Joseph Thatcher. Born, circa 1669, in Uffington, Berkshire, England. Died, after 1726, in Bucks Co., PA.  Occupation: Carpenter.  No marriage record has been found  In 1693 Joseph paid taxes in Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  In 1697 he paid twenty pounds to cover the debts of his brother Richard to the Court of Quarter Sessions.  He and Bartholomew, his brother, granted 150 acres of land to Samuel Beakes, presumably in payment for one of the many court settlements against their brother Richard.

(Records of the Courts of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania 1684-1700. Meadville, Pa. Tribune Publishing Company. 1943. pp. 307, 356.)

In April of 1714, Joseph served as a witness for a land deed of John Enoch, (Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. Deed Book. 5. pp  36-38. Copy.)

                                                     Per this 1728 deed the chain of ownership is given as:

Penn Patten (sic) to Robert Heaton-                      818 A
Robert Heaton, Sr. to Godfrey Kirk 7 Nov 1716    64 A
Godfrie Kirk to Jeremiah Dugan 10 Feb 1719         34 A
Jeremiah Dugan to Joseph Hatcher 21 Jul 1724
Joseph Hatcher to William Hatcher 5 Sep 1726
William Hatcher to Rose Croasdale 10 Apr 1728  10 ½ A

The land is defined as in Middletown, beginning at a corner marked white oak in Edward Glover's line, hence East 10 degrees north by Thomas Croasdale land 47 perches,  to a post, thence South by East by John Wildman's land 36 perches, to another post, thence West 10 degrees South by aforesaid Edward Glover's land, 47 perches to another post, thence North and by West by the said Glover's land 37 perches, to the first mentioned white oak.  10 ½ Acres, part of a 34 acre tract.

Richard was an original Penn patent owner.  In this 1728 deed the chain of ownership is given as: Richard Thatcher took up about 1000 Acres in Bucks Co PA, what later became Middletown twp.  His land is on "both sides" of the Nashaminy Creek, upstream just a few miles before it flows into the Delaware River.

In 1698, when Bartholomew and Joseph sold the land that they had inherited from their father, they sold it to Robert Heaton.  Upstream from Richard, about 3 farms away is Robert Heaton's place.  He died in 1717.  When William Hatcher sold the land in 1727 that he got from Joseph Thatcher, the deed mentions that the land used to belong to Robert Heaton.  One could conclude that William Hatcher's birth place is right in the heart of the area where Richard Thatcher settled.

                     Minute Book "G" Page 376 at a sesion (sic) of the Comm'rs at Philad'a 17 and 18, 3 mo., 1703

                                                      Prst., Edar'd Shippen, Griff. Jones and Jam's Logan.
 

The Prop'ry, by L. and Rel., dat. 3 and 4 May, '82, Granted to Rich'd
Thatcher, deceased, One thousand acres, and the said Rich'd in his life  time,
by his last will, dated 13, 8 mo.,'90, duely Proved, devised to his Sons,
Bartholomew Thatcher and Jno Thatcher, a Certain share of the said 1,000 a's,
as well surveyed as unsurveyed, upon w'ch there being formerly 650 a's taken
up and 350 remaining unsurveyed, w'ch fell to their Part, they, the said
Bartholomew and Jos., by their deed Poll, dat. 6, 1 mo.,1700-1, directed to
Edw'd Pennington, Conveyed the s'd 350 a's to Sam'l Beakes, of the County
of Bucks, yeom'n, haveing first Procured a warrant for the Same from the Prop'ry,
dat. 1, 12 mo., 1700-1, directed to Edward Pennington, w'ch warr't being
executed by John Cutler and duely returned into the Office, the said Sam'l
Beakes requests a Confirmation of the Same. Granted.

Bucks Co Tax Records 1693 - 1778, McNealy & White, p1. Tax made the 13th & 14th of 7 mo 1693, rate of one penny per pound of all real & personal estate & six shillings per head upon such as not otherwise rated. Middletown Township 1693 Barth' Thatcher 6 shillings Jos' Thatcher 6 shillings.

In the book "Early Settlers of Solebury Township, Bucks Co PA" which was Compiled from Deeds, Wills, and the Records of Friends Meetings by Eastburn Reeder, 2nd Ed, 1917, p58.
Document C

A map of the division of properties indicates Lot No. 23 as the John Bladerston Tract. This land was originally part of Richard Thatcher's Penn grant of 1000 A and that he willed this land to his sons Bartholomew and Joseph in 1690, containing 250 Acres.  Bartholomew and Joseph sold this tract to Samuel Beaks, in a 1700 deed of Bucks Co. Beaks had this surveyed, and sold it in 1725/6 to William Chadwick.  Chadwick heirs sold this to Bladerston in 1766.  Bladerston was a 1727 immigrant.  What is important here is that Chadwick was the first to build on it.  Richard owned land that was not settled upon, not cleared, had no family living there for the first 35 years.

The Nashaminy Creek in the area of Richard Thatcher's land is the division of Middletown twp and Southampton twp. This deed of Joseph's and Bartholomew's looks like they are selling off the last of Richard's land on the west side of the creek, and selling it to the neighbor.  Assuming this Joseph is the father of our William Hatcher, and he did live here in 1708 on the west side of Nashaminy Creek, Southampton twp, then this is probably the birth place of our William Hatcher.

In deed Bk , p 40, 14 Feb 1708, Bartholomew Thatcher, carpenter, of  Hopewell, Burlington Co, West New Jersey, and Joseph Thatcher (sons of Richard Thatcher), carpenter, of Southampton, Bucks Co PA...sell 284 acres of the 1000 acres to Clement Bennett and Stephen Whiteing.