Richard Tunis ¹

  General Notes:

Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834

TUNIS, RICHARD. City of Philadelphia.
May 14, 1808. May 25, 1808. 2.305.
All estate to his four children Hannah, Jehu or John, Thomas and Jane.
Desires son John to go in business with James Way who has managed my concerns in trade.
Exec: Friend Samuel Spackman of Philadelphia.


December 8, 1790
The Pennsylvania Gazette

Messieurs HALL & SELLERS,

THROUGH the channel of your paper, the BLOCKLEY and Merion Society, for promoting Agriculture and Rural Oeconomy, wish to convey to the public, a few of the Observations and Experiments on Agriculture which have been presented to them. As every age, especially the present, has produced so many volumes upon this subject, it may be thought vanity in the society, to imagine that any production of theirs can be of any use. Although many valuable books have been written on the practical part of husbandry, from which much useful information may be obtained, yet they are not generally in the hands of farmers, and the soil and climate of Europe, where they were generally published, differ so widely from ours, that in many instances different management is necessary; for it is well known many things succeed there, which turn to no account here. Fair and accurate experiments are therefore wanting, to enable us to decide which are the best modes of culture, and the most profitable course of crops. Sensible of this, the Society mean, from time to time, to offer to the public such observations and experiments as may be laid before them, hoping that other Agriculture Societies will do the same. It would also be extremely useful to promulgate, in a short way, the practice and experiments of Europe; and that, by a comparison of experiments on the same subject, the best mode of culture may be adopted, and this delightful occupation rendered as profitable as it is pleasant.
By order of the Society,

RICHARD TUNIS.
Lower Merion, Nov. 25, 1790.


December 29, 1790
The Pennsylvania Gazette

For the PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE
NUMBER II.

Expence, Culture and Profit of half an acre of Hemp, communicated to the Blockley and Merion Society for promoting agriculture and rural economy, by John Curven, Vice President.

IN the autumn of 1785, when I removed to Walnut hill, that part of the plantation on which I have since raised my hemp had been planted with Indian corn. The corn being bad, it was sowed with buckwheat; the buckwheat was so miserable, it was not worth cradling, and the hogs were turned in to consume it. In the spring of 1786 I limed it, at the rate of 66 bushels per acre, upon a part of which I had a few hills of pumpkins, some plants of tobacco, and a few rows of cabbage. The cabbage were dunged in the rows, and were tolerable good; the other things of little value. In the spring of 1787 I spread over it five cart loads of dung, gave it two plowings, two harrowings, planted it with pumpkin seed, and plowed and harrowed it once after plowing. The crop was good. After the pumpkins were taken in, I immediately plowed it about ten inches deep, spread eight loads of dung upon it in the spring, plowed it in, harrowed it once over, and it was then in such excellent order, I thought another plowing unnecessary; I therefore sowed it with 2 bushels of seed, which was on the 6th of May, 1788.

EXPENCE.

To twelve plowings, 0 6 0
Eight loads dung, 1 0 0
Harrowing and sowing, 0 2 0
Two bushels seed, 2 5 0
Pulling the male hemp, 0 15 0
Ditto female, spreading, &c. 0 15 0
Breaking, 1 10 0
---------
Total expence, 6 13 0

Produce from the Break.

By 280 lb. at 6d. per pound, 9 0 0
Eight bushels seed , 226 9 0 0
---------
18 0 0
Expence deducted, 6 13 0
---------
Clear profit, 11 7 0

It is common to pull both the male and female hemp at the same time, and leave only a few stalks of the female hemp on the edge of the patch, to remain for feed. This is not the most profitable method; for you may observe the seed in this experiment is equal in value to the hemp. I leave all the seed hemp standing until the seed is ripe, pull, water and break it as I do the other, and it commands the same price. The clear profit is L 11 7 0, which is per acre L 22 14 0, a profit sufficient to induce us to cultivate it with spirit, especially as a crop of wheat may follow it with the greatest prospect of success. This experiment, which I have fairly related, may help us to decide an important question, which has been frequently agitated here, viz.
The best and cheapest method of improving Worn-out Land.
This piece of ground was worn out. By what means was it restored? The answer may be comprised in few words, and in my opinion is an answer to both. By manure and a succession of crops, which are not only profitable in themselves, but which compel good culture, with all its advantageous consequences.
By Order of the Society,
RICHARD TUNIS, Secretary.


January 2, 1788
The Pennsylvania Gazette

CAME to the plantation of the Subscriber, <--?--> at the seven mile stone, on Lancaster road, in Lower Merion Twp., Montgomery county, on the 18th of November last, a young sorrel MARE, about 15 hands high, trots and canters, and is shod all round. The owner, proving property and paying charges, may have her again, by applying to RICHARD TUNIS.

Dec. 29, 1787.


January 3, 1787
The Pennsylvania Gazette

WE the subscribers, assignees of Joseph Miley and wife, have discovered that a certain Michael Smith has obtained a bond from said Miley, conditioned for the payment of 35 l. or thereabouts, which appears to have been obtained after an assignment of his real and personal estates had been made to us, and fraudulently antidated a considerable time back: These are therefore to forewarn all persons from taking an assignment of the said bond, as we are determined not to pay the same. ALGERNON ROBERTS,

JOSEPH PRICE,
RICHARD TUNIS.
December 29, 1786.


December 20, 1786
The Pennsylvania Gazette

WHEREAS Joseph Miley, of Lower Merion, in the county of Montgomery, blacksmith, and Mary his wife, have made an assignment of all their real and personal estates to us, the subscribers, in trust for the benefit of his creditors. All persons who are indebted to the said Joseph Miley are therefore requested to make payment of their several debts to us, or either of us, the subscribers; and all those who have any demands against the said Joseph Miley, are desired to exhibit their accounts, properly attested, in order for settlement, to
ALGERNON ROBERTS,)
Dec. 16, 1786. JOSEPH PRICE, ) Assignees.
RICHARD TUNIS, )


Phila. MM (EQG)
TUNIS
Ann d 12/18/1811, ae 21
Elizabeth d 11/14/1822, ae 21
Jane bur 9/26/1807, ae 52
Richard d. 5/21/1808, ae 48
Sarah, d. 11/27/1817, ae 27


Children

1. Hannah Tunis
2. Jehu Tunis
3. Thomas R. Tunis
4. Jane Tunis ²