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Edward E. Chandlee wrote Six Quaker Clockmakers, which was published in 1943. Certainly, this not just a book about Chandlee clocks. It is a well-documented book about the Chandlee family of clockmakers. Their story began in England and Ireland. The book focuses on Abel Cottey, Benjamin Chandlee, Benjamin Chandlee, Junior, Goldsmith Chandlee, Ellis Chandlee, and Isaac Chandlee. A few sample extracts -
A King’s tax of £ 1 - 10 - 0 was collected during the years 1763 to 1765; this assessment undoubtedly prompted Benjamin Chandlee, Junior, to make a wood cut representing “Taxation without Representation,” which was exhibited in 1901 during the Bi-Centennial celebration of the founding of Nottingham. It was in 1765 that he was first taxed as a clockmaker. …
When the Mason and Dixon Line was finally settled in 1767, most of the property of Benjamin Chandlee, Junior, was south of the Line. The part remaining in Pennsylvania was taxed through 1775, when he paid 10s- 3d for 100 acres and buildings, two horses, three cows and four sheep. ...
Benjamin Chandlee, Junior, owned many acres of land: … He also owned land, originally in Pennsylvania, later in Cecil County, Maryland, for which the Province of Maryland gave him deeds on November 20, 1789. These tracts were Chandlee’ s Mansion, thirty-two acres, Chandlee Reserve, fourteen acres, Chandlee Purchase, fifty-six acres and also twelve acres called Mineral Springs. …
In 1776, friends Meetings generally passed resolutions ordering members to free the slaves, and the following minutes written in Brick Meeting House give the procedure:
By Direction of the Monthly Meeting held at East Nottingham the 27th Day of the 4th Month 1776, The following Record is made in this Book of sundry Instruments of Writing which are & may be executed by Friends that are Members of the said Monthly Meeting, discharging, or providing for the Freedom of Certain Negroes or other Slaves which have been in their Possession.
Benjamin Chandlee’s Discharge to a Negroe Woman named Leah & her two children, Randal & Becky. Viz: Know all Men by these Presents that I Benjamin Chandlee of East Nottingham, late of the County of Chester in Pennsylvania (but now below the Province Line) for divers considerations me thereunto moving have discharged & set free from my Service & do hereby fully & absolutely discharge & set free from me, my Heirs, Executors & Administrators, a certain Negroe Woman named Leah, whom I formerly purchased from James Rigbie of Deer-Creek in Maryland, for a term of years, which Term is not expired by two years & one month wanting one Day from the Date hereof; And I do also hereby fully & absolutely acquit & forever Discharge & set free from the Date hereof, from me my Heirs Executors & Administrators, her two children named Randal & Becky, which were born in my House, in the time of her the said Leah’s Servitude; Delivering them up now as free Children, to her to maintain, or put out, the Boy until he arrive to the Age of twenty one Years, and the girl till she is eighteen; which I advise her to, as a proper method both for their future Benefit, & to prevent their being chargeable to any one; And if any thing further, should appear necessary to ascertain her the said Leah’s or her said children’s ample Freedom, I refer her to the said James Rigbie for that Purpose; And in Testimony of the full Performance of my Part therein, I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this 11th Day of the 4th month, In the year of our Lord 1776.
Benja'n Chandlee
Signed Sealed & Deliver’d in the Presence of us
Samuel England
George Churchman
Benjamin Chandlee, securing the Freedom of a Mullatto child neamed Peeny, at 18 years of Age. Viz. I Benjamin Chandlee of East Nottingham late of the County of Chester & Province of Pennsylvania, Clockmaker, do make known by these Presents unto all People whom it may concern that a Certain Mullatto Child which I have named Peeny, who is at this Time Nine years old, one month & four Days, shall, when she arrives to the Age of eighteen years be free from further Service as a Bond Maid, to either me, my heirs, Executors or Administrators as Assigns, which will be on the seventh Day of the third Month, In the Year of our Lord 1785, & that from & after that time, she shall be released, to have & enjoy her Freedom, to all Intents & Purposes as fully as a white woman; and I do promise & Engage for myself my Heirs, Exers. & Admrs. & Assigns, to use reasonable Endeavours to teach & instruct her the said Peeny, or to cause her to be taught & Instructed in Housewifery, according to the Custom of the Country, & also to learn her to Read & at the Expiration ol the said Term to give her two Suits of Apparel, one whereof shall be new, In Witness, & for the true Performance whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this Eleventh Day of the fourth Month Anno Domini 1776. . .
Sealed & Deliver’d Benja'n Chandlee
in the Presence of us
Samuel England
George Churchman
Benjamin Chandlee, Junior, sold various properties, and the following extract from land records of Cecil County shows a sale to Sidney George for the sum of one hundred sixty-five pounds, twelve shillings, six pence:
All that plantation or parcel of land lying in Nottingham, Cecil County, State of Maryland called Spring Garden, beginning at a corner of a Tract of Land called Hughes Endeavor being also the beginning of a Tract of Land called Andulusia. . . containing 66 1/4 acres (this being the same land Benjamin Chandlee bought of the Intendant of Revenue and part of the land formerly known by the Nottingham Lotts) the said Benjamin Chandlee obtained a Pattent from the State of Maryland said Pattent being dated 6 day of November 1790.
The first United States census taken in 1790 contains under East Nottingham Hundred the name of Benjamin Chandlee. He died September 18, 1791, and his wife, Mary, died October 6, 1806. Both were interred in East Nottingham Friends’ Graveyard. He died without a will, and the administration accounts of Cecil County, Maryland, have this entry:
Know all men . . . that we Ellis Chandlee, Isaac Chandlee and John Chandlee all of Cecil County, Silversmiths are held . . . this 15 day of November, 1791 the condition being that the said Ellis Chandlee shall truly administer the estate of Benj Chandlee Late of Cecil County, deceased.
Ellis Chandlee
Isaac Chandlee
John Chandlee
David Smith, Reg.
The firm of Chandlee & Sons had been changed to Ellis Chandlee & Brothers the year before the father died.
The account of Benjamin Chandlee Junior’s sale contains household items bought by his wife consisting of a looking glass, a chest of drawers, spice box, a Bible, furniture, a side saddle and bell metal cooking pans. His sons bought a variety of similar articles, as well as eleven hogs, one hundred bushels of corn, sixteen bushels of potatoes and some turnips and oats. Various persons purchased thirty sheep and eight cows. ...
The last descendant of Abel Cottey who is known to have made clocks was Isaac Chandlee, a great-grandson, born on September 12, 1760. It is thought that Isaac did not make many clocks under his own name until after Ellis decided not to be an active partner. It is probable that Isaac worked with his nephew, Veazey, making the clocks and compasses which are illustrated at the end of this chapter and are marked Isaac Chandlee, Nottingham. After Benjamin Chandlee, Junior, died in 1792, Isaac and his mother lived together on the Nottingham farm; and when his mother died in 1806, her sister, Susannah Folwell, kept house for him. Isaac Chandlee finished his clockworks more carefully; the levers appear to be more graceful than those made by any other Chandlee excepting Goldsmith of Winchester, Virginia.
Contributed 2025 Mar 17 by Norma Hass, extracted from 1943 Six Quaker Clockmakers by Edward C. Chandlee
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This page was last updated
03/17/2025