August 1722, Pennsylvania

Graeme Park was originally called "Fountain Low" by Sir Keith.

August 27, 1722- John Kirk and Sarah Tyson are married in at the Abington Monthly Meeting in Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

"Whereas John Kirk & Sarah Tyson having Declared their Intentions of Marraige with each other before two Mo. Meetings Enquirey being Made by Persons Appointed & found clear from all others on ye Acct of Marraige are Left to Accomplish ye same Orderly." (Swarthmore - Abington MM)


John Kirk was a stone-mason, (today he'd be called 'building contractor'), and built the house known as the Kirk Homestead (still standing) in which he and his descendants lived for many years. He also worked on, in 1722, Graeme Park, the mansion of Pennsylvania's first Governor Keith, which has recently been restored and is a Pennsylvania Historical Site.
The official Graeme House booklet notes John Kirk as having built the house, however, further research - and the initials "M.T." on the house - indicate that John Kirk most likely was not the building's mason, but rather it was Matthias Tyson, John's brother-in-law. John Kirk probably built the brewery elsewhere on the property, but no longer extant.
"Know all Men by these presents that I Sir William Keith Baronet Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania am held and firmly bound unto John Kirk of the County of Philadelphia Mason in the Summ of One Hundred Pounds good and lawful Money of America to be paid to the said John Kirk his certain Attorney Executors Administrators or Assigns; To the which Payment well and truly to be made I bind myself my Heirs Executors and Administrators firmly by these presents. Sealed with my seal. Dated the Twelfth Day of December in the Eighth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King George Anne Domini 1721." (The original is in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.)

The Kirk homestead, painted circa 1830 by Robert Street, who traveled through the Philadelphia area doing portraits and farm landscapes in oil in exchange for room and board. In this way he made his living. The Kirk house is still standing on Fitzwatertown Road near Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, although the barns and outbuildings have been demolished. Today it is surrounded by a development of new homes which come within a few feet of the house itself.

(Sarah Tyson is my first cousin 9 times removed. Our common ancestors are Mathias Dohrs and Agnes Neesgen Op den Graeff.)

Merion Friends Meeting House, Montgomery, Pennsylvania

"Among the companions of the founder of Pennsylvania, when he arrived on the shores of the Delaware, in the year 1682, were a large number of Welsh people of great respectability and substance. These excellent persons, before they left their native country, had purchased of the proprietary several thousand acres of land on the western side of the Schuylkill, about six miles from the spot fixed upon for the city of Philadelphia; and this tract was called Merioneth, in honour of their birth-place."
The Merion Monthly Meeting of Friends,(Quakers), began in 1682 upon the arrival of the first boatload of Welsh families fleeing persecution for their non-conformist worship in Wales. Edward Jones, son-in-law of Dr. Thomas Wynne, Quaker physician and friend of William Penn led them.

In 1695 the now thriving community in "Merion," named in honor of their Welsh Merionethshire, built a stone meeting house. It stood on a well-used path linking the Welsh farms to Philadelphia. Tradition says William Penn visited and preached here. In the loft above the meeting room, a school was held for girls and boys, including Indian children.
The meeting house was enlarged in 1714.
The Merion Friends Meetinghouse is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest extant examples of early Quaker architecture in the country.
Merion Meetinghouse has been in continuous use for over three hundred years.

This information is from the Merion Monthly Meeting Homepage.
Below is a picture of the Meeting house as it looks today.

Joseph Ambler Inn

The land on which the Joseph Ambler Inn now stands was originally part of a large expanse owned by William Penn. In 1682, William Penn granted 1,000 acres to Richard Pearce. In 1711, 50 acres were sold to William Morgan. Morgan built the original section of the Farmhouse, which consisted of a ground floor where meals were prepared, and a small upstairs sleeping chamber. When Morgan died, the property was sold to Joseph Ambler.

The house remained in the Ambler family until 1825 when the property was acquired by squire John Roberts who married an Ambler daughter. It was Roberts who built the middle section of the farmhouse, adding the living room and dining room.

Over the next 100 years, the property had many owners. In 1929, under the ownership of the Wright family, the "schoolroom" was constructed. It was in this room that the children of the house were schooled. The property passed from the Wrights, to the Flood's, to the Wolfe's, and finally in 1983, the remaining 12 acres were sold to Richard Allman, the present day owner. It was Allman who put the property to use as a small bed and breakfast.

The Joseph Ambler Inn is located in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

The Grater House, Pennsylvania

The Grater house was erected circa 1724. The property on which the house was built was bought by Abraham Op den Graeff in 1706 from Matthias Van Bebber.
The house on the property was built by Jacob, son of Abraham, and Anneken Op den Graeff around 1724. This was not your normal farmstead for the 1700's. This was considered a "plantation" where they, more than likely, grew apples, pears and peaches.
The property, of 100 acres, was in the Op den Graeff family until 1816, when the great grandson of Abraham Op den Graeff died and the property was sold to Abraham and Mary Tyson by Ann Op den Graeff, great granddaughter.
The Tyson’s resided in the house until 1847 when they sold it to Josiah Bechtel. Bechtel lived in the house until 1866 and during this time, he built an addition on the rear of the house, doubling it's size. Bechtel also split the land up, selling about four different pieces off for large sums of money. He sold the parcel containing the house to Abraham and Mary Grater. The land was now 26 acres and 124 perches.
While the Grater family lived in the house, the Underground Railroad was put through the basement. Also, the Grater's added the back addition including the kitchen, dining room and 2 bedrooms. Abraham Grater was very influential in the Mennonite church and caused a reform around the mid 1860's. Within 10 months of the Grater’s moving in, they sold the house to Jacob and Mary Gerges for $4,550. Gerges owned the property until 1875 when he sold it to John H. Tyson for $4,200.
The Tyson’s owned the house with two parcels of land until 1907. In the fall of 1907, Franklin Tyson, executer of estate, sold the now 82 acres of land containing the house to Christian and Susie Bean.

(Abraham Op den Graeff is my first cousin 10 times removed.)