Although the General Store at Sugartown had been in the hands of a few different proprietors (with varying degrees of success), we typically focus on Sharpless Worrall, proprietor from 1847-1876. Not only was Sharpless the General Store proprietor for the longest period, but his descendants continued to run the store, in one form or another, up until 1983 when Historic Sugartown Incorporated was formed and purchased the General Store complex for restoration.

Now, when you hear a name like Sharpless Worrall, you may think it’s a bit unusual and that there can’t be that many other Worrall’s in the area at the time- and you would be incorrect! 

The other day, I stumbled upon some information on the John Worrall House that is situated in Ridley Creek State Park, in Delaware County. The old stone farmhouse, one of the oldest existing structures in Delaware County, dates back to the 1680s, with an addition added in the early 1700s, and is sometimes referred to as the “Hospital House” after its use as a Revolutionary War British field hospital during the Battle of The Brandywine in 1777. I thought to myself, how many Worrall’s could there be in this area? What are the chances John Worrall in Delaware County is related to Sharpless Worrall in Chester County 200 years later? Well, there were, in fact, a LOT of Worrall’s dispersed throughout the area from the mid-1600s to the mid/late-1800s. 

Through lots of digging and what felt like having 50+ browsing tabs open, I was able to find that Sharpless Worrall is actually a descendant of John Worrall. To make a very long and confusing family tree a bit shorter, John Worrall (b. 1658) left his estate to his two younger sons Peter and Thomas. Thomas’s children, also named Thomas and Peter, married Ruth Pennell and Hannah Sharpless, respectively. Peter Worrall and Hannah (Sharpless) Worrall had three children: Sharpless, Hannah, and Elizabeth. As we know, Sharpless then married Abigail Thatcher and in 1860, they built their home on the corner of Sugartown Road and Boot Road, just next door to the General Store run by Sharpless. 

History lessons and family trees aside, there is so much to learn about the village here that it’s easy to get caught up in our little bubble at Sugartown- but I guess it makes it that much more fun when you have the chance to look further into life outside of Sugartown!