Cressaps' Invasion  Relevant to Springettsbury Manor and the Spangler Family Lines.
[Found in the Manors Of Penna Pages of The Pennsylvania Chapter of Volume I : Our American Immigrants , part of the Two Volume Within the Vines website ]
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 Springettsbury Manor, named for William Penn's grandson and perceived heir, was granted to the British by the Iroquois League in a display of affection encouraged by the colonial authorities. In June of 1722, Governor Keith, by way of a treaty with four of the Five Nations of the Iroquois, authorized  its surveying.

This land was west of the Susquehanna, and Penna authorities at this time had no other treaties or rights from the natives allowing settlement of lands west of the Susquehanna beyond this one manor. Marylanders, never as careful about securing treaties before encouraging settlement, also moved into the region.  This is an area that was contested by both Pennsylvania and Maryland , the ongoing struggles over which led to the formation of the Mason Dixon line in the 1760s.  "Maryland Intruders" were removed in 1728.

"In 1730, Thomas Cresap assumed right of land in the area under Maryland warrant. German families began settling in the region with assurances from Maryland that they would be issued land grants.
In 1733-34, Samuel Blunston, who was a quaker, a Lancaster County Magistrate and a surveyor was officially authorized by the Pennsylvania authorities to issue "licenses to settle", interim agreements, to those persons already living on land west of the Susquehanna. Fifty two licenses were for land within Springettsbury Manor. John Wright was granted a patent to establish a ferry across the Susquehanna River. John and Christina Shultz built their house in the area and John's brother Martin constructed his house on Kreutz Creek.
During the summer of 1735, the Reverend John Casper Stoever, a Lutheran minister baptised the children of Robert Canaan, William Canaan, John Low, James Moor, Thomas Crysop(Cresap), Jacob Harrington and Edward Evans near Conojehela.
By 1736, German settlers had been abducted and Maryland authorities were running them off their settlements and attempting to replace them with Maryland settlers. Thomas Cresap was receiving arms from the Maryland authorities in Annapolis to carry out these removals. The actions occurring between pro-Maryland and pro-Pennsylvania settlers became known as "Cresap's War".
In October 1736, the Proprietors of Pennsylvania received from the Five Nations, deeds for the Susquehanna lands south of the Blue Mountains. The lands that included the area of today's Hellam Township were now officially Pennsylvania owned lands.

In December 1736, Cresap was arrested and the problems he caused ceased. "" From History of Hellam Township

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"During the 1730's, the prolonged border dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania exploded into Cresap's War--named for Thomas Cresap, a justice of the peace for Maryland. For several years Cresap and a group of vigilantes harassed German settlers living along the Susquehanna--settlers who lived there under Pennsylvania land permits. Cresap even threatened to arrest John Wright and Samuel Blunston. The governor of Maryland dispatched a militia to arrest Wright, and remove the settlers living in the area without Maryland permits, but 150 Pennsylvanians assembled to defend Wright's Ferry. King George II ultimately intervened in 1738 and forced a peaceful resolution." from Columbia, PA 17512 pages
 

"1736 - While Logan is President of Council, Cresap's war between settlers from Pennsylvania and Maryland breaks out along the Susquehannah. It ends about a
year after Sheriff Samuel Smith captures Thomas Cresap and sends him to Philadelphia. This is the same Cresap who later is a partner of George Washington's in
the Ohio Company.."   An abstract of the life of James Logan Source cited: James Logan and the Culture of Provincial Pennsylvania by Frederick B. Tolles (1957) From Gwynned Friends Meeting webpages
 

"1737: Future Lancaster

                                             King settles border dispute

                        A band of 16 Marylanders breaks into the jail in Lancaster where border war instigator Thomas Cresap's accomplices are incarcerated and free their fellow statesmen. But Cresap is not there. Authorities previously moved him to Philadelphia. The raid causes King George II to order Pennsylvania and Maryland
proprietors to end their boundary dispute by drawing a line between the two  provinces. This temporary line appeases the Penns and Calverts until Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon perform their boundary work in the 1760s. The king also warns against further violence and orders both sides to drop all prosecutions and to discharge prisoners on bail."  York Daily Record
 

"  Protecting the Settlements

                                The wild frontier of the Colonies of Western Maryland and Pennsylvania could be a
                                dangerous place to live. Between 1754 and 1755, fortifications in Western Frederick
                                County (present day Washington County) Maryland were built in rapid succession by
                                settlers to protect themselves from the Indians.

                                       Thomas Cresap's Fort was built in 1742, located along the Potomac River near
                                       Oldtown.  Also known as Fort at Cresap's.  This stockade fort was originally used as a
                                       trading post in 1755. It was also used as a supply base for several expeditions, and
                                       it was attacked several times.  Fort Cresap in Williamsport, Maryland was built in the
                                       1750ís.  Consisting of a stone house with a spring cellar, it was built by Daniel
                                       Cresap, son of Thomas. It was attacked in 1756. " From Toms Creek Hundred: The Wild Frontier  by John Miller, Part of the Emmitsburg Area Historical Society webpages

"Land Settlement Pennsylvania West of the Susquehanna
PENNSYLVANIA COLONIAL LAND POLICY from PENNSYLVANIA ORIGINAL LAND RECORDS SERIES FOR YORK COUNTY, PA

