The Life and Times of Daniel Boone - Part 1

His Parents and Birth
We all know his name. Daniel Boone, the original American frontiersman. Immortalized forever in songs, stories, films, dramas, memorials, statues and public buildings; his very name stirs the imagination. Yet who in reality was this man? How can we separate the facts of his life from fiction?  If we are to truly understand this remarkable man we must first explore where it all began. In his childhood home.

Daniel Boone's father, Squire.Daniel's parents were Squire and Sarah Boone of Pennsylvania.  A member of the Religious Society of Friends, (aka Quakers)  Squire Boone had emigrated from his home in Bradnich, Devonshire, England with his older brother, George and their sister, Sarah  on July 27, 1713. While most Quakers had left England to join William Penn's newly formed colony of English dissenters in Philadelphia County to escape perscuation in Europe, Squire and his siblings had come to the new land for George's marriage to Deborah Howell, who lived in the colony. Soon after George and Deborah married, George joined the Abingdon Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Squire and his sister lived with the newlyweds until their parents arrival in 1717. There is no evidence of Squire and Sarah ever joining the meeting house their brother belonged to. While in the colony, Squire took up the occupation of weaver and blacksmith. Sometime between his parent's arrival and 1720, Squire moved with his parents and sister to Oley Township in Pennsylvania County. Their lands would later become a part of the infamous Lancaster County where today sits a large Amish community. The family began to attend the Gwynedd Friends Meeting House of Philadelphia County. There Squire met Sarah Morgan, the daughter of Welsh Quakers who had first settled in Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1708. As per Quaker custom, the young couple announced to the entire group within the meeting house their intentions to marry. On September 23, 1720,  Squire and Sarah were married at Gwynedd Friends Meeting House. Below is an excerpt of their marriage record found in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

Whereas Squire Boone Son of George Boone of ye County of Philad & Province of Pensilvania Yeoman and Sarah Morgan Daughter of Edw Morgan of the Said County and Province Haveing Declared Their Intention of Marriage of Each Other before two Monthly Meetings of ye People Called Quakers Held at Gwynedd in ye Said County According to ye Good Order Used Among Them Whose Proceedings Therein After a Diliberate Consideration Therein and haveing Consent of Parents and Relation Concerned Their Said Proceedings Are Allowed of By Ye Said Meeting Now These Are to Certify All Whom it may Concern that for ye Full Accomplishing of Their Said Intentions This Twenty Third Day of ye Seventh Month In ye Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty They ye Sd. Squire Boone and Sarah Morgan Appeared At A Solemn Assembly of ye Said People for ye Purpose Appointed at Their Publick meeting Place In Gwynedd Afforesd And ye Said Squire Boone Took ye Said Sarah Morgan by ye Hand Did In A Solemn Manner Openly Declare he Took her To Be his Wife Promising To be Unto Her A Faithfull and Loveing Husband Untill Death Should Seperate Them And Then & There In the Said Assembly the said Sarah Morgan Did Likewise Declare She Took ye Said Squire Boone To be her Husband In Like Manner Promiseing to be Unto him a Faithfull and Loveing Wife Untill Should Seperate Them And Moreover The Said Squire Boone & Sarah She According to ye Custom of Marriage Assuming ye Name of Her Husband as Farther Confirmation Thereof Did Then and There to these presents Set There Hands And We Whose Names Are Under Written Being Among Others Present at ye Solemnization of the Said Marriage And Subscription in Manner Afforesd
As Witnesses Thereunto have also to These Presents Set Our Hands ye Day & Year Above Written

Samll Thomas
Mary Webb
Squire Boone
Jenk Evans
Eliz Morris
Sarah Boone
Robt Jones
Dorothy Morgan
Geo Boone
Morgan Hugh
Eliz Hughs
Edw Morgan
Jno Edwards
Mary HamerEliz Morgan
Tho Evan
Eliz Morgan
Geo Boone
Cadr Evan
Jane Griffith
Ja Boone
Rob Evan
Eliz Griffith
Wm Morgan
Jno Cadwalader
Margt Jones
Jno Morgan
Jno WilliamEllen Evans
Danll Morgan
Jno Humphrey
Gainor Jones
Morgan Morgan
Jno Jones
Jos Morgan
Jno Jones
Jno Webb
Evan Griffith
Jno Webb
Row Robert
Amos Griffith
Cadwalader Jones





Four years after their marriage, Sarah delivered their first child they named after her. The couple continued to have children every two years after Sarah's birth. In 1731, Squire acquired land on the arm of Oley Township close to present day, Reading, Pennsylvania. Only one wall was built of native stone while the rest was wood. There he built a two story cabin around a large stone fireplace with the basement of the house serving as a springhouse. The springhouse provided easy access to water for cleaning, cooking and drinking. It also provided cool storage.

In the fall of 1734, Sarah gave birth to Daniel Boone. Because the Gregorian calendar was adopted during his lifetime, the date of Daniel's birth can be quite confusing. Before the Gregorian calendar was adopted, his birth had been recorded as  October 22, 1734. Afterwards it had changed to November 2, 1734. Throughout his lifetime, Daniel would never claim the Gregorian calendar because his mother never approved of it. Sarah had always insisted he had been born on October 22, 1734 even though modern records record his birth as being in November.

Daniel spent much of his young childhood on the homestead in the frontier of Pennsylvania. In 1741, Squire expanded his property with the acquisition of 25 acres. Sarah had given him there more children after the birth of Daniel. In order to meet the growing need of finacial resources Squire decided to add a third occupation, dairy farmer. He used the land he had acquired to pasture his dairy cows. Daniel spent much of his youth tending to his father's cattle. During the summer months, Daniel would often live in a rustic cabin on the edge of the pasture where he could protect the herd from black bears, mountain lions and bobcats. By 1750, Sarah had delivered two more children for a total of eleven. The couple would have no more children.

Daniel's childhood wasn't without controversy. The 1750's brought much distress to his devout Quaker parents that would persuade Squire to uproot his family and head further west into the frontier. Next time we will explore Daniel's childhood.

Questions: How would you feel if you had been born on date only for it to change when the calendar changed?

How do you think it would feel to have ten siblings? Do you think Daniel ever got lost in the mix? Or how do you think his parents must have felt? Thirteen mouths to feed. That's alot of people in one household. Do you have a large family? If so, what is that like? If you don't would you want one?

Squire and Sarah's house can be viewed at http://www.danielboonehomestead.org/