Biographical Sketch of Francis CHADS (1881); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson <ferg@ntelos.net>.

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from Futhey and Cope's THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY (1881);

Francis Chads (Chadsey, as the name was often written, or Chadsi, as he appears 
to have signed himself in 1688), doubtless came from Wiltshire, England, and 
settled in Chichester in 1684.  The name of his first wife is believed to have 
been Hester, but it is not known that she left children.
In 1695 he married Grace, dau of Francis Stanfield, of Marple, and probably 
settled soon after on the Brandywine, at the ford which bears the family name.  
There he built a mill, perhaps in 1707, as there was difficulty between him and 
is neighbors at that time, presumably about the dam or water-right.  The mill 
was there in 1710, but it appears in after years to have gone down and the site 
was forgotten.  When the foundations of the present mill were dug some timber 
were found which were pronounced to be a part of the old structure.
    Francis Chads died ca 1713, and his widow married 701601714 Gayen Stevenson.  
Their children were Sarah m 2-12-1714, Mordecai Cloud; John; Grace, m Thomas 
Clayton, 1724; Betty, m William Pyle; Ann m ___ Peterson; Francis, who died 
young or unmarried.
    John Chads married 8-2-1729, Elizabeth, dau of Isaac and Catharine 
Richardson, of Whiteland, and probably built the old stone house at the north 
end of the village of Chads' Ford.  IN 1736 he established a ferry on the creek, 
and brought in a bill of 30  to the commissioners in the following year for 
building a "fflatt or Schowe".  From the items in this and later bills it 
appears that a large cable-rope was stretched across the creek, and a windlass 
used to pull the boat back and forth.  In 1760, just before his death, John 
Chads brought in a bill for rebuilding the boat and among other items charges 
''for wood to burn ye old boat, and ye trouble of ditto,  1 .  He died in the 
10mo 1760 and left no children, but divided his property among his relatives, of 
whom Joseph Davis, who married his niece Hannah Cloud, appears to have been the 
favorite.  He was licensed to keep a tavern in connection with the ferry in 
Sept. 1736, and continued in the business a few years, but in 1746, he was 
succeeded by his brother-in-law, James House, and thogh he continued to own the 
property he did not keep the tavern.  Amos Harvey followed House in 1752, and 
Henry Hayes came next, in 1757.
    His widow continued to reside in the old stone house, to which were attached 
40 acres of land separate from the tavern, and at the time of the Revolution her 
nephew, Amos house, lived with her and farmed the land.  She died ca 1791.
    The name is generally and incorrectly written Chadds, but the signature of 
John Chads shows the latter spelling to be correct.