Passed Time - Extra Details for the Conard Family

Extra Details for the Conard Family

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Extra Details for Conard Family

A paper describing the children of Jonathan and Hannah Nixon Conard is what most genealogists wish they had. The details are exceptional, and the envy of families wanting to put “flesh” on the bones of their ancestors. This was a Quaker family that included seven daughters and two sons. The paper was probably copied in the 1930s from an earlier original version. It says:

Elizabeth was the oldest, born September 22, 1798, married December 13, 1827, died October 7,1871. She married Charles Kirk, and went to live on City Line one mile west of Old York road in Bristol township, Philadelphia, Pa. on a farm owned by George Peterson. Their two children, William and Hannah, were born there. In 1840 they removed to Warminister the year the meeting house was built. She was a tall dignified woman with great charm and sweetness. They all [the seven sisters] were taught expert household management, and were beautiful needlewomen. The seven sisters all attended Westtown school. Her health was never robust but that did not deter her from living a full and useful life in her home and her meeting.

The next child was Charles, born September 8, 1800, died March 3, 1876. He married Margaret Knight and lived in Philadelphia where he carried on a carpenters trade with many apprentices under him. His picture hangs in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. He and his apprentices helped build the Academy of Music.

He made a hooded dolls cradle out of mahogany. He cut from a block of wood a shoe on which he put a silver buckle set in a rosette of black silk. His wife dressed tiny china dolls and for the baby and the next larger size one he whittled out of wood even making them jointed arms and legs. He painted faces on them and they were no larger than a match stick. He made these for his niece Hanna Conard Kirk in 1841. They made The Old Woman in the Shoe. Charles built a home on N. Marshall St. where all the Friends were building houses to be near either 4th and Green or 4th and Noble [Streets] meetings. His father, Jonathan Conard, would not visit him there saying – “there certainly was room enough below Market street to build instead of going up on the cow pasture.”

Susanna, born September 7, 1802, married April 7, 1825, died June 20, 1871. She married William Foulke and lived at Spring House between Horsham and Gwynedd. She did little visiting except for a day at a time. They had 6 children. One daughter married a Matlack, the other Anna, married Charles Shoemaker. Hanna married Newbold - Lewis, Harry [unclear what is meant here].

John, born June 1, 1804, died August 2, 1881, moved to Ohio after nearly wrecking his father financially.

Mary, born December 24, 1806, died January 17, 1889. She married Barclay Brown who was perfect in everything. Mary was an incessant talker. She chewed calumus root for her kind of stomach trouble. She kept the first two fingers of her right hand on her right cheek, the third and fourth fingers were held closely together and worked constantly and in unison; two strokes on the lower lip then two strokes on the upper lip. They went continuously and never missed the rhythm of the motion all the time she chewed and talked. They had no children and after Barclay died lived with a niece.

Ann, born July 15, 1809, married November 17, 1842, died March 22, 1887. She married Benjamin Morgan who had a grist mill just north of Willow Grove. She was like all the rest, gentle, kind and sweet. She could not leave home for lengthy so they went to her. They had two children. William and Rebecca.

Deborra, born July 17, 1811, married December 5, 1886 [obviously there is an error in this date], died April 24, 1886. She married Nathan Cleaver. They had two girls, Mary and Sarah. She had to eat bread made and baked in a certain way. When she went visiting she carried her bread with her which sometimes was for a month at a time. She did not approve of carrying baggage so wore all her clothes she would need while on her visit. When she arrived she went immediately to the room assigned her and removed the different layers of clothing. Often 3 dresses, 2 and 3 pairs of stockings, 2 and 3 sets of underwear, two nightdresses. In her hand bag (called a cabba) she carried her fresh dainty caps, neck and sleeve pieces and her comb and brush. They never used each others brush and comb. She did not talk as continuously and Mary. It was great excitement to guess how much clothing she would have on each time the visit came around.

Lydia, born October 19, 1814, married August 12, 1836, died September 21, 1885. She married Thomas Parry and he died very soon leaving her with a large family of small children. She managed beautifully and never murmured about her lot. She could not visit so the rest came to her so she would not lose the close family touch with each other. She was always gentle and sweet. She was tall and slender as were Elizabeth, Mary, Susanna, and Ann. Deborra and Rebecca were much stouter.

Rebecca, born May 31, 1817, died September 15, 1882. She never married and lived with the oldest, Elizabeth Kirk. She had to live on fresh buttermilk. When she made her visit, a pitcher of fresh buttermilk must be kept where she could get a wine glass full several times a day for strength.

What a find for the Conard family! --Michelle Castle*

*Update: This article was originally published on PT in July 2015. Additional information about Rebecca Conard was recently found and added to Passed Time January 2, 2016. Click here.