Samuel Lightfoot, son of Thomas and Sarah (Wyley, Wiley, Wily), was born in Northern Ireland in 1701. Faithful followers of the Quaker religion, the Lightfoot family began to immigrate to Pennsylvania at the beginning of the eighteenth century in pursuit of religious freedom. It is believed that Samuel and other family members accompanied Thomas Lightfoot in this pursuit sometime in 1716. Most of the family settled in Chester County. It was there that Samuel started a family and began a career as a deputy surveyor during the height of land settlement in the Province of Pennsylvania. He is responsible for mapping much of the land in Lancaster and Chester Counties. Samuel's sons, Benjamin (1726-1777) and Thomas (1728-1793), followed their father in this lucrative endeavor. Other descendents of the Lightfoot family who surveyed lands in Pennsylvania were Thomas (1742-1821), Thomas Jr. (1779-1817), Benjamin Head (1787-1824), Jacob (1793-1857), and Jesse Lightfoot (1818-1894).
From the description of Lightfoot family papers, 1726-1933 (inclusive), 1733-1885 (bulk). (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 122316564
