Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/90

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
86
History of the University of Pennsylvania.

before him. His sons William and Joseph were graduates of Princeton, 1754 and 1758. The latter also studied medicine under his father, and going abroad for further studies, took his degree at the University of Rheims. Dr. Shippen's nephew, Joseph, the son of his elder brother Joseph, was a graduate of the college in 1761. His sister Anne was wife of Charles Willing, his fellow trustee.

Robert Strettell was born in Dublin in 1693 the son of Amos Strettell, a native of Cheshire who had moved to Ireland about fifteen years before this. Robert left Dublin as a young man to try his fortune in London, where he passed about twenty years of his life, but losing his property in the South Sea Bubble, he came to America about 1736 to retrieve his affairs. He soon took an active part in public concerns, and was one of the Friends who favored Logan's views as to the needs of the Province to defend itself against foreign enemies. He was invited by Governor Thomas to the Council, and he qualified 14 December, 1741. He became an Alderman in 1748, and Mayor in October 1751, and on the close of the latter term, instead of giving the customary collation, contributed £75. to the Public Building. In council he was an active member, and supported the more warlike members during the French War. He died in June 1761, and was buried in the Friends Ground. He married in 1716 Philotesia daughter of Nathaniel Owen of Seven Oaks, Kent. Of their children, Frances married Isaac Jones who was a Trustee of the College and Academy in 1771; Amos succeeded to his father's interest in provincial politics and in the Trusteeship of the College and married a daughter of Samuel Hasell the Councillor; John became an opulent merchant in London; and Robert died before his father.

Mr. Strettell was not behind his fellows in their attendance on the meetings of the Trust; his last years of service found him less able to attend with regularity. The last meeting at which his name appears was 31 March, 1760; and at the meeting of 8 June, 1762, his son Mr. Amos Strettell was elected a Trustee.