Vanleer Family in Tredyffrin and Easttown

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



Map of Tredyffrin tracts in 1798, showing the Vanleer properties


Property transactions

From

To

Date

Area

Cost

Reference

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

I-231, mortgage, Easttown

John & Anne Kinkead

Bernhard Vanleer

12/5/1757

 

£35

K-529, mortgage, Tredyffrin

Thomas Henderson

Bernhard Vanleer

11/23/1757

150a

 

K-527, Easttown, mortgage

Nathaniel Claypole

Bernhard Vanleer

4/10/1761

238a

 

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

 

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

 

Y2-348; partition

Isaac Vanleer

John Pugh

4/15/1822

22a 150p

 

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

 

£100

Philadelphia mortgage; defaulted on third payment

Sheriff

William Hayman

4/27/1789

 

£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)

 

1793

 

 

Septennial Census

Isaac Vanleer

 

1796

 

 

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.

 

1800

 

 

Chester County tax returns

Isaac (Tredyffrin), Sarah (Tredyffrin)

 

1800

 

 

Septennial Census

Isaac Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - freeman, Sarah (Easttown), Sarah (Tredyffrin), William (Tredyffrin) - crossed out- freeman

 

1805

 

 

Chester County tax

Bernard Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - farmer, Isaac (Tredyffrin) - farmer, Sarah (Tredyffrin) - farmer

 

1807

 

 

Septennial Census

Barnard Vanleer (Easttown) - 54 acres, Sarah (Easttown), Sarah (Tredyffrin) - 109 acres

 

1810

 

 

County tax

Isaac Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - freeman; Isaac (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres, buildings; Sarah (Tredyffrin); William (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres, buildings

 

1814

 

 

County tax

William Vanleer (Tredyffrin) - farmer

 

1814

 

 

Septennial Census

Bernard Vanleer (Easttown) - 45 acres; Isaac (Easttown) - freeman; Isaac (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres; William (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres

 

1820

 

 

County tax

1820 George, Easttown died. Administration. Not in tax returns(?)

Barnard (Easttown) - farmer, Isaac (Easttown) - boarder

 

1821

 

 

Septennial Census

Bernard Vanleer (Easttown) - 45 acres - Occupier; Isaac (Easttown) - freeman; Isaac (Tredyffrin) - 28 acres; William (Tredyffrin) - 50 acres

 

1824

 

 

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

 

1828

 

 

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

 

1835

 

 

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

George (Tredyffrin) - 54 acres; John (Tredyffrin) - 30 acres, Samuel (Tredyffrin) - Inmate; Samuel (Tredyffrin) - Freeman; William (Tredyffrin) - 3 acres

 

1838

 

 

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

 

1856

 

 

Septennial Census

Sarah (Tredyffrin), William (Tredyffrin), George R. (Tredyffrin)

 

1863

 

 

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