PREVIOUS << HOME >> NEXTPage 03 - Reams/Hibbits/Arkley GenealogyJohn Salkeld 1672 -1739On the 20th of the 9th month, 1739, John Salkeld died at his residence, aged 67 years, 9 months, and 4 days, and was interred in the Friends burial ground at Chester, on the 22nd. The following lines then appeared, which were attributed by some to Joseph Brainthall, a friend and scribner of Philadelphia. Others suppose them to have been written by Henry Hale Graham, a lawyer of Chester.
The many anecdotes related of John Salkeld would indicate that he was of a lively and sometimes even jovial turn of mind, bordering on the eccentric. One day he was wearing a new hat which had a button and loop upon it which was considered quite fashionable, and as he cared but little about appearance, he did not notice the impropriety. He was however taken to task for wearing the fashionable appendage. John immediately tore it off, remarking, "if his friends religion consisted of a button and loop he would not give a button and loop for it." Being at a meeting of friends and observing the assembly sleepy he arose to his feet and shouted "Fire!, Fire! which startled them so that one inquired, "Where?" "In hell" in replied, "to burn up the drowsy and unconcerned." Returning from a religious visit in New Jersey, he observed that he had breakfasted with the Lads, dined with the Lords, and slept with the Hoggs, the people by whom he had been entertained having those names. Being in his cornfield by the roadside, a man by the name of Cloud came along and said, "John, thee will have a good crop of corn." He afterward related the circumstance of his being in the cornfield when he heard a voice coming out of a cloud saying, "John, thee will have a good crop of corn." It would appear that he was at times absent minded, for when he took his daughter Agnes with him, she riding behind him on horseback, as was the custom at that time, after the meeting he rode off without her, leaving her at the meeting house. Agnes Salkeld, the wife of John Salkeld, was the daughter of Edward Powley, of Whinfield, Westmorland County, England, and was born in 1678. On the 27th of the 3rd month 1706, she produced her certificate of membership to Chester monthly meeting, from England which appears to be three months after her husband produced his. From accounts she was a tall muscular woman, circumstances would lead us to believe that she had more than ordinary business qualifications. Her children and grandchildren were mostly tall, some of them were quite large; this characteristic they must have inherited from her as her husband was reputed not to have been above medium size. In some branches of her descendants the tendency to grow tall is still observable at the present day. She died on the 12th day of the 11th month 1748, aged 70 years, 10 months and 26 days and was interred in Friends' burial ground at Chester. 3. John Salkeld married Elizabeth Worral in 1731 and settled in the neighborhood
of Chester. Their children were:
Peter Salkeld married Margaret Bishop and had 7 children, John, Thomas, Peter, Margaret, Bishop, Elizabeth, and Mary G. He died September 21, 1820.
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