Whitpain is known to play a role during the American Revolutionary War when George Washington stayed at Dawesfield and his troops marching on Skippack Pike to enter battle or retreat from a battle.
What we don't know much about was those who did not support the patriots who were fighting for America's independence. Those people were called "tories" or "loyalists" who supported the British.
Tories and Loyalists During the American Revolutionary War
When the war broke out, the colonies were divided with those who supported freedom and liberty from the British Empire, and those who supported the British. It was argued that the war was about Americans fighting against other Americans rather than a foreign power like the British Empire.
NOTE: The difference between a "tory" and a "loyalist" is that a "tory" is someone who supported the British politically while a "loyalist" is simply someone who supported the British in any form like joining the army.
Patriots clashed with loyalists and saw them as traitors. There were even harsh punishments for those who did not sign the pledge to support the American cause.
"Loyalists were publicly dunked in lakes, hung from poles, or tarred and feathered by angry mobs. The expression 'lynching' got its name from Colonel Charles Lynch, a patriot from Virginia, who made a habit of hanging any loyalists he captured. Given the threat of intimidation and violence from passionate patriot crowds, many loyalists simply signed the oath rather than endure public humiliation, torture or death."
- Jennifer Mueller,
"What Happened to the Tories and Loyalists During the American Revolution?"
On the eve of the British occupation of Philadelphia, the patriots were afraid there could be spies and collaborators involved in Pennsylvania's legislature. They ended up arresting 41 Philadelphians who were considered "traitors." During the British occupation, the patriots were outraged and took extreme measures to arrest anyone on suspicion of treason. The Pennsylvania government arrested 638 Philadelphians.
After the British evacuation of Philadelphia, there were loyalist militias who broke out on the streets in PA and New Jersey. They "conducted nighttime raids, burning farms and houses and kidnapping Patriot leaders."
Fun Fact #1: In March 1776, about 1,400 men, women, and children fled to Halifax, Nova Scotia, afraid they would be targeted. They were the first exiles from Boston, Massachusetts.
When the war was over, loyalists and tories attempted to return to their communities. The 1783 Treaty of Paris was negotiated, pledging to restore any property that was taken from those who did not support the American cause. Before the treaty was signed, Congress recommended to confiscate the homes of tories/loyalists, resulting in the properties being sold and the states pocketed the money.
The Tories and Loyalists of Whitpain
John Robeson
John Robeson was a cordwainer whose home was taken away from him before being called a traitor on June 22, 1779.
"His 75 acres included 'a good house. Barn, stone spring House, and sundry out Buildings, a well planted orchard, some good meadow, and wood land whereon is some Timber,' but there were these encumbrances: 'John Robeson, Junr., to keep on said place, 1 horse, 3 cows and 6 sheep, to give £4 pr. an. in Cash and a house to his Grant mother during life. And to his step-mother £2 pr. an. during the grandmother's life and £4 during her own life afterwards. Also a legacy to his Sister of £50 due 3 years ago.'"
- Ellwood C. Parry, 266
His house was put up for sale on May 30, 1781 at the Court House in Philadelphia. One month later, Edward Milnes purchased John's home, but the Supreme Executive Court allowed John's widow Sarah to keep the stone building and log house built by John. She was also allowed to keep one horse, two cows, and six sheep.
Fun Fact #2: There was a character that shared the same name as John's from a TV show that aired from 2014 to 2017 called Turn: Washington's Spies. He was portrayed by Jamie Harris.
Isaac Taylor
Isaac Taylor was a yeoman whose home was also taken away from him for being a traitor after joining the British army. He was arrested on January 28, 1779 by order of the Supreme Executive Court, and 50 acres was sold to the University of Pennsylvania on September 22, 1785.
His land was originally owned by Cadwallder Morris for 200 acres in 1734. Around the second half of the 18th century, Jonathan Taylor purchased 186 acres of land. He then divided his land to his children, including Isaac Taylor who inherited the central part of the land of 100 acres.
His home is still standing to this day. According to the Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form, it is originally a Federal-style colonial building with double-hung, sash windows, end chimneys, pent roof, and tiny square windows on the second floor.
The person responsible for the arrest of Isaac Taylor was Joseph Reed, George Washington's aides-de-camp, a Founding Father of the Pennsylvania delegate, and then the 3rd president (governor) of the state’s Supreme Executive Council. He worked with the Pennsylvania Assembly to "try and convict the state’s Loyalists for treason and sentence them to harsh punishments, including property seizure."
Fun Fact #3: Joseph Reed had a public feud with Benedict Arnold between 1778 and 1780. He even tried to convict Arnold for corruption.
Stephen Steyer, meanwhile, was named in the proclamation on June 15, 1778, but was discharged by proclamation.
Does this situation remind you of any current events?
Bibliography
Allen, Thomas B. Tories: Fighting For the King in America's First Civil War. (New York: HarperCollins, 2011). http://www.toriesfightingfortheking.com.
Duffy, Shannon E. "Loyalists." Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. 2016. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/loyalists/.
Easton, Keslie. "Joseph Reed." George Washington's Mount Vernon. Accessed December 28, 2021. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/joseph-reed/.
Hazard, Samuel. Pennsylvania Archives, Volume 7. (Philadelphia: Joseph Severns & Co., 1853): 164-165.
"Local History. Region of Country to the West of Ambler--Isaac Taylor, the Tory--Michael Walker--The Weidner Farm." Ambler Gazette. April 26, 1900. Page 7. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/3000/rec/1.
Mahoney, Patrick J. "Connecticut’s Loyal Subjects: Toryism and the American Revolution." Connecticut History. Last modified May 16, 2021. https://connecticuthistory.org/connecticuts-loyal-subjects-toryism-and-the-american-revolution/.
Montgomery, Thomas Lynch. Pennsylvania Archives, Volume 12. (Harrisburg: Harrisburg Publishing Company, 1907): 721.
Mueller, Jennifer. "What Happened to the Tories and Loyalists During the American Revolution?" the classroom. Accessed November 28, 2021. https://www.theclassroom.com/happened-tories-loyalists-during-american-revolution-10442.html.
Parry, Ellwood C. "Traitors by Choice or Chance (Concluded)." Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County Pennsylvania 16, no. 4 (1969): 266-267. https://hsmcpa.org/images/thebulletin/1969vol16no4.pdf.
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