Overview
The Vanleers first appear in the Tredyffrin property records in 1759 when Bernadus and Christiana Vanleer of Marple purchased 2 adjacent tracts of 109 and 100 acres. In 1786 they sold the 109 acre tract to their son, Isaac, for a nominal sum. In 1790 they sold the 100 acre tract, to their daughter Mary Moore, together with an additional 80 acres.
The 1798 Glass tax is an important source of information on the Tredyffrin properties. The Mary Moore tract has the following buildings:
Occupier: John Llewellyn
House: Brick 25' x 22', 2 floors.
Windows: 6 windows with 15 panes;
3 windows with 12 panes.
Other Buildings: Stone Addition 28' x 15'; Stone Kitchen 21' x 15'; Stone Springhouse 13' x 13'; Stone Stables 48' x 30' (on Old Lancaster Road).
Area of tract: 194 acres
This house is probably the old Blue Ball Inn. John Llewellyn was the Inn Keeper from 1793. After the Lancaster turnpike was built, Mary Moore constructed the second Blue Ball Inn on that road. The Glass tax shows the following details of the Isaac Vanleer tract:
Occupier: Isaac Vanleer
House: Log 21' x 21', 1 floor.
Windows: 8 window with 12 panes;
1 window with 8 panes;
1 window with 6 panes.
Log Barn 20' x 15'.
Area of tract: 103 acres.
The Isaac Vanleer house is probably what we know as the Van Leer cabin.
The property, with additions, passed down to George Vanleer who sold the properties in 1864,.ending the Vanleers holdings in Tredyffrin.
Details of the property transactions can be found at: https://the2nomads.org/18CTredyffrin/DeedHistories/TableL-OwenRobertsPatent.html
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Map of Tredyffrin tracts in 1798, showing the Vanleer properties
Property transactions
From |
To |
Date |
Area |
Cost |
Reference |
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a) Bernhard Vanleer mortgages |
Isaac & Lydia Minshall |
Bernhard Vanleer |
1/2/1753 |
181a 36p |
£100 |
H-490, mortgage, Easttown |
Isaac Minshall |
Bernhard Vanleer |
6/6/1754 |
181¾a 36p |
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I-231, mortgage, Easttown |
John & Anne Kinkead |
Bernhard Vanleer |
12/5/1757 |
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£35 |
K-529, mortgage, Tredyffrin |
Thomas Henderson |
Bernhard Vanleer |
11/23/1757 |
150a |
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K-527, Easttown, mortgage |
Nathaniel Claypole |
Bernhard Vanleer |
4/10/1761 |
238a |
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M-91, mortgage, Easttown |
George & Katharine King |
Bernhard Vanleer |
2/16/1770 |
51a 26p |
£50 |
R-118, mortgage, Tredyffrin |
b) Bernhard Vanleer tract in Tredyffrin |
Conrad & Catherine Young |
Bernadus & Christiana Vanleer |
3/13/1759 |
109a + 100a |
£700 |
L-242, Tredyffrin |
Bernadus & Christiana Vanleer |
Issac Vanleer |
2/2/1786 |
109a |
5s |
D2-25, Tredyffrin |
Bernard Vanleer |
Mary Moore, daughter |
Died 1/13/1790 |
100a purchased from Conrad Young and 80a from Thomas Hubbert |
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Will dated 2/10/1786
Thomas Hubbert sale not recorded in Chester County Archives |
Charles Dilworth, sheriff, debt of Moses Moore, deceased |
Christian & Bernhard Vanleer |
6/13/1790 |
180a |
£280 1s |
F2-203, Tredyffrin |
John Christie |
Isaac Vanleer |
5/31/1797 |
15a 36p |
£104 10s 10d |
R2-74, Tredyffrin |
Estate of Isaac Vanleer |
Bernard Vanleer |
5/20/1805 |
54a 13p |
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Y2-348; partition |
Isaac Vanleer |
John Pugh |
4/15/1822 |
22a 150p |
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W3-37, Tredyffrin |
William & Sarah Vanleer |
George R. Vanleer, son, of Philadelphia |
8/8/1837 |
57a 40p |
$2,280 |
B5-230, Tredyffrin |
Sarah Vanleer |
George R. Vanleer |
3/15/1851 |
35a |
$1,645 |
Z6-13, Tredyffrin, no detailed description of tract |
George R. Vanleer of Philadelphia |
Director of Common Schools in the District of Tredyffrin Township |
4/26/1852 |
½a |
$100 |
R5-330; Mt. Airy School |
Thomas & Lydia Snyder |
George R. Vanleer |
12/27/1860 |
2 acres |
$150 |
Z6-14, Tredyffrin |
George Vanleer |
George Mehaffey |
5/16/1864 |
57a 40p + 35a + 2a |
$15,000 |
Y6-319, Tredyffrin; first tract same as B5-230 |
c) Samuel Vanleer tract in Easttown |
Anthony & Mary Wayne and William & Ann Hayman |
Samuel & Hannah Vanleer |
4/6/1776 |
150a |
5s |
W-280, Easttown |
Samuel & Hannah Vanleer |
General Loan Office of PA |
11/23/1785 |
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£100 |
Philadelphia mortgage; defaulted on third payment |
Sheriff |
William Hayman |
4/27/1789 |
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£820 |
F2-80, Easttown |
Elizabeth Wayne |
Samuel Vanleer |
7/5/1790 |
150a |
£100 |
F2-86, Easttown; release of dower |
d) Isaac Vanleer tract in Easttown |
Morris Morris |
Isaac Vanleer |
12/30/1789 |
54a 19p |
£210 |
Y2-250, Easttown, see Y2-248 for completion of purchase |
William Hunter & Mordecai Davis, administrators of Morris Morris deceased |
Barnard Vanleer et al, representatives and heirs of Isaac Vanleer, deceased |
5/20/1805 |
54a 13p |
£35 19s (original deed cost £210; of which £194 18s 6d paid) |
Y2-348, Easttown |
Bernard & Deborah Vanleer |
William Kennedy |
9/12/1812 |
2a 19p |
$160 |
I3-299, Easttown, part of Isaac Vanleer's tract which Bernard Vanleer received in partition. |
John P. Vanleer |
William W. Barber |
4/11/1840 |
34a 1r 20p |
$2,100 |
R4-506, Easttown |
John P. Vanleer |
Stephen Leamy |
1842 |
43a 1r 16p |
$2,687 70c |
U4-633, Easttown |
e) Miscellaneous |
Whitehead and Hannah (nee James) Weatherby |
Isaac Vanleer |
12/17/1786 |
100a |
£750 |
B2-69, Easttown |
Isaac Vanleer |
Whitehead and Hannah Weatherby |
12/17/1786 |
100a |
£750 |
B2-71, Easttown; Whitehead now on deed |
Taxes, Census, and administrations
Isaac Vanleer (Tredyffrin) |
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1793 |
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Septennial Census |
Isaac Vanleer |
