Editing Samuel Nicholas (section)

==Early life==
Nicholas was born in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, in 1744, the youngest of three, to Anthony and Mary (Shute Cowman) Nicholas. His father was a blacksmith, un-Friended by the [[Quaker|Philadelphia Meeting]] in 1749 for "Evil Conduct in frequent drinking strong Liquor to Excess," and died when Samuel was 7. His mother, Mary Shute Nicholas, had died the year before.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=January 3, 2018|title=The Un-Quaker Commandant|url=https://thepenngazette.com/the-un-quaker-commandant/|access-date=March 23, 2021|website=The Pennsylvania Gazette|language=en-US}}</ref> He was then taken in by his uncle, [[Attwood Shute]], the [[List of mayors of Philadelphia|Mayor of Philadelphia (1756–1758)]]. In January 1752, his uncle enrolled him at the Academy and [[College of Philadelphia]] (now the [[University of Pennsylvania]]), the secondary-school counterpart of the College. Nicholas was a student there until the end of 1759.[http://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/ns_nicholas/] While at school, he became a [[Freemason]] who belonged to a Masonic Lodge that often met at [[Tun Tavern]].