Simon Hadley came to America about 1712 from County West Meath, Ireland. He was accompanied to Pennsylvania by his wife and six children. Two children were later born in Pennsylvania. It is unknown which ship he came over on. Many of the Friends sailed from Ireland to Pennsylvania on the ship Sizargh of Whitehaven. Jermiah Cowman was the master . However, Simon and his family do not appear on the records.

Simon did not present his certificate of removal until four years later. At Newark Monthly Meeting (now Kennett ) held at Center Meeting House, Centerville, Delaware - "4th. of 6th. mo. 17 16, Simon Hadley produced a certificate from Moate Monthly Meeting in County of West Meath and Nation of Ireland which was read and accepted".

Simon purchased 1000 acres of land about 30 miles south of Philadelphia in the Manor of Steyning. When the Pennsylvania-Delaware line "C" was drawn it passed through Simon' s property, leaving part of his plantation in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but placing his home and official residence, and most of his plantation in New Castle County, Delaware. This became
part of New Garden Township. The house is located on Li me Stone Road, Hackessin, DE about 10 miles northwest of Wi lmington (or Wellington), DE, off Route 41. Go to Kaolin(a bout 3 miles before you get to Avondale) and turn left. G o down Route 7 for about 2 or 3 miles, turn right and go u p a hill and there you are. The cornerstone is hidden unde r a tree. Among the neighbors of Simon Hadley are some fami liar names: Lindley, Starr, Hutton, Rutledge, Miller, Rowla nd, and Johnson. All of these families were of English origin, as were all of the Friends who went to Pennsylvania fro m Ireland with the exception of two it is said. Many of them had been friends in Ireland and others were related by blood or marriage.

The description that Chalmers Hadley gives to the house which was called Messuage Plantation of Steyning Manor, is as follows:

The old house is on a slight eminence nearly a quarter of a mile back from the road, and the nearest railroad station, Southwood, is on what probably was once part o f the place. The old house is a two and one-half story, stucco covered stone structure, and the gabled roof permits the use of rooms on the third floor. The pointed windows under the gables give a quaint appearance to the old building , and along the front extends a long porch. Underneath the pointed gable window in the front a white stone slab is sunk in the wall and on it is carved "S. and R. H. 1717," the initials of Simon and his wife, Ruth Hadley, and the date of the building's erection.


Some distance from the house is an old stone barn whic h appears to be as ancient as the house itself. Tradition claims that when Simon Hadley was a very old man he was killed in the stable by a servant who planned to rob him of the considerable money he is said to have carried about with him.

This house is still in use and in 1977 the owner's wife was a Dupont-Pierre's favorite niece. In 1716, Newark Monthly Meeting was divided and New Garden Monthly Meeting created. It was composed of the meetings of New Garden, Nottingham and London Grove. By deed dated 26th. of 10th. Mo. 171 7 James Miller conveyed six acres of land to Simon Hadley a s trustee for New Garden Meeting. Simon apparently was quite active in this meeting. His name frequently appears on committees and he was made an overseer 28 May 1733. He and h is wife, Ruth, are buried there. On at least one occasion , we find Simon taking active part in his Quarterly Meetin g also. His name appears on a petition from Concord Quarter ly Meeting dated 3rd. Mo. 13th. 1734 and addressed to Kin g George II of England, regarding the boundary disputes between the Penns and Lord Baltimore.

Although such activities were usually frowned upon by Friends, Simon was not completely inactive in public affairs . He was appointed Justice of the Peace by Governor Fletcher 25 July 1726, re-appointed 20 April 1727, and again 1 Dec 1733. He also served at various times as Judge of the New Castle Court.

Simon Hadley helped his sons secure land of their own . In 1726, we find that Joseph Hadley already had a tract of land near his father's plantation. In that year, Simon Hadley made over another tract of land to his son, Joshua Hadley.

Early Pensylvania Land Records - Egle,1976 pg 759

Minute Book I
28th 12mo. 1728
Joshua Hadley requests (by his Father, Simon Hadle y) the grant of a quantity of land on Fishing Creek, he desires
1,000 acres.

Attached to Simon's first will, written in 1751, following the death of his wife Ruth, was this note. "It is my will that my executors dispose of my servant lad Joseph Fitzpatrick's time for the benefit of my said children as above , written before the said will was perfected by me."

Tradition says that Simon was killed in his stable by a servant who wanted to rob him of the considerable amoun t of money he carried with him. No record has ever been found to substantiate this. However, in a letter written by Simon's daugher, Hannah,
(Hadley)Stanfield, from North Carolina to her step-mother, we can see that her father died suddenly in 1756:

"Respected Mother -

This comes to let thee know that I and my family is in good health at present, hoping that these few lines will find thee and thine in the same, and I have great cause to be thankful to the Divine Being for it.

I received thy letter dated the 31st of 5th month 1756, and was glad to hear of thy welfare and a true account of my respected father's sudden death.
Thy brother Richard Beson was here at my house a few days ago. He told me that his wife and family was well and all of our friends here is reasonably well as far as I know, so not having much to add, I shall conclude with my love to thee and thine and remain thy loving daughter, ye 24 th of ye 7th month, 1756.

Hannah Stanfield"

Simon Hadley's last will, written in 1755, was recorded in 1756. There were several changes made in this last will from the former one. These included some 600 acres of land not mentioned in the last will. It may have been that at his second marriage this land constituted the settlement bestowed on Phoebe Buffington by Simon Hadley, or this land may have been given in the meantime to his two sons, Joseph and Joshua, who were scantily remembered in the last will as compared to Simon Hadley's various grandchildren.

No inventory of Simon's estate was found with the will . In addition to his home and lands, Simon Hadley divided a bout $15,000 in money among his family, a large estate for those days. This old will, yellowed with age and held together with what appeared to be a hand-made pin, was found by Chalmers Hadley in the court house in Wilmington, Delaware, in August 1908.

Simon and Ruth were buried in the New Garden burying ground. Chalmers Hadley visited the old cemetery but found no identification of the graves. He noted that it seems in early times, Friends did not mark the resting place of their members with a stone of any kind. Chalmers described the old meeting house as follows:

"New Garden meeting house is a venerable old structure built of red and black brick, brought from England, i t is said. In front of the meeting house stood a mounting s tone and a low stone wall surrounded both the meeting hous e and the burying ground adjoining it. There was an air o f antiquity about the interior of the old building. The lon g room where Hadleys, Lindleys, Rowlands, and Greggs worshi pped in past years, was divided by sliding shutters for th e men's and women's meetings. A huge fireplace was in eac h end, but these had been closed and stoves were substitute d, the pipes of which went through limestone slabs in th e ceiling. Time-worn oak panelling, put together with woode n pegs, extended around the room, and the heavy wooden ben ches, black from age, were covered with initials of generations of youngsters until the carvings appeared as relief w ork. Back of the gallery where John Salkeld, Jacob Lindle y and other zealous Friends had preached in long gone days , was a case of well-thumbed, leather-bound books on the doctrines of Friends. Outside in the shelter of a splendid Magnolia tree in a score of unmarked graves, sleep the ancestors of many families in North Carolina and Indiana."

Information from The Hadley Family by Lyle H. Hadley and an article in the Pennsylvania Traveler Post, v. 16 , #3, pg.3 and "Hadleys of Hendricks Co. Indiana", Librar y of Congress No 62-10576, edited and published by Harlan V . Hadley, and from a book written 1n 1916 by Chalmers Hadle y..[lindley.ged]