Joseph Wharton (1707-1776)
Merchant, of "Walnut Grove" near Philadelphia
He was a successful merchant. His country home "Walnut Grove" was near the Delaware River below Philadelphia, located at what is today Fifth Street and Washington Avenue. This house was the scene of the famous 'Meschianza,' a grand fête given during the Revolution (May, 1778) by the British officers in honor of their General, Lord Howe. The house was demolished in 1862, replaced by the "Wharton School House". Joseph Wharton married Hannah, grand-daughter of Samuel Carpenter, Deputy-Governor of Colonial Pennsylvania. They were the parents of eleven children.