"Land settlement West of the Susquehanna River was neither normative nor encouraged until after this territory was fully released by treaty with the Native American Indians in 1736. After that date, generous inducements and terms were used to promote settlement and expansion into this region of Pennsylvania. The Proprietors' objective in land settlement was to encourage actual settlement at extremely favorable terms, then subsequently bringing the settlers under regular colonial oversight and taxation. The purchase price for 100 acres of land was fifteen pounds ten shillings; the quit rent was one sterling halfpenny per acre, per year, until 1776.
xxxxxx

"A few years after Caspar's occupation of his first plantation the notorious Col. Thomas Cressap and others, under authority from the Governor of Maryland, and in virtue of an alleged patent to the latter from the King of Great Britain, assumed the right to oust by force the German settlers west of the Susquehanna with the purpose of occupying these fertile lands themselves. For years an armed conflict was waged. The invaders were finally ejected and peace restored. In an indictment found against these encroachers mention is made of the lands in the "quiet and possession" of Caspar Spengler. A detailed account of this famous Maryland intrusion and war will be found under the title of Henry Spengler." p 19 Edward Spangler

îThe area that now encompasses East and West Hempfield Township was part of Chester Countyís western frontier at the beginning of the 18t century. Settlement along the Susquehanna was important to Pennsylvaniaís future development not only because of the boundary dispute with Maryland that precipitated Cresap's War (1731-1736) but also because the Susqehanna was a trade route that provided direct accesss from Pennsylvaniaís hinterland to the West and to the Chesapeake, The heartland of the American colonies. ì
From:Hopkins, Leroy. ìBlack Eldorado on the Susquehanna: The Emergence of Black Columbia, 1726-1861î, Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society. Vol 89, pp 110-132  Transcription available at Link
 
 

From History of Hellam Township [Great and concise] "http://www.geocities.com/kcvps/history.htm" says:
"In June of 1722, Governor Keith, by way of a treaty with four of the Five Nations of the Iroquois, authorized the surveying of Springettsbury Manor as a proprietary manor for Springet Penn, grandson of William. Three men, John French, Fran. Worley and John Mitchel accomplished the task beginning from a red oak.  In 1725, near what later became known as Anderson's Ferry, Donegal clergy crossed to the west side of the Susquehanna River to visit settlers along the Conewago Creek.
In 1728, "Maryland Intruders" were removed from the area by order of the Deputy Governor and Council at the request of the Indians.
In 1729, John and James Hendricks, with government authorization settled along Kreutz Creek on 1200 acres of land. John Wright took up several hundred acres of land between the creek and John Hendricks' property. Several families from Chester County settled near Conojohela (Canadochly) but were removed by the authorities. East of the Susquehanna River, Lancaster County was formed from the western part of Chester County with its borders extending to lands west of the river.
In 1730, Thomas Cresap assumed right of land in the area under Maryland warrant. German families began settling in the region with assurances from Maryland that they would be issued land grants.
In 1733-34, Samuel Blunston, who was a quaker, a Lancaster County Magistrate and a surveyor was officially authorized by the Pennsylvania authorities to issue "licenses to settle", interim agreements, to those persons already living on land west of the Susquehanna. Fifty two licenses were for land within Springettsbury Manor. John Wright was granted a patent to establish a ferry across the Susquehanna River. John and Christina Shultz built their house in the area and John's brother Martin constructed his house on Kreutz Creek.
During the summer of 1735, the Reverend John Casper Stoever, a Lutheran minister baptised the children of Robert Canaan, William Canaan, John Low, James Moor, Thomas Crysop(Cresap), Jacob Harrington and Edward Evans near Conojehela.
By 1736, German settlers had been abducted and Maryland authorities were running them off their settlements and attempting to replace them with Maryland settlers. Thomas Cresap was receiving arms from the Maryland authorities in Annapolis to carry out these removals. The actions occurring between pro-Maryland and pro-Pennsylvania settlers became known as "Cresap's War".
In October 1736, the Proprietors of Pennsylvania received from the Five Nations, deeds for the Susquehanna lands south of the Blue Mountains. The lands that included the area of today's Hellam Township were now officially Pennsylvania owned lands.
In December 1736, Cresap was arrested and the problems he caused ceased. "above  From History of Hellam Township
 
 

1736 The
colony of Pennsylvania forms an alliance with the New York-based Six Nations of the Iroquois after the latter conquer the aborigine tribes of
Pensylvania. Cresap's War begins after German settlers from Pennsylvania are run off by Maryland authorities; Thomas Cresap is arrested in
Dec., ending the war." http://www.tlwinslow.com/timeline/time173x.html
 

1774 Cresap's War [this is a DIFFERENT war]
"The Shawnee had never given up their claims to western Virginia and interpreted the rapid settlement as acts of aggression. Hostilities reached a climax in 1773
when land speculator Michael Cresap led a group of volunteers from Fort Fincastle (later renamed Fort Henry) at present-day Wheeling and raided Shawnee
towns in what became known as Cresap's War. One of the worst atrocities of the conflict was the murder of several family members of Mingo chief Tah-gah-jute,
who had been baptized under the English name Logan. Logan, who had previously lived peacefully with the settlers, killed at least 13 western Virginians that
summer in revenge." from http://www.wvculture.org/history/indland.html

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