Since Stephen Girard is in the news this week Philadelphia. FBI Recovers Rare, Local History Stolen From Girard College « CBS … I thought I would chime in about the relationship between Stephen Girard and my three times great-grandfather John Young.
On October 18, 1830 John Young entered into a lease agreement with Stephen Girard for ALL the messuage and lot of ground situated in the township of Passyunk aforesaid, bounded northwestward by a two perch wide lane, northeastward by land occupied by the widow Hunter, southeastward by the second street road, and southwestward by land occupied by George Sting(er) containing nine acres and three quarters, TOGETHER with all and singular other the buildings, improvements, rights, members and Appurtenances whatsoever, thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining to complete tenantable repair (except the southwest end parlour and the chamber above it) . . .
Rent was set at $200 a year to be paid in four $50 installments. In turn, John Young would adhere to the following provisions of this lease: hauling on the premises a sufficiency of manure for all the purposes of the Garden- attending to the fruit trees, of which there are on the premises, three Pear, eight Plum, besides one old one, sixteen Cherry, fourteen Apple, one Peach, one English Walnut, besides one Horse Chestnut tree – also attending carefully to the Asparagus bed – to sow no grain, and if he should it is to be forfeited – and not to take anythin
g off the premises (except his own private property, at the expiration of the 
lease – and leaving the said premises in good tenantable repair, except the natural and unavoidable decay.
It appears from this lease that John and his family would be occupying the house on the property with the exception of the “parlour and chamber above it,” as noted in the first excerpt above. Was this the house that is now part of Girard Park at 21st and Shunk Street in Philadelphia ?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Girard_Park
Stephen Girard died in December of 1831 during the first year of the term of this lease. Also contained in my family collection are two lease agreements with the Mayor Alderman and Citizens of Philadelphia. The first is dated 1850 and is between The Mayor Alderman and Citisens [sic] of Philadelphia to John Young /Girard Farm No. 1 for a term of 3 years beginning March 1, 1850. This time the lease is for Thirty-seven acres and Thirty perches, . . . At a yearly rent of Five Hundred dollars, payable half-yearly, the first payment to me made on the first day of September next. There are very specific provisions to this lease as well: he [John Young]will put at least three loads of manure to the acre, yearly, on such parts of the demised premises as the said agent of the Girard farm shall designate; that all manure made on the premises shall remain thereon: that they ground shall not be ploughed more than twice in two successive years: that nor more than one fourth of the ground shall be seeded in the last year of the term, the portion of ground to be seeded to be designed by said Agent: that no tree shall be cut or trimmed without consent of the said Agent: that after the grain is seeded the ground shall
be sown with good, fresh and clean timothy seed the proper season: and that all grain raised shall be thrashed and the straw remain on the ground: and the Committee of the said farms and the Agents of the Girard Estate shall be authority, at all time, to visit the premises to ascertain whether the herein covenants are complied with.
The subsequent lease is again between The Mayor Alderman and Citisens [sic] of Philadelphia to John Young for the same property as the 1850 lease. The term for this one is to begin on March 1, 1853 and is this time for two years at the rate of $500/year. It is indicated on the document that it is a duplicate, Mayor Charles Gilpin signed the lease but this duplicate copy is not dated beyond the year and does not contain John Young’s signature.
This leads me to ponder just who was this first John Young? Unfortunately, I have no birth or death dates for him or his wife Hannah, my search for that continues. It is his son John who begins our family’s Bible and he is born in 1825. (see first post) At this time I don’t know if John (Jr) had any siblings. What I find in the Copper Wash Tub always leads me to more questions but that’s what makes this fun.
COPPER WASH TUB PROJECT 