Elizabeth Shorter and the absolute cheat

Elizabeth Shorter was a widow and a glover from London, who emigrated with her grandson Isaac. She settled in Abington, next door to her son-in-law John Rush, a blacksmith. In 1685 she bought his house and a narrow strip of land around it for £35. Most of this was to paid directly to other people, and only £10 to Rush himself; he must have been in debt. If this was a favor on Elizabeth’s part to her son-in-law, he repaid her badly. The following spring, in 2nd month 1687, he brought her a paper to sign, purporting to be a letter of attorney, but actually an extraordinary deed of gift conveying everything she owned to “my beloved son John Rush”.

It read in part, “For my special naturall favour which I bear toward John Rush of Philadelphia my beloved son and for divers other good causes. I do grant all my lands, goods, chattells, leases, deeds, ready money, plate, household stuff, appearall, utensills, brass, pewter, bedding and all other my substances whatsover, moveable and immoveable, quick and dead, of what kind nature quality or condition … freely and quietly without any manner of challenge claim or demand.”  She signed with her mark.

It must have been a shock to her when she found out what she had signed. But she knew exactly how to deal with it. She went straight to the governing body for the province, the Council in Philadelphia. At their meeting on 3rd month 1687, she appealed for help. “The Petition of Elizabeth Shorter, Widdow, was read, complayning that John Rush, her son in Law, instead of a Letter of Attorney that shee was to signe, prepared a Deed of gifft of all her Estate, with power of Atturney, to one Samll Atkins, to acknowledge the same in Court.” When the witnesses were examined, they admitted that the paper was not read to her, and that she could not read or write. “….so that it appeared to this board to be an Absolute Cheat.”  She was clearly able to get the fraudulent deed anulled, since later that year she sold one of her city lots, and she owned her Abington land until 1699. There is no record of what happened to John Rush.

5 thoughts on “Elizabeth Shorter and the absolute cheat”

  1. Good afternoon!
    I appreciate your article about my 9th GG Elizabeth Shorter and her life in Pennsylvania. I am researching her and her grandson Isaac Knight and am surprised at the reference of John Rush being referred to as her son-in-law, rather than just a terrible neighbor. Could you share your sources regarding to whom he was married to in the Shorter family? Thank you so much!

    1. Hi Susan,
      This is a good question and I’m afraid I don’t have as much on John Rush as we would like. The attribution to him as her son-in-law is from the fraudulent deed, in which she calls him her “beloved son”. As you probably know, the term son-in-law was not in use so early. I have never found the name of a daughter of Elizabeth to whom he could be married, and I can’t link him to the New Jersey Rush family or to the family of the well-known Benjamin Rush. Very frustrating. I don’t know where he disappears to after the fraudulent deed was exposed. Let me know if you find out anything. BTW, it’s very interesting that Elizabeth Shorter was described as a glover. Very few women had their own professions at this time.
      Sue

      1. I was also puzzled at the reference to John Rush, however I did find a link between Shorter and Rush. John Rush (the elder) was born in England 1620, died 1699. Had a son John born 1660. This second John had a son born in 1682 also named John. This third John Levi Rush married Sarah Carver who was the sister of Mary Lane Carver. Mary Lane Carver was married to Isaac Knight. Isaac Knight is the Grandson of Elizabeth Sexton Shorter.

        1. Very interesting, Dee. Thanks for posting this. The relationships are still a puzzle to me, but you’ve added some information. Where did you get the reference to Elizabeth’s maiden name as Sexton?

          1. Sexton is her assumed surname since her assumed husband was Humfrey Shorter also a London glover.
            A marriage record shows Humfrey married an Elizabeth Sexton but there is no absolute proof. For those of us working on this for years it seems to fit mainly because our Elizabeth Shorter was a “London glover” and Humfrey Shorter was listed as a glover in London and he died prior to Elizabeth Shorter leaving London

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