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Gc 975.1 H62ma v. 1 1630704
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02256 1713
ERECTED IN 1698
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/historicalbiogra01unse_0
HISTORICAL
AND
BIOGRAPHICAL
ENCYCLOPÆDIA
OF
DELAWARE.
V.I
WILMINGTON, DEL. : ALDINE PUBLISHING AND ENGRAVING CO. MDCCCLXXXII.
1630704
COPYRIGHTED. Printed by The James & Webb Printing Company, Wilmington, Delaware.
PREFACE.
It was the original purpose of the editors and publishers of this Cyclopedia to con- fine themselves to biographical history, which was all that had hitherto been attempted in works of this class ; but finding that the only history of Delaware was that com- menced by Mr. Vincent, which brought the record no further than 1665, and being urged by many leading citizens to include a full history of the. State in this volume; we have, at great expense of money, time and labor, complied with this general desire. The scope of the work has thus been greatly enlarged, and its value proportionately enhanced. The chronological department, which is very full, und we believe accurate, covers the entire period from the discovery of Delaware bay by Hudson to the beginning of the present century. The ecclesiastical history of the State is all that can be de- sired. These with the topical and biographical portions, furnish a very complete record to the present time. History, if properly written, requires the expenditure of time in the comparing and weighing of various statements to arrive at the truth ; but biogra- phy, the foundation of all history, is yet more difficult. Inaccurate and imperfect records meet the writer at every step in regard to those who are gone; while content- porary biography has, from the prejudice or indifference of many, peculiar impediments to overcome.
A great task was assumed in the preparation of such a work, but we have striven honestly to perform it satisfactorily. That it has required more time than the pub- lishers anticipated is explained by these statements, and by the further important fact that much time was required for the execution, expressly for this work, of the nearly one hundred and forty steel plate engravings with which we have enriched these pages. The history of cities and towns, except that of the county seats, has been omitted, partly for want of room and partly from the fact that it is already published in Ferris' Peninsular Directory.
Christiana Bookseller - 25.00
PREFACE.
The large and pleasant type used in this work, which will be appreciated and en- joyed by readers of all ages, is unusual by reason of the increased expense attend- ing it, and the greater space required. And although the volume has attained such large proportions, the great amount of material gathered has made it necessary to condense all our matter, and to weed out superfluous words and expressions, we have, notwithstanding, carefully preserved every fact and important idea. A few biograph- ical sketches of unusual length, on account of their historic value, have been admitted, and some of them put in smaller type.
To those who have kindly aided us by their valuable historic contributions, we de- sire to make our grateful acknowledgments, and we recall, with special pleasure, the O generous hospitality and uniform kindness extended to us by the people in all parts of the "tate when gathering our material.
We do not claim to have laid before the public a perfect work, but that it is the best and most comprehensive of its kind yet undertaken for any State we confidently believe.
J. M. McCARTER, B. F. JACKSON.
December, 1882.
-
-
..
CONTENTS.
HISTORICAL:
PAGE
History of Delaware, by REV. W. W. TAYLOR,
A. M .; Edited, and, with Additional Chapters, by THE ALDINE PUBLISHING AND ENGRAV- FING COMPANY 9
The Judicial System of Delaware, by HON. N. B. SMITHERS, LL. D., 70
Political Parties, by HON. GEORGE P. FISHER, .. Free Schools of Delaware, by JAMES H. GROVES,
204 A. M. 75.1
PAGE
Education of the Colored Population, by HENRY
C. CONRAD, ESQ.,
82
Delaware College,
84
Newark Academy
86
Wilmington Conference Academy,.
87
Wesleyan Female College, by REV. JOHN WIL-
SON, A. M.,.
151
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY,
PAGE
Protestant Episcopal Church, by RT. REV. ALFRED LEE, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Delaware, 88
Reformed Episcopal Church, by REV. J. ESTLIN, 10I Presbyterian Church, by REV. JAMES L. VAL- LANDIGHAM, D. D., LL. D.,. 102 Methodist Episcopal Church, by REV. GEORGE A. PHOEBUS, D. D. 116 Methodist Episcopal Church, (Colored) 129
African Methodist Episcopal Church, by REV. T. G. STEWARD, D. D., 129 Methodist Protestant Church,
Baptists of Delaware, by REV. RICHARD B.
