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HOPEWELL
FRIENDS, VIRGINIA QUAKERS
Partial Context of Frederick County, Virginia Hopewell Friends
History
(Hopewell Friends was a community of Quakers in the Shenandoah
Valley of Virginia, the residents of which emigrated to America
to avoid religious persecution)
Benjamin
Borden was born in 1692, a son of Benjamin
Borden and ---- Grover, near Freehold, N. J., and died
in Frederick County, Va., in 1743. He married Zeruiah Winter of
West New Jersey, and came to Virginia sometime in 1732. He was
prominent in the affairs of the county and was appointed to the
first bench of justices on the organization of Orange County in
1734, and of Frederick County, when it was set off from Orange in
1743. He with others was the subject of religious persecution by
the Orange court in October and November, 1737. His will, dated
April 3, 1742, and probated October 9, 1743, in Frederick County,
mentions his wife Zeruiah, his sons Benjamin Jr., John, and
Joseph, and his daughters Abigail, wife of Jacob Worthington,
Hannah, wife of Capt. Edward Rogers, Mercy, wife of William
Fearnley, Rebeckah, wife of Thomas Branson,
Elizabeth, wife of ---- Branson, and Deborah and Lidy, still
single. Witnesses: Thomas Sharp, Lancelot Westcott, Edward O.
Borden, Thomas Hankins, and Thomas Rogers.
The religious persecution of his family continued after his
death, and the Frederick County records show that on May 7, 1746,
the grand jury for that county presented Zeruiah Borden, Deborah
Borden, and Mercy Fearnley "for speaking several prophane,
scandalous and contemptable words against the Holy Order of
Baptism."
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HOPEWELL FRIENDS HISTORY 1734-1934 Frederick County,
Virginia
CHAPTER II THE FATHERS OF THE COLONY
page 29
Thomas Branson was the son of Thomas
Branson and Elizabeth his wife, daughter of John
Day. Thomas Branson Sr. also had land
in the Shenandoah Valley, and by his will, probated Nov. 21,
1744, in Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey,
devised it to his sons Thomas and Jacob, and describes it as
"my lands on Shannandow River in Virginia which I laid out
for Thomas Alexander and one called 'Scotch Robin'." This
will was probated in Frederick County, Virginia, March 5, 1744, John
and Thomas Branson qualifying as executors with Thomas
Hankins and Thomas Sharp sureties. This land was near White Post,
but now in Warren County; and near it Thomas Branson Jr. secured
a patent in his own name for 1370 acres on both sides of Crooked
Run. Near it Jacob Branson, his brother, received by patent in
his own name 1000 acres. The will of Thomas Branson Sr.
mentions his wife Elizabeth, sons David, Joseph, Jonathan,
Lionel, William, Thomas, and John; his daughters Sarah Owin, Mary
wife of Zachariah Robins, Elizabeth wife of William Rogers; his
granddaughter Abigail Rogers; his grandson Thomas, son of John.
Thomas Branson Jr. married Rebecca, daughter of
Benjamin Borden, and John married Martha, widow of John
Osmond and daughter of Thomas Antrim. William Branson,
son of Thomas Sr., removed for a while to Stafford
County, Va., and from him are descended the well known Branson
family living until recent years near Clearbrook in Frederick
County, Va. Lionel, son of Thomas Sr., settled
on Lost River in what is now Hardy County, West Va., where some
of his descendants reside at this time.
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HOPEWELL FRIENDS HISTORY 1734-1934 Frederick County,
Virginia
CHAPTER V MEETINGS WITHIN THE VERGE OF HOPEWELL
page 73
On the 5th of 6th month, 1817, it was recommended by a committee
at Hopewell that Abraham Branson and William
Jolliffe be appointed as trustees "to proceed
forthwith" to sell the meeting houses at Stafford,
Southland, and Smith Creek, with the several lots of land on
which they were built, reserving the graveyard at each place. The
Smith Creek meeting house, however, was not sold until 1839, and
meetings were held in it occasionally, at least, until 1830 or
thereabouts.
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HOPEWELL FRIENDS HISTORY 1734-1934 Frederick County,
Virginia
CHAPTER V MEETINGS WITHIN THE VERGE OF HOPEWELL
page 74
William Reckitt made record of visiting Moses McKoy at or near
Crooked Run in 1757, and of holding a meeting there. This might
be regarded as an indication that the "Several years
past" 1760 reached back to 1757 or earlier. In a report made
at Hopewell in 1822 concerning titles to meeting-house properties
it was stated that the 99-year lease for the meeting-house lot at
Crooked Run was three-fourths gone. This would fix beginnings
there in or about 1748. It appears, however, that the calculation
of 1822 was not accurately made, since the lease in question has
been found on record in Winchester. It was made by Thomas
Branson of Orange County, N. C., to John Painter of
Frederick County, Va., and dated 6th month 1st, 1758, to run 99
years. It conveyed 4 acres of land on the southeast side of
Crooked Run, "for a Friends' Meeting house & burying
ground, for that use, and no other."

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