Elizabeth married Samuel LEYCESTER in 1659 in Leicestershire, England. Samuel (son of Sir Peter LEICESTER (LESTER) LEYCESTER, 1st Baronet - Knight and Hon Lady Elizabeth GERARD DECENDANT OF EDWARD 1, son of Samuel LESTER) was born in 1634 in Leicestershire, England; died on 13 May 1700 in Dunstan, Stepney Middlesex, England; was buried on 13 May 1700 in Middlesex, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Peter Lester, the founder of the family of that name in Pennsylvania and a pioneer of the Richland Settlement, came to Pennsylvania about 1682 with William Penn's group from Leichestershire, England. He was first given 1 square lot of land on Market St. by William Penn in Philadelphia. He sold this for 30 pounds. It probably was the 125 acres he purchased in England prior to coming to the colonies from William Penn. This is the smallest size lot that appears to have been sold by William Penn. (C-228e) He was a member of the Society of Friends and declared intentions of marriage at Chester Monthly Meeting with Mary Duncoff, 6 mo. 6, 1685. He was accompanied to this country by at a close relative, as the will of George Lester, probated at Philadelphia Dec. 14, 1695, mentions him as a kinsman and makes him executor." (C-247) A William Lester who dies in 1691 lists Peter as a cousin and George as a Kinsman.

Peter Lester apparently settled in Springfield Twp., Delaware Co., Pennsylvania. "Springfield is first mentioned as a governmental entity in 1686. In that year Peter Lester was named as constable by the court at Chester." He purchased 316 acres of land in 1699 in the Manor of Moreland, Philadelphia (now Montgomery Co.) where he lived until 1712. He sold his land and then moved his family to the Great Swamp on a 600 acre farm in Richland, purchasing that land on June 24, 1712. He and his family were amongst the first to settle in Richland Co., Pennsylvania His own property was called, "Friends in the Swamp," later being named Richland.

Monthly Meetings where they participated included Abington and Gwynedd. Abington was a distance from where they lived in Richland, so when Gwynedd was finally formed in 1716, they received certificates of removal to join it instead. Since the monthly meetings were taking place on the property of Peter Lester from 1715 through 1723 according to Robert's Early Friends Families of Upper Bucks, I conclude that the Gwynedd Monthly Meetings were actually on their property. They apparently built a small log cabin near his residence for these meetings. When they asked for certificates of removal on 8/29/1716 from Abington, Elizabeth is the only daughter listed with Peter and his wife. To me, that implies that their other sons and daughters have married and moved out by that point in time. (C-247)

Soon after this meeting was formed several other families moved to the area, including two son-in-laws that bought property next to his, Abraham Griffith and John Ball. Peter, in fact, sold 200 acres of land to son-in-law, John Ball in 1717, 200 acres to Jane McVeigh in 1718 and his final 200 acres to his son, Peter in 1721. His wife, Mary, died by 1739. He married again in the Gwyned Monthly Meeting to Sarah Scott in 1740 and probably died sometime between then and 1742. No death records were preserved for that area at that time. (C-1875)

The name Lester is a phonetic spelling of Leicester where the family is from in England. Another possible relative/brother to this Peter is Thomas. He came to America in 1689. He returned three years later to Scotland, married, had 16 children. He returned to Pennsylvania with several of these children. They lived in PA, NC, and possibly Virginia. (C-705)

Peter married Mary DUNCALF after 6 Aug 1685 in , Chester, PA, USA. Mary (daughter of Thomas DUNCALF and Margaret TAYLOR) was born about 1664; died about 1739 in Richland, Bucks, PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Sarah SCOTT. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hannah married Abraham GRIFFITH in Aug 1707. Abraham (son of Howell GRIFFITH) was born in 1680 in , , Wales; died on 3 Oct 1762 in Rockhill, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Gwynedd Monthly Meeting named John overseer for the "Great Swamp" (the area they resided in) in 1725. He worked at this position with diligence for many years taking care of what became the Richland Meeting. He and John Ball are on a petition signed in 1730. He and Peter Lester (Jr.) have signatures on a petition filed in court on Sep 15, 1743 to request organization of Springfield Township. He died at age 82 leaving a will in Philadelphia dated Mar 2, 1764 written almost 7 years before his death. It named sons John, Peter, Joseph and deceased son Isaac's children and daughters Catherine Roberts and Priscilla Foulke.

John married Catherine GRIFFITH in Jan 1715 in Gwynedd M.M., Richland, PA. Catherine (daughter of Howell GRIFFITH) died in 1731. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Dorothy UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Catherine was a Quaker. (C-1817)

Catherine married John BALL on 28 Jun 1710 in Abington, Bucks, PA. John was born in 1684 in , , , Wales; died on 22 Sep 1767 in Richland, Bucks, PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He removed to Virginia or Maryland. (C-247) He or one of his brothers could possibly be the father of a Joshua Lester/Lister who was born in in 1730 and died in Caroline County, MD???. Joshua had a son named William, b. on Apr. 10, 1760 in Kent Co., MD who moved through Virginia to Guilford Co., NC, to Marlboro Co., SC, and who died in Barbour Co., Alabama. This William, son of Joshua, had 2 brothers. (C-1326)

Notes:

Peter and Joyce did not have any children listed in "The Early Friends Families of Upper Bucks" by Clarence V. Roberts, c. 1925. However, a recent copy of the marriage record for Moses Coppock and Martha Lester found by Patti Sue McCrary states that Martha Lester is the d. of Peter Lester, yeoman (farmer), of Richland Twp., Bucks Co., Pennsylvania Since this is where Peter lived during his adulthood, it makes perfect sense that this is the Peter who is Martha's father by timing and place. His own father, Peter, would have been near 80, and probably not listed as a farmer -- even if he was still living at the time. Peter was deeded 200 acres of his father's land in Richland on May 15, 1721, in the area known as the great swamp. It is highly likely that his father was living with him for over a 20 year period since the elder Peter had deeded away all of his 600 acres to his son-in-laws and son a good twenty years before his death. Land records need checked for Peter Jr. as the "Early Friends Families of Upper Bucks" states that he sells this land at 2 different times - in 1724 and 1741. He had purchased 204 additional acres in 1739 on Cooks Creek near Durham, Springfield Twp., Pennsylvania. That land was sold in 1742 suggesting to me that he had possibly died at this time.