COOK, D. D.,.
132
Society of Friends,
139
Catholic Church, by RT. REV. THOS. A. BECKER,
Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington,
143
Lutheran Church, by REV. P. ISENSCHMID, M. D.
145
Unitarian Church,
147
Household of Faith,
148
New J rusalem Church, by COL. W. A. LA
MOTTE,.
150
130 | Delaware Bible Society,
148
PAGE
---
-
CONTENTS.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND INDUSTRIES.
PAGE
History of Delaware Railroad, by M. HAYES,
Secretary and Treasurer.
152 Small's Saw Mill and Factory, 191
Other Railroads, 177
Houston Cannery, 192
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, 177
Barkley Bros. Bakery, 192
Ship Building,
180
Chambers' Cannery, (Dover,). 193
Car Building, 182
Treat's Plaque Factory 193
Tygert's Phosphate Works, 183
Marvil's Basket and Crate Factory,
184
Adams & Bro., Variety Store, 195
Milford Basket Company,
184
Wilmington Dental Factory 195
Ross' Phosphate Company.
185
Wilson's Agricultural Warehouse 196
Postle's Morocco Works,.
185
Bancroft & Sons Cotton Mills, 196
Richardson & Robbin's Canned Goods, 186
Public Officers,
197
Farmers' Fruit Preserving Company, 187
1
Diamond State Phosphate Works, 188
City of Wilmington, 199
Laurel Mills, (ADAMS & Co.,) -188
Dover, State Capital, 200
Felton Steam Saw Mill,
189
Georgetown, 200
Smith's Mills, Lincoln, 189
Public Press,
200
DuPont's Gunpowder Mills,
189
Banks, 201
· BIOGRAPHICAL
PAGE
PAGE
PAGE
Adams, Isaac J. W 396
Biggs, Sewell C
464 Child, Mahlon M. 498
Adams, John H.
329
Biggs, W. Pierson. 332
Churchman, Henry L. 334
Adams, Joseph K.
561
Bird,. James T. 422
Clark, George. 468
Adams, William B
489
Bird, Robert M 317
Clark, Henry.
402
Allen, Pancoast. 353
Blair. Charles A 491
Clark, John C. 367
495
Anderson, James. 533
Bonwill, W. G. A.
234
Clayton, Henry. 478
214
Appleton, John.
263
Bradford, Thomas B. 365
Clayton, Thomas
476
Appleton, William E
404
Aron, Powell ..
347
Asbury, Francis.
437
Brown, Joseph.
362
Cochran, John P 425
Buckingham, David E
539
Collins, Thomas. 276
Burton, Benjamin.
398
Collins, William B.
452
Bailey, Edmund.
483
Bailey, Thomas E.
449
Baker, John G.
556
Bancroft, Joseph
241
Barkley, Samuel.
330
Cahoon, William R.
451
Conrad, Henry C.
337
Barr, Martin
540
Cooch, William.
517
Bassett, Richard.
Cannon, Philip L. 501
Cooper, Alexander B.
562
Bateman, John H
523
Cannon, Williabı
500
Cooper, Ignatius T.
409
Bates, Daniel M.
388
Cannon. Wilson L
350
Cooper, John B.
328
Bates, George H.
408
Carey, Absalom H. 283
Cooper, Richard.
441
Bates, Martin W
232
Carlisle. Paris T. 487
Cooper, Thomas.
566
Bayard, James A., Jr. 5.34
Case, Charles C.
344
Bayard, Thomas F 428
Cazier, Henry 309
Corbit, Daniel.
371
Bedford, Gunning. 243
Cazier, Jacob B. 310
Corbit, Daniel W. 372
Bertolette Levi A. 506
Chambers, Joseph. 405
Corbit, John C .. 533
Biggs, Benjamin T 548 Chandler, Swithin.
