Connections to the Past

My sister, Leslie, asked me in a phone conversation a few days ago if I was posting photos to my blog.  Since I have not posted anything on my blog for over 2 years now I was reminded by her comment that I had neglected recording my life and adventures for way to long.  So, I will attempt to begin again and over time to recreate some of the exciting events over the past 2 years, which have been many.

I am very excited today to begin with a brief note about our discoveries yesterday at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in downtown Philadelphia.  My mother has requested that I go in search of the "Sharples Rock", the spot where a line of her ancestors came with William Penn and began their new life in the New World.  It is an actual rock and I think we may be able to find it tomorrow.

In the historical society vaults, there is an old map, probably from 1687 (although Ed and disagree as to the actual date written on the document) that is "A Map Of The Improved Part Of The Province Of Pennsilvania In America" (spelling from the map).  This includes Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks counties.  On this map I discovered three parcels of land designated for John Sharples.

Another smaller and less detailed map from 1683 showed three different plots of land for him. Two of them right next to each other.  The man who prepared this map also drew in where the homes where on the property.  This has helped us to guess where we can go to find the "Sharples Rock" by comparing (overlaying if you will) a current map with this map.  We also have some descriptions that tell the recent roads, so we are optimistic.



Tomorrow or Monday we will have the time to search out this spot.  We were also told by one of the employees of the historical society that sometime in the last couple of years there was a big ceremony by the Sharples family where they actually put a plaque of some kind on the rock.

We are very excited.

We also found out that one of Ed's cousins is also related by marriage to the same original Sharples!! Can it get much better than this??

More next time.