John Hendricks (abt. 1697 - 1750)

Born about 1697 in Chester, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca (Worley) Hendricks — married 30 Apr 1718 in Chester Monthly Meeting, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 21 Jan 1750 at about age 53 in Dover, York, Pennsylvania

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Biography

John Hendricks was born about 1697 to James Hendricks and Lucy Duckett mostly likely on the property his father, James, received from his grandfather, Albertus, in Chester County.

John followed his father into the Indian trading business after the family moved to the Susquehanna about 1715.

He first married Rachel, who died in Big Barren River, Kentucky.

John then married Rebecca Worley, daughter of Francis Worley (step-son of Caleb Pusey) in a Quaker ceremony on Apr. 30, 1718 at the Chester Monthly Meeting.^[1] They made their home in the Conestoga area, on the banks of the Susquehanna near his father.

On April of 1723 James and Lucy Hendricks and John and Rebecca Hendricks took certificates to the New Garden Monthly Meeting.^[2] In May of that same year Lucy and daughter-in-law Rebecca requested certificates to attend the New Garden Women‘s Monthly Meeting.

John and Rebecca became a part of a settlement headed by his father, James. Probably influenced in part by trading opportunities (the Shawnees were nearby) James took out a warrant for 1100 acres on the south side of Conestoga Creek, a mile or so above the mouth.^[3] In the James Hendricks settlement were: James (Jacobus) and wife Lucy, son John and wife Rebecca Worley Hendricks, Thomas Baldwin and wife Helchey Hendricks Baldwin, and John Linvill and wife Ann (half brother to Thomas Baldwin). The neighbors to the north and west were Shawnee Indians in Conestoga Manor, and to the east Swiss Mennonites (a settlement started in 1710). To the south, on Pequea Creek, was the Francis Worley Settlement. (Francis Worley was Rebecca Worley‘s brother). Included in this settlement were Francis Worley, Uncle Albertus, Jr. and wife Elizabeth Evans Hendricks, William Sherrill and Samuel Boyer.

1727 was a tragic year in the Hendricks family as reported in Ben Franklin‘s Pennsylvania Gazette March 11, 1731;

"John Hendricks February, three Years since, had the Misfortune to kill his own Cousin (Albert, son of Tobias), a young Man who was with him hunting Turkies. It was in the Night, and they were separated: He took his Kinsman in the Bushes for one those Fowls, and the Mistake was fatal."

John was indicted for shooting by misfortune one Albert Henricks, laborer, and found guilty by his own confession. He forfeited his lands and goods to the King, but later seems to have been pardoned.

In 1728, an agreement was made to allow James Hendricks and his sons James Jr., John and Henry to settle 1200 acres, perhaps because James (Jacobus) was well known to the Indians, and was fluent in their language. The plan was to divide the land four ways, with 300 acres in each plot. This was just a warrant, or permission, with a Blunston license (patents could only be granted after the younger Penns came of age, so Blunston, as an agent of the younger Penns issued temporary licenses.) Basically they were allowed to settle in order to counter claims that the land belonged to Maryland.

In 1731, a further tragedy occurred when James accidently shot his son, James Jr., while out hunting, though other sources report they were surveying their land at the time of the accident.

"From Lancaster we have also the following melancholy Account, That on the 26th of February, one James Hendricks riding in the Wood, near Susquehanna with his two Sons, in pursuit of Game, as they pass'd in a narrow Path among the Bushes, the Father's Gun (which would fire a half-cock and had no Guard to the Trigger) went off and shot his Son James in the Back. The whole Charge went into his Body and lodg'd in his left Side, making a Hole as big as the Top of a common Drinking glass. He liv'd scarce a Minute, but sunk dead immediately into the Arms of his Brother, who ran to support him. 'Tis remarkable that this same Brother, in the Month of February had the Misfortune to kill his own Cousin." (Source: March 11, 1731; The Pennsylvania Gazette)

James was so distraught at the loss of his son that he did not pursue the warrant he held on the land where James, Jr. died. James Jr.‘s widow sold the land that James had divided between himself, James, Jr. and John.

There had been much trouble between the Pennsylvanians and Marylanders over the land known as Lowther Manor on the west bank of the Susquehanna which culminated in the "Cresap War" in 1732 which lasted 7 years. Thomas Cresap, who lived five miles down river from the Hendricks settlement and ran a ferry at Blue Rock, was a Maryland man and loyal to Lord Baltimore. With encouragement from Governeor Ogle of Maryland, Cresap promised to push the Pennsylvanians off the disputed land if he could bring along a surveyor from Maryland. He also mentioned he was willing to pay rent for the warrants he hoped to get from the survey. The Governor took him up on the offer, and made him a magistrate of Maryland.

On Jan. 30, 1734, Cresap returned to the west banks of the Susquehanna with other men, who started squaring logs to build a house not 100 yards from the Hendricks settlement. Understandably, John Hendricks and his friends took exception to this, as they had already had the land surveyed by the Pennsylvania government. Harsh words ensued. Cresap returned to Annapolis and deposed about how badly he was treated while doing Maryland business. On grounds of this deposition, a warrant was issued to arrest John Hendricks, Joshua Minshall, and two other men.

On March 8, 1734 a Maryland posse of about twenty armed men returned to the settlement, forcibly removed the men, who were carried to Annapolis and imprisoned. John Hendricks stayed in prison,"durance vile," for three years before he was released.

Upon his release in 1737, John moved five miles north to live on his father, James' property, his own 300 acres of land having been taken from him. That year there was a fight with their Wogan neighbors (John Wogan had married a daughter of Johannes (John Sr.) Hendricks). James Hendricks' second wife Mary, and sons Samuel and John were taken to court on assault and battery. Mary and Samuel were given a fine of one shilling, which James paid, but John had to post a peace bond.

On March 28, 1742, John sold an improvement bounding Francis Worley and George Swopes just north of the newly platted York Town.

We don‘t know when John's wife, Rebecca Worley Hendricks died, but it was after May of 1739, when their last child, William, was born. There is no mention of her in John‘s will.

When John Hendricks died in 1750, he had two underage sons, William and Francis. His oldest son, James, then 28 was his executor, and both James and John‘s youngest brother, Samuel acted as trustees for the minor children.

"John Hendricks, b ca 1669, married Apr 1718 Rebecca Worley (Chester Meeting), d: Jan 1750, Dover Twp., York Co., PA; Indian Trader and Miller. He is the most colorful "John": Jailed by both Maryland and PA during the Cresap Border War during the 1730s; a high profile PA frontier history 1728-1740."^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Marriages, 1692-1782, Removals, 1704-1733; Collection: Quaker Meeting Records; Call Number: MR Ph 99; Chester Monthly Meeting; Marriages, 1692-1782, Removals, 1704-1733; pg. 45.
2. ↑ Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Minutes, 1707-1728; Collection: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: MR-Ph 92; Chester Monthly Meeting; Minutes, 1707-1728; pg. 226.
3. ↑ History of York Co., PA G.R. Prowell, Vol I, 1907; page 3; In 1726 John Hendricks and James Hendricks, Jr. with Tobias, sons of James Hendricks, Quakers, first settled in the township of Conestoga.
4. ↑ Herb's South Carolina Hendricks bible information