Land called Greenfield, which I bought of Jno Edmonson of Maryland, lying and being in Duck creeke in the Province of Pennsylvania containing about twelve hundred acres." To his younger sons, Joseph, Jehu, and Benjamin, "a Parcell of Land call Wappin which I bought of Jno Edmonson of Maryland, Lying and being in Duck Creeke in the province of Pennsylvania, containing about one thousand acres."

In the will of this son above mentioned, dated November 15, 1732, and probated in Bridgetown, Barbadoes, he bequeathed to his son, Hugh Hall, Jr., "now in Boston in New England, Esq & to his heirs forever all that Parcell or Parcells of Land situate and being in Kent County in the Province of Pennsylvania, which was devised me by the will of My Father, or that I may by any other ways or means have a right unto them."

On the back of my copy of the first will of 1698 was written this: "Note. I cannot find the will of this persons Father who is said to have been called William."

On a full register of baptisms, marriages, and burials of Hall, done in Barbadoes from 1652 to 1796, sent me from the records there, I find three names of William Hall, one a young man, the others possibly ancestors of Hugh. On writing thither to the copyist, the reply came back that the previous records are in such a dilapidated state that nothing could be made of them.

Now, one of the Williams was sent out to Barbadoes as a bond-slave in 1635, having been engaged in a rebellion. He was from Chard, Somersetshire, England.

I find, however, that a Hugh Hall and a William Hall were sent over about that time to Virginia, who had been rebels, and were deported,and, as the name Hugh seems to have been a favorite name in the family, or granting that the Virginia bond-slave William may be the right party, and that this "Parcell of Land" may indicate a connection, and that the ancestor may, as so many persons did, have passed over from Virginia to Barbadoes, and, being a merchant, have had dealings with Jno. Edmonson, possibly I may find some clue to guide me in opening the matter to the learned men of your society. "Duck Creeke," Greenfield, Wappin, and Kent County (now in Delaware, originally in the Province of Pennsylvania) must be known to your readers, and it may be that old deeds or transfers may throw light on the rather obscure question. Hugh Hall bought the land, and still he may be spoken of as a resident, or as residing in Barbadoes. If a resident, then I can look to the chance of discovering his father there or in Virginia. Information is earnestly desired.

157 Montague St., Brooklyn, N. Y.

Replies.

CHARLES H. HALL.

V. S.-Address Mrs. Jesse E. Smith, 226 South Twenty-first Street, Philadelphia.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARIES IN THE MORAVIAN ARCHIVES AT BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

BY JOHN W. JORDAN.

[The following extracts from the diaries of the Moravian congregation at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1775-1782, have been selected for the valuable data they contain relating to the struggle for American Independence. The Rev. John Ettwein, whose name frequently appears, was a distinguished clergyman and the accredited agent of his church in the negotiations with Congress, and with the Assembly, through the troubles arising from the test acts. What the position of that church was during the war, may best be ascertained from their petition to Congress, from which we quote:

"Encouraged by that Act [Act of Parliament, 1749, exempting the Moravians from military service and the taking of oaths in the Colonies], and the glorious liberty in Pennsylvania, most of the Moravians on the Continent came from Germany in full trust and confidence that they and their children would enjoy here liberty of conscience without restraint, and which they enjoyed with thankfulness until the breaking out of the present troubles; since which they have been continually troubled for not associating in the use of arms or acting against their principles in regard to war; some have been made prisoners, and all able bodied of a certain age have been heavily fined, many so that if they had not been VOL. XII.-25 (385)

assisted by Charity they would lie in prison. By the operation of the Test Acts some have already suffered imprisonment, and by an Act of Assembly of the 1st of April last, we find ourselves subject to be outlawed and exiled without any enquiry into our behaviour, for which we hold ourselves always accountable to the Magistrates. We hold no principles any way dangerous or inconsistent with good government. We have been tried and sifted enough on that head by the British Parliament, the kings of Prussia and Denmark, the Empress of Russia and others before they granted us the beforementioned and other privileges in their dominions. . . We willingly help and assist to bear public burdens and never had any distress made for taxes; and we are willing to give all reasonable assurance that we will in no wise act against this or the other United States. We humbly conceive that at altering the government we were entitled to the benefit of these privileges which induced us to come into this land, and we have by no word or acts against the new Government forfeited them. . . . If the laws of Pennsylvania, in regard to the Test, are to be executed upon us, we and our families must be ruined and our creditors wronged, for we cannot take that prescribed oath, it is against our conscience. . . . We have an awful impression of all oaths or affirmations, and cannot say Yes! and think No! or No! and think Yes! We want not to deceive anybody, but will by the help of God act honestly before God and man, not fearing the consequences."]

1775.

...

April 27.-First heard through the newspapers of bloodshed at Lexington, on the 19th inst.

June 1.-Bro. [John] Bonn,1 [John Francis] Oberlin, and George Klein3 went to Jacob Arndt, to inform him of our views about military training and fighting; that although

1 John Herman Bonn, during the first occupation of the Brethren's house in Bethlehem by the Continental Hospital, was acting steward.

2 John Francis Oberlin was for nearly twenty years in charge of the church store, which was located on the north side of Market Street, opposite to the graveyard. He was a vehement Tory, and the remark which he once made, "that he had sufficient rope in his store to hang all Congress," rendered his situation so unpleasant, if not precarious, that he was compelled to resign it.

* George Klein, from Baden, settled in Warwick Township, Lancaster County, prior to 1740, and took up successive tracts of land until he became the owner of over six hundred acres, which, subsequent to his removal to Bethlehem, in 1755, he conveyed in part to the Moravian Church. On this tract the town of Litiz was laid out. * See PENNA. MAG., Vol. III. p. 99.