This name was formerly - and properly - written
Nantmel, being derived from Nantmel, in Radnorshire, Wales, whence some of the
early settlers came. In 1717-1719 surveys were made on the head of the
north branch of Brandywine for Thomas Callowhill, Howell Powel, Edward Thomas,
William Iddings, Thomas Rees, John Broomal, David Thomas, Daniel Moore,
William Trego, John Moore, Richard and John Peirson.
Prior to 1720 the settlement
was assessed with the tax district on Schuylkill. In 1722, the name of
Nantmel first appears, and about 1734 a petition for the division of the
township was presented to court, but rejected. In Feb of 1739-40 another
division was proposed and the new line was then agreed upon.
The first settlers
were mostly Welsh, and principally confined to the eastern part of the
township. The Scots-Irish came up from the southwestern part of the
county from 1730 to 1740, and peopled the western part.
In 1789, West Nantmeal was
divided, and the name of Honeybrook was given to the western part. In
1852 the remainder was again divided by a line from a corner of East and West
Nantmeal, south to a corner of West Nantmeal and Honeybrook, at the
intersection of the old Furnace Road with the turnpike. The southern
division was named Springfield, and then changed to Wallace. In 1860 the
lines between Honeybrook, Wallace, and West Brandywine were changed, and a
portion of the SE corner of Honeybrook was added to West Brandywine. The
territory added to West Brandywine was a part of the old manor of Springton.
East Nantmeal was divided in 1842 by the south branch of French Creek, and the
northern part called Warwick.