440 | Couper, James Sr.,
433
----
Collins, William T 408
Burton, William 239
Comegys, Cornelius P 549
Bush, Family, The. 382 Conner. James. 400
Conrad, Aaron.
399
Cannon, Henry P. 471
Cannon, Henry W 462
Cook, Richard B.
378
Bateman, James. 523
Cannon, Richard W. 472
Bayard, James A., Sr. 216
Carter, Edward. 392
Copes, Joseph.
564
Brown, Adolphus.
274
Clements, Ezekiel B 466
Brown, John K.
281
Cloke, John. 266
Appleton, Henry H
370
Bradford, Edward G., Jr. 561
Clayton, Joshua of Thos.
480
Appleton, John M .. 268
Bright, William 298
Burton, George H.
457
Cooch, Joseph W.
515
Barr, William H
541 419
Blocksom, Joseph T. V. 526
Clark, Philip R.
Allmond, John P. 282
Clayton, John M
Ayers, Thomas O 450
PAGE
White Clay Creek Mills. 191
Diamond Crown Phosphate Works, 194
Census Statistics, 198
-
.
Copes, Joseph S.
328
CONTENTS.
PAGE |
Couper, Dr. James, Sr .. 448
Couper, Dr. James, Jr .. 458
Couper, John. E. 437
Couper, Willian !. 419
Coursey, Thomas B. 355
Crawford, James V 454 288
Crippen, Edward J.
Crippen. William M. 490
Culbreth, Thomas O
520
Cullen, Charles M. 503
Cullen Elisha. 502
Cullen, John W 458
Cummins, Daniel. 318
Cummins, David J. 313
Cummins, George W 306
Cummins, Walter 558
Curry, Albert. 521
Curtis, S. Minot 368
Dale, John 257
Dashiell, William W 316
Davis, George. 237
Davis, Isaac. 256
Davis, Mark H. 412
Davis, Robert H. 425
Davis, Samuel B 321
Davis, Sussex D. 359
Day, Charles H. B. 418
Day, Matthias 418
Dean, Joseph. 403
Dean, William 407
Dickinson, John. 243
Diefendorf, John W 486
Douglass, H. Clay. 34 1
Downing, Hiram T. 293
Draper, Thomas.
531
Duncan, Jeremiah W 312
' Duncan, John A. 258
Dunn, Francis M .. 418
Dunning, Erasmus C. 441
DuPont, Charles I. 452
DuPont, Eleuthere I. 544
DuPont, Samuel F. 375
DuPont, Samuel, P. DeN. 553
. Ellegood, Robert G.
324
Ellegood, William T 299
Emerson, Governeur. 361
Evans, John 251
Fenimore, Edward C. 399
Fenimore, Joshua B. 269
Ferguson, Richard. 358
Jacobs, William A 364
Jakes, John T. 352
Jefferis, Charles R. 538
Johnson, Alexander 302
Jones, Benjamin B. 478
Jones, James. 463
Jones, James H. 444
Jones, John 497
Fowler, Edward. 355 Jones, John. 546
Frame, Paynter 401
Frame, Robert. 223 Jones, William P. 525
Frazier, Ezekiel C. 328
Frazier, Joseph 454
Gibbs, Benjamin 300
Keigwin, Albert N. 448
Gildersleeve, George H. 560} Kent, Benjamin. 380
Gilpin, Edward W. 546 Kent, Daniel H. 381
Godwin, Samuel P. 279 Kinder, Jacob .. 352
Goodwin, Joseph A. 435
Gray, Andrew. 551 Kittinger, Leonard. 415
Gray, Andrew C. 224 Kramer, George R 4.39
PAGE
Gray, George. 541
Green, Daniel. 278
Green, Jesse. 245
Layton, Elbert W. 266
Lee, John
· 349
Lesley, Allen V. 508
Lichtenstein, M. H 554
Liston, Morris.
231
Lockwood, Henry H.
519
Lockwood, Richard T.
25x
Lockwood, William K. 391
Lofland, James R. 273
Lofland, John. 420
Lofland, Mark G.