Peter married Joyce UNKNOWN before Oct 1716. Joyce died after 1740. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Ann BURSON. Ann was born in 1721; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Martha's surname is usually published as Lester but she was also stated to be a Scarr in some sources suggesting that she had a previous husband. The New Jersey Colonial Records dispell both. When she marries Moses in 1740, she is simply listed as Martha Lester with no indication of being a widow or having the name Scarr. Her husband's name is simply Moses Coppock and her father is listed as Peter Lester, yeoman. They were both listed as of Richland Twp., Bucks Co., PA in the NJ colonial marriage records found in the New Jersey Archives, Marriage Licenses, Set 2, Reel 8, p. 57 1/2 (C-683, 2220, 2298) From the above record we know that Martha is the daughter of Peter, but which Peter, Sr. or Jr.? They both lived in Richland Twp., Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. Martha's parents are invariably listed in second hand sources as Peter and Mary Lester with her birth date being given as 1704 or 1719 respectively. Let's attack this problem from Martha's age.

The only thing we know for certain on her age at this point, is that she was born before 1721, because she would have been at least 18 when she and Mary Lester were witnesses signing consecutively at a Quaker marriage of Wm & Martha (Foulke) Edwards in 8mo 24, 1738. (C-2222) If she had been born in 1704 she would have been four years older than her husband. She also would have been only 12 in 1716 when her parents changed their monthly meeting location to Gwynedd and would have been included as moving with her parents and sister Elizabeth in her families monthly meeting transfer. She was not included. If she was born in 1719, she would have been 33 years older than Peter Lester's wife's first child, making it an extremely unusual stretch of time for one mother to be having children. She basically would have been born after her siblings had all grown and moved away. (C-613)

It should also be noted that she is not listed as the child of Peter and Mary Lester in "Early Friends Families of Upper Bucks" or in the Griffith Genealogy in Wales and North America. (C-247, 1875) Lastly, in 1740 when Martha marries, her father is listed as a Yeoman (farmer). It is much more likely that her father the farmer was Peter Lester Jr. who was in his 40's than the Peter Lester, Sr. who was about 80 years old.

Taking her age, her father's location and profession into account as well as the other points above, we can now feel much more comfortable that her father was Peter Lester (Jr.) who was the son of the original Peter and Mary Duncalf Lester.

Martha and her husband lived in Granville Co., NC from 1754 through at least May of 1763 when Moses signed a petition and was on tax lists and militia rolls for that county. By Dec. of 1767, Moses likely died (in an Indian raid?) when Martha and son-in-law, Marmaduke Coate had moved to Newberry Co., South Carolina. Both were listed on Tuesday, the (1st) of Dec, 1767) with "The following Petitions for Warrants of Survey to prolong Warrants and Certifying Platts were presented and Read."

She was listed as Martha Coppock (her husband wasn't mentioned) requesting 300 acres on Bush River. Her likely son-in-law, Marmaduke requested 200 acres on the waters of Bush River at the same time. The number of acres petitioned reflected the number of persons in one's household. Martha would account for 100 or her acres and then 4 other persons would account for the rest requested at 50 acres per head. She had 2 married daughters at this point in time that probably got their own land suggesting that her other 4 children still lived at home. This last statement is theory. (C-2289)

On 12/30/1771 she witnessed her daughter Martha's Quaker wedding ceremony in the Bush River Meeting, NC. Martha is listed in some sources as having been killed by Indians, but this is a confusion with her husband. A William Mendenhall sometime in the mid 1900's passed down his family's tradition about her this way, " Martha (Lester) Coppock ..."had to go to a Wedding with in the city, leaving at home, Mary, her brother and her husband, who were killed along with 15 others of the city with one exception Mary ......." then along came Marmaduke to provide ransom, marry her indian fashion, then return her to her home.)" (E)

Though the William Mendenhall's tradition has yet to be verified, Martha's will does let us know that she was not the person killed by Indians. Martha's will written Nov. 13, 1794, was probated on Feb. 28, 1797 in Book B, p. 82-83. Important points included that she lived in Newberry in common health. She gave each of her daughters 2 pounds: Rebekah Evans, Mary Coats, Phebe Pugh and Martha Tomlinson. To son James, she gave the 300 acres she was currently living on and her personal estate. Her executors were son, James Coppock, and son-in-law, Marmaduke Coate. (C-683) The original will is apparently missing from the Probate records, but a will book copy is still available. Witnesses were Mercer Babb, Wright Coates, Rhoda Babb and Jas. Weeks. (C-2082)

Martha married Moses COPPOCK on 22 Sep 1740 in , , NJ, USA. Moses (son of Bartholomew COPPOCK, III and Rebecca MINSHALL, (Mendenhall)) was born on 2 May 1708 in Middle, Dauphin, Chester, PA; died before 1 Dec 1767 in Bush River, Newberry District, South Carolina Colony. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]