Yardley Hill

William Yardley (1632 – 6 May 1693) was an early settler of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is the namesake of the borough of Yardley, Pennsylvania. As a persecuted Quaker minister, Yardley and his wife, Jane (nee Heath) moved from Ransclough, England, near Leek, Staffordshire, to Bucks County when Yardley was 50. The family arrived on September 28, 1682, on the ship Friend's Adventure with their children, Thomas, Enoch, and William, and a servant, Andrew Heath (1667-1720). Yardley subsequently purchased 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land in Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County from William Penn, who had received the land from Charles II of England to settle a debt owed Penn's father. Yardley named his tract "Prospect Farm". He served as a justice of the peace for Bucks County and became a member of the Provincial Council. Jane died in 1691 and Yardley died in 1693. In his will, Yardley bequeathed half of “Prospect Farm” to his eldest son, Enoch, while the other half was divided between his sons William and Thomas. Sadly, all of William Yardley's descendants died of smallpox in 1702-03. Due to English laws, Yardley’s estate reverted to his closest male relatives in England—his brother Thomas and nephews, Thomas and Samuel. Yardley's nephew, Thomas Yardley, arrived from England in 1704. This journey altered the course of Thomas’ life. Choosing to remain in America, he thrived in this new environment. In a 1977 article, Yardley historian Catherine Belville described him as “the creative spirit of early Yardley.” Through marriage, nephew Thomas added land to Yardley's former holdings and had ten children.