Richard Bovingdon, Bovington, Bobbington and Buffington

Richard was born and raised in Bovingdon Green, England. After his marriage to Anne they removed to West Jersey.
Richard arrived on the Ship Griffin in 1675.  One of the first settlers of West Jersey. When William Penn was given land by the King a compact with local residents was signed. This document known as  the West Jersey Compact, Richard signed the document and his land was included in Pennsylvania.

BUFFINGTON.--Rich. Bobbington was among the list of 'tydables' at Upland in 1677.  In 1679, Richard Buffington and John Grubb purchased a tract of land west of Chester Creek, above Chester, which they called "Hopewell of Kent." 
Richard was known by the names Richard Boveington, Buffington and Bobbington. His father Thomas is listed on his Christening record as Bobbington.

The Buffington line in Pennsylvania goes back to Richard. He was in Pennsylvania in 1676 and was Constable of Chichester in 1689. 

The Richard Buffington in Massachusetts is his Uncle that arrived in that area forty years earlier.

He purchased land in East Bradford (in conjunction with William Vestall) in 1696, and removed to that neighborhood within a few years after.  Feb. 25, 1720/1, he conveyed his lands to two of his sons, Thomas and William, reserving a life interest therein, and this was probably on the eve of his last marriage.  This being the custom to assure the children of first wife an inheritance.

He appears to have settled at a later period on 200 acres immediately in the forks of Brandywine, but never owned the land, which, however, his son Joseph afterwards purchased from the heirs of Isaac Norris, of Philadelphia.  Richard died in January of February, 1747/8, probably about ninety-four years of age.  By his will he gave a legacy of  L 20 to the Baptist society which met at John Bentley's, in Newlin township.  (See Hephzibah Baptist Church.)


Children.--Ann, m. Benjamin Hickman; 
Ruth, m. Ezekiel Harlan; 
Richard, d. 1741, m. Phebe Grubb; 
Thomas, d. December, 1739, m. Ruth Cope, Ruth died in 1726. He then married Ann Matthews (no Children) she married Moses Gilpin after Thomas died; 
William, m. Alice Rupp; (William married late in life and is often confused with William son of Thomas born in 1724.)

John, m. Sarah Arnold;

Hannah, m. Jeremiah Dean;
Mary, m. Charles Turner; 
Elizabeth, d. 1748/9, m. Peter Collins and John Freeman; 
Lydia, m. George Martin; 

First wife dies between 1695 and 1699 


Baptisim  26 Jun 1699  Crum Creek, Pennsylvania Calvinist Faith

Marries Frances Vane Grubb Widow of Business  Partner John Grubb about 1712.


(Elase (Alice) Palmer 3rd marriage of Richard Buffington after the death of Frances in 1720.


Children w/ Alice Palmer:

Abigail, b. September 1721, d. April 1813, m. Edward Seed and David Fling; 
Joseph, d. Nov. 17, 1785, unmarried; 
Alice, d. July 19, 1775, m. ___ McArthur and James Hance.


  The 'Pennsylvania Gazette' for June 28 to July 5, 1739, contains the following:

  "Philadelphia.--On the 30th of May past the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Richard Buffington, Senior, to the number of one hundred and fifteen, met together at his house in Chester County, as also his nine sons and daughters-in-law, and twelve great-children-in-law.  The old man is from Great Marle, upon the Thames, in Buckinghamshire, in Old England, aged about 85, and is still hearty, active and of perfect memory.
Richard was Christened in All Saints Church March of 1655, the date in the record is difficult to read. (Cal Buffington is researching this event and others. We hope to post new information soon.)

His eldest son, now in the sixtieth year of his age, was the first-born of English descent in this province. (Many people claim this honor so take it with a grain of salt.)
Richard Buffington, Jr., married Phebe Grubb, daughter of John and Frances Grubb, and settled in West Bradford.  His wife was a minister among Friends, and after his death married Simon Hadly, living in the edge of New Castle County.  She died 3 Apr 1769, and was buried at Bradford meeting on the 6th, at the same time that the mother of Humphrey Marshall was interred.

The children of Richard and Phebe were John, Frances (m. to Samuel Osborne), Phebe, Richard, Samuel, Henry, Catharine, Peter, Nathaniel, Jeremiah, Isaac, and Joseph.

Thomas Buffington married Ruth Cope about 1708. They were the parents of nine  children. Thomas Jr.; Richard; Rachel; Rebecca; Ruth,  wife of John Ferree the uncle of Magdalena Ferree that married William. It is believed that after the death of Thomas, son William lived near or with his sister Ruth and her husband John.
Elizabeth; Susanna; William b.23 Apr 1724 and Anne.


William Buffington, son of Thomas, married  Magdalena Ferree Nov 1747.

   John Test: 1651-1706
"It is estimated that about 1400 Quakers, mostly English, emigrated to New Jersey and Pennsylvania before Penn's arrival, though the majority of these settled in West Jersey. ...Prominent among this group of early English Quakers was Robert Wade, who settled at Upland, bought 650 acres of land and built the famous 'Essex House,' at which was held in 1675 the first meeting of Quakers on Pennsylvania soil. Other early English settlers in the vicinity of Upland were John Test, Walter Wharton, Richard Noble, and Richard Bovington."
Wayland Fuller Dunaway, "The English Settlers in Colonial Pennsylvania" The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography Vol LII, 1928, 320-321.


Will: BUFFINGTON, RICHARD.
Bradford, Chester Co. January 7, 1747/8. February 10, 1747/8. B. 242.
Provides for wife Alice. To daughters Hannah Dain (Dean), Mary Turner, Elizabeth Freeman and Lydia Martin, a Bible worth 30 shillings each. To son William all wearing apparel.  To daughters Abigail Seed and Alice McAuthor one Bible each. To son Thomas' (deceased) heirs 5 shillings. To son Richard's (deceased) heirs 5 shillings. To daughter Ann Hickman's (deceased) heirs 5 shillings. To daughter Ruth Harlan's (deceased) heirs 5 shillings. To son John's (deceased) heirs 5 shillings. To son Joseph remainder of real and, personal estate and if he dies without heirs then to daughters Abigail and Alice. 
To Owen Thomas minister of the Anabaptist Society held at John Bentleys in Newlin £5 also to Society £20 in annual payments of £5. To Richard Kimbel £2-10. Executor: son Joseph. Witnesses: Evan Jones, Wm. Bennet, and Saml. Grubb.