EIGHTH GENERATION
132. Richard WALN was born on 6 Apr 1678 in Bristol, Bucks, Pennsylvania according to an IGI entry of April 1984, Batch 8319230, Serial Sheet 36.He was born at Burholme, parish of Slaidburn, Yorkshire, England, and came to Pennsylvania with his parents in the "Welcome" in 1682. (source 1) He died in 1724 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has reference number 132. Though not as prominent in public affairs as his father, he, however, took an active part in the affairs of that portion of Philadelphia known as "Northern Liberties," (though not as clearly defined as later) then being rapidly cut up into smaller lots, and opened up with streets. He was appointed by the Provincial Council in 1734, one of a commission to re-lay Germantown Road, and served on other important commissions. He removed to Norriton township, now Montgomery county, some years prior to his death which occurred in the spring of 1756.
He was married to Sarah Ann HEATH in 1706.
133. Sarah Ann HEATH was buried in 1724 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Children were:
i. Nicholas WALN died in 1708.
Nicholas married Mary Shoemaker on 23 May, 1734 in Philadelphia. They had two children, Richard, b. 1737; and Nicholas, 1742 - 1837.
Nicholas Waln, 1742 - 1837
The brilliant distinguished lawyer, who renounced the legal profession in the zenith of a brilliant career to become an equally distinguished Quaker preacher. Distinguished himself in the practice of the law after being educated at the Temple in London, England; later, becoming very religious, he gave up his pursuit of the law and "devoted himself almost wholly to preaching and performing other ministrations in behalf of the Quaker movement." Janney, the Quaker historian, says of him, "after Nicholas had been engaged in a real estate case in Newtown, he was asked by a Friend on his return to the City, how it was he decided his case? Waln replied, 'I did the best I could for my client; gained the case for him and thereby defrauded an honest man of his dues!' It was after this case he relinquished the law on the ground that 'its practice was inconsistent with the principles of Christianity', settled his business and returned the fees of unfinished cases..." "Like his grandfather (?)Nicholas, before him," Lippincott, in his book Early Philadelphia, writes, "gay clothing and a canary coloured chariot were given up (by young Nicholas Waln) for the simple habits of his sect. But his sense of humor did not forsake him, and his witty sallies will ever be accounted the most amusing of the day. Almost his last remark was, 'I can't die for the life of me.'
John Watson said,
'My friend Lang Syne, who has good feelings for those kind of reminiscences, has left some picturesque traces of some of the old preaching Friends... He thus speaks of his recollections of the preachers, saying, "James Pemberton, Nicolas Waln, Daniel Offley, Arthur Howell, William Savery and Thomas Scattergood were the then "burning and shining lights." From the preacher's gallery, as beheld through the "mist of years," James Pemberton sat at the head of the gallery -- an immovable figure, very erect, and resting with both hands crossed on the top of his cane. Nicholas Waln appeared at all times with a smile of sunshine upon his countenance. An imperturbable severity rested on the dark features of Thomas Scattergood. Arthur Howell always sat shrouded beneath his hat drawn down over his face, and the upper part of his outside coat elevated to meet it -- like unto a prophet "in his mantle wrapt," and isolated in thought from all sublunary things. William Savery possessed a mild solemnity of voice and feature, which destinguished him as a preacher above other men; his softer and solemn tones and words in preaching, like those which may be imagined of the Eolian harp rudely touched by the wind, sunk through the ears down into the heart, as "the dew of heaven" falling gently to the earth. The voice of Daniel Offley was as a sound produced by the falling of a bar of his own iron on the brick pavement before his furnace door. Among his dozen hammermen he was always accustomed to raise his piercing voice distinctly above their pattering sounds.' Annals of Philadelphia...John F Watson, 1857, Vol 1, p. 507.
