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Horsham Preservation and Historical Association manuscript collection
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Held at: Horsham Preservation and Historical Association [Contact Us]900 Governors Road, Horsham, Pennsylvania, 19044
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Welsh Strawbridge (1878-1969) bought the land which is now known as Graeme Park in 1920, and moved there in 1922 with his new wife Margaret Ely Marshall Strawbridge (1898-1969). The couple held parties and special events at the historic Keith house, which was built by Sir William Keith (Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, 1717-1726) and later occupied by Dr. Thomas Graeme. The Strawbridges lived in another house on the property, which was built in 1810 by Samuel and Sarah Roberts Penrose. The Strawbridges raised thoroughbred horses until 1958, when they donated their land to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Today, Graeme Park is administered for the Commonwealth by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and supported by the Friends of Graeme Park. The Penrose-Strawbridge house is maintained by the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association.
Bibliography:
Graeme Park. "Keith House." Accessed January 18, 2012. http://www.graemepark.org/History.html.
Horsham Preservation and Historical Association. "Pennrose Strawbridge House." Accessed January 20, 2012. http://www.horshamhistory.org/Pennrose-Strawbridge-House
This collection is comprised of documents collected by the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association. The bulk are Strawbridge family papers purchased from the estate. Of these, many date from the time of Margaret and Welsh Strawbridge and pertain to Graeme park properties, while others relate to Strawbridge family ancestors and date as far back as 1684. There are also some records relating to local individuals or to the township of Horsham, collected by the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association.
The Strawbridge family papers purchased from the estate comprise the majority of this collection and include deeds, correspondence (circa 1872-1975), financial records, and records regarding the preservation of the property. Many documents pertain to a property on the northeast corner of 3rd and Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, or to the estate of William West. A detailed inventory of this series of documents is provided below.
This collection also includes documents not purchased from the Strawbridge estate, many of which bear no direct relationship to the Strawbridge family. These include: five indentures, 1739-1827; an autograph album, 1855-1859; Horsham tax roll, 1842 and 1885; unknown commonplace book, circa 1913; miscellaneous event ephemera, 1915-1935; and unlabeled family/class photographs, circa 1870-1920. There are also Graeme Park account books (1942-1945 and 1955-1962), as well as school workbooks and a notebook (circa 1910) that belonged to Margaret E. Marshall (Strawbridge), that were acquired separately from the other Strawbridge family papers.
There are framed items on display throughout the house.
Strawbridge family documents:
Document 1, 1684, November 17th: -Patent from James Claypoole, Robert Turner, and Thomas Loyd (Granted power by William Penn)
Document 2, 1687, November 16th: -Deed from John Tost to Hance Peterson
Document 3, 1794, August 2nd: -Deed of sale from Hance Peterson to Thomas and Patience Lloyd
Document 4, 1702, Dec 6th : -Deed from Patience Lloyd, widow of Thomas Lloyd to Enoch Story
Document 5, 1756, June 16th: -Deed from Enoch Story to Benjamin Kendall
Document 6, 1772, May 12: -Deed from James Pemberton et all to Joseph Hillborn
Document 7, 1810, May 24: -Deed from William West to Robert Caldeleugh
Document 8, 1811, Jan 1: -Deed from William West to Joseph Innes
Document 9, 1814, March 1st: -Deed from William West to William Smith
Document 10, 1819, May 15: -Deed from Joseph H West to William West
Document 11, 1819, Oct 8th (or 18th): -Deed from Elizabeth H West, Charles West, and Sarah West to Jacob Ridgeway
Document 12, 1821, Feb 17: -Deed Poll by Phillip Sellers Esquire Sheriff of Montgomery County
Document 13, 1824, Dec 14: -Deed Poll by Sheriff John Douglas
Document 14, 1824, March 17: -A legal letter from William West to 'Whom it may concern'
Document 15, 1827, July 28: -Deed from William West to Elizabeth West
Document 16, 1830, April 1: -Deed from William West to Samuel Moore
Document 17, 1837, April 14th: -Deed from James West et all to Samuel Jones
Document 18, 1840, 77th day of: -Deed from Klinken Johnson to John Harman
Document 19, 1841, Dec 31: -Deed from Laurel Hill Cemetery to John Strawbridge
Document 20, 1849, Aug 6: -Deed from John Harman and Wife to John Tannahill
Document 21, 1849, Aug 6th: -Bond and Warrant of debt from John Tannahill to Klinckon Johnson
Document 22, 1849, August 6th: -A legal document dealing with a debt from John Tannahill to Klinckon Johnson
Document 23: -A pamphlet of searches against John Harman