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1796 |
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County tax, log house, Easttown? |
1799, Isaac died, Tredyffrin, administration to Bernard and Sarah Vanleer |
Isaac Vanleer (Easttown), Isaac, deceased (Tredyffrin), Sarah (Easttown) - 54 acres. |
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1800 |
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Chester County tax returns |
Isaac (Tredyffrin), Sarah (Tredyffrin) |
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1800 |
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Septennial Census |
Isaac Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - freeman, Sarah (Easttown), Sarah (Tredyffrin), William (Tredyffrin) - crossed out- freeman |
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1805 |
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Chester County tax |
Bernard Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - farmer, Isaac (Tredyffrin) - farmer, Sarah (Tredyffrin) - farmer |
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1807 |
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Septennial Census |
Barnard Vanleer (Easttown) - 54 acres, Sarah (Easttown), Sarah (Tredyffrin) - 109 acres |
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1810 |
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County tax |
Isaac Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - freeman; Isaac (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres, buildings; Sarah (Tredyffrin); William (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres, buildings |
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1814 |
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County tax |
William Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - farmer |
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1814 |
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Septennial Census |
Bernard Vanleer (Easttown) - 45 acres; Isaac (Easttown) - freeman; Isaac (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres; William (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres |
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1820 |
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County tax |
1820 George, Easttown died. Administration. Not in tax returns(?) |
Barnard (Easttown) - farmer, Isaac (Easttown) - boarder |
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1821 |
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Septennial Census |
Bernard Vanleer (Easttown) - 45 acres - Occupier; Isaac (Easttown) - freeman; Isaac (Tredyffrin) - 28 acres; William (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres |
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1824 |
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County tax |
1826, ISAAC VANLEER, EASTTOWN
November 21, 1826
Letters granted to Bernard Vanleer
Brother – William Vanleer, renounced November 21, 1826
Adm #8013 |
Barnard (Easttown) - farmer, William (Tredyffrin) - farmer |
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1828 |
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Septennial Census |
1830, JOSEPH WETHERBY, EASTTOWN
November 16, 1826/Proved February 10, 1830
Brother – Benjamin (lot of land adjoining John Kugler and Griffith Wetherby containing
four acres bequeathed to me by my father)
To - Joseph W. Vanleer son of William Vanleer ¾ of proceeds of that plantation adjacent
to Griffith Wetherby and Robert Kennedy now in occupation of Barnet Roberts, land to
be sold after expiration of present tenant. Executor to educate in a reasonable manner
children (Joseph W. Vanleer and John P. Vanleer) during minority. |
1830, BERNARD VANLEER, EASTTOWN
March 29, 1830
Letters granted to John P. Vanleer
Widow – Deborah, renounced March 27, 1830
Son – John P. Vanleer
Adm #8487 |
Charles (Schuylkill) - fuller, Deborah (Easttown) - housekeeper, Samuel (Tredyffrin) - laborer, William (Easttown) - farmer, William (Tredyffrin) - farmer |
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1835 |
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Septennial Census |
ADAM SNYDER, TREDYFFRIN
September 22, 1837/Proved December 30, 1837
Wife – Susan Snyder
Son – Thomas, 2 acres adjoining William and George R. Vanleer
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George (Tredyffrin) - 54 acres; John (Tredyffrin) - 30 acres, Samuel (Tredyffrin) - Inmate; Samuel (Tredyffrin) - Freeman; William (Tredyffrin) - 3 acres |
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1838 |
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County tax |
JOHN P. VANLEER, EASTTOWN
April 15, 1848
Letters granted to James B. Wood
Sureties – Daniel Beaver, David Meconkey
Adm #11291 |
WILLIAM VANLEER, TREDYFFRIN
March 10, 1851
Letters granted to Sarah Vanleer of Philadelphia
Sureties – George R. Vanleer (of Philadelphia), Valentine Hughes
Adm #11837 |
Cesar (Tredyffrin) - laborer, Samuel P. (Tredyffrin) - laborer, William (Tredyffrin) - laborer |
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1856 |
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Septennial Census |
Sarah (Tredyffrin), William (Tredyffrin), George R. (Tredyffrin) |
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1863 |
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Septennial Census |
References
There are a number of Vanleer articles in the Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society Quarterly:
The Van Leer Log Cabin https://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v11/v11n2p030.html
Van Leer Log Cabin https://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v15/v15n3p050.html
VanLeer Cabin Consultant Honored https://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v20/v20n3p101.html#VAN
Dating the Van Leer Cabin https://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v21/v21n3p091.html
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