Thomas Nichols and Mary Ludford, Philadelphia Quakers #52ancestors

This week's #52 ancestors entry is about my 8th Great Grandfather and his wife Mary, Quakers who immigrated to Philadelphia from England around 1712... ***Notes: REFERENCE: "The Hoge, Nichols and Related Families - Biographical/Historical - A Sequential Arrangement of Genealogical Data", by William D. Nichols, 4578 Rain Park Drive, Fairview Park, OH 44126, Sept. 1969 --- THOMAS NICHOLS was born in Rugely, Staffordshire, England, and died 1724-1728 He married (1) SUSANNA CHECKLETON September 25, 1697. He married (2) MARY LUDFORD ABT July 13, 1704. Thomas Nichols of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, and his wife Mary (Ludford) Nichols of Badgely Ensor, Warwickshire, members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) came to America from Rugely, Staffordshire, England, in 1712. their certificate of removal granted by the Society was dated 1711 and was received in Philadelphia on June 12, 1712. It mentioned Thomas, Mary and children. In Saxon times Rugely was one of seven Hayes or Bailiwicks of Cannockforest which then extended from the tame on the east to Penk on the west and from Trent and Sow on the north to a boundary line on the south through Wolverhampton market place, Bilston and Wednesbury. it included 8640 acres (in Domesday Book 1086) forest 4 1/2 acres meadow and 600 acres ploughland. Mary H. Staats found a marriage date o 1704-7-13 in the Gilbert Cope collection at the Historical Society in Philadelphia. However, the following entries appear in the Staffordshire Parish Register, Rugely: 1697, Sept. 25. married Thomas Nichols and Susanna Checkleton 1698, July 8. Baptized Anne, d. of Thomas and Susanna Nichols 1705-6, Feb. 24. Baptized Elizabeth d. of Thos. Nichols 1705-6, Mar. 4. Buried Susanna, wife of Thomas Nichols It is possible that Thomas married twice - and that he became a Quaker through his second wife, Mary Ludford. In old writings fours and sevens are easily and frequently mistaken. the 1704-7-13 date could, in fat, have been 1707-7-13. If so, what became of the daughters Anne and Elizabeth by the previous marriage. It is true that Mary was a staunch and influential member and possibly a minister of the Society of Friends, even back in those days as indicated in the following biography copied by Pauline E. Nichols from "Biographical Sketches of Ministers and Elders and other Concerned Members of the Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia" published in the Friends magazine, Vol. 35, p. 116, 1861, 7th day, 12 mo. No. 15, Vol. XXXV. Mary Nichols Mary, the wife of Thomas Nichols, was born in England about 1680. the time of their marriage is unknown, but they obtained a certificate for themselves and children from a meeting at Rugby, Staffordshire, dated Seventh month, 21st, 1711. this certificate was accepted by Philadelphia Mo. Mtg. Sixth month, 9th, 1712. These Friends did not carry long in the city but removed with their family first to Concord in 1714 and from thence to within the limits of Newark Monthly Meeting, about the close of 1715, the certificate from concord bearing date First month, 12th, 1716, being received at Newark for them the following month. Although no mention is made on the minutes of the monthly meeting of Newark of the fact, yet it appears that Mary stood in the station of an acknowledged minister. At least she did a few years afterward, and no notice of her recommendation can be found. She was one of the most useful members of that monthly meeting, abundantly employed in the discipline and in religious visits to the families of Friends. Her services in the ministry of the Gospel were acceptable to the church, and she long laboured in unity of the one spirit and died in near fellowship with the faithful in Jesus Christ. Her death took place third month, 14th, 1770, being very aged probably about 90 years old. In the interest of veracity further search should be made before adopting the suggestion of a previous marriage by Thomas as anything other than conjecture. For the purpose of this record, it is assumed that the marriage of Thomas and Mary (Ludford) Nichols took place on 7/13/1704. No wills of Thomas and Mary have been found, but Thomas died before the marriage of his son John, probably between 1724-1728. He received a warrant for five hundred acres of land in Chester County on the fifteenth day of January, 1714, and for two hundred acres on the twelfth day of January, 1715/16. Thomas and Mary had eight children. It is not known how many were born in England. It is duly recorded, however, that John, the eldest, was born in England and came to America with his parents. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kenzie/GenNICHOLS.htm http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/i/c/Michael--F-Nichols/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0903.html