Moving, across the centuries

1685 and 2026

What a difference 341 years makes.

By my reckoning, Francis Hickman lived 10 generations ago, born 1644 in Lambourne Woodlands, Berkshire Parish, Wiltshire, England.

Here is a map of the area showing hills and small towns. And not much else. Lamborne Woodlands (not shown) is a small hamlet 2 miles south of Lamborne and 70 miles (113km) west of London.

Today it is described in Wikipedia as “located on the route of Ermin Way, the Roman road which connected Calleva Atrebatum (today's Silchester) to Glevum (Gloucester). The hamlet is in the triangle formed by the modern B4000 from Newbury to Lambourn and Hilldrop Lane.” (Spelling varies through the ages: Lamborne, Lambourne and Lamborn).

Here is a modern view:

See the triangle? That’s it. Here were born Francis Hickman in 1644 and Elizabeth Chamberlin four years earlier. Both were members of the local Quaker Meeting and were married in 1664,

Around 1684, Francis became one of many fellow countrymen to purchase land from William Penn, to whom King Charles II had in 1681 deeded 45,000 square miles west of the Delaware River. I am uncertain how many acres Francis procured.

Records show that he crossed the Atlantic and arrived in the New World around 1684 with Elizabeth and their children Joseph (age 15), Hannah (12) and Benjamin (8).Together they farmed their land in Chester County.

Early maps of Pennsylvania were spare of detail.

Detail from First Map of Pennsylvania Under William Penn, 1681, from JSTOR

As Penn’s woodland was occupied by “settlers” (as they were referred to), the boundaries were drawn and the owner’s name noted.

Detail from a later map of territory, from JSTOR

I was not able to find my ancestor’s name on the first maps, but other records indicate that the farm was near the present day Westtown Friends School. The property would pass to Benjamin in 1700, where he lived with his bride, Hannah Buffington. Our line is descended from their son, Francis.

Writing this, I am trying to imagine the decision to move, and all the pieces that needed to fall into place, not to mention the emotional side of things. Was the process exciting? Was it traumatic? Was there resistance in the ranks of that young family? Or did they take on each day’s challenges with Quakerly forbearance?

This modern descendant, 341 years later, has no idea.

Our daughter Molly’s baby boy — her first — is due in May, and we decided to move from Silver Spring, Maryland and re-settle in Charlottesville, Virginia where Molly lives to be close at hand to help with raising Lewis (or whomever he looks like when he arrives). There are certainly challenges for two people in their seventies making the 125 mile journey — south of the Potomac River, no less. Still, nothing close to crossing the Atlantic in a wooden boat and arrive to an empty plot of land.

Detail of map from 1800s. For decades we lived in and around the T in Montgomery.

We have more than a few modern advantages:

• Zillow, to help find a rental. Ours is a 5 minute walk to the other side of Belmont Park where Molly lives.

• Costco, where we bought luxuriant quantities of every staple, plus a loaf of cherry fig bread.

• For the physical move, a hale and hearty brother-in-law with a good back and tremendous upper body strength, and a U-Haul truck. Plus crews of young folk in both locations to load and unload.

That we were not moving to avoid religious persecution is an added benefit.

The closest we came to the spirit of our ancestors was perhaps the first meal in our new home — potato leek soup in simple ceramic bowls. Because we had no furniture, we sat happily together on the stairs to the second floor

Just as I imagine our forbearers did.

Our new neighborhood ~ Apple Maps