Document 24, 1849, Oct 4th: -Deed from John Harman and Wife to John Tannahill
Document 24, 1849, Oct 4th: -Deed from John Harman and Wife to John Tannahill
Document 25, 1849 or later: -A paper envelope which Contained documents 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 45
Document 26, 1851-1852, march 6th: -Cremplification of record in Partition between Hillborn West et all and James West et all
Document 27, 1851-1852, march 6th: -Cremplification of record in Partition between Hillborn West et all and James West et all
Document 28, 1851, Dec term: -Deed Poll by William Deal Esquire High Sheriff
Document 29, 1852, Jan 6 - March 6th: -Cremplification of record in Partition between Hillborn West et all and James West et all
Document 30, 1852, March 20: -Deed between Hillborn West et all and James West et all
Document 31, 1852, March 22: -Release between Hillborn West et all, Elizabeth Lewis et all, and James West et all
Document 32, 1852, March 22: -Release between Hillborn West et all, Elizabeth Lewis et all, and James West et all
Document 33, 1952, Jan 23: -Power of Attorney from Hillborn West to James West
Document 34, 1853, Nov: -Estate of Elizabeth H West
Document 35, 1853, March 12: -Personal letter from Mr Towndsend to James West
Document 36, 1856 (or after): -Brief of title
Document 37, 1856, April 10: -Deed between Joseph West, Elizabeth West, and James West et all
Document 38: -A (1859, June 18) This is the document accompanying the transfer of executor of William West's will -B (B: 1859, Nov 9) Deed from Elizabeth West et all to Joseph West
Document 39
Document 40, 1859, July 6: -Deed from Joseph V. West trustee to Joseph Brinton trustee
Document 40.5, 1859: -Multiple Documents, Deed from Joseph V West trustee to Joseph P Brinton and back
Document 41, 1870, Feb 1st: -Statement of money received
Document 42, 1870, Aug 12
Document 43, 1870, Feb 1: -Deed from Joseph V West to Sarah Hannum et all
Document 44, 1871, Feb 28
Document 45, 1871, May 16. : -Article from the "Philadelphia Exchange"
Document 46, 1871, June 21: -Deed from Robert Tannahill trustee to John Walsh
Document 47, 1873: -Multiple documents, Deed from Charles Bonsall
Document 48, 1874, April
Document 49, 1877: -Multiple Documents, Exemplification which lists actions taking in 1877 regarding George Strawbridge et all
Document 50, 1886, Jan 5th: -Court statement certifying George Strawbridge as Trustee
Document 51, 1886, Dec 23: -Deed between John Lowber Welsh et all and Alice W Strawbridge wife
Document 52, 1890, June 8: -Deed between John Lowber Welsh et all and Elizabeth Young
Document 53, 1894, May: -Statement of money owed by Martha A West
Document 54, 1896, Jan 21: -Multiple Documents, copy of adjudication regarding the estate of Jane V Strawbridge, deceased
Document 55, 1896, May 18: -Deed from Anna M Smith to John Welsh Young
Document 56, 1898, June 22: -Release from Beauveau Borie et all to the city of Philadelphia
Document 57, 1904 or after: -A legal document concerning how the estate real of William West deceased is now held
Document 58, 1905, Jan 27: -Legal statement by Martha A West
Document 59, 1909, Feb 3: -Letter regarding the Borie Estate
Document 60, 1915: -Multiple Documents, Papers concerning the sale of 2 acres to M H Harrington
Document 61, 1922, Jan: -Personal letter from Mrs. Strawbridge
Document 62, 1922, Feb: -Personal post card from unknown sender to Mrs. George Strawbridge
Document 63, 1922
Document 64, 1924, Jan: -Agreement of sale between Alice W Strawbridge and Charles Maurer
Document 65, 1925, Jan: -Statement of settlement made by Charles Mauren to Alice Strawbridge
Document 66, 1925, July 8: -Estate value of Alice Strawbridge
Document 67, 1926
Document 68, 1931, Nov 2: -Letter from the Philadelphia Gas Works Co
Document 69, Date unknown, approximately 1870: -A history of the ground rents produced by the land on 3rd and Chestnut st
Document 70, Date unknown, after 1859, probably after 1870: -Brief of Title for land on the NE corner of Chestnut and Delaware 3rd St
Document 71, Date unknown, after 1859, probably after 1870: -Brief of Title for land on the NE corner of Chestnut and Delaware 3rd St
Document 72, Date unknown, probably approximately 1852: -Notes appraising the worth of the 'property to be divided'
Document 73, Date unknown, after 1850: -Note on scrap paper
Document 74, Date unknown, between 1870 and 1898: -Statement showing the division of the estate of Frances West
Document 75, Date unknown: -Note on Scrap paper, A rough map of the land on the NE corner of 3rd and Chestnut st
Bulk purchased from the Strawbridge estate; additions found on the property or purchased later by the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association.
Organization
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Horsham Preservation and Historical Association
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories
- Sponsor
- This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Access Restrictions
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Contact Horsham Preservation and Historical Association for information about accessing this collection.