 14th of January last, died Sarah Meredith, aged ninety years. (This disagrees with the birth date given by the Mormons and in the Capt. Rush History, of 1685, which would have her be 85 at death. LEM) She was born in a little Log House where the City of Philadelphia now stands (her maiden name was Rush) and there lived till she arrived to Women's State, when she married David Meredith, and soon after settled in the Great valley, Chester County, about twenty-eight Miles from Philadelphia, ... "Six miles beyond neighbors, except Indians."... She was the mother of eleven children, the grandmother of sixty-six, and great-grandmother of thirty-one; the chief of them are now living." Harrold E. Gillison, Issue of February 1, 1770, Gen. Soc. of Pa. Vol. 12, # 1. 6

They had the following children:
Susanna (7G Aunt) was born about 1712 in Chester, Pa. Susanna married a HAYES.

David (~1714-1755) Born in Whiteland, he died in Chester, Pa. at age 41. In 1737 when David was 23, he married Elinor Garrett, daughter of George and Ann Garrett, in Vincent Township, Chester Co., Pa. Elinor was Born about 1700 in Whiteland Farms, Chester Co., Pa.
They had the following children:
Ann
Esther.
Hannah.
Daniel (1745-1826)
George, born about 1749 in Chester Co., Pa.1
Sarah
Elijah
Alice


Rebecca (~1716-) Born in Chester, Pa. In 1730 when Rebecca was 14, she married John JENKINS in Near Philadelphia, Pa. Born about 1710, John died about 1780, he was 70.

They had the following children:
Joseph (~1740-~1810)
David had seven children 5
Margaret
John John married a DOUGLAS and had eight children.
Isaac
George. Had one child 5
William. Had two children 5
Jenkin
Rebecca. Had six children
Benjamin

William (7G uncle) was born about 1717 in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. William married Margaret Lloyd.

Rachel (~1719-) Born in Chester, Pa.

Rachel first married a CONOLLY.
Rachel's second marriage was to Richard DOLBY.

Chester Co. Pa. Court of Quarter sessions 1742-1759, Pg. 101 charging Richard Dolby with F & B on or about the 26th of December in the 20th year of the reign of George 2nd. Richard being of Whiteland Township, Chester Co., Pa. Rachel Meredith did give qualified testimony. Makes mention of Joseph James of Willistown and John Collins of Whiteland. These two men are apparently magistrates.

Fines were levied against Rachel and Joseph Meredith to the tune of 20 pounds apiece. Rachel was expected to appear at the next session of the courts and provide evidence. The information in this paragraph is dated 19 Mar 1746.

The true bill against Rachel reads like Richard's except that it states that she is from Whiteland Township and did permit Richard to have his way with her. There is no qualified testimony in the true bill against Rachel as there was in Richard's.

My interest in all of this is to find out about the kid. My own line is supposedly descended from Richard, but it's never been proven. He married Ann Williams in 1750 and my ancestor is supposedly of that marriage. Respectfully, Jeff Ketterer.


They had one child, name unknown.


Joseph Born about 1721 in Chester, Pa. Joseph died in Cape Fear. Went to Cape Fear and never returned.

John M. born about 1725 in Chester, Pa. John M. married Mary CLOYD, born in England.

They had one child:
John M., Jr.


Mary was born about 1725 in Chester Co., Pa. Mary married a BANE. Alias/AKA: Bank.

Hannah born about 1727 in Chester, Pa. Hannah married a GUEST.

Earliest Meredith in America

As far as I can determine, the first Meredith of my father’s family to arrive in America was David Meredith. David was born in Wales and arrived in America in 1683. He was a member of the Welsh Quaker group chartered land in Chester County, Pennsylvania by William Penn. This tract became known as West Whiteland and the Meredith family own property called Whiteland Farms.

David died in 1754 in Whiteland Township, Chester, Pa.

