JEREMIAH and MARY JERMAN
Jeremiah Jerman lived in Chester County, Pa., during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. (1)
Married a woman named Mary. (2)
Children: (3)
John.
Sarah. Married Griffith Evans.
Elizabeth. Married Philip Rogers.
Mary. Married Jeremiah Peirsol.
Margaret. Married Roger Evans.
Jeremiah’s year of birth and place of origin are unknown at this point. However, it seems likely that he was related to the John Jarman who appears on the Radnor tax list for 1693. During its earliest days, Radnor was set aside for settlement by Welsh Quakers and most of those who lived there during that time were of Welsh descent. (4)
Jeremiah makes his first appearance in Chester County court records in 1697, when he brought a boy named Robert Gibb to court and the boy was ordered to “sarve his said Master or Assignes eleven years” as an indentured servant. (5)
Although that marked Jeremiah’s first appearance in court records, it appears he was already well established in the community. He was appointed constable of New Town in a court held the first month of 1697/8. Such positions were rarely given to newcomers. (6) Jeremiah was again appointed Newtown’s constable in 1710. (7) County officials also appointed him to help lay out a new road “road from Springfield Meeting House to the lime stone hills” in 1701. (8)
In 1700, the Chester County Court ordered a panel to examine plans for Road No. 4 in “Newtown,” that started on High Street and ran through the land of William Lewis and Jeremiah Jermans, then through the land of David Phillips and Lewis Lewis, among others. (9)
Jeremiah also appears in some land records. Robert Barber Attorney for John Pierson delivered a deed to David Loyd Attorney to Elizabeth Thomas and Jeremiah Jerman for 25 acres of land in Newtowne dated the first day of the ninth month 1701. On the last day of August 1703, Jeremiah Jarman and Morgan Jones and David Phillips by their Attorney David Loyd delivered a deed to Rees Howill for 50 acres of land in Newtown. (10) Additionally, a 1737 deed – which covers a transaction involving Jeremiah’s heirs – mentions that he acquired 125 acres from David Loyd on Dec. 1, 1725 and that the land adjoined property that he already owned. (11)
On the 23rd day of the 12th month 1702/3, Jeremy Jerman was among those who testified in the paternity case against William Davis. At the previous session, Lydia Harris informed the court that William Davis was the father of her child, who was about 5 weeks old, and that she was Davis’ servant. Davis was ordered to appear at the next court. A number of witnesses appeared to support Davis and Lydia Harris failed to appear at the second session so the case was dismissed. (12)
On Aug. 28 and 29, 1705, Jeremiah was sued for some unstated reason in a care heard in Chester County court. (13)
On May 30, 1710, the Chester County Court ordered that Road No. 33 run through the property of Jeremiah Jarman. It started at Thomas Jarman’s mill in the “great Valley,” and lead to “the great Road from Radner to Philadelphia.” During part of its course, it led “to a marked black oak on the land of William Sharlow so called thence to a marked black oak on the land of Jeremiah Jarman from thence to Spanish Oak on the land of John Langworthy.” (14)
Jeremiah appears in the tax lists of Uwchlan Township, Chester County, from 1718 until 1725. In 1727, the name of his wife, Mary, appears on the list, probably indicating that he died between the time taxes were collected in 1725 and 1727. (15) The 1737 deed mentions that Jeremiah didn’t leave a will. (15)
Mary died in the fall of 1741. She wrote her will – as a “widow Being very Sick and weak in Body but of Perfect mind and memory Thanks be Given unto God” – on Sept. 24 and it was proved on Oct. 8. (16) Following Mary’s death, her heirs had quite a bit of difficulty obtaining their inheritance because one of her executors – David Thomas – died. The heirs went to court repeatedly during the next year and a half before the account was settled. (17)
(1) Jeremiah Jerman appears in Chester County, Pa., court records starting in 1697, according to “Record of the Courts of Chester County, Pennsylvania,” Colonial Society of Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, page 9. It seems likely that Jeremiah was related to the John Jarman who appears in the 1693 tax list for Radnor. (2) Jeremiah’s widow is listed as Mary in Chester County, Pa., Deed Book P2, pages 444-452. (3) Jeremiah’s children are listed in Chester County, Pa., Deed Book P2, pages 444-452. Some sources has mistaken Jeremiah’s sons-in-law for sons of his wife, Mary. Mary’s will seems to indicate that she had four sons with four different last names. However, the earlier deed clearly identifies these men’s wives as Jeremiah’s daughters. (4) This and other Chester County tax listed a available at www.pa-roots.com/~chester. (5) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, page 9. (6) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, page 14. (7) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, pages 198 and 201. (8) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, pages 78 and 88. (9) “Record of the Courts,” Vol, 2, page 74. (10) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, pages 76 and 109, respectively. (11) Chester County, Pa., Deed Book P2, pages 444-452. (12) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, pages 98 and 99. (13) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, page 139. (14) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 2, page 204. (15) “Tax Lists: For TREDYFFRIN, UWCHLAN, and VINCENT Townships 1715-1732, Chester Co, PA,” in the USGenWeb Archives. (16) Chester County, Pa., Estate File 762. (17) “Record of the Courts,” Vol. 4, pages 97, 99, 103, 104 and 114.
