Birmingham Township.

life which had been allotted to him, could remember the three sanctuaries, the old log, the first stone, and subsequently the present, third and imposing, structure, and, perhaps, to no man is the Brandywine Baptist Church more indebted than to Robert Frame, who through life labored to advance its interest and well-being.

The adherents to the forms and rituals of the Church of England, until within a year, had no house of worship in Birmingham; but it must not be supposed that there were no earnest Episcopalians in that township. Ralph Pyle was an ardent churchman, and by his will, dated Jan. 1, 1739, provision was made for three sermons to be preached on three certain days in each year at Concord parish, by a minister of the Church of England.

St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church. - Services according to the ritual of the Episcopal Church were had at Chad's Ford from time to time, the first consecutive services having been held by Rev. J. Coupland, rector of St. John's Church, Concord, which were continued during the rectorship of Rev. H. B. Dean. The congregation assembled in the school-house and at private houses. St. John's parish being without a rector, until the election of the present incumbent, Rev. J. J. Sleeper, services were necessarily discontinued, but on the latter being installed rector, a determined movement was made to locate a permanent church organization at Chad's Ford. J. M. Baker entered earnestly into the movement, and the result was that funds were collected justifying the erection of a church edifice. A lot was secured from John Arment, and on June 11, 1883, the corner-stone was laid by Rev. W. H. Graff, of Philadelphia, assisted by Rev. John Bolton, of West Chester, and Rev. J. J. Sleeper, rector of St. John's parish. On May 1, 1884, St. Luke's Church was opened for divine service, the rector of St. John's parish officiating, assisted by Rev. Messrs. Henry Brum, William H. Graff, William M. Jefferis, John Bolton, Richardson Graham, H. Greenfield Schow, and George C. Moore. At the conclusion of the services, as a testimonial to Rev. J. J. Sleeper for his untiring efforts to establish the church at Chad's Ford, a costly gold watch was presented to him. On May 12, 1884, the church was organized by Rev. Joseph J. Sleeper, rector of St. John's parish, the first vestrymen being Frank Graff, Frank Tempest, Dr. H. Hayward, L. S. Williamson, W. William Ring, J. T. Brittingham, and George K. Barney. Mr. Williamson was elected accounting warden. After the board of vestrymen organized, Rev. Joseph J. Sleeper was elected rector, and J. M. Baker treasurer of the building fund. Frank Graff was appointed rector's warden by Mr. Sleeper. The church is an ornate frame structure, located a short distance northwest from the railroad station at Chad's Ford.

Friends' Meeting-House. - In the old township o Birmingham, before its dismemberment at the time Delaware County was erected, stood the ancient historic Birmingham Friends' meeting-house. The old battle-scarred building, in the division of the township, fell to the lot of Chester County. However, as Friends in Lower Birmingham for over a hundred and fifty years have assembled in the structure to commune together in religious exercises, I will briefly touch on its history. The first house, which was of cedar logs, was erected in 1722, on grounds given by Elizabeth Webb for that purpose, and the burial-lot was inclosed with a post-and-rail fence. About 1763 the oldest part of the present stone meeting-house was built, and the old log house used as a stable. Subsequently an addition was made to the stone building on the east end. Tradition states that the stone walls surrounding the burial-ground, in the battle of Brandywine, were used by the American riflemen, and the dark spots on the oaken floor are said to have been made by the blood of wounded soldiers, the building having been used as a hospital for nearly a week, or until the British army marched to the Boot Tavern. In the old "God's Acre" surrounding the building for many years, in digging fresh graves, relics of the slain in that battle were disinterred. As late as 1828 a writer,¹ in describing a visit to the old meeting-house and battle-field, says, -

"You may be shown s gold coin of the olden time which some Hessian private had concealed, with several of its fellows, in the cue of his hair, and which may have recently been disinterred with his mouldering remains, or you may visit the Birmingham graveyard, and as you see the sexton turning up, some two feet below the surface, the bones of a British soldier, with fragments of his red coat still retaining its color, his stock-buckle, pocket-glass, flints, and buttons (stamped with the number of his regiment), contrast the peaceful scenes which now surround you and the peaceful tenets of the religious society worshiping in the humble tabernacle near with that terrible day when mighty armies here met in conflict, this spot echoed back the tempest of war, shook with the thunder of artillery, and was literally drenched with the blood of the slain."

Tradition asserts that a young man named Percy, supposed to be a relative of the Duke of Northumberland, was killed near the meeting-house. "When he had arrived with the regiment he accompanied, in sight of the Americans ranged in order of battle upon the heights near Birmingham meeting-house, he surveyed the field around him for a moment, and then turning to his servant, handed him his purse and his gold watch to take charge of, remarking, 'This place I saw in a dream before I left England, and I know I shall fall here.' The coincident was striking and remarkable; the event verified the prediction. His name is not mentioned in the British official account of the battle, because he held no commission in the army. He was merely a volunteer." Gideon D. Scull, writing from Rugby, England, Feb. 5, 1880, says, respecting this alleged incident of the battle, -

"To The Editor of the Delaware County Republican:
"The recent revival in some of your papers of the old popular belief that Earl Percy, or some near relative of that name, was killed at the Battle of Brandywine, has no foundation whatever in fact. Lossing also asserts that he never was present even in that engagement.