275
Lore, Charles B 434
Lukens, Isaiah.
430
Macallister, Samuel A. 303
Macdonough, Thomas.
242
Maris, Joshua. 331
Marshall, Aaron 280
Marshall, George W 555
Marshall, William.
535
Harrington, Charles J 467
Harrington, Purnel F
447
Harrington, Samuel M., Sr. 220
Harrington, Samuel M., Jr. 393
Hart, Burton J
461
Haslet, Joseph.
465
Hastings, Washington
496
Haves. Alexander L 516
Hayes, Manlove.
335
Hazzard, David.
230
Hazzard, John A.
263
Heald, Joshua T. 569
Heath, James ..
237
Henry, Columbus.
253
Heverin, James H .. 504
Hickman, Harbeson 459
Hickman, John .. 416
Hodgeman, Stillman A 494
Horsey, Outerbridge. 285
Houston, David H. 486
Houston, John W. 456
Houston, Robert B.
396
Hudson, John P 390
Hunn, Ezekiel. 511
Huntington, Cyrus. 482
Hurdle, William W 5II
Huston, Alexander 239
Hynson, Garrett L.
348
Morrow James 556
Moore, Jacob 325
Moore, Jacob 427
Moore, John. 342
Moore, John A 346
Moore, John T.
413
Murphy, John. 514
Naudain, Arnold. 226
Naudain, Arnold S. 225
Naudain, Elias. 343
Newton, Albert O. 426
Nicholson, James.
522
Nicholson, John A. 366
Nields, Benjamin.
315
Nones, Henry B.
455
Nowland, Henry A.
430
Ogle, Thomas M
423
Patterson, John C. 233
Patton, John.
-267
Paynter, Edwin R.
499
I
Griffith, Alfred P. 446
Griffith, Irving G. 275
Griffith, Joseph 236
Griffith, Robert S. 412
Griffith, William F 322
Grimshaw, Arthur H. 521
Groves, James H .. 363
Grubb, Ignatius C. 249
Haldeman, Isaac M 512
Hall, Cornelius J. 402
Hall, David. 532
Hall, David. 479
Hall, John W
228
Hall, Joseph.
479
Hall, Willard
Hamm, Pleasanton
309
Hansen, Thomas P.
405
Harlan, Caleb. 438
Hargadine, Robert W 444
Marsh, Joseph W
509
Martin, Edward L.
360
Martin, James 374
555
Martin, Luther 260
Marvil, Joshua H. 262
Massey, George V 341
Maull, David W. 254
Maull, George W 313
McCaulley, William 240
McCaulley, William S. 516
McColley, Truston P.
536
McComb, Eleazer 258
McComb, Henry S 394
McDonough. James. 494
McInall, Edward, Sr. 349
McInall, Edward, Jr.
Mckay, Read J. 349
McKean, Thomas. 492
235
McLear, Henry C .. 305
McMullen, Henry H. 276
McWhorter, Charles H. 518
Mc Whorter, Thomas S. 445
Meredith, Peter K.
443
Messick, Miles 250
Mills, Isaac N
410
Mitchell, Nathaniel. 236
Ferris, John. 506 Fiddeman, Henry B. 319
Fisher, Daniel G.
501
Fisher, George M.
364
Fisher, George P. 246
Fleming, Ezekiel.
391
Fleming, Charles T. 483
Jones, Washington 3~3
Jump, Isaac. 314
Kearney, Dyre. 262
Kinder, Warren 416
Lattimer, Henry 253
Lawton, Charles H. 435
Lockwood, Richard.
222
244
Martin, Hugh
حج- تعليم لا مطومت *
.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Paynter, John H. 499
Paynter, Samuel. 239
Rodney, Cæsar, Sr 527
Peck, Isaac A .. 358
Rodney, Cæsar.
527 ! Tilton, James. 263
528 | Torbert, Alfred T. A. 377
Townsend, George L 372
Townsend Richard. 556
Townsend, Samuel. 537
Townsend Solomon 243
Townsend, William. 226
Treat, Charles H. 508
Tygert, Herman S. 360
Tygert, John E. 347
Valentine, Joshua S. 417
Vallandigham, James L 542
Van Burkalow, Moses S.
