Chester County was one of the three original Pennsylvania counties created in 1682.
Catherine Hadley was born on November 11, 1704 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Simon Hadley.
She married Robert Johnson.
Robert Johnson, Jr. was the son of Robert Johnson and Margaret Braithwaite of Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Catherine and Robert's children included:
Hannah Johnson (1735, married Joseph Taylor and William Baily),
Simon Johnson (1737, married Rebecca Mercer),
Caleb Johnson (1740, married Mary Bennett),
Lydia Johnson (1742, married Thomas Baldwin),
Stephen Johnson (1744, married Martha Wethereld),
Jonathan Johnson (1748),
Isaac Johnson
(1750),
Phebe Johnson (1750, married Samuel Finley), and
Hadley Johnson (1750, married Joanna Richards).
When Robert and Katherine declared their intention to marry, they were forbidden to proceed until Robert, Jr. made the following acknowledgment:
Whereas I have Endeavored to draw out ye affections of my friend Katherine Hadley before I had ye consent of her parents, which said Action of mine being contrary to ye Rules of Friends and I knowing in my Self it not to be Right
Whereupon I do condemn all Such practices and do take ye blame on my Selfe and desire ye friends may pass it by and hope I Shall be more careful for time to come of giving any just offence to friends
as Witness my hand this 26 day of ye sixth month 1732.
Robert Johnson
In 1765, Robert and Katherine and five of their children; Stephen, Jonathan, Isaac, Phebe, and Hadley, were granted a certificate to move to the Wilmington Monthly Meeting, New Castle County.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) began in England in the 1650s, when they broke away from the Puritans. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, as a safe place for Friends to live and practice their faith.