On January 3, 1704, David married Sarah Rush (sometimes given as Aurelia Sarah Rush) in St. Paul's Episcopal, Chester County, Pa. She was daughter of William and Aurelia Rush,. Born in 1685 in Byberry Township, Philadelphia, Pa. Sarah died in Whiteland Twp, Chester Co., Pa. on 14 Jan 1770 at age 85. She was buried in St. Paul’s Churchyard, Whiteland, Chester Co., Pa.

Meredith - "On Sunday, the 14th of January last, died Sarah Meredith, aged ninety years. (This disagrees with the birth date given by the Mormons and in the Capt. Rush History, of 1685, which would have her be 85 at death. LEM) She was born in a little Log House where the City of Philadelphia now stands (her maiden name was Rush) and there lived till she arrived to Women's State, when she married David Meredith, and soon after settled in the Great valley, Chester County, about twenty-eight Miles from Philadelphia, ... "Six miles beyond neighbors, except Indians."... She was the mother of eleven children, the grandmother of sixty-six, and great-grandmother of thirty-one; the chief of them are now living." Harrold E. Gillison, Issue of February 1, 1770, Gen. Soc. of Pa. Vol. 12, # 1. 6

They had the following children:
Susanna (7G Aunt) was born about 1712 in Chester, Pa. Susanna married a HAYES.

David (~1714-1755) Born in Whiteland, he died in Chester, Pa. at age 41. In 1737 when David was 23, he married Elinor Garrett, daughter of George and Ann Garrett, in Vincent Township, Chester Co., Pa. Elinor was Born about 1700 in Whiteland Farms, Chester Co., Pa.
They had the following children:
Ann
Esther.
Hannah.
Daniel (1745-1826)
George, born about 1749 in Chester Co., Pa.1
Sarah
Elijah
Alice


Rebecca (~1716-) Born in Chester, Pa. In 1730 when Rebecca was 14, she married John JENKINS in Near Philadelphia, Pa. Born about 1710, John died about 1780, he was 70.

They had the following children:
Joseph (~1740-~1810)
David had seven children 5
Margaret
John John married a DOUGLAS and had eight children.
Isaac
George. Had one child 5
William. Had two children 5
Jenkin
Rebecca. Had six children
Benjamin

William (7G uncle) was born about 1717 in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. William married Margaret Lloyd.

Rachel (~1719-) Born in Chester, Pa.

Rachel first married a CONOLLY.
Rachel's second marriage was to Richard DOLBY.

Chester Co. Pa. Court of Quarter sessions 1742-1759, Pg. 101 charging Richard Dolby with F & B on or about the 26th of December in the 20th year of the reign of George 2nd. Richard being of Whiteland Township, Chester Co., Pa. Rachel Meredith did give qualified testimony. Makes mention of Joseph James of Willistown and John Collins of Whiteland. These two men are apparently magistrates.

Fines were levied against Rachel and Joseph Meredith to the tune of 20 pounds apiece. Rachel was expected to appear at the next session of the courts and provide evidence. The information in this paragraph is dated 19 Mar 1746.

The true bill against Rachel reads like Richard's except that it states that she is from Whiteland Township and did permit Richard to have his way with her. There is no qualified testimony in the true bill against Rachel as there was in Richard's.

My interest in all of this is to find out about the kid. My own line is supposedly descended from Richard, but it's never been proven. He married Ann Williams in 1750 and my ancestor is supposedly of that marriage. Respectfully, Jeff Ketterer.


They had one child, name unknown.


Joseph Born about 1721 in Chester, Pa. Joseph died in Cape Fear. Went to Cape Fear and never returned.

John M. born about 1725 in Chester, Pa. John M. married Mary CLOYD, born in England.

They had one child:
John M., Jr.


Mary was born about 1725 in Chester Co., Pa. Mary married a BANE. Alias/AKA: Bank.

Hannah born about 1727 in Chester, Pa. Hannah married a GUEST.