340
Vandegrift, James M 389
Vincent, Francis 484
Wainwright, John 460
Waldeman, John M. 475
Wales, John. 490
Wales, Leonard E. 493
Walker, John W. 518
Walker, Martin E ..
502
Warrington, William T 475
Watkins, Columbus 470
Watkins, Gassaway 350
Way, Winfield S. 510
West, William A. 4.65
White, Samuel. 299
Whiteley, William G. 557
Whittock, Henry G ..
320
Wilkinson, John M 463
Williams, Frederic A. 366
Williams, James. 394
Reynolds, Samuel M. 446
Richards, Charles F
463
Richards, Charles H.
267 421
Richardson, Allen B 345
Rickards, Kendal. 291
Riddle, George Read.
240
Ridgaway, William H.
303
Ridgely, Charles G 473
Ridgely, Edward. 425
Ridgely, Henry. 424
Ridgely, Henry M. 373
Ridgely, Nicholas, Sr 356
Ridgely, Nicholas. 474
Robbins, James W 413
Roberts, Joseph 503
Roberts, Samuel. 539
Swiggett, William Y 338
Robinson, Alfred P., Sr 297 Tantum, Joseph R 290
Robinson, Alfred P. 286 Tatman, Charles. 252
Robinson, Peter, Sr. 320
Tatman, Charles, Jr 311
Robinson, Peter .. 237
Taylor, Andrew D. D 310
PAGEE
PAGE
293 | Temple, James D. W 336
Thompson, Lewis. 431
Peck, Samuel L 278
Pecry, William .. 261
Pennington, Evans 513
Pennington, John B. 514
Perkins, John D. 312
Perkins, W. Charles
27 2
Phillips, William S
277
Phoebus, George A. 304
Pilling, John. 411
Polk, Charles 5.63
Polk, Charles T. 271
Polk, Cyrus. 562
Polk, John P. R. 318
Polk, William, Sr 429
Polk, William.
562
Ponder, James. 414 283
Ponder, John.
Porter, David H. 507
Porter, Robert R. 369
Scott, David. 434
Postles, James H 421 Scott, Levi. 218
Postles, J. Parke.
327
Postles, Stephen 292
Pratt, Nathan
351
Pusey, Israel. 379
Rash, Moses. 336
Raymond, George H 272
Raymond, Jacob ?? 5
Read, George. 472
Records, Thomas E. 290
Reynolds, Edward.
473
Reynolds, John A
289
Small, A. Stokes. 433
Smith, J. Colby. 465
284
Smith, S. Rodman
368
Williams, Reynear 453
Williamson, John F 307
Willis, Jonathan S. 333
467
Wilson, David, Sr. 363
Wilson, David, Jr 406
Wilson, James P 301
Wilson, John A. 468
Wilson, John T. 485
Wilson, Thomas B 264
Wilson, Thomas H 370
Wilson, William. 296
Wilson, William N 512
Winner, James M. 492
Wolfe, William W 289
Wood, John. 557
Wootten, Alfred P. R. 409
Wootten, Edward.
395
Wright, Custis W
301
Robinson, Thomas 229' Taylor, James T. 337 Young, Nathaniel 230
Rodney, Cæsar A
Rodney, Daniel. 529
Rodney, Thomas. 528
Rodney, Thomas Mck
530
Rodney, William 526
Roe, Samuel D. 270
Rosa, John J 287
Ross, James J.
439
Ross, William H. H.
442
Rothwell, Gideon E. 342
Rothwell, William. 268
Russell, Andrew K. 470
Russell, George 495
Rust, Catesby F. 469
Saulsbury, Eli. 354
Saulsbury, Gove. 238
Saulsbury, Willard. 357
Shakespeare, Edward O 481
Shakespeare, James H.
480
Shakespeare, William M 488
Sharp, William W. 392
Sharp, John W. M. D.
