Yerkes has also been spelled Gerkes, Gerckes, Jerghes, Jerghjes, Jurckes,Yercas, Yercks, Yerkhas, Yerkas, Yerkiss, Yerks, and Yerkus
Byberry is a township in the northeast corner of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The Walton brothers were early settlers. Moreland Township was just west of Byberry. When Montgomery County broke off in 1784, Moreland was divided into two townships, both called Moreland. In 1917 the Montgomery County Moreland split into Upper Moreland Township and Lower Moreland Township.
Stephen Yerkes was born on August 3, 1727 in the Manor of Moreland. His parents were Herman Yerkes and Elizabeth Watts. He was a farmer and a landowner.
He was a member of the Union Library Company of Hatboro, and he and his wife were members of the Southampton Baptist Church.
He married Rebecca Whiteside.
Rebecca and Stephen's children included:
James Yerkes (1756, died age 4),
Stephen Yerkes (1759, never married), James Yerkes (1761, married Rachel Shaw), Elizabeth Yerkes Morgan (1764, married Eli Morgan), Rebecca Yerkes Watson (1766, married Levi Watson),
Joseph Yerkes (1769, married Mary Purdy),
Rachel Yerkes Rodgers (1772, married James Rogers), and
Samuel Yerkes (1775, married Elizabeth Rutherton).
In the Assessment of Moreland of 1776 from Bean's 1884 History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania he had 150 acres, 4 horses, and 4 cows.
In 1790 the Stephen Yerkes family was in the Manor of Moreland, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. There were 11 members of the household.
The Union Library of Hatborough was formed in August, 1755 by 38 men who met the Crooked Billet Tavern. They each paid ten shillings a year to buy books. In August, 1756, the first shipment arrived from England.
The Manor of Moreland was composed of a tract of ten thousand acres, and was created, in 1682, by a grant from William Penn to Dr. Nicholas More. Most of the Manor was in Philadelphia County, but is now
Moreland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
