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Joseph B Pike (1657 - 1729)

Friendship with William Penn

by Caroline Gosnell

Joseph's close friendship with William Penn

Pike's Marsh and Pike's Lane

Quaker history of Cork

East Pikeland and West Pikeland, Pennsylvania

Deed of Bargain and Sale, Penn and Vincent to Pyke 1698

Joseph's Close Friendship

with William Penn

William Penn, a writer and the founder of Pennsylvania, formed a close attachment to the Pike family and particularly to Joseph B Pike, the son of Richard Pike and Elizabeth Jackson.

Elizabeth survived Richard for 20 years and is mentioned in William Penn's 'My Irish Journal 1669 / 1670'. Penn records that he returned to Cork from London on September 25, 1669, and on coming to Cork:

"We lay at Elizabeth Pike's."

After visiting Friends throughout the country, Penn returned to Cork on December and notes:

"We went to the meeting. I spoke in the power of the Lord God a few words to backsliders, thence to dinner at Thomas Mitchell's and so home to Elizabeth Pike's."

In 1708, William Penn then Governor and proprietor of Pennsylvania, demised 10,000 acres of land to Joseph B Pike. Joseph however chose to remain in Cork, of which he had been admitted a freeman in 1685.

Penn notes that Joseph B Pike was:

"A man of understanding, sound judgment, tender over the weak, but he was against the high minded and stubborn. In conversation, solid and weighty without appreciation."

In 1708, Joseph B Pike published two books, "Treatise on Baptism" and "The Last Supper". Though ordered by the Friends Community to be printed at the National Charge, he chose to publish it at his own expense.

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Pike's Marsh

and Pike's Lane

Joseph B Pike was born near Kilcrea and came to Cork with his parents as a young boy. A detailed abstract of his will is in the Genealogical office, Dublin Castle, ref Ms. 142, pp 60/61. The will is dated 1727. Joseph died two years later.

By then Joseph had acquired considerable property in the North Main Street, North Mall and the present Marsh area.

Pike's Lane survived until the early 19th century when the Wide Street Commissioners dramatically changed the face of the city. From a Corporation survey of 1733 (regarding the town walls) we note that his brother Richard had two houses abutting the walls near the old Cornmarket.

Reference: Cork Evening Echo, Article, Tuesday, March 13th 1973 by C J F M McCarthy.

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Quaker History

of Cork

Most of the early Pikes were Quakers.

William Edmundson (1627 - 1712) was the founder and leader of the first Friends, or Quaker meeting, in Ireland.

Quakers were unpopular in the seventeenth century and were almost all of English birth, either old soldiers or officers in Cromwell's "New Model Army". They were known for their honesty and that made them successful in business, but they were often defrauded because of their refusal to take the oath in a court of Justice.

Since 1665, there has been a group of Quakers in Cork. Originally they met in private houses before building their first Meeting House in Grattan Street in 1677. This was the first of three meeting houses on that site. The following year they added a school - this was the second Quaker school to be founded in Ireland. In 1668 the Quaker Burial Ground at Summerhill South was opened. William Penn helped in its purchase.

The Toleration Act of 1688 eased the official position of Quakers. Even so, they remained a target for public spleen.

The Quakers were treated harshly and in towns there was jealousy and petty-mindedness and the attitude of the clergy caused them suffering.

The Quakers were fined for not going to church and they were imprisoned for speaking in church. Life in general was made unpleasant for them, but still, the Quaker faith spread throughout Ulster, Leinster and Munster.

The execution of James Cotter in 1720 for the alleged rape of Betty Squibb, a Quakeress, brought out the mob. Two city girls, Sarah Pike (daughter of Richard Pike and Sarah Watson, and niece to Joseph B Pike and Elizabeth Rogers) and Mary Jacob, were set upon near Shandon. A further attack on another Quaker girl brought stern retribution, the miscreant being flogged from the North Gate to the South gate.

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East Pikeland and West Pikeland

Pennsylvania

Pikeland - literally Pike's land - was granted by William Penn to Joseph B Pike, merchant of Cork, Ireland, by patent dated Dec. 3, 1705.

It embraced the territory now included in East Pikeland and West Pikeland, and contained 10,116 acres and allowances.

Joseph B Pike died in 1729 seized of this tract, and also of a tract of about 1400 acres in Caln township, on the southern part of which is now Clan Friends' meeting-house, and by his will, proved in the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, devised all his lands in Pennsylvania to his wife Elizabeth in fee.

Elizabeth Pike held the lands until her death in 1733, and devised them to her son, Richard Pike, in fee.

Richard Pike died in 1752, and by his will devised all his estates in Pennsylvania to his kinsmen, Samuel Hoare (Elizabeth Pike nee Rogers, was Joseph Hoare's sister-in-law) and Nathaniel Newberry, merchants, of London, England, subject to the payment of certain legacies.

In 1756, Samuel Hoare purchased the interest of Nathaniel Newberry and became sole owner.

On Dec. 3, 1773, Samuel Hoare, by his attorney, Amos Strettle, sold and conveyed the lands "known by the name of Pikeland" to Andrew Allen, and took from him a mortgage thereon for sixteen thousand pounds, part of the purchase money.

In this conveyance and mortgage the tract is described by the following courses and distances:

"Beginning at the river Schuylkill, thenee southwest 2572 perches, thence northwest 870 perches, thenee northeast 1900 perches to Schuylkill river, thence, by the course of the river, 602 perches to the beginning containing 10,116 acres."

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Deed of Bargain and Sale

Penn and Vincent to Pyke 1698

This indenture made the twelfth day of December Anno Domini 1698 and in the tenth yeare of the Reigne of William the Third of England Scotland France and Ireland King etc. (sic)

Betweene William Penn proprietary and Governor of Pensilvania in America Vincent Vincent Esquire Sonn and Heire of Sir Mathias Vincent late of Islington in the county of Middlesex Knight deceased and executor of the last Will and Testament of the said Sir Mathias and Theodore Vincent Brother of the said Vincent Vincent which said Vincent Vincent and Theodore Vincent are both of them Executors of the last Will and Testament of Dame Mary Vincent their late mother deceased of the one part and JOSEPH PYKE of Cork in the Kingdom of Ireland Merchant of the other part

Witnesseth that the said William Penn Vincent Vincent and Theodore Vincent for and in consideration of the summe of five shillings of good and lawfull money of England to them in hand paid by the said JOSEPH PYKE and before the ensealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereof the said William Penn Vincent Vincent and Theodore Vincent doe hereby acknowledge thereof and there from and of and from every part and parcel thereof doe acquit release and discharge the said JOSEPH PYKE his Heires Executors and Administrators forever by these presents have and each and every of them hath granted bargained and sold and by these presents doe and each and every of them doth grant bargain and sell unto the said JOSEPH PYKE his Executors Administrators and Assigns all those Tenn Thousand acres of Land situate lying and being in the province of Pensilvania in America and are now sett out and divided into Two severall Townshippes lying contiguous and containing each of them five thousand acres being now seated and planted with several families and described by a stream thereof drawn in the Mapp of the said Province which said Ten Thousand Acres were conveyed by William Penn proprietary and Governour of the said province unto the said Sir Mathias Vincent by deed poll bearing date the twentieth day of April Anno Domini One Thousand six hundred and eighty six

And the Survey or particular amount and description thereof is entered or registered in the Office for that purpose in the said province of Pensilvania and alsoe all other the land and Tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever of them the said Vincent Vincent and Theodore Vincent either of them and which were the lands and Hereditaments of the said Sir Mathias Vincent their father situate lying and being in the said province of Pensilvania together with all rents service rents lett rents and charges and all other rents profitts and advantages reserved issueing and goeing out of the said Lands and Hereditaments or any part thereof other than and except the rent of Ten Shillings per annum reserved and payable to the said William Penn and his Heires by virtue of the afore recited deed and alsoe all Houses Edifices buildings improvements and all Lands Isles Islands Mines Mineralls Woods Fishings Hawkings and Huntings Fowlings and all other Royalties Profits Commodities and appurtenances whatsoever to the Lands Tenements Hereditaments and premises and every or any of them belonging to or in any wise appertaining or to or with the same and every or any part or parcell thereof used occupied or enjoyed and alsoe all the estate right title interest property claime and demand whatsoever of them the said William Penn Vincent Vincent and Theodore Vincent or any of them or any part thereof except as before excepted of in and unto the same

And the reversion and reversions remainder and remainders thereof to have and to hold the said lands and tenements Hereditaments and premisses with their and every of their rights members and appurtenances whatsoever thereunto and unto every or any part belonging except as is before excepted unto the said JOSEPH PYKE his Executors Administrators and Assigns from the day of the date of these for and during and unto the full end Terme of One Thousand Yeares from thence next ensueing and fully to be compleat and ended subject to the payment of the said -?- or Quit Rent of Tenn Shillings per Annum reserved and payable to the said William Penn his Heirs and Assigns to the intent that by virtue of these presents and of the Statute for transferring uses into possession the said JOSEPH PYKE may be in the actual possession of the said lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises and be enabled to take and except of grant and release of the same to him and his Heires

In Witnesse whereof the said William Perm Vincent Vincent and Theodore Vincent have to these presents and to one other Indenture of the same date and Tenor herewith Sett their handes and seales the day and yeare first above written

Wm Penn (s)

J: Vincent (s)

The: Vincent (s)

Recorded in the Rolls Office at Philadelphia in Book 23 Vol 2 p.278 - 279 The 2nd day of the sixth month 1700 By me

Tho. Story Mr. (s)

Sealed and delivered (being first stampt with two six penny stamps) in the presence of

E. Inegenna (s)

Robt Springell (or possibly Springett)

Wm. Martin (s)

Edward Singleton

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