559
Sharpley, Harry 423
Shipleys, The. × 247
Shortlidge, Evan G 481
Simmons, Bauduy 523
Simpson, Clement C.
300
Skinner, Robert H.
281
Reynolds, Robert J. 450
Reynolds Robert W 248
Smith, Thompson R 362
Smithers, Elias P. 505
Smithers, Nathaniel
479
Smithers, Nathaniel B
432
Smyth, Thomas A. 397
Staats, Isaac. 461
Staats, John F
354
Spruance, Presley.
543
Spruance, William C. 545
Stevenson, M. Morris 286
Stockly, Ayres 259
Stockley, Charles C. 552
Stockley, John C. 348
Stockton, Thomas 559
Stone, George W. 524
Willitts, Horatio N.
Smith, Richard E
Williams, Jonathan K 340
Richards, J. Emory.
1
Robinson, Thomas
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
CHAPTER I.
Date of the beginning of History of Delaware-Hudson-What we know of him-Names of Delaware waters-By whom named-For whom-Sir Thomas West, 3d Lord Delaware-His character-Death-Interesting letter of British Minister at Washington, of Fune 7th, 1882- Retrospective.
N the twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord Sixteen hundred and Nine. we begin the History of Dela- ware. On that day the Half Moon or Crescent, a vessel of eighty tons burthen commanded by Captain Henry Hudson, passed with a starving and mutinous crew, at latitude sixty degrees on the western coast of the Bay that now bears his name ; and " after he had divided, with tears, his last bread with his men," they thrust him into a frail boat with his boy, John Hudson, and father and son were heard the Capes and entered our waters. This is the first discovery of our Bay of which we have an authentic record. What is now known as the Delaware Bay and River, was then known, to the aborigines, as Mariskitten, Pontaxat, or Chickahockee. Hudson was a bold and skillful Navigator, and was by birth and rearing. an Englishman, but at this time in the service of Holland. Our first knowledge of him is as a Captain in the employ of an English Company, known as the Muscovy Company. His earliest command was as mas- ter of the ship Hopewell, in which he sailed to discover a route .to . China by way of Spitzen- of no more. It was on the occasion of his third attempt to find a westward passage to the East Indies, that our Bay was discovered and entered by this persevering and noble sailor and discoverer. This way to the East had been the dream of European Navigators from the time of Christopher Columbus. `And if their direct object was unattained, and their search was unsuccessful in finding, through western seas, a highway to a point in the East- ern Hemisphere, they sailed " better than they knew," since their grand and heroic achiev- ments led, in the Providence of God, to a New World and another Hemisphere .. Theirs was bergen and the North Pole This was in the an era in history now passed away, because its possibilities have ceased, and maritime discov- taken for the same company, which resulted in ery has pushed its adventurous conquests over almost every latitude of the seas. Yet the spirit of this vanishing age of maritime dis- covery still lives, and over the frozen regions bounding the North Pole, its heroes and its vic- tims still continue to find their honored and their icy shrouds. It will pass away ; yet even
year 1607. In 1608 a second voyage was under- making known a portion of Nova Zembla. In 1609 he entered the service of the Dutch East India Company and made the discovery of what is now known as the Delaware Bay. Six days after leaving the Delaware, having re- mained in the Bay for a day and a night, he passed within Sandy Hook, and anchored in . then its heroes and martyrs, like Hudson, will the mouth of the river which bears his name. live! Rivers and bays, islands, coasts and con-
Under English auspices he, in 1610, again tinents, will ring and. reverberate with the started to find a Northwest passage, and after names of men who, as discoverers, deserve a exhausting ten months' provision, was found place in the history of civilization to which
·
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
even heroes of the battle-field may not aspire.
The Half Moon was the honored vessel of which Robert Jewett was the mate, and John Coleman was an able seamen, whose name alone, of all her crew, is preserved. Accord- ing to Judge Houston, (Papers of Historical Society of Delaware No. 2,) Hudson had aimed toreach Jamestown, Va., for provisions, but fail- ing of the Chesepioock as the Chesapeake was then called, he, fortunately, kept close to the coast, until he found the Delaware. The shores were in their full-leaved summer beauty, and noon day brightness, when he approached the offing. He first reached a point on the north, that must have been Cape Henlopen, whence Cape May was visible, and proceeding, he gained a sight of long beaches, and dry sand. He came up so far as to perceive a strong current set- ting outward, from which his experienced eye determined, that a large river, flowed into the Bay. He found his ship beset with breakers, and in danger, at every turn, of running upon shoals, from which, it was concluded, this was not the highway to the East Indies, and being, also, probably in want of provisions, the ves- sel was put about, working towards the South- eastward and then to the north, in which direc- tion, Hudson was rewarded, six days later, by encountering the famous Isle of Manhattan and the Hudson River ; thus making "New York the younger sister of our Delaware ;" as Vincent quotes, page 96, from Jno. Meredith Read's Lecture, of Oct. 13, 1864.
Before leaving Delaware Bay, our mate, Roberts, enters upon his log, from which, most of the above is taken, the wise caution, "he that would thoroughly explore this great bay, must have a pinnace, that will draw but 4 or 5 feet water, to sound before him." We think he did not get into the channels.
It seems that Sir Samuel Argall next, after Hudson, and who was, at one time, Governor of Virginia, in 1610 gave Delaware Bay a call, and, perhaps, in return for the halibut, cod and ling fish, which he says, he there caught, gave a worthy name to the bay, calling it after Lord De La Ware, the Governor of Virginia; and soon after, Lord De La Ware himself, 1611, vis- ited the spot, staying but a day or two, with- out coming inside, when on a voyage to the West Indies, which was continued, probably, to England, for his health.
This Lordly English name, all prefer, to the Indian names already given ; or the Zuydt or South river, or Godyn's bay, or any of the nu- merous other titles, by which it has been known in history as given by the two other European Nationalities who, subsequently, with various fortune sought and settled its shores.
As to Delaware, if any honor is reflected from the name, we may congratulate ourselves on the memory of Sir Thomas West, Earl De La Ware, a nobleman, distinguished, alike, for his virtues and rank ; who administered the government of Virginia, to which he was ap- pointed for life, with mildness and decision ; and whilst at his post, gave himself unremit- tingly to the duties of his office. But his health soon failed under the cares of his situ- ation and the unfriendliness of the climate, when he was obliged to return to England. There, ever alive to his responsibilities, he watched over and advocated the interests of the colony, and, in 1617, after an absence of seven years, embarked to return to his gov- ernment, which, in the meantime, had been ad- ministered by Deputies. However, he either did not live to reach America, or was obliged, straightway, to return ; for to give an instance of contradictory authority, whilst all the writers on Virginia record that he died at sea, and was probably buried at sea, Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors, as enlarged by Tho. Park, and quoted by Bancroft, Vol. I, tells of his dying at Wherwell, Hants, in England, June 7, 1618.
That the truth might be ascertained touch- ing this historical question, the editors of the Aldine Publishing and Engraving Company addressed a letter to his Excellency, the Brit- ish Minister at Washington, who is a distin- guished member of the West family, and ask- ing such information as might be in his posses- sion. They promptly received, through his courtesy, the following reply in his own hand- writing ..
WASHINGTON, June 7th, 1882. To Aldine Publishing and Engraving Co.
GENTLEMEN :- In reply to your letter of the 6th inst., respecting my ancestor, the 3rd Lord De La Ware, (Thomas West,) I beg to say that there is no record in the family archives of the exact date of his death, or the place where he died. He left England for the second time in the year 1618, to resume the administration of
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II
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
the Colony, and we suppose, died on the pas- sage out. We have no record of his having died or being buried in England. My brother, the present Earl De La Ware, has carefully searched, but in vain for some precise informa- tion on this subject.
I remain, gentlemen,
Yours faithfully,
L. S. SACKVILLE WEST.
It is recorded by Bancroft, volume Ist, that "his affection for Virginia ceased only with his life," and he may be set before us, a man and a ruler deserving the applause of man- kind.
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