"One relatively unknown forefather, progenitor of the Friend family in America, is Nils Larsson, who arrived in New Sweden on the Swan in 1648 and served as a warden for Governor Rising 1654. Two years later, he married Anna Andersdotter (possibly the daughter of Anders Andersson the Finn) and settled at Upland (now Chester), where they raised a family of ten children. His house was also the location of the Swedes' quarterly court sessions after Armegot Printz sold the Printz family's Tinicum Island estate.

Nils Larsson played a very prominent role in the Swedish community until his death at Upland in the winter of 1686-87. He became known as Nils Larsson Frände, meaning "kinsman" or "blood relative" in Swedish, possibly because of his influence among the Indians who considered him a "blood brother." Under English rule, his adopted surname became anglicized to "Friend." In 1668, Nils and two other Swedes, secured a permit from the govemor of the new province of New Jersey to buy lands from the Indians in present Gloucester County. The resulting acquisition led to a large Swedish settlement centering around Raccoon Creek (present Swedesboro).

Nils Larsson Frände also acquired lands in present Bucks County, which he traded to William Penn in return for 800 acres east of Red Clay Creek in New Castle County. Penn built his Pennsbury estate on Frände's former land.

Jean Paul Jaquet reported in a letter dated 9 August 1656 to Governor Peter Stuyvesant in New Amsterdam that Niles Larsen's intended marriage was being postponed for three months by pastor Lars Carlsson Lock in order to investigate the charges (which Jacquet presumed to be false) by a woman of ill repute in Manhattan. (Gehring, "New York Historical Manuscripts (Delaware Papers-Dutch", 68) From this record, it may reasonably be inferred that Nils Larsson was married about November 1656. Source - "The Family of Nils Larsson Frande (Friend)" by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, 1988. (See pg. 2)

At the time of his death, Nils Larsson was serving as constable for Chester township. His wife Anna survived him by about 40 years and was said to be over 106 when she died. Their children, with approximate birth years, were:

1. Brigitta, born 1657, who married John Cock (son of Peter Larsson Cock) and had nine children.

2. Anders (Andrew), born 1659, whose first wife was probably a daughter of Israel Helm. Andrew Friend died in Maryland after 1740, and had at least four children, including Israel Friend, a well-known Indian trader and interpreter.

3. Catharine, born 1661, who married Olof (William) Dalbo, and died at Raccoon Creek in 1721, the mother of nine children.

4. Maria, born 1663, who married Gabriel Cock (son of Peter Larsson Cock) and had eight children.

5. John, born 1666, who married Anna (daughter of Hendrick Coleman), and died in Penn's Neck, Salem County, NJ in the winter of 1737-38; nine children.

6. Susannah, born 1670, who married Enoch Enochson and moved to Gloucester County, NJ; four surviving sons.

7. Sarah, born 1672, who married Amos Nicholas of Chester County; at least four children.

8. Gabriel, born 1674, who married Maria Van Culin of Chester County; at least five children.

9. Lawrence, born 1676, who married Sarah Jaquet in Penn's Neck; at least four children.

10. Barbara, born 1678, who married Peter Longacre (son of Anders Petersson Longacre); at least three children.

Descendants of Nils Larsson Friend have an active Friend Family Association which owns and operates a Friend Family Library in Friendsville, Maryland, where many records of descendants have been collected. "

*************************************************************** Will Of Nils Larsson Friend ************************************ Executed December 20,1686 Witnessed by Charles Springer and John Hodskins ***************************************************** "In the name of the Lord God and in the year of our Lord 1686 the 20 of December doe;I Neels Laarson of Upland make my Last Will and Testament, I being as yet in & of good memorie, as Followeth: First, I doe bequeth my Soul, after this life, unto the Lord almighty, whom is the giver of all life. Secondlie I make Lassey Cock, John Cock and Wholle Dalbo to be an help and a guide to my wife in her widowhood, to assist her in matters which she shall stand in need of them. Further it is my last Will and Testament That I doe Leave and make my wife after my decease whole and sole executor of my whole estate, That is that none of my children shall have anything to Say over anything of my whole estate as I leave behind as Long as my wife she Liveth but my wife shall Increase the estate and not waste it in her Life time, but to turn it to the best advantage as shee can. And this is my whole and Sole will and Testament that none of my Children shall have anithing to say of my Land or goods so Long as my wife Lives, neither of the plantation wher I now doe dwell in or the Land about the court house or the land as I bought of Gustaff Anderson or the Land as I have in Christina Creek; But it is all whole and Sole at my wife's own disposing to be for the good of the children after her decease; And this I doe think fitt and will have it Interchangeablie keept after my death, for I see that my children are not now capeably to keep an estate together. And further I doe give my wife authoritie to sell and dispose of what Land as shee shall see fitt of, if shee shall have need of; And further if my wife doe chance to marry shee is to have a full third part of all the Land and goods what there is left, and the rest to dispose amongst the children as shee think fitting. This is my Last Will & Testament and I will Interchangeablie have it done and keept after my death and hereunto I have sett my hand and Seal the day and date above written. ****************     (N) The marke of Neles Larson *************************** (Philadelphia Will Book A, 145, as reproduced in Friend Family Chronicles, 5:78-79) The will was not proved until 12 June,1689 but Nils Larsson had died before 7 September,1687 when his widow and son Andrew passed a deed to Robert Wade for two parcels of land in the town of Chester.