APPENDIX NO. 9: COPY OF "AN ACT FOR VESTING CERTAIN CITY LOTS THEREING
MENTIONED IN TURSTEES FOR A BURIAL GROUND FOR THE USE OF THE RELIGIOUS
SOCIETY OF FREE QUAKERS IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA," PASSED 26TH OF AUGUST,
1786
PRIVATE ACT RECORDED IN LAW BOOK, NO. 111, P. 121
Charles Wetherill
Wetherill, Charles. History of The Religious Society of Friends Called
by Some The Free Quakers, in the City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia:
Printed for the Society, 1894, Number 3 of an edition limited to 800 copies,
signed by Charles Wetherill.]
This Document is on The
Quaker Writings Home Page.
Whereas the Religious Society of Friends called Free Quakers in the city
of Philadelphia, presented a petition to this House, setting forth that
the said Society hath been established by those who were disowned by the
people called Quakers, on account of their attachment to the cause of their
country, during the great and important conflict for freedom and independence,
and have thereby been deprived of their religious rights and privileges
in that society, without even a distant probability of a reunion with them
upon consistent principles. That the said Society of Free Quakers thus
established through necessity arising out of a great revolution, had with
the assistance of their Christian fellow citizens purchased a lot of ground
and erected thereon a Meeting House of their own to perform worship in
to Almighty God, which having thus accomplished, they nevertheless find
themselves at a loss for a place to bury their dead, and therefore prays
the house for a grant for a suitable lot of land for this religious and
benevolent purpose. AND WHEREAS it is but right and just to forward
the designs of religion and benevolence, and that the virtuous citizens
af this Commonwealth who have been deprived af their religious rights and
privileges on account of their attachment to the cause of their country
in the time of its utmost danger, should have the encouragement af the
Legislature. Therefore, be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted by
the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same:--
That Eight of the City Lots belonging to the Commonwealth marked in
the plan or draft of the public city lots. Nos. 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39,
40, 41, situate contiguous to each other on the West side of the Fifth
Street from Delaware River in the city of Philadelphia, containing altogether
in breadth North and South on the said Fifth Street One hundred and seventy
six feet (that is to say Twenty two feet each lot) and in length or depth
East and West, One hundred and ninety eight feet, six inches, bounded Northward
by lot No. 42 sold to John Taylor, Eastward by Fifth Street aforesaid,
and Westward by the back ends of Sixth Street lots, with their appurtenances
shall be and hereby are vested in Christopher Marshall, Joseph Stiles,
Nathanicl Brown, Isaac Howell, Peter Thompson, Benjamin Say and Joseph
Warner (members of said religious society) and the survivors and survivor
of them, and the heirs and assigns of such survivor, forever. In Trust,
nevertheless, to and for the sole purpose of a burial ground for the use
of the Religious Society of Friends distinguished and known by the name
of Free Quakers in the City of Philadelphia, and to and for no other use,
trust, intent or purpose whatever.