John Clowes II

 John Clowes Sr was one of my materal 9th grandfathers who was born in Gawsworth, Cheshire England in about 1632 into a farming life. Nothing has been found regarding his young life. Growing up, he probably helped his parents with farming. John Sr. eventually became a yeoman himself in Gawsworth.  Being a yeoman (farmer) meant that you were a freeholder, you owned your land. He probably grew field crops like wheat, and vegetables like peas and beans as well as perhaps clover and other crops for the farm animals, 

John married Margery Dunn, also of Gawsworth in 1652. They probably married in or around Gawsworth as traveling was not easy in 1652. The couple had seven children, four sons and three daughters all living to adulthood except one of the sons. Sometime prior to 1682, John, Margery, and their  children became Quakers,

On July 28, 1682, several of John and Margery's children who were adults by this time, emigrated to Bucks County, Pennsylvania on the ship "Friends Adventure" and on this ship, John and Margery sent some of their household goods. Since the family were Quakers, they had to ask for a "Certificate of Removal" from the Moreley Monthly Meeting in Cheshire to give to the Middletown Monthly Meeting in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This Certificated also ensured that the brothers and sisters had the permission of their parents to leave England. The children took up residency on their parents 1000 acres that the parents purchased from William Penn in March of 1682.

John brought with him several indentured servants:

Samuel Hough age 20 in 1685. In 1698 & 1699 he became Constable of Newtown & Wrightstown.

John Chorley, by 1689 he became constable for the district "below the falls to the governors"

John Richardson the 3rd servant, by 1699, he was married

Indentured servants were predominately white immigrants who could not afford the costs of travelling to the new country during the 17th (1600s) & 18th (1700s) centuries. They signed a contract agreeing to work for 4-7 years for a master. Merchants & ship captains offered free passage to the new country to the servants.

In July 1683, John and Margery's oldest son, John Jr. died, On  Nov 29, 1686, John had his Will drawn up "Yeoman, 500 ac. adjoing Delaware River called by me "The Clough" to wife Margery during life than to son William, daughter Margery wife of Rich. Hough, daughter Sarah wife of John Bainbride, daughter Rebecka, son Joseph wife Margery sole executrix."

Sometime before July 4, 1687, John Sr died and was buried on sometime before July 4, 1687 as the probate on his Will was July 4, 1687.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lawmaking_and_Legislators_in_Pennsylvani/7U0rEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=john+clowes+Gawsworth,+Cheshire,+England&pg=PA287&printsec=frontcover

https://study.com/academy/lesson/indentured-servants-in-colonial-america-definition-role-in-history-quiz.htmlhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/indentured-servants