1764 - Property purchased on Ridley Creek by James Willcox
1766 - Paper mill built by James Willcox
1769 - James Willcox dies, property passes to sons and brother Mark
1785 - Property sold to John Lungren on April 20, 1785
1795 - Property conveyed to William Levis of Philadelphia
1799 - John Levis (son of William) has control of the paper mill
1818 - Paper mill changed to cotton factory and rented to Wagstaff & Englehorn
1823 - Firm of Wagstaff & Englehorn dissolved, Hugh Wagstaff running factory
1825 - Factory and 26 acres of land sold to James Ronaldson (mill in charge of James Siddall)
1829 - Mill property sold to John Bancroft (who had been in charge of the factory since 1827)
1842 - Property sold to William T. Crook of NY who conducted factory until 1857
1857 - Property sold to Samuel Bancroft, who operated mill until 1872
1872 - Mill destroyed by fire on October 9, 1872
Sources:
Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Samuel T. Wiley
"The Upper Bank or Manchester cotton factory was originally a paper mill, and built in 1766 by James Wilcox."
"In the year 1764, James Wilcox was assessed in Upper Providence township on a dwelling and fifty acres of land. This real estate was located on Ridley Creek, where are now the ruins of the Manchester Mill. In 1766, James Wilcox was assessed, in addition to the foregoing property, on a papermill." NOTE: This source lists Mark Wilcox as James' son, which is not correct. He was his brother.
Map of Property when it was Manchester Mills:
From Hexamer General Surveys. Click on map to go to website.
More info and additional copy of map:
http://libwww.library.phila.gov/diglib/ecw.cfm?ItemID=MHGSAE00006
This map clarifies the address."Mill situated on Ridley Creek, half a mile from Media Station, West Chester R.R."
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