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  Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG to Bucks Co., PA; Mid-Sixteen Hundreds to Early Seventeen Hundreds

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Lancashire, England:         Bucks Co., PA:

                            

  CHRISTOPHER ATKINSON was born Abt. 1657 in Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG (Probable), and died Aft. 01 July, 1699 in At Sea. He married MARGARET FELL 08 October, 1679 in Height, Cartmel Parish, Lancashire Co., ENG, daughter of CHRISTOPHER FELL and UNKNOWN.

Children of CHRISTOPHER ATKINSON and MARGARET FELL are:

1. DEBORAH ATKINSON, b. Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG; d. 1690, Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG.

2. WILLIAM ATKINSON, b. Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG; d. September 1699, Philadelphia, PA.

3. ALICE ATKINSON, b. 1680, Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG.

4. HANNAH ATKINSON, b. 1685, Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG; d. 09 October, 1699, State of Pennsylvania.

5. JOSEPH ATKINSON, b. 1687, Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG.

6. MARGARET ATKINSON, b. 1691, Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG; m. (1) SAMUEL HILLBORN, 1711, Newton TWP, Bucks Co., PA; m. (2) JOHN JONES, 1718, State of Pennsylvania.

7. ISABEL ATKINSON, b. Bet. 1695 - 1699, Scotford, Lancashire Co., ENG; d. Abt. 1760, Delaware Co., PA; m. JOHN CARTER, 03 March, 1715/16, Bucks Co., PA (Probable).

  Christopher Atkinson died on board the ship "Brittania" from Liverpool for Pennsylvania.  The ship reached Philadelphia 24 Aug 1699.  One fifth of the total of passengers on board the "Brittania" died at sea.

Both Christopher and his wife were Quakers.  Purchased land of William Penn  (1500 acres of which 500 brother John had a right) in March 1698.

He lived in Scotford until 1699, in which year, shortly after the middle of May, he, with his wife and children accompanied by his brother John and family and some sisters-in-law of John's, embarked on the ship "Brittania", from Liverpool, for Pennsylvania.  There was much sickness on this ship, and in the month of July, Christopher Atkinson died.

Christopher, a member of the Society of Friends had obtained a certificate of removal for himself and family dated 2 mo (April) 3, 1699, from Lancaster MM addressed to Friends in PA; this, his widow, Margaret Atkinson, presented to Neshamina (afterwards Middletown) MM in Bucks Co., PA, on 9 mo. (Novemeber) 2, 1699.  On that date Margaret Atkinson presented three certificates to that meeting, one as above, one for the children of her husband's brother John, (both he and his wife having also died on the voyage), and the third possibly for John Atkinson's sisters-in-law Mary and Alice Hynde though the minutes of the meeting do not specify as to that.

Christopher made his will on board the ship "Brittania"; it was dated 01 Jul 1699; and proved 06 Sep 1699, after the vessel's arrival in Philadelphia; in it he described himself as "late of Scotforth in County of Lancashire, husbandman."  He left half of his 1000 acres of land to his only son William, and the remaining 500 to his wife, Margaret, to enable her to bring up their other children, Hannah, Margaret, Isabel and "ye child unborn".  He also left her 40 pounds in money, twenty to be paid out of his effects on board the "Brittania", and twenty out of property which, he says, "I left in England".  All residue of his personal estate in England or elsewhere to be equally divided between his wife and children, William, Margaret, Hannah, Isabel and child unborn.  His wife Margaret was made sole executrix.  The inventory made in September estimated his personal estate at 209 pounds, a considerable sum as estates went in Pennsylvania before 1700.  The will shows which of their children were living and accompanied them on the voyage.  Besides those named in the will they had Alice, Deborah and Joseph.  Of the children mentioned in the will, William and Hannah both died in 1699, while "ye child unborn" either remained unborn or died in infancy, as it does not appear in the settlement of the estate.

More information on descendants of this family is available.  Please email us.  [email protected]

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Original background graphics by Elaine Randall English

Copyright ã Elaine Randall English, 1999-2002