Thomas Worth

Thomas Worth was born in 1649.  He came from Nottinghamshire, England, and had been baptised in the ancient church of St Peter and Paul in the village of Oxton.

There is a plaque in this church, commemorating him.  

Thomas was a scribe, an occupation much in demand at a time when literacy rates were less than 50% for the population.
Thomas became a Quaker, and bought land from William Penn while still in England.  He was one of the First Purchasers of Pennsylvania.
At the age of 33, Thomas sailed to America and arrived in the fall of 1682.
He became one of the original settlers in Darby Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, an area that later became Delaware County.  The area was called 'Darby' after the region of Derbyshire in England, a place from which many of the early settlers had emigrated.

(A photo of part of the Worth-Jefferis Historic District in East and West Bradford Townships in Chester County PA, named for two of the early families settling there.)

In 1685, Thomas Worth was married to Isabel Davison, who had emigrated from Derbyshire, England.  They had three children: John Worth born 1686, Thomas Worth born 1688 and Sarah Worth born 1691.
Below is a copy of a page from Thomas's Bible.  Thomas recorded his journey to America as well as the births of his children, but did not record his marriage!

Thomas Worth had a strong constitution and lived to be 82 years old during a time when average life expectancy was 30-40 years old.  He was predeceased by his wife Isabel who died in 1709 at age 54 (Thomas never re-married), his daughter Sarah who died at age 5, his son John who died in 1716 at age 30 (leaving three young daughters).

In his Last Will and Testament, Thomas bequeathed his land in Darby, 222 acres, to his son Thomas and bequeathed his land in Bradford Township, 500 acres near Brandywine Creek, to the daughters of John Worth.  He also left monetary bequests to his grandchildren, the children of Thomas Worth (Jr).

And we are still living here in Pennsylvania, 12 generations after him!

Feel free to send me an email, jdynbttn@gmail.com