In my mother's family lineage, there is one branch, unlike all other branches, that transcends the emigration in the 19th century, but harkens back to the late 17th century. This line follows the Bittle family and the Quakers that followed William Penn to the New World. My ninth Great Grandfather, William Sharples, is mentioned in a transcription of records of the Radnor Monthly Meeting, "...in the Welcome Committee, a record of early arrivals at William Penn's Colony which had a footnote quoting John Bevans certificate of removal from Treverigg, Glamorgan, dated September 10, 1683, issued by the men's meeting both at Cardiff and Treverigg and filed at Radnor Monthly Meeting. It speaks of the loss we and others have sustained in the removal of our dear freinds to wit, John ap Bevan and Barbara, with their tender family along with them. In like manner a certificate bearing the same date was issued for Ralph Lewis of Eglwysilan, Glamorgan, and his family passing ye same time with our friend John ap Bevan, for Pennsylvania, and one for John Richard of small ability, for William Sharples, who was looked on as a harmless man, low-in-the-outward, and for John Lloyd ye goeth as a servant to John ap Bevan." The Quakers would issue certificates that vouched for the standing of a person to traverse the seas to the New World. William Sharples was not a Quaker, but must have endeared himself to travel along and be worthy of having a spot on the ship overseas to Philadelphia. Our family also decends from the Bevan family. My eighth Great Grandfather, William Bevan, was the brother of the aforementioned John ap Bevan. More about the royal line of the Bevan